Giving and Divine Provision

As you know, our annual missions month begins today observed that every year in the month of November and it is a time to consider the work of worldwide evangelism work of sending messengers to the ends of the earth. The part that we have partnership with those who go and to consider the possibility of the Lord's call upon our lives in regard to going for the Lord does callout his servants and send them according to his sovereign purposes is also a time when we are challenged to evaluate our giving to the Lord because the work of the Lord is carried on by the giving of these people both at home and abroad, and therefore work of missions is very much tied to our faithfulness and giving of the substance that God is entrusted to us for the work of the gospel, so we consider worldwide evangelism during missions month certainly worthy goal for us to be considering we also consider what is often called our stewardship around financial stewardship. Stewardship is a much bigger word than just money, but it is part money is a part of our stewardship before the Lord in the faith promise program that we been involved with for more than 30 years, quite a few more than 30 years.

I think more than 40 is proved to be a very helpful vehicle helpful in in the raising money to help missionaries get to the field, but I think far more helpful in challenging God's people and teaching us more of what it means to trust the Lord with our lives and with our needs and with our giving.

That really is my purpose today in our purpose. Throughout the month of November, so you will be familiarizing yourself with our faith promise missions card looks like this is some things for you to consider and to fill out no place for signature. You're not asked to sign it is really not a binding commitment between you and us. It is a prayerful commitment between you and the Lord is private in that way. Yet by turning to the end.

It enables us to calculate the amounts that are proposed to be given into to construct our missions budget accordingly, and by turning getting and I think it also makes it a more serious endeavor.

More serious consideration on your part. It's one thing to consider matters privately before the Lord is another matter to consider them seriously privately but seriously, before the Lord and so this enables us to take this matter very seriously and to prompt our thinking in that direction we are turning to date of first Kings chapter 17. In considering two episodes from the life of Elijah in the Old Testament, which are wonderful examples of God's faithful provision for his children, though there are two narratives number one Elijah's sojourn by the brook Sheriff and how God supplied for him there. Number two Elijah's sojourn to Sarah Pfaff in Tyre and Sidon and how God provided for him there. I draw out of these at least three emphases and they are number one. The God uses living creatures to care for his children. Number two God uses other people to care for his children, and then number three God uses the elements of nature to care for his children and actually, that third one also is evident in the first first narrative, but will see that in the moment, but God uses living creatures to care for his children and we start in verse one of chapter 17. By being reminded that God controls the weather God controls the wet and Elisha the Tish bite of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be due nor rain these years doesn't tell us there.

How many years it turns out to be about 3 1/2 but he indicates is going to be a good long while. Neither dew nor rain these years except at my work says Elijah the prophet of God. God controls the weather first Kings chapter 17 opens with a very sudden and unexpected appearance of a man by the name of Elijah who burst upon the scene of what is going on in the land of Israel. Almost like dropping out of the sky obviously didn't. But that's what it appears because there is no prior introduction reading along in the history of Israel and of Judah back and forth. This king of Israel, that king of Judah, back and forth, back and forth and then suddenly in chapter 17. This man Elijah appears seemingly out of nowhere and walks right in to the Royal Palace survey Then marches up to the throne of Ahab and makes the startling announcement there will be no rain known to until I say so turned on his heels and walked back out. Who is this man Elijah's name means Jehovah or Yahweh is my God either.

His parents gave him that name. Committing them to the Lord and trusting the Lord to use him as a messenger of Jehovah or he adopted a new name along the way to identify himself as a messenger of God, but Elijah Yahweh is my God. He's also identified as the Tish bite that turns our attention to a little village in Gilead by the name of Tish B where Elijah came from. It is in Gilead which is a territory across the Jordan on the eastern side was settled by 2 1/2 of the tribes of Israel gathered and Manasseh, and I forget the third one half tribe of Manasseh, and in the part of of Gilead, the part around Tish be that would've been either gathered or Gilead and so rather gather Manasseh and so we surmise that Elijah was probably from one of those two tribes.

Though there are some that think that he had had relocated to Gilead from Galilee. You will notice in verse one it says that key was of the inhabitants of Gilead, with some of your translations say that he was of the settlers of Gilead, which may indicate that he had moved to Gilead and settled there was not the place of his birth. We really do not know but we do know that he walked the distance from Gilead on the side of Jordan across the Jordan River onto the capital city of Samaria capital of Israel into the presence of King Ahab and made this announcement that there would be no more rain no more do even on the ground until he said so who was a lamb of course was the notoriously wicked king of Israel were told just a few verses prior to chapter 17 that he was more wicked than any king up until his day that had ruled in the nation of Israel. He did a lot of things that were contrary to the word of God and seemed to do so boldly and deliberately, audaciously and probably the worst thing of all was. He married Jezebel from Tyre and Sidon, who was a worshiper of Dale and promoted the worship of a bail vigorously in Israel and who was bail bail was a rather well-known God of the many gods that were worshiped in the area around Israel. Bail was a fertility God, which meant that it was thought that bail controlled the rain and the crops and the multiplication of herds. The, the ability of your flocks to to have have marched more animals and bail was thought to control all these things so you see the irony of all of this marching in to the palace of Ahab and telling him that God says they'll be no more rain until I the prophet of Jehovah, the one who's who says that Yahweh is my God until I say so you can praying and crying to bail all you want. Let's see how much control bail has over these they because the truth of the matter is bail doesn't control the weather bail doesn't control the writing bail doesn't control anything.

God Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does. That's the message that they need to hear. So Elijah announced the startling pronouncement from God boldly representing God as the Lord God of Israel lives in contrast with bail, who's a fake and doesn't leave it all on the judgment that Elijah pronounced was in keeping with Scripture that had been given earlier. I could cite a number of references but I will confine myself to one if I can put my hands on it. I don't seem to have it in front of me so I will turn to Deuteronomy chapter 28, one of several similar references the tell us that withholding of grain was what was one of the judgments that God promised would come because of disobedience. Deuteronomy 28 verse 15, but it shall come to pass. If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, Moses speaking this this message from God that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.

Number of them are listed and then drop down to verse 23 and your heavens which are over your head shall be brought in the earth which is under you shall be iron in the Lord will change the reign of your land to powder and dust from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

So not only does God control the weather, but God uses whether to arrest the attention of people to who is in charge and who they ought to be paying attention to. Elijah announces this to Ahab because the king had authority to call the nation to repentance if he would didn't of course we find other kings who did that at various times in the Old Testament Scriptures calling upon the nation to to call upon God to repent of their sins to demonstrate their remorse for their disobedience to God. The king had the authority to do that. He couldn't change hearts, but he could call upon people to ask God to change their hearts, and so Elijah walks in and calls upon a To do that and pronounces this judgment that comes upon those who have willfully and persistently disobeyed him over a period of time which certainly is true, but the very fact that Elijah could come into the presence of Ahab in this way implies that he was known to Ahab and to his court. He may drop out of nowhere as far as the biblical record is concerned, but can you imagine a stranger traveling across many miles arriving in his dusty clothes and saying I would like to talk to the King and they would say who are you and why should we let you in to the king unless unless they knew who he was and they knew that Ahab needed to hear whatever he had to say that's my speculation, but it does seem to me that there is a prior history that is not recorded in Scripture. But God does control the weather.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew five in the sermon on the Mount, but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. God is gracious. Yes, God controls the weather, but God graciously sends favorable seasons favorable weather upon people who don't deserve it. In reality, none of us deserve God's blessings with people who willfully and notoriously don't deserve it because of their rebellion against God. And yet God just graciously goes on sending rain and sunshine crops year after on the just and the unjust. On the evil and on the good but there are times when God says all right, I'm going to send the draft I'm going to send some calamitous weather event and this is a message.

This is a warning. You need to listen to me you need to stop and take stock of yourself. You need to think about what you are doing. You need to think about your relationship to God Almighty, who controls everything rules heaven and earth, the one who controls the weather we had read other verses out of Deuteronomy would've found out that other judgments the God sends to those who disobey him.

Include sending pestilence.

That's disease. I have often prayed that God would cause this outbreak of covert to bring people to repentance, to soften hearts to humble us to cause us to look to God to ask him for delivering.

I haven't seen much evidence of that yet there seems to been this calamity. This episode sent by God, and it seems to just be ignored. We can handle that we can handle that thousands died tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands died, but we can handle that we can take care of it.

We can make vaccines. We can we can do this we can do that we can we can take care of this. I wonder what else God will have to send to get our attention to convinces the knee need God.

We need to worship the one who truly controls the state God controls the weather God controls hurricanes God controls Florence God controls tornadoes God controls diseases God controls everything. God is sovereign ruler. Overall what is knowledge that Bell humbly before then after that announcement the word of the Lord came to Elijah phrase you find often throughout the Old Testament you find it here in verse two.

Again in another place in this same passage I read, but then the word of the Lord came to him say I would urge you when you read your Old Testament to just make note of how many times you read that phrase or something similar.

The word of the Lord came to him say more. The work sometimes the word of the Lord came to me saying writes the prophet Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, word of the Lord came to me say or the word of the Lord came to him. Elijah say Lord Lord came to him, saying, and he said go back east go back across the Jordan River to the brook Sheriff you'll excuse me if I pronounce it that way. I know that's not correct, it really should be pronounced Kenneth but it does look that way. My Bible looks like Jared we didn't name our second daughter care of named to chair if so, permit me to say Sheriff go across the river to the brook Sheriff and there. I have commanded the ravens to feed you what I can just hear if you are I have received a message like that from God.

I can just see the questions rising wait wait wait wait don't know stop there. God wait a minute, wait a minute.

Go to a little brook so small that you can't even find it on a map because it is undoubtedly a wadi. That's the name of the little streams in the land of Israel that didn't run all year long because they dried up and in the dry season. They only ran during the rainy season so God is no wadi that even under the best of conditions done last all year long and there to take care of you. You can drink water out of the brook, and I'm commanding the Raven to feed you ravens, Lord, if you'd be pleased. I'd rather have another another provision than that one ravens, birds of prey. The kind of birds and swept down in pick apart, dead animals, and ravens. Your your sending ravens to feed me.

I II would even have to wonder about the the safety of this food. The sanitation of this mood I may Lord really that are you are you really asking me to go there and eat food like this, but there's not any indication that Elijah hesitated or questioned. He just went obediently right to the place where God sent him and sure enough, every morning and every evening the ravens came right on schedule. Where did they get the food we do not know what kind of food did they bring. We do not know how did it come packaged was in sanitized bags don't think so was a dangerous no why because God provided because Elijah ate would God told to do. He was perfectly safe under those conditions, and he knew that what God promised God fulfilled. He said I'm sending you and Elijah believed and obeyed and very set by the brook Sheriff that might've another objection he could raise, but God if you'll take care of me in another way I can continue preaching I can continue pronouncing judgments I can continue my ministry to the to the nation of Israel but your sending me to the brook Sheriff so that I'm just going to what sit and twiddle my thumbs until yup that's what you're going to do why Lord because that's what I have planned for you, Lord, I could be more, you can be most useful doing what I design for you and if I have determined that this is a period of waiting been honorably by waiting obediently and waiting on complaining way and waiting in faith and trust that this is your plan for my life for now and this is God. Not bad. This is good for now that you are doing things that I cannot detect, but this is what you have designed for me now in times like this. We honor the Lord just as much by waiting without complaining. As we do it.

Other times, being busy and industrious in working and doing for the Lord and sure enough, what God promise he fulfilled. God keeps his word, we can believe him. We can trust him.

And when we do we can experience him. We can learn that he is trustworthy.

The ravens not only ministered to Elijah's body with a minister to his faith. They they strengthened his body. They strengthened his faith was good for Elijah but God uses. We learn by this both what we might call normal as well as abnormal means to provide for his children.

Sometimes we think the only way God can provide for me is by giving me a good job.

That's it. Let me work and earn my living just give me a good job to make that possible Lord that's that's the way you do it, but God has other ways of taking care of us. We don't know what they may be, but he can use the normal circumstances of life. The normal processes of life and normal provisions of life, but he can also use the amazingly abnormal things of life, like Raven feeding his profit, but here it is. That's exactly what God did, but a few weeks or months went by and that little brook Sheriff each day.

Elijah could tell, it's getting a little lower little over the stream is not as wind, it's not as broad is not as much water in it today as there was yesterday and one day he woke up and no water. Elijah was a stupid he realized it doesn't matter how much food the ravens bring if there's no water. I cannot survive that water is more more critical than the food, at least for the first few days Lord speak Santa makes care and now it's dry God performed all classes will Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses as Moses's mom and the water gushed out so I will smite the ground that Brookshire didn't happen again.

See the lesson the very things that God brings into our life as his provisions. He sometimes removes and that's as much is doing as was the provision in the first place. God provided the brook, God withdrew the brook. It was God who provided it was God who drew it using the normal means, namely drought. It didn't rain the brook got dry. The rate affected everybody else, but affected God's people to the right was judgment upon rebellious and disbelieving and sinful Israel. And yet it also the consequences of that judgment also touched Elijah and the other people of God as well. Don't think that you ought to be protected from the normal calamities of life God hasn't true that you won't experience them. But God has told you that he'll take care of you in the midst of them. That's the difference between you and those who don't trust the Lord.

Others have calamities and they have no resource you have the very same calamities, but you have God Almighty God who controls all things. What do you have to fear nothing except your own fears banish figures from your heart. You have nothing left to fear. So God uses living creatures to care for his children, but as a move on the story we find out the God uses other people to care for his children. This takes is now in another direction.

205 that two by divine revelation, then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, verse eight arise good as Arafat's which belongs to Sidon and well there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you you you recognize the similarity of language earlier. He said I have commanded ravens there.

Brook Sheriff to care for you now.

He said I have commanded a widow ends Arafat's line. She's getting the same command from God to take care of Elijah that the ravens say ravens can't hear ravens don't don't be too sure when God speaks, he can speak to Baylon's ass he can speak to Elijah's ravens. He can speak to any of his creatures, and they hear his voice, and they obey him, may we do the same to God's word came again as Arafat's that's on the Mediterranean Sea on the coast between Tyre and Sidon. What between Tyre and Sidon. That's a that's a Gentile nation that's up that's an idolatrous nation. That's a place where they worship. Bail your sending me their reserve that lets work where Jezebel came from Europe. That's why I'm sending you there goes their avail to teach some people some very important lessons here and I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. What a widow, now Lord is your centimeters there for at least send me to a rich person who can afford to provide for me your sending does Arafat to a widow to take care of me yet that's what I'm doing unlikely location unlikely provision difficult promise.

We wrestle with promises in the Bible as to whether we really believe them or not. We somehow think that these other promises that other people have had. They had no trouble with those listed folks. These promises that came to Elijah were far more difficult to believe and obey the most the things that God is said to us in his word, but Elijah didn't bat an eye. He just said yes sir, God, if you said and I do it. Show me the direction and he walked 85 miles does Arafat showed up at the gate.

How many days it took him several days showed up at the gate. There he saw a widow gathering sticks how to treat he know she was a widow on that date.

People indicated there status in life.

By the way they dressed so for example, an unmarried girl, unmarried woman or virgin would dress in such a way that that could be known by the way she dressed and a married woman dressed in such a way that would be known that she's a married woman and a widow would dress in such a way that people would know that she was a widow so it wasn't difficult for Elijah to tell that this is a widow and it wasn't difficult for him to know that she was a poor widow. Sometimes a rich Windows we find some of those of the Bible more often. There are poor widows, which is more common and how deep know she was a poor widow because a rich widow would be gathering sticks.

If a rich widow needed sticks, which she probably didn't rich widow needed sticks should send the servant fetch would this woman dressed as a widow and probably enclose it in themselves indicated that she was poor, probably worn and dirty, and the best she had but a poor widow but there she is picking up a few sticks of Elijah knew that she was a widow and he knew that she was a poor widow and there she was right at the gate where he'd been sent so he assumed I think. And is it turns out, correctly, that this is the one question is how did he know he knew she was a widow. He knew she was poor but how did she know that she she was the widow. God said I'm going to send you does Arafat to a widow to take care of you. They have commanded a widow to take care of you. But of course there's more than one window ends.

Arafat's how did Elijah know this was the one God could've told him we don't know that. But Elijah could to have figured it out. I think by observation. Okay, she's the first widow I see when I arrive on site. She's poor. She's gathering sticks. She's probably the one I think I will ask her for a drink of water and see how she responds, will you please fetch me a glass of water and all she goes obediently and gladly to do it.

Kind of like God Rachel or order Rebecca Rebecca. The servant shows up looking for a bride for Isaac and is trying to figure out who's the right one and he says the can you help me here is enough. The food in your father's house to take care of me and my camels and she says let me just water all your camels. That was quite a chop water almost camels. She just did it gladly and willingly. She was by what happened and I think something like that's going on here with Elijah so he says get me a glass of water and some widows what is said get your own water buster.

I don't know you, you're a stranger you're a Jew I'm a Gentile, why should I get you water get your own water while you're gone like a piece of bread ultimate test.

She comes back and says, but, but I have no bread. I have a little bit of flour in the bin and a little bit of oil in the flask and I'm gathering sticks right now to make the last meal for myself and my son and when I've got enough sticks to build the fire. I'm going to to mix up that flour and oil into a little loaf of bread and were going to eat our last meal because we don't have anything else here's a bright prospect for Elijah's provision, but she's exactly the one God has in mind for him and there's something about her that indicates, as we see that she knows about Jehovah affect what she says when she responds to his request for bread. She says as the Lord your God lives. We depend more encouraged. She said, as the Lord my God lives to indicate that she was now trusting him. She didn't say that some were left wondering, but weak at least recognize the chief knew who God was. She knew who Elijah's God was no doubt see had had some communication from God. God said, I've commanded a widow to care for you. There we don't know exactly how that command how those instructions how that came, but there is an opening here, Elijah recognizes that and so he comes to her with a wonderful promise.

Don't be afraid. That's the biggest problem is our own fear. We fear this what about this. What about that what what am I gonna do when Mike when my meal runs out my going to do when I when know I can't take care of this and can't take care of that. Do not be afraid to proceed with your plan to make yourself a meal. That's good that shows industry you're not just saying it's hopeless.

Why do I bother with the last meal. What I quarrel all the trouble to do this work together the sticks to make this bread, let's just sit down and die. That was going to happen anyway but no, that's not her attitude. She shows commendable industry but once her food is gone. The flower and oil is gone. All the industry in the world can't produce a single bite of food which you can do. Don't be afraid to go ahead with your plan but in this is astonishing but make a little cake for me. First give it to me first what he says. Verse 13 verse 13 do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me and afterward make some for yourself and your son for thus says the Lord God of Israel.

The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth quite a promise.

If you do this your meager supply will never run out again all kinds of questions arise. How is that possible, I've never seen anything like that my whole life I've never seen flour last beyond what obviously was it capable of of accomplishing.

I've never seen oil do anything like that, that's impossible. That's unscientific that that can't be God, believe God don't be afraid to do it. You shall see God is able to do gift to me first, and then you can provide for yourself and your son question was Elijah being selfish by making such a is some would consider crass demand.

This poor widow has nothing, absolutely nothing, just enough to feed herself and her son and the prophet is audacious enough to say make me something and not just make me something to but make me something first. Isn't that out of line.

No, it's not. It's not.

Matthew Henry said at this point the flour and oil multiplied in the giving out of the hoarding. Elijah knew that he was instructing her how to tap the resources of Almighty God is not being selfish. It sounds like it, but is not being selfish. He's telling her God controls controls the elements. God controls the weather God controls living creatures.

God controls people God controls the elements and God keeps his promises. And God delights those who trust him.

I'm telling you to do this if you obey, you are going to be fed until you don't need that food anymore until the rain returns until the normal processes, until you can grow some some food in your garden and feed yourself by your own industry again.

But until that time comes, if you will do as I say, if you'll believe me I will take care of you. Miraculously, you don't need to ask how just believe and obey, and it shall be done. Let me say a few things here that I learned from this passage. First of all, in regard to giving and salvation you understand. I trust that there's no saving merit and giving, but I hope you also understand the giving way we give her don't give reveals our attitude toward God and as we see in this account. It can be an important step in coming into true faith heart faith saving faith in God that what point did this widow become a true believer, a true Christian courses Old Testament nobody's called Christian what point did that happen. It's impossible to say we don't think so. When she said, as the Lord your God lives that doesn't sound like she's quite there yet but before this is over.

I think she's trusting God completely for everything. What point did that happen.

It appears to be related to the time when she said okay I'm going to make bread for the prophet who represents God in our giving were always giving to somebody who represents government Send by by airmail up to heaven. Give it directly to God. It always goes to a missionary always goes to church. It always goes to representative of God. That's the way God operates.

So she said, I'm giving this to Elijah first on giving it to God first and trusting him and was she amazed was she surprised her attitude toward God was very much tied up in her coming to faith in God is an important step, which is why I keep imploring you year after year to use the faith promise procedure to train your children to give to God. Will that save them no, but it's important lesson in creating the right attitudes within them to recognize that everything they have comes from God and they need to honor God and acknowledge that by giving a portion back to him. They have life because God gave it to them. Their life is sustained because God gave it to them. They have food. They have shelter.

They have the necessities of life because God has provided them and therefore they should learn that reality. They should acknowledge that that's true, they should learn to give to God and who knows what will happen along the way as they develop that kind of attitude toward God. I think God I had parents who taught me that an early age before I had come to faith in Christ. I was tithing. My little allowance and giving it to God.

Why because my parents taught me to, but that was an important lesson God used in my life. Whenever we receive the faith from his guards and are not signed.

We don't overthink it where they come from. We see one that says I'm going to give five cents a week. We know that didn't come from an adult know where that came from and where we are thrilled beyond all measure in early disappointment. This is only just a very few that there have been many of us.

Where are you parents what are you teaching your children, what, where are you looking for opportunities to train your children are you looking for or tools that can be can be wonderfully you to prepare the hearts of your children to trust God and to to look to him and to prepare them to trust him for salvation. This is one of the most important is you can you let it go on used it's too valuable an opportunity but as far as believers are concerned, let me say a few things about giving and believers. God requires that we put him first in everything, including in our giving, seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

That's got to do with material things doesn't seek me second. Not sickly third not take care of your things. First and give me the leftovers would see ye first the kingdom of God.

We see the example in the Old Testament of the firstfruits offering when the crop started coming in. They didn't say if I have enough left over when I harvested all my crops and taken care of all of my responsibilities if I have anything left over will give it to God. God said no first first honor me with the first the first fruit.

They did. That's the way we honor God with our giving God requires we putting first, God promises blessings to those who give pulsating second Corinthians chapter 9 but this I say, he who sows sparingly will reap also sparingly but he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. That's a whole chapter 2 chapters on giving. That's talking about giving those who give sparingly will receive sparingly like I didn't tell you that if you give to me.

First, your oil and flour shall not fail God said, I'm just his messenger, I'm telling you what God said what if Elijah had said God I'm embarrassed to tell this poor widow that she obviously can't afford it. I can't tell her that would like you have been doing the right thing to have withheld that message from the widow that turned out to be her provision for many months and years to come because a new jet. Now I'm just trying to tell you I'm trying to help you in your relationship with God teaching you would God says God promises blessings to those who give and God gives to those who give to enable them to give more. That's what this passage goes on to say in second Corinthians 9 God is able to make all grace abound toward you that you, always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every good work, he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food supply and multiply the seed you have sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness while you are enriched and everything for all liberality which causes thanksgivings through us to God. It's one thing to believe in the abstract. God is able to perform miracles to take care of his children.

It's another thing to put God to the test and so you said this, I'm going to dump it a try and see if it is true when you do to experience it for yourself and that's what God wants us to do. God wants us to believe God wants us to trust in God wants us to honor God wants us to put him to the test. God wants to pour out blessings upon those who believe him and to demonstrate their faith and how they give, shall we pray father helpless to know your ways, and to walk in your pants as we ask in Jesus name