1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,440 And I'm so grateful for Jesus, so grateful for his promise and 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:10,120 his goodness to us. And you know, the Psalm and what 3 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:13,920 we see there, that picture of his abundance and and his 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,480 goodness for us is actually really the grounding of this new 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:23,080 series that we're going to press into pressing in and pressing 6 00:00:23,080 --> 00:00:27,440 on. And, and as I was sat preparing, 7 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:29,680 I was thinking, Oh Lord, people are going to be like, she's 8 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:31,360 getting up there and be like, come on, guys, we've got to 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,680 press on and press in and keep going. 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,720 But this is the truth. We are pressing in and on to 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,080 someone in this season. This isn't about us putting on 12 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,960 our big girl pants as a church and being like we can do this. 13 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:51,800 It is about pressing in and on to the person of Jesus, Father, 14 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,080 Son, and Holy Spirit, the one who prepares a table for us for 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,360 this season. And so we're going to be digging 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,560 into a new series as a church that is all about how we press 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,760 in and press on to Jesus. Ultimately, this series is about 18 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,840 prayer because that is how we engage with Him. 19 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,920 It's how we talk to Him, it's how we hear from Him, it's how 20 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,000 we receive the goodness of who He is that transforms how we 21 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,240 feel and what we see and what we do. 22 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,040 And so we are going to be looking at prayer over the next 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:31,800 6-7 weeks because I believe the Lord wants to do something in us 24 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,920 in this moment in time, in this part of our journey. 25 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,240 He is alive and active and He doesn't go on standstill in the 26 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,720 in between. He has got something for us that 27 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,960 he wants to do in us in this time. 28 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:54,320 And so I want us to look at, we're going to look at the 29 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:55,400 scripture. I'm going to pray. 30 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,160 Spirit of the living God, I thank you that you're present 31 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,600 and I thank you that you illuminate your truth in the 32 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,800 Word. And God, we want to say that 33 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,560 we're open right now to hear from you and what you want to 34 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:34,200 speak to us this morning in Jesus name, Amen. 35 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,000 Amen. Wonderful. 36 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,800 As Eduardo would like to say, he's becoming a legend in this 37 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:44,960 place for his wonderful. Great. 38 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,960 Well, if you have a Bible on you, I would love you to turn 39 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:54,520 this morning to Genesis 26. We're going to look at a 40 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,400 Scripture, which may feel like a little bit of a funny story. 41 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,320 You'll probably think to start with Clara, where are we going? 42 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,320 But we are not the first group of people in history to find 43 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:12,480 ourselves in the in between. In fact, throughout the Bible, 44 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,360 we find groups of people who are walking these kind of in between 45 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,040 seasons. We recognise in our own lives. 46 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,000 We walk through transition and change and in between seasons. 47 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:27,680 And so I was drawn to this story in Genesis 26 this morning, and 48 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,640 I want us to to read a little part of it first and then we're 49 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:35,560 going to tuck into it. So verse 17, it says this. 50 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:40,080 So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the valley of Gora 51 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,640 and settled there. And Isaac dug again the wells of 52 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,880 water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, 53 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,520 which the Philistines had stopped after the stopped up 54 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,080 after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that 55 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,760 his father had given them. But when Isaac's servants dug in 56 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,760 the valley, they found a well of spring water. 57 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:04,920 The herdsman of Guerra quarrelled with Isaac's 58 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:06,920 herdsman, saying, this water is ours. 59 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,240 So he named that well esque, which means contention. 60 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,040 And then they dug another well, and they quarrelled over that 61 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,399 one also. And he named it Sitna, which 62 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,520 means accusation. And he moved from there, and he 63 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,280 dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. 64 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,800 So he called his name, Rehoboth, saying, For now the Lord has 65 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,920 made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 66 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,760 From there he went to Bathsheba. And the Lord appeared to him the 67 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,520 same night and said, I am the God of Abraham your father. 68 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,040 Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you, and I will 69 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,720 multiply your offspring for your servant Abraham's sake. 70 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,240 So he built an altar there, and he called upon the name of the 71 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:58,520 Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a 72 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:03,040 well. What we've got going on here in 73 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,120 the beginning of this portion is Isaac. 74 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,600 We've got this guy Isaac, and he stands between his father 75 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,120 Abraham's legacy. Abraham was the pioneer and 76 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,040 Jacob who comes after Isaac, who is a nation builder. 77 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,680 Jacob's sons became the tribes of Israel and they expanded and 78 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:26,760 we see this huge nation building. 79 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,320 But here we've got Isaac who's standing in the in between. 80 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,480 And Isaac gives us a picture of what generational batten to 81 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:40,000 batten, faithfulness and spiritual stewardship looks like 82 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:44,040 in the middle. But what is Isaac doing here? 83 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,040 It's a bit of an odd scripture, you might think, to pick that 84 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:53,680 He's digging wells and he's digging wells because in their 85 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:58,320 time, they needed living water. It was the most valuable thing 86 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,240 that they needed to thrive and survive. 87 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:06,000 And what we see to start with is Isaac going back and revisiting 88 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,480 and digging the wells that Abraham had opened, but that 89 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,320 even in the face of resistance where they had been shut down. 90 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,400 And he's trying to dig them again and they're being 91 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,080 contended for and they're being, he's being receiving accusation. 92 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:24,480 He just keeps going and he's contending for the fresh water 93 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,960 in the present. And it got me thinking about how 94 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:32,840 poignant that imagery is for us now here in the in between of 95 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:38,680 our story. You know, we have at Verso this 96 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:44,360 rich history of kind of 36 ish years, 3737. 97 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,560 Thanks, Richard. 37 years since we began, and we've got 98 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,000 incredible wells that have been dug in this place. 99 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:58,480 Wells of passionate worship, intimate worship, wells of 100 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:02,520 digging into the Word of God and letting it transform us. 101 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,840 We've got wells of faithful prayer that have gone through 102 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:09,800 all of those years. Even this week I was hearing 103 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,240 stories of just the Super faithful people. 104 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,800 They're not on the stage. Most of us won't even know 105 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,200 they've been doing it, but they've been showing up day in 106 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,040 and day out praying for us at the church. 107 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,480 We've got wells of compassion, right? 108 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,880 We've seen Versa Care grow from a from a tiny box in the car 109 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,640 park to what it is here today, reaching hundreds of people 110 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,200 every week with the compassion of Jesus. 111 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,440 We've seen wells of the power of God in this place that break 112 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,280 out, and we've seen many, many hundreds of stories of healing. 113 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,760 We've got wells of hospitality and making spaces where people 114 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,480 come and belong and are known. We've got sites that are 115 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,560 extending our reach to places so that we can extend who Jesus is 116 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,160 into those places too. We've got wells of unbelievable 117 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:07,560 courage, of discipleship, of mission, and all of those wells 118 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,360 have done what they've ultimately allow us to 119 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,080 experience, the Living water Jesus. 120 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,040 And in doing so, we're opening up spaces for others to 121 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:23,240 encounter him and taste and see just how good he is. 122 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,800 And in our own lives, if we think about it, each one of us 123 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,880 will have unique wells that the Lord has caused us to dig. 124 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,280 Now, some of us are intercessors in the room, or some of us are 125 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,240 great businessmen because we dig because of what God has done in 126 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:46,800 us to ensure that Jesus can be made known everywhere, anywhere, 127 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:51,560 at all times. And as I was sat in the story, I 128 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:56,600 was reminded that God wants to whisper to us this morning, 129 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,480 Birth. Save in your church to not 130 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,800 forget the wells that he's given us to dig in this place in this 131 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,240 moment. Do not sit back. 132 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,280 Do not think be tempted. Well, this is a nice break for 133 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:12,760 the next three months, four months. 134 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,840 I want to encourage us here on our first Sunday of this in 135 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:23,000 between, to keep stewarding and tending the wells that the Lord 136 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:29,800 has given us to dig in this place, to actively step in, to 137 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:35,000 not be passive in this moment. But there is fresh water that we 138 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,200 need to contend for this month, in October, in November, in 139 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,680 December. The Lord wants to make himself 140 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:47,920 known to us in this place. And what we're going to see as 141 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:52,200 we unpack this story this morning is that the God meets 142 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:58,440 those who have a shovel in their hand to keep digging, and he's 143 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,320 stepping into the water. Not quite yet, Fred, not quite 144 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,160 yet. She's she's on point for a 145 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:09,880 special moment. You know, it actually reminded 146 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,560 me of preaching here almost two years ago at the story of the 147 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:17,120 crossing of the Jordan. And I spoke about that holiness 148 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:18,720 the night before holiness moment. 149 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,120 If you were here, you might remember it. 150 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,360 And as the Lord led his people, he invites them to step into the 151 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,680 water under his presence and see what He will do. 152 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,960 And it reminded me again, like this is a bit of that moment. 153 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,000 We need to keep digging the wells of His presence in this 154 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,480 place because we're going to step into the water and watch 155 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:39,560 what He's going to do in this next chapter. 156 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,160 He's preparing us first, though, in this moment, not passively, 157 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,400 but actively. And we all need to pick up our 158 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:52,760 shovels and be a part of it. But the well that I think the 159 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,600 Lord has really been speaking to us about that he wants to to 160 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,400 really dig in US in this season is the well of prayer. 161 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,080 And I know when I say that there's some of us because I've 162 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,520 been there and done this. Oh, here we go. 163 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:11,760 We're going to have a six week series on how we all need to 164 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,920 pray more. And there's a little bit of, you 165 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,280 know, a little bit of like, oh, this, I'm just going to feel 166 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,560 guilty at the end of it that I just don't do prayer enough. 167 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,600 I just want to rebuke that lie in this room in the name of 168 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:25,560 Jesus. OK. 169 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,360 This is not about a series that we're going to feel guilty on. 170 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,920 It is about a series that is going to awaken us this morning. 171 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,600 Amen. It's going to awaken us in this, 172 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:41,040 in this moment, because I believe that God wants to not 173 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,320 just make us more intelligent or knowledgeable about prayer. 174 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,000 I think he wants to form something in us. 175 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,960 He wants to form us as a people, that of prayer that it is 176 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:59,760 essentially in us as we reclaim and stand firm on the 177 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,240 foundations that have been in our story thus far. 178 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:08,120 And we press into Jesus for the now as we ultimately stand in 179 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,320 faith, believing for what is to come because the best is yet to 180 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,280 come. Now let's look a little bit 181 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:19,320 closely closer here because you might be thinking, well, Claire, 182 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,520 this was an awful lot in here about people like contending 183 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,160 against Isaac as he's digging these wells. 184 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:29,160 And you know, this season of transition and change for us as 185 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,720 a church has not been birthed out of something going wrong. 186 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:36,520 Hallelujah, praise Jesus, right? This is not because we've got a 187 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,920 leader that did something bad and we've had to change leaders. 188 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:44,480 It is a it is a beautifully spirit filled stewardship of God 189 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:48,520 that he's unfolding a story in US, right? 190 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,960 And he has been so faithful in that from the beginning of the 191 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,080 Lord speaking to Mark and Steph like last year all the way 192 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,440 through. So kind, so kind in the way that 193 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:05,840 he's doing this story. But let's be honest, you know, 194 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,160 we can know that God is in this story. 195 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,400 We can know that he's good and he's he's doing his thing. 196 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:17,480 But we still face internal tensions, right? 197 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,920 Maybe it's just me. Like I can know God is in this 198 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,120 story. There's a little bit of anxiety 199 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,680 in me about how it's all going to unfold, right? 200 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:30,960 We can know he's good. We can know he's writing the 201 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,920 story. But we can in our humanness be 202 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:39,160 anxious in the unknown and the change because most humans don't 203 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,880 like change. We can know that God is the 204 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:47,920 leader of our church, that we're just the under shepherds, but we 205 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,800 can still slip into the temptations that would love to 206 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,800 convince us that somehow He's not on the throne in this 207 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,880 moment. And we need to do something to 208 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,680 try to control this internal tension that we experience. 209 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,960 We can slip into those temptations of nostalgia and 210 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,560 believe that the best is actually behind us. 211 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,000 Because who could be like the pastors that we've had before? 212 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,240 Surely they're not going to be as good as those guys. 213 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:15,800 We can slip into that comparison or disengagement or have a 214 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,800 jury's out guys not going to sit there and wait and see. 215 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:20,360 I don't know about this Chuck and Taran yet. 216 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,680 We'll see if they prove themselves to be as good as we 217 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,200 hope. God is the leader of this 218 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,640 church. He is writing a story and 219 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,640 therefore we don't need to hold any of those positions. 220 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,200 We can hold fast to a position that he is writing the story and 221 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,440 what he's bringing in this next season. 222 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,000 He's on it, and we are all part of it because you're here right 223 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,920 now, in this moment, and he's brought you here for a reason. 224 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,480 Let's get even more real. We face these internal tensions, 225 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:54,720 don't we? Accusations that come at us in 226 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,120 our discipleship when we know we're supposed to, you know, 227 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,560 read the Bible, man. Every time I try to read the 228 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,120 Bible, it's like something is trying to stop me. 229 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,000 Or we can know that we're supposed to pray or worship or 230 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:13,480 whatever it might be. And when we just don't quite 231 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,600 manage to do it in the way that we'd hoped or you thought we 232 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,360 were supposed to do, it doesn't the accuser love to just come 233 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,720 and shame us and tell us, well, don't bother trying again. 234 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:26,200 I mean, you've clearly shown you can't. 235 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,040 You can't, you can't get a grip of this. 236 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:34,640 Or as we look at our world right now, you know, we can know that 237 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:36,920 we know the end of the story. OK? 238 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,360 We know the end of the story verse over in your church in 239 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,600 this moment where the darkness feels like it's getting darker, 240 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,840 where the contention feels like it's rising, where the tension 241 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,880 in US is like what is going on, the cultural wars, The body of 242 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,120 Christ seems to be butting heads with one another. 243 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,480 Which side of this camp do I sit on? 244 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:01,160 And we can know that eternity is in God's hands and still have 245 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,520 this internal wrestle of how to walk out in this moment. 246 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,280 But I want us to notice something about Isaac. 247 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,800 How does he walk in that moment when he is facing the 248 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,720 contention, when he is facing accusation and he keeps going, 249 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,680 What does he do? He just keeps digging wells 250 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:27,040 because he knows that water is the only thing that will sustain 251 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:32,200 them and keep them alive. He doesn't get wound up. 252 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,800 He doesn't get angry. He just keeps digging and doing 253 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,600 the thing that God has shown them to do. 254 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:48,300 You know, it reminded me, actually, I have this funny 255 00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:50,940 story. I like, you know, I got to the 256 00:16:50,940 --> 00:16:53,700 summer and I used to be a runner. 257 00:16:54,860 --> 00:16:58,440 I used to call myself a runner, ran 1/2 marathon, the Great 258 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,040 North Run. I know that's my little claim to 259 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:05,839 fame from years ago. And about two years ago, I did 260 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:08,520 something. I did a a race and I seriously 261 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:11,000 messed up my knee. Like seriously messed it up. 262 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,640 And I was like, in fact, Krista's in the room. 263 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:15,960 Krista Alexander was with me on that walk. 264 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,280 We did this hike up and down the South Downs and I really did 265 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,800 something awful to my knee. And so I gave up. 266 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,720 I was like, I'm not a runner anymore and I thought there's no 267 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,160 way I'm ever going to go back to running. 268 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:32,200 And I just gave into it and I missed that feeling of running. 269 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,040 I miss what that breakthrough moment where you clear your head 270 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,640 after a long run. And in this summer, I just heard 271 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:40,840 the Lord. Honestly, it was the Lord. 272 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:42,600 He said to me, what, why you stopped running? 273 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,320 And I was like, because I can't run because I've got this 274 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:46,920 injured knee and what, you haven't healed it. 275 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:54,520 So you know how my conversations with the Lord go and anyway, I 276 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:56,760 and I just him say, I just want you to try again. 277 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:02,280 And so I downloaded a couch to 5K and it's very demoralizing 278 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:04,800 when you've been able to run a half marathon to start at one 279 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,400 minute running, one minute walking, one minute running, one 280 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,600 minute walking. However I did, I thought, you 281 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,320 know what, I'm going to get the shoes to help with the knee and 282 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,280 do all the things. And I just started. 283 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:17,640 And the difference was I just felt him say to me, stop looking 284 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,840 at the whole plan and just do the day in front of you, do one 285 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,960 run at a time and take it one day at a time. 286 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,880 I was doing so well, loving it. And then this summer I was at 287 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,160 the beach with my boys and we're walking towards the ocean and 288 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,880 like a good mum, I was like messing with one of them and one 289 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:37,120 of them kicked her foot up just as they were laughing. 290 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,680 And they hit my foot really bad and injured it really badly. 291 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,960 And I was like, oh see, I'm not a runner, I'm not a runner, 292 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:45,160 What's the point? May as well give up. 293 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,000 And the Lord caught me in preparation for this. 294 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,000 And he said to me, Claire, how often do you treat your prayer 295 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:01,120 life like that? You give up because you 296 00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:03,000 couldn't. You couldn't sustain the half an 297 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000 hour that you thought you were supposed to pray on this thing. 298 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,800 And instead of just doing the next thing and taking it back up 299 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,680 and saying, you know what? Even though I've not done that, 300 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,120 I'm just going to pick it up again. 301 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:13,800 I'm just going to try again one day at a time. 302 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,240 Even if I have to go back to day one of one minute of running, 303 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,240 one minute of walking. I'm just going to keep trying 304 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:26,360 and deep digging because here's the deal. 305 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:32,400 The enemy's number one strategy in seasons of change and 306 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,360 transition and when we face opposition and resistance is to 307 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:40,640 do anything He can to distract us and disempower us and fill us 308 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,320 so much with disappointment that we fill up and we dry up the 309 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:48,360 wells that will give us the living water, the spaces that 310 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:53,240 allow us to encounter Jesus, the Father, the Son, and the Holy 311 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:57,040 Spirit. And we just need to understand 312 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,320 that our wells of prayer are going to be contended. 313 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,200 They are going to face opposition and we just need to 314 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,880 see it, need to name it, and we need to own it. 315 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:11,200 And we need to walk forward one day at a time, because it's in 316 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:16,920 those spaces of prayer that our uncertainty and fear fall in the 317 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,000 security of Jesus, our rock that we stand on. 318 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:24,400 It's in the spaces of prayer where our doubts and our hurts 319 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:28,400 are audaciously allowed to be made known to the most loving 320 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,680 Father who cares and invites us to come as we are and meet us 321 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,480 there and not leave us there to lead us forward, to be able to 322 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,400 give grace and love to those around us. 323 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,080 It's in the spaces of prayer that we can bring Him our 324 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:48,840 questions about our world. We can even dare to say, Jesus, 325 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:50,640 are you really enough in this moment? 326 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:59,400 It's the spaces of prayer where we take up our responsibility as 327 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,080 His bride, our faithful posture and position to stand firm in 328 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:08,240 the face of whatever is to come, knowing that we don't, as, as He 329 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:13,000 said this morning, fight against flesh and blood, but with Jesus, 330 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:17,720 who has a better word through the finished work of the cross, 331 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,720 we can keep believing, we can keep contending, we can keep 332 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:28,280 trying, because God's heart is there for the taking and we want 333 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,120 His heart for our world, for our lives, His expectation. 334 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:37,600 And we don't have to surrender anything less than a belief that 335 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,000 we will see His goodness in the land that we are living in, in 336 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,280 this hour right now, here in our church, in our city, in our 337 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,440 nation, and in our world, He will be made known for His 338 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:49,480 goodness. Amen. 339 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:55,440 And So what I want us to see here this morning is that prayer 340 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,240 through the Scripture, this imagery that we get through 341 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,840 Isaac is prayer requires persistence. 342 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:08,480 Prayer that will form us Verso, not just in kind of inform us 343 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,960 that will literally form us is intentional prayer. 344 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:15,280 It is costly. It's going to be hard work 345 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,960 because digging wells is hard work. 346 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,480 In fact, in the Scriptures when they were digging wells, it 347 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,480 literally took them years to keep digging and digging and 348 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:31,680 digging. Because prayer is ultimately an 349 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:36,920 act of humility, acknowledging God and who he is and taking our 350 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:41,160 rightful place and recognising that we can do nothing apart 351 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,240 from him. John 15. 352 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,840 And so this morning I, I'm going to this is my moment. 353 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:53,440 I brought a little prop. Steve's going to kill me. 354 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,040 I grabbed it out the garage. Sorry darling. 355 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,600 Prayer is hard work. We all have a shovel in our hand 356 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,360 in this room and what the Lord I believe wants to do in us in the 357 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:17,240 season is form prayer in US and this is what it looks like. 358 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,360 Every muscle in our being is required. 359 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,480 Prayer doesn't just drop in our lap. 360 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:31,120 It literally is like picking up a shovel and working our 361 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:33,920 muscles, our prayer muscles, day in and day out. 362 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,840 And what happens when you do strength training or you dig in 363 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:38,920 the garden repetitively? What happens to your muscles? 364 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,800 They change shape. It literally changes the form of 365 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,600 who we are. And I believe in the Spirit that 366 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,440 the Lord wants to do something in the next few months in us 367 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:52,800 around prayer that will shape us and form us to look different. 368 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,080 Literally our muscles will look different. 369 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,920 And some of us, you might be like, well, I can't pick up a 370 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,560 big shovel. Maybe it's a little shovel. 371 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:02,800 It doesn't matter what size the shovel is. 372 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:04,520 You just got to pick the shovel up. 373 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,560 And we're just going to dig one shovel at a time, one prayer at 374 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,960 a time. One time coming to a prayer 375 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,080 meeting, one time getting up at 6:00 in the morning to set your 376 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,200 alarm to pray. I don't care what it looks like, 377 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,280 but just pick up your shovel church and pray. 378 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:23,440 Amen. Amen. 379 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:29,480 Don't get the preacher going in this girl's morning. 380 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,920 And I want, so I want you to hear this prayer is persistent 381 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,240 and it's where we unstuck those inner tensions. 382 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:44,360 It's a life posture that we just keep using our muscles and we 383 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:47,600 keep pressing in. But the resistance in prayer is 384 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,600 not defeat or failure. It's confirmation that you're 385 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:56,960 doing the right thing. And so there's a question for us 386 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,480 in the room this morning. Where is God asking you to pray 387 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:05,120 more intentionally, repeatedly, consistently, wider, deeper, 388 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,960 longer for yourself and for the sake of others. 389 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,000 Now let's look a little bit further here. 390 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,160 What what happens next? Isaac he they press on and they 391 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:16,600 press on. And then what does it say? 392 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,720 It says that they came to a place where the spring flowed 393 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:22,440 and there was no quarrelling over it. 394 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,880 And he named it Rehoboth. Now if I'd been Isaac and I'd 395 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,240 been digging these wells and we suddenly had a breakthrough and 396 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,920 there was no one in opposition to me, I'd have been like, 397 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,000 Hallelujah, let's sit back and enjoy this moment of provision. 398 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:43,960 But what does Isaac do? He moves to where it says in 399 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:48,440 verse 23. He then went to Bathsheba. 400 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:53,000 Bathsheba. What is Bathsheba? 401 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:57,640 Well, Bathsheba is the place that Abraham had been in. 402 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,520 If you go back several chapters, he'd been digging a well there. 403 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:06,880 He'd come up against opposition and he'd made a covenant at 404 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,000 Bathsheba and he planted a tree and and it and in the name of 405 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:16,320 the Lord everlasting God. And suddenly Isaac has seen this 406 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,000 provision Rehoboth a place where they could be fruitful. 407 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,960 And he doesn't stay there. He goes to Bathsheba. 408 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:28,040 And what happens in Bathsheba? It says that the Lord appeared 409 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,240 to him that same night. And he says that I am the God of 410 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,040 Abraham, your father. Fear not, for I am with you, and 411 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,920 I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring for my 412 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:44,440 servant Abraham's sake. In our church life right now, we 413 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,440 have seen the provision of God in our story in so many ways. 414 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,720 But at this particular time, we've seen His provision in 415 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,360 bringing Chuck and Taryn to us in January. 416 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,280 We've seen His provision in lots of different ways, in the ways 417 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:00,240 that you guys are all stepping up and taking your place and 418 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,480 being faithful. But I think the Lord would say 419 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:09,320 to us this morning, it's time to move to Bathsheba, the place of 420 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,360 presence, to pursue his presence. 421 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,240 Isaac was not satisfied with just provision. 422 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:22,040 He moved into Bathsheba, a place of presence where God spoke to 423 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:26,840 him and said that I am God, I'm the God of your father and I'm 424 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:31,720 your God. Fear not, but I'm with you. 425 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,160 And He reminds them of the fruitfulness that is to come 426 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,240 1st. So that is the Lord's heart for 427 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,600 us this morning, that we would remember that He is our leader. 428 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,680 He is with us, we have nothing to fear. 429 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,760 And He is writing a beautiful story of fruitfulness in our 430 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,920 midst. And He's inviting us afresh this 431 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,720 morning to move into His presence. 432 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:06,520 And then what happens? It says that Isaac, I love this, 433 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:10,240 Isaac's response, he's come into the presence of God and he's 434 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,400 then it says he built an altar there and he called upon the 435 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:18,880 name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there and there Isaac's 436 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:23,720 servants dug a well. Isaac's response in the presence 437 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:28,560 of God was to build an altar. An altar is an ultimate 438 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:31,360 declaration of surrender and worship. 439 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,400 It's the beautiful place that we get to come as we are this 440 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,000 morning. Why? 441 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,800 Because of the covenant relationship established through 442 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:44,120 the work of the cross in Jesus. Just as Isaac moved back into 443 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,640 the place where Abraham had established a covenant that 444 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:50,040 ended the opposition, we have The opposition has been ended in 445 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,680 the name and the blood of Jesus. Amen. 446 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,240 And so we get to move into his presence and bring all that we 447 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,320 are and know there is a solution for it. 448 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:06,520 It's our way of saying, yes, you are God and I am not. 449 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:11,200 And I will worship you today not based on how I feel, but the 450 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,360 reality of who you are because this season belongs to you. 451 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,520 Worship anchors us in uncertainty. 452 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,680 Altars lay down our need for control, our need to be right. 453 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,880 They're the place where we say your God. 454 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:29,840 And would you speak to me? Would you help me listen? 455 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,920 I've been so challenged on this in in the things that are going 456 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,640 on in our world. Our world is full of opinions in 457 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:39,800 this hour and over the last few weeks. 458 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,920 I just heard the Lord say, Claire, come talk to me about 459 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:43,960 it. Don't jump on social media. 460 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,120 Don't Give your opinion. Come and talk to me. 461 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:52,920 Let me shape you because revival starts in here 1st And then what 462 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,200 does Isaac do? He calls on the name of the 463 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:01,760 Lord. This is our time to call on the 464 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:06,200 name of the Word to stand in intercessory prayer versus 465 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:12,040 church family for one another, for our city, for Hemel and 466 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:16,280 Hatfield, for this nation, for our world, so that we are marked 467 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:21,840 by Him and we receive from Him. How to pray, what to pray? 468 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:26,560 How to stand in this gap? We've got a quiet revival 469 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,400 breaking out. The light is shining brightly as 470 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,840 the darkness gets darker. And our posture as the bride of 471 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,360 Christ is to know that we stand on the authority of ours in 472 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:42,680 Christ Jesus and to hold the gap that we will see more and more 473 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,760 people coming to experience His presence and His love. 474 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:52,400 But it's our hour versa, to run to His presence and to call on 475 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,560 His name and to be formed by who he is in that space. 476 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,320 But I love this third one. It says he pictures a tent. 477 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:02,240 What was the tent in Isaac's day? 478 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,640 It was the place that they gathered together. 479 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:10,560 The families dwelt together. It was the place that they were 480 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,200 rooted. Even in their transient life, 481 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,360 they were rooted in that tent. They stayed present to one 482 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,760 another. And this is our reminder. 483 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:23,760 It's not just about praying on your own. 484 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:28,240 It's about gathering together. I want to call us in the season 485 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:32,960 to show up in our corporate spaces, in our groups in the 486 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:37,040 week, in our prayer spaces, in our Sunday meetings. 487 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,680 We are all needed in this place because when we come together, 488 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,400 we bring what we've had in the secret place and we bring it and 489 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,760 we remind one another of who we are in Christ Jesus. 490 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:51,760 And we can stand as one in this place to contend for his 491 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:55,320 presence, to stand up against opposition in our lives, to be 492 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,600 stand arm in arm and say, you know what, it was a tough week, 493 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,440 but I'm here to remind you that Jesus is enough. 494 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:08,800 He is enough. And then what I love is this. 495 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:16,800 They dig another as they come into the presence, as they 496 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:21,280 encounter God and reminded who he is and who they are and they 497 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:25,840 do it together. They are empowered to dig again. 498 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:34,120 And I just felt like the Lord say, call the church to pray, to 499 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,160 call on his name to gather and pitch our tent in this hour 500 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:42,120 because we are going to start digging new wells in our future 501 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,840 that are going to bring even more fruitfulness, even more of 502 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,000 the Kingdom into the here and the not yet. 503 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:51,720 And he's preparing us in this hour. 504 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,320 And prayer is not the prelude. It is the process of which we 505 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:57,160 are formed. And he will mark us. 506 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:00,680 I believe in this time around prayer in a way that we will 507 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,600 keep praying. It's not going to be like, let's 508 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:03,880 pray till January. We give up. 509 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,520 No, he's going to change something in us in our posture. 510 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:14,760 And so this is my question for you today, my challenge. 511 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,160 You can listen to a talk like this and give me all the amens 512 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,760 you want in this room. I love it. 513 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:24,000 I love it. I love a good Amen. 514 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:30,840 Thanks, Elizabeth. But you need to pick up your 515 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:36,720 shovel, every one of us. And so picking up your shovel, 516 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:41,000 what does it look like this week if you're in this room and you 517 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,800 don't even know Jesus and you're like, what is this girl talking 518 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,040 about? I didn't know shovels were part 519 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,280 of Jesus. I want to dare you. 520 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:55,040 If you've never met Jesus in this room, I want you to talk to 521 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,240 him this week like, like he's real. 522 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,520 I dare you to. If you don't know whether you 523 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,320 believe in Him or not, just start talking to Jesus like He's 524 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,960 real this week and see what He does in your life. 525 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,920 But some of us in this room need to hear this and hear my heart. 526 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,760 Like I get it. I'm preaching to myself this 527 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:20,639 morning. Our lives are busy, but what is 528 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,840 it going to look like this week? Maybe it's that you're going to 529 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,320 take your group time. Maybe as a group you're going to 530 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:29,639 pray together once a month for the next few months. 531 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,639 Maybe it's, as I said, you're going to set your alarm one, one 532 00:34:33,639 --> 00:34:36,360 day, just one day this week at 6:00 in the morning. 533 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,440 If you get up at 7:00 and you're going to say, God, I'm here, I'm 534 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,080 going to pray. Maybe you're going to log on to 535 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,800 space online this week at lunchtime in your business 536 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:50,440 workplace, headphones in and you're going to give your lunch. 537 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:54,639 Just pray with us, the church. Maybe you're going to join the 538 00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:58,720 faithful group Prayer hour. Guys, this group has been 539 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:02,040 praying faithfully for years in our midst. 540 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:04,800 Go find them. Go find John and Penny and 541 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,480 others and and find out how you can be on that group. 542 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,680 It might not be your style. It might feel slightly 543 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,000 uncomfortable. That is OK Prayer isn't all 544 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:18,600 about how it feels, it is about showing up and doing it anyway. 545 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,960 And we're also we've got so many spaces and I've probably 546 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:25,440 forgotten them. Please don't be offended if I've 547 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,560 not mentioned your particular space that we pray. 548 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,200 There are so many in this building. 549 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,760 But I just like, seriously, right now think about your week. 550 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,320 How are you going to step up and pick up your shovel to pray 551 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:44,520 wider and deeper and longer this week in a new way, Every single 552 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:55,240 one of us Think about it. The Lord meets those who pick up 553 00:35:55,240 --> 00:36:03,000 their shovel and that he wants to form in us a new hunger for 554 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:07,560 His presence as he prepares us for what's ahead. 555 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,040 And we're going to look over the next few weeks at the different 556 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,280 ways we can get like stronger using our muscles all the 557 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,600 different ways we can pray in different seasons. 558 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,040 We've got amazing speakers coming to unpack that. 559 00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:21,360 I could not be more excited about what God's going to do in 560 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:26,920 our midst. And finally, we, we with this 561 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:31,200 kind of in our, this sense of the Lord around wanting to form 562 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,400 us around prayer. I'm really excited to share that 563 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:38,000 we're also opening up a new space in our midst to engage in 564 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:39,760 prayer room. And there are going to be more 565 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,440 details about this coming. But in the within the next few 566 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,360 weeks, we're going to be opening a prayer room in this building, 567 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:49,840 a permanent space. Well, we can come in to pray and 568 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:51,840 that isn't going to be the place where we come and get prayer 569 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:53,800 ministry. We've got a prayer ministry team 570 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,040 that does that stuff. This room is going to be 571 00:36:56,040 --> 00:37:00,560 dedicated space to minister to the ward and to stand in 572 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:05,120 intercession for for us as a church for the people in Saint 573 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,520 Albans and Hatfield and Hemel, for this nation and for the 574 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:12,840 nations of the world because we believe that God is calling us 575 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:16,160 on this journey of prayer and we want to respond with a 576 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,640 resounding yes. Amen. 577 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:21,760 Amen. Let's stand church.