Prayer and a Forgotten Pair of Air Jordans

Marty summa church I was before we get started this week that I was wanted to take a moment and update you and say God with you that all of our campuses about the meeting in person this weekend.

All of them, which is worth celebrating.

However, consumer campuses, we are Chapel Hill campus center North Durham campuses are still unable to meet on Sunday morning the venues that we have been hidden for years have not open back up to us and so a couple of local churches in those areas have graciously allowed us to use their space on Sunday evenings which is incredibly generous and we are just amazed and thankful for the spirit of generosity, but not being able to meet on Sunday morning make something is a big difference in their ability. Our building and so want to ask God together that God would restore those opportunities to them as believing that it's better for us to be able to engage people say goblet you give us this provision there so as to pray together. Chapel Hill campus ignored during campus what you know that we love you guys and I just keep hanging in there okay. Whenever God is faithful. One thing forthright. We continue to have more than 10,000 people engage our church online each week you by the way, that is a real number not just the total number of claims will people watch for two minutes. That's the actual number of people who are engaging, engaging for the entire service we record that online service live on Thursday here at the capital Hills campus and there's not requesting any of you that are hearing this may be hard for you to understand this, but it really helps me preach. When I got a congregation here.

Responding sooner.

You tend to develop a rapport with people I helps when they laugh at your jokes and the respondent what your say I helps to get more into what what I'm not one of preaching about really embodying. I love Thursday nights.

The group that comes is awesome. I would like it might be my favorite service of the wiki and the music is fantastic, love the time of the week that it is as Potential. I think to be our best service.

The point is, I want to ask a lot of you to consider coming to little out-of-the-box but I think you would love it and it would be a big help to me personally, as well as others teacher the church okay thing I met two more things I want you praying you will notice in me on this.

We are going with about 600 or so of our teenagers on this week to camp and I pray whatever you want, but what I would love you to pray for God to open their hearts and God to fill the malls of me Curtis working leaders and leaders believing during that time as me like changing life, people become Christians during that time they are teenagers so we pray the company of us living together voice or prayer by your head become with the couple things that we need from you and we worship you as we begin just as the God who tells us to lean into him and bring the children are provided.

Pray God for faith in this room, God should trust you in all areas. We are insufficient anymore. So something we ask that you provide the venues that we be able to hold our services on Sunday morning as a way to reach out yes you provide those in ways that number as even human larger building immunity and gives everything we need for the number asking cynically for this weekend this week coming up.

Being on soon.

High school middle school students and pray that they got them going. Curtis me worship leaders. The counselors got up and your words are mounds of faith in God and in humility and we worship you believe you want to pray that we pray in Jesus name agree with this saying amen amen I got your Bible so it should take them out this weekend and that open up the Daniel chapter 9 that you have your Bible, or turn it on and scroll down the Daniel nine if that's where you are.

I want to talk with you today about what I believe is the most undervalued resource in the church.

Larry all who was a maintenance worker at Milwaukee's capital Corp. mall was cleaning up a storage facility in that mall right before the mall set to be demolished when Larry found in a trash pile, a pair of sneakers that were buried underneath some old boxes. They were obviously use they showed obvious signs of wear, but as Larry looked more closely in them. He recognized on the side Michael Jordan signature on the side of one of the size 13 shoes with the inscription below it written in hand. My very best that you have a picture of theirs I hear for you. Turns out they were authentic.

They were a pair of the original Air Jordan's Air Jordan ones that Michael Jordan himself had worn for a while Nike had been loaned into the store in Milwaukee to display in the store window is a way of attracting people in to the buyer Jordans. I guess everybody eventually forgot about them and served 20 years they've been sitting in a storage closet and now they were discarded on a trash heap ready to be thrown away. They were found skewed at over $20,000. By the way some of you notice I have a new pair of Air Jordan's, I want to assure you they did not cost $20,000.

They were a gift given to me by pastor out of Western North Carolina just said, hey, hey, I thank you for leading the SBC.

Some of you say hey did you get paid for leaving the SBC you're looking at it. Okay, three years of work right there prayer.

Prayer is the most undervalued resource search is neglected by many. It is completely discarded by a lot of others. Scripture tells us, however, that many I might even say most of the blessings that God wants to give us our activated in our lives to prayer you find a promise and you pray it into existence in your life. It is always true was a promise, but it's not true for you until you embrace it. So I've heard it said that rather than just read your way through the Bible in the course of the year, you should pray your way through the Bible because the Bible is a book of promises. It contains more than 3000 of them. If you're counting many of them sitting dormant until we claim them personally by prayer until we appropriate them. So my question as we begin is how many blessings are there for your life or for your family that remain simply activated because you never asked for them in prayer you. It seems that whenever I hear older saints, older Christians, talking about what they would do differently like they could go backwards.

These are people whose lives you would already want to emulate. Most of them say.

Looking back that up.

The one thing they could do more of her differently as they would pray for Billy Graham, for example, he said and and I quote prayer is the most important thing that we can ever do. And if I could do my ministry over again I would pray for that. I preached it significant that the most successful preacher of I would say Christian history and in terms of number of people that heard them and responded to the most significant and successful preacher of Christian history at the end of his remarkable life is convinced that prayer is the place where real power resides.

All that to say it is not surprising to me that at the end of Daniel's book. Daniel circles around one more time back to the power of prayer. This is been a running theme of his life seen it already. In the book of Daniel, and so in the midst of all these final prophecies which were going to finish up next time Daniel gives us for action steps that we should build our prayer lives around me just wanted this passage is a basic I mean it is one of a kind passage because it pulls back the curtains and shows us the inner workings of prayer, you better buckle up, especially if you're not your new church and are familiar with the Bible.

This passage is just a mean you're about to jump into the deep end of the pool. Okay chapter 9 verse one. Daniel says in the first year of King Darius about 538 BC I Daniel understood the books, according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70 to get this Daniel's reading the Bible and he comes to the book of Jeremiah, which was written right before him and Jeremiah had said that the number of years that God would send Israel in the captivity percent was going to be 70 well Daniel and his friends were taken into captivity around 605 BC, the first year of King Darius that he refers to was 538 BC is up, you do the math real quick in your head. That means that he's been there for around 70 years. Today knows I hate God promise that got you said in Jeremiah 70 years of desolation were appointed for Israel only 70 so I'm here to ask you to take us home like you promised, I'm asking you to make good on your word verse three. So I turned my attention to the Lord God, the secret by prayer petitions and with that statement sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and I confess I Lord, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands.

God we have sinned, we have done wrong. We've acted wickedly, rebelled and turned away from your commands and ordinances. We have not listened to your prophets who spoke in your name to our kings and our leaders and our ancestors and all the people of the land not really quickly, because this is not the main point for today but I want you to notice something about Daniel as a leader because it shapes the attitude he brings in the prayer. Daniel confesses all of those things.

But let me ask you, having been known Daniel for several weeks.

Based on what you know about Daniel's life is that you described in his life. Verse five. If you look at it. I sent we done wrong. I've acted wickedly, I have rebelled. I turned away from your commands and ordinances. I do not listen to your prophets who spoke in your name to our team's leaders and ancestors. Honestly, that's a little bit out of sync with what we read about Daniel, especially since the prophet Ezekiel describes Daniel is one of the three most righteous people ever to live. Furthermore, in verse six, Daniel confesses the sin of his ancestors, which, clearly, he could not have been guilty of. Since he was not even born yet.

Now let me be clear on one level, we cannot inherit guilt from our ancestors. The prophet Ezekiel makes that clear that the sons will not be held guilty of the sins of the fathers. But here's the thing was a leader makes a problem. Their responsibility even when it's not their fault only say that again. A leader makes a problem. Their responsibility even when it's not their fault. My kids mistakes may not be my fault. But as their leader.

I take responsibility to help them correct them. Men do you sit around blaming your wife for all your marital issues you listen, I'm sure Samuel's issues are her fault. I mean she's a sinner to after all, but a real leader does not deflect blame, he or she takes responsibility and that what Jesus did. Our sin was clearly not his fault but he took responsibility and he entered our world to fix it. That's what Daniel is doing. That's what leaders always do listen this church got problems and some of the problems may not be your fault, but only a Pharisee sits around and talks about how bad everybody is when those people.

They are like that. A leader owns the problem even if it's not their fault, and brings the problem personally to God we language they language the same thing is true with how we see our community how we sing our nation. We had enough self-righteous Pharisee talk about problems of those people.

We do have a lot leaders talk about problem right right back to Davis River seven Lord righteousness belongs to you and the state public shame belongs to us all.

Israel has broken your lawn turned away, refusing to obey you.

And so, just as it is written in the law of Moses. All this disasters come on us yet we still have not sought the favor the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paid attention to your truth which again was probably more true of the rest of Israel and was a Daniel now Lord our God who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand made your name, renowned as it is this day in keeping with all your righteous acts. May your anger and wrath turn away from your city, Jerusalem holy Mountain again because you promise that would happen. Verse 17 therefore, our God hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant, make your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary for the Lord say for your sake. By the way, that's a direct quote from number six. Daniel is praying God's promises back to him in his own words, do it for your sake God. Verse 18, listen closely, my God in here. Open your eyes and see our desolation's in the city that bears your name in other words, God, your reputation is at stake you said God that that that that would your children called on you that you would hear them and you would forgive them and you would come to their help. God that's me right now I'm doing it. Like you said I should do would ask you to do what you said you would do what I did what I was supposed to do for we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. By the way, that's one of the most important things you could ever learn about prayer and will come back to that 1990 Lord here. Lord forgive Lord listen and act by the way, that's a direct quote from Deuteronomy 34 God promised to respond to his people. If in the midst of judgment. They prayed to him for help and forgiveness. Again Daniel is taking these words from God and praying them back to God, my God, for your own sake is now this is about your reputation for your own sake, do not delay. Is your city and your people bear your name, verse 20 while I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel. Gabriel the man that I had seen in my first vision he reached me and my extreme weariness and he gave me this explanation Daniel at the beginning of your petitions and answer went out and I have come to give that answer. When Daniel began his prayer, God issued an answer and Gabriel was sent to deliver it while Dana was praying was flying and he showed up right as Daniel finished up all I have so many questions.

How fast is an angel fly, why didn't God just beat him straight.

There write to me what kind of equipment in the use of why did they fly the road but sadly were not given any of those answers. So let's instead focus on what we do know. Notice how Gable starts the answer from God. Daniel, you are greatly loved by God. Some translations say treasured by God, how amazing is that first think about Daniel's life. He has been kidnapped and enslaved castrated. He's lived under oppression.

He's been betrayed by his coworkers.

He is lived under constant danger. He has survived several regime changes how many of you looking at his life would say that's a man who's been loved by God. Yet that is exactly how Gable started this you are greatly loved.

Do you understand that God's love for you is not measured by your life sees Daniel's life was by no stretch easy, yet he was greatly loved and treasured by God because what God did to Daniel is greater than earthly ease.

She just because you go through hard times does not mean that God has abandoned you or forgotten you. In fact, God might allow you to go through those things so that he can teach you about the things that are truly valuable.

Some of you come in here interpreting God's love for you based on your circumstances, I would tell you the cross and resurrection of Jesus is better basis for how you understand God's thoughts about you. So don't think God has abandoned you. If you were to look at Daniel. You say I think I might abandon you begin your love by God and before I jump in the Daniel's for prayer principles.

I want you to understand this is very important that this confidence. This confidence that he was greatly loved that he was treasured by God that confidence with the secret to Dino's consistency in prayer. She sometimes we think our failure to pray is a failure of self-discipline and that today what you get a dues you learn for magical principles and you can go home and master them like some action list but prayer lesson is at its root is the result of failing to grasp how much God loves you how tender he is towards you and how much he wants to hear from you.

Many of you think prayer is the way to get close to God. No prayer is the result of knowing how close God has made himself to you. Jim welcomed one of her favorite Bible teachers right here explained that for her learning to pray was a little bit like her losing her desire to eat cheetahs cheaters. She says has always been her favorite snack as a young woman. She said I would eat them nonstop every day until I told her words they got sharp and started cutting in the my tongue, but that was okay with me.

She said a small sacrifice for a great reward. She said that one day I made the mistake of looking at the cheaters label she said to problems and one I literally could not even pronounce one of the chemicals that went into my favorite food. Second, she said. I realize that my cheaters were missing. Well, she's she said that knowledge created a change in me. Prior to this revelation, it would've taken. She says a Navy seal to quell my yearning for cheetahs, but after I understood what she does actually were or weren't my heart stopped craving them as much a change in belief is what change the desire in the same way she said when we learn the truth about God when we believe that God listens to us that he loves us and desires work through our prayer we instinctively begin to do what all the self-discipline in the world have been able to course us to do. We pray when we know we are greatly loved when we know we are treasured by God. We will pray when were happy we will pray when were anxious will pray when we see God at work and we will pray when we don't see God at work CLM. This is very important as we work through this message. The point is not pray more, pray, like Daniel duty for the engineer to be five. The point of this is that is that if you understand your greatly loved like Daniel was we learn to trust in my Daniel trusted them will pray naturally and instinctively like Daniel did so before we go any farther I just need your promise that you can interpret these four prayer principles, not as a to do list of getting close to God, but as a reflection of somebody who understands how close God has made himself to you deal with your number one Daniel four principal purpose was only one route.

Your prayers and God's promises Daniel to say first and foremost.

Most importantly, route your prayers and God's promises like I noted Daniel's prayer was inspired by discovering a promise of God in Jeremiah and some other promises that were embedded in Deuteronomy in the book of numbers and Daniel was praying these promises of God back to God I love Martin Luther, the great reformer I love his definition of powerful prayer ready unit is exploited to his barber.

He wrote a famous book to his barber in prayer puts all the cookies and the bottom shelf. This is one of power in prayer. He said simply catching God in his words, you want power in prayer units catching God in his words. Parents your kids do this for you not to see this me all the time. My 11-year-old son Adnan never lets me forget promise no matter when or how offhandedly it was made.

It doesn't even need to be a promise just a casual implication that we go by Frankie's one part couple months ago and he said that we should go back there sometime and apparently I remember, but apparently message your son will do that one day you parents know exactly what that means, that doesn't mean anything, it means I will talk about that right now. I promise you that kid brings that up every week on the week and I thought I could do it now because I don't want him to lose confidence in me, Veronica, my wife is been redecorating our girls room. One of her girls rooms and and he said he mom you to redecorate my room and she said again like I'm sure will do that sometime.

Now it's like every time we go in there to tuck him in for the night. He's okay you ordered that the new furniture yet, but you promised me. Now of course we parents sometimes write all parents may casual statements, they don't really mean. But the point is, God never does.

He means everything he's ever said that he wants us to find every promise that he's ever made and claim it for our own. This book is your book is a book of promises given to you. You have to read it and you have to find them and you have to pray them into existence in your life. Notice specifically how Daniel ties God's own glory to his faithfulness to his promises is a God, you want your the one who said this, you said you would be merciful to us. We pray to restore us.

We called so now it's your reputation that's on the line to here's my question. What has God said to you that you can pray back to him and put his reputation on the line just a few of the present example that I'm praying right now in my own life. Here's one Jesus set a premise for this church, Jesus, that authority is given to me in heaven and on earth, so go and make disciples of all the nations. Psalm 280 says ask me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, so when I pray for the service of my God, this is this is what you said.

So I'm here asking and all the craziness that is going on with COBIT and lockdown and all the confusion and were trying to figure what in the world is next. I'm asking you to build your church like you promised you would promise that you would make your name known in our generation. If we asked so I'm here asking you to do what you said you would do your reputations on the line God make your name known in this generation. As we think about the triangle of the nations. God do it now but you said you wanted to do. Here's another one that I read in the Summit Bible reading plan recently.

I wrote it down. Psalm 112 Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, and finds great delight in his commands, his children will be mighty in the land, the generation of the upright will be blessed in Psalm 11 verse verse 21 on the children of the righteous will be delivered to my Lord, I want you to do this with my kids. I need you to make them want to make them mighty in the word in the land. Let your faithfulness extent in them as my children. I pray that they would be delivered.

God do this with all the kids in our church make this generation who is delighting in. In your work. God save our kids. Now these are a couple very personal promises to me right now that I'm praying and some of you looking you are well below the little exactly a plot about a situation where I'm at right now I want to say this is nicely to you as possible, but read the Bible for yourself. I cannot mine all of these promises for you.

I love teaching the Bible every weekend, but I cannot spoonfeed all this to you this book is here for you and you've got to search it like a pair of $20,000 air Jordans in your closet.

There promises about forgiveness and restoration & about joy and suffering, putting purpose in your life. Having healed bodies and godly marriages and parenting provision in time of need. Read for yourself. I can do it all.

I can just guide you to and that's it okay you another great definition of prayer. What were talking about it.

Effective prayer perceives the gap between where something is where God wants it to be effective. Prayer perceives the gap between where something is where God wants it to be and where you learn how God wants something to be Bible again. The Bible is a book of promises is our job to find them in claimant in the model prayer the people often sometimes referred to as the Lord's prayer.

The second phrase Jesus taught us to say right as we pray, your will be done on earth like it is in heaven. I want to know what heaven once here because I know it can be good and when I pray God let your will be done in heaven here. I know that it's going to get the power of heaven behind so I pray, for example, let it be in the summer church like it's desired in heaven. Let it be in the Greer family as you wanted in heaven. Let it be in my marriage as it is in heaven. Of course it's gotta be sent with humility because we don't always know exactly what the full will of God is see his word tells us a lot of it effective prayer perceives the gap between where something is and what God says he wants it to be. What this means practically is that the quality of your prayer life will be directly related to the quality of your knowledge of the Bible because the prayers that started heaven are the ones that are heard by heaven. That's why when we read the Bible, we encourage you here to use what we call the hearing method HEARH transfer highlight E stands for examine a stance for apply R stands for respondent when I read the Bible, I see a promise or something that God indicates that he desired and highlighted, and I pray back to God. That's how you should pray. Also, it's the real secret to power in prayer, catching God in his words, truly amazing things happen when you do this. John Patton was reading this rereading this biography recently John Patton was a young Scottish pastor in the 19th century was leading a very successful church, but he grew increasingly burdened about a group of islands that he heard about out in the Pacific that was inhabited by people who would never even heard the gospel.

The problem was that these islands names the New Hebrides were filled with cannibals. Patton recorded in his diary. He said I knew though that God had said in his word that he desired all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

I knew that had to include the people of the New Hebrides and I knew that he would, therefore, would would would make me successful over any opposition, and I was confident that if I went to matter how bad the dangers were that God would help me because he said he wanted that so Patton when he resigned his church. He went his ministry there and she should read a biography or it was grueling and his wife whom he loved dearly died bearing their first child there on that island get to sleep on their grave, so he said for 3 to 4 nights to keep the cannibals from digging them up in an eating, he was under constant siege day and night. Always on the lookout for his life.

Eventually, though, because of his faithfulness and because of his prayer. After years of prayer he saw a breakthrough in a couple of the tribal leaders came to Christ, and that was followed by person after person they say that when Patton arrived on that island of the New Hebrides in 1858 there was not a single Christian when he died 35 years later on that same island.

There was not a single Islander who who had not professed faith in Jesus Christ. When my favorite story from his biography, though, is this what it was right after one of the Chiefs. The tribal leaders came to Christ the tribe that the tribal leader asked to be sedate question of the meaning to ask you when you first got here was that Army the Army of men that guarded your heart every single night and where did they go. You see, apparently as he prayed each night the angels of God surrounded his family to preserve this gospel witness.

My point is, when you figure out something to God once you start to pray it. Amazing things begin to happen. You take his purposes, and you pray them into reality.

The prayers that started heaven are the ones that are heard by heaven and held by heaven again where you perceive a gap and what God's word says he wants where it is right now.

What you say in blank in my family and my life in this community as it is in heaven. Number two, number two, Daniel would say make it a daily habit making a daily habit. This is gonna be really the whole book of Daniel we saw in Daniel six that different Daniel prayer was a daily discipline was a routine. Daniel prayed three times a day, every day for 70 years. I told you that Daniel's remarkable life all goes back to a couple of rather mundane decisions that he made as a young man by the way, if you're younger and you're starting out your life. If I could just listen. We think that that becoming something in life is dreaming. These great dreams. It's not. It's a couple small decisions that you make early on Dr. Daniel's two big decisions were first resolved not to defile himself in the king's palace by eating eating the things of God had permitted. He determined that he would not compromise his convictions to get ahead in the palace at several points that resolve threatened his future career. But his refusal to compromise was the very place where God came through for him. The second of those decisions was his decision to pray daily everyday, no matter what was going on three times a day. He opened his window toward Jerusalem and he prayed, and from that daily time with God. He drew an enormous amount of wisdom and strength.

This discipline characterizes all great men and women of God. Even Jesus the Gospels tell us that whatever Jesus needed strength and wisdom.

He retreated off by himself to pray. For example, Luke six tells us that before Jesus chose any of the 12 disciples he spent all night praying to God the friend I would suggest to you that if there were ever anyone who was a capable judge of character.

Anyone who was wise enough to choose his own coworkers. It would have been Jesus therefore features a single one before you choose a single one.

He spent all night in prayer to God. How many big decisions have you rushed into without taking time to seek God's direction you think it is more wise than Jesus and he needed it or you don't come at it from another way on the night before Jesus went to the crucifixion he went out in the garden of Gethsemane by himself to do what to pray to seek Street to seek strength from God. Before this hour of trial he took with him. He said three of his closest disciples always on the first part Peter James and John left them in a section of the garden and told them they should.

What, pray, pray why prayer, lest you fall into temptation. What did I do. They fell asleep right and I'm sure they thought that a good excuse. I cater to go through this and have never strengthen best thing we can do is get some sleep and I'm also sure when Jesus woke them up.

They gave some lame excuse like I was resting my eyes are really was great that you have told you if you ever get caught sleeping in church and somebody wakes you up to say in Jesus name yes Lord, let it be in the me according to your word or whatever and they will think you're so spiritual okay but Jesus one full is could you not even watch and pray with me for an hour Jesus prayed they slept later that night. What happened all three of them caved in the hour of trial.

So here's my question. What if they had stayed awake that our prayer Jesus told them, pray that you would not enter into temptation. Had they done that maybe they wouldn't have crumbled and made the greatest mistake of their lives that night after the some of you may fall into temptation and make some terrible mistakes because you don't develop the habit of daily meeting with God. That's when the hour of trial comes upon you, which usually doesn't announce itself. You're not going to be prepared and you are going to make a humongous mistake. Be clear, this prayer time is not just for you to check a box or chance for you to dump information on God on things that he already knows the point of this time is that you be with him that you commune with him that you have his spirit fill your mind and your heart with his wisdom and strength. Strength for God.

You see, comes only from time with God. There's no other way. The biggest credible difference between success and failure in some of your lives might be setting your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier so you can read the Bible and pray for the day so I don't know how to pray that I got three really quick credible suggestions for you first start with some of Bible reading outlets on the planets on the app that's what I do read the passage and pray that God whatever promises or warnings that you say that's my first suggestion second suggestion is if when you get a chance it would help you pick up a copy of this book, but I'm just releasing it's called just ask. It's a very simple how-to book that I wrote on how to bring practical tips on how to pray. I wrote it for you.

That's why don't feel bad I tell you about a try to make it as practical as I could, for example, one thing I do when I pray as I I pray back the phrases of the Lord's prayer and I just refund you night when I pray for daily bread. For example I think about the myriad places in my life that I need God's provision in his power on the swing how that little cards made for each day of the week to tell me different sets of things to pray for you and set a Monday and Tuesday requested etc. and then I pray for my daily schedule. So that's all.

In that book and just explains the promises in prayer and in what to do with them. Now I don't have any copies yet is not officially out yet, but you can already ordered on Amazon. The kind of thing.

Especially you understand we told you anything we ever sell here from a pastor here. We don't make money on here that money goes back into the church to read for you as it as a way to be a help and answer when it comes out my BLT.

Finally, here's 1/3 textile work. Pray just work pray to 33933 and we will send you some prayer resources that you can start to use daily.

Right now okay here's my challenge.

Try set aside 10 minutes a day in the morning or night for 21 days to pray, say, why 21 because they say after you do something for 21 days is harder to stop. It was start 21 days to minutes earlier payments for you go to bed watch to minutes less of the latest Marvel movie episode, which by the way the credits like 19 minutes in relation to stringers often minutes on prayer and IR for that matter do in your car in your way to work. Pray about your life, your family, your kids, your job, your school, your neighbor's. Pray about your prayer life. Tell Cobbett you just want to know it. So 10 minutes a day's cover lives in prayer. Okay what's doing number three number three quickly. Don't give up in your 69.

Don't give up in your 69. You notice verse 21 says when Gabriel arrived, Daniel was weary from praying weary. Of course he was even praying these requests faithfully for 70 years. Here's a question would you pray for something for that long. How many years before you gave up and lost faith throughout the Scriptures, God teaches us that some answers to prayer only come through persistence in asking Jesus compared it to a neighbor who shows up in your house to borrow pop tarts from you at 3 AM and the only reason you get up in and help them is because you know they're not going to leave you alone learn to keep banging on the door re-compares effective praying woman who gets a settlement from a judge only because he knows that she is never going to stop coming to become unrelentingly day and night until he responds her request and Jesus said that's how you should pray persists in asking the city. One other angle on this from Daniel's life is even more fascinating in the next chapter. Chapter 10 for the wrong date. Daniel was praying about something else.

And this time he pray for 21 days with no answer and then on day 21 verse 10 September suddenly while praying I hand touched me and set me shaking on my hands and knees.

He said to me, Daniel, you are a man greatly loved by God, and there it is again from the first day that you set your heart to humble yourself before God. Your words were heard, and I've come because of your words, but the Prince of Persia withstood me 21 days and then Michael, one of the chief princes had to come help me. I have so many questions, so on the day that Daniel started to pray God again dispatched an angel with an answer.

Probably Gabriel, but his game was flying through the air.

He gets tangled up with the Prince of Persia who is evidently a frisky demon who was up to no good in the Persian Empire was trying to thwart God's purposes, so Gabriel and this Prince of Persia demon basically get into a cage match for about 21 days and during all this time Daniel keeps rain thinking that he's not getting an answer. So God dispatches another angel Michael, who I guess is like the Chuck Norris of angels comes in and opens up a cantaloupe tail on this theme in the Prince of Persia is the evidently Gables like the Nicholas Cage of angels silver Tongan savvy, but it needed some help for true extraterrestrial dump to Godson's and Michael Macek north of angels and just takes care of business again. I have so questions but only point is, who knows what's happening up there as you pray, so you pray for 20 that no answer. Keep pray, help is on the way you pray for 69 years. No answer. Keep praying because God gives certain things only in response to persistent tenacity.

You say, why does it do it that way. Don't know I don't.

Maybe suggest our resolve names to see how much we actually trust or see how quickly will turn away from him and pursue some other means Martin Luther again.

He compared it right was Barber, the father who has something his kid once is getting handy won't let it go first to test his child resolve to see about his kid once it may be God he says is doing that with us saying that you really trust me how quickly you can turn away from me to some other source how much you trust that I'm actually here and I'm good. Don't give up the promises never to turn you away.can help you think your story of Joan and Tommy Swain in our church. Most of you don't know them.

Sadly, but Joan really got on fire for God here about 30 years ago before I got her husband Tommy didn't want any part of.

So she came, he stayed home to jump), and she prayed at you anytime. Yes, Joan hey, what's going on like you say. Pray for Don and she stayed within. Eventually he moved out on her.

He left her for 20 years, but she can't pray and then in February 2009 through some pretty remarkable circumstances. God saved them. God brought him back we baptized him here in the spring of 2009 I can still remember the joy of that moment.

Now they are reunited to God reunited to each other and they served in our church every weekend from the spring of 2009 until they were medically unable all this because a woman pray faithfully for him for 20 years and did not give up, do not give up on your 69.

Who knows what's happening up there. Number four number four finally did was say hope in God's mercy, not your goodness, hope in God's mercy, not your goodness. When Daniel what Daniel says immersing Z my knee. One of the most significant is the will of prayer were not presenting our petitions to you God because of our righteous acts will no numbers in them based on your abundant compassion. God I'm not asking you to give this because I'm worthy of it. I'm asking you some blindness out of the rich storehouse of your grace church was in the longer but I won't. When Jesus personally less competent and I grow in my abilities change me less confident. I grow in my worthiness to demand anything God first started out administering house free confident like you know what invite is explained in this these people the right way to force my personality and you apply right illustrator right I can change these people know I cannot even keep myself on the path of righteousness, much less get somebody else there extremely time at all ever say more God like a God I'm done my work not you was in my God is always filthy rags usually when I'm afraid I'm saying things I got. I'm not asking you to work in this person's life, this kids life. Are these people's lives because my abilities uncertain when I asking you or me because of my righteousness because I don't really have any of my best days are still an unprofitable servant. I need you to give to them and to me according to the abundant riches of Christ, immersing according to the abundance of his capabilities because that's a well that will never run dry. I've often told you using as my example the story of the Cyrus Venetian woman in the gospel succumbs to Jesus to ask for healing for her daughter. She was a Gentile. Right now you Jesus said to her when she asked for merely some woman is not proper intake of food intended for the children given to the dogs.

Gentiles not first sound a little bit like a racial slur, but is not testing this woman. The woman perceives that not to be a racial slur but a description of her own personal unworthiness when it comes to demanding anything of God. None of us is any more worthy then dog so she response, she says yes Lord, but in a really wealthy man's house. There's so much food on the table, but even the little dogs getting the on the just balls off. In other words, I do acknowledge when it comes to worthiness on the dog and I believe there is no grace abounding on your table table can contain it just balls off and that means there's enough for even an unworthy person like me stop and turn and he said I've never seen it like this in his room because her home was not in the abundance of her goodness. Her hope was in the abundance of his mercy friend that is a well that never runs dry. That is something you can never hope to munch in. You may have nothing to bring to God and that's okay because he is gone so much grace in his table just flows off so that every dog in the universe feast until they were full. This is what we mean when we pray in Jesus name. You understand that's not just a little verbal clue to God that were about done so many Christians thinking is that onion conclusion you say in Jesus name that is not what is therefore when you say in Jesus name. What you're actually saying is I know that I don't have the worthiness to the man. This so I'm asking based on your compassion on my worthiness. My hope is not in my righteousness or ability. So I bring this prayer not in my name. I'm bringing it in your grace and power in your name. I'm asking you to hear it because of how much worthiness is in your heart.

Not much worthiness is in my life so mature smashing you what area of your life do you need, throw yourself down the mercy of Jesus where you where you were you exhausted what you say I don't need to demand this anymore God like him were the oddest things in God. This is what you said this is grace in your table and I need help teaching on prayer is great reading about it is great but the most important thing we can do is act on such revenue right now that all of our campuses. Those median homes. Yeah, I hope you will think the challenge for the next 21 days to playfully commence today. Right now all of our locations return some a church into a little house of prayer. All of our locations on our prayer teams come right down right now to make their way forward, and by standing up for you instead of right now where you're at whatever location standing for change, or making a way down here right now some of you have a request. Don't you come forward and pray with one of these brothers and sisters down here. You want to tell your name sit right with me. Pray for me. Some of you have proficiency you need God to supply some of you have a body that needs to be healed. Some of you and John, you have a marriage that is about to fall apart when you're here, your spouse, or maybe you're not using to come down and grab the handle of these people say we just need God's help me to pray for a prodigal to come home is what you come and pray with them.

Others of you need to grab the person came with maybe the two of you three views come down to them altering your camera; I'm older I get a look like is made more of the golden altar.

Posture yourself for the Lord is robbing them with that group of two or three or my.

It's fine if you want to just turn your chair into a prayer only get on your knees by your chin the best prayers are desperate prayers and support yourself in a desperate glossier or some of you maybe right there with your family or with those around you maybe are sitting people from smog or whatever it is, every single person should be approaching God right now. They should be praying out loud is Armendariz real loud one thing the church is supposed to be a place for people call out on God. House of prayer. I believe something.

This is what God is calling us to do in this season to seek him to be a church number anything. Lord, let me know it is a charge that seek you friend listen to me you are greatly loved your greatly treasured by God. I know that because Jesus came to die for you to save you out of your sin. If you're willing to receive that stop trying to make some wording just received. That is a gift in Jesus, it's ready for you. Once you do, God is ready for your burdens and when you pray, the Angels ready to bring the request of God was bombard heaven with our request and prayer and praise. And again, I'm just a minute of my ashes come down and take what river options that I gave you brand out here was somebody prayed running altar.

Pray in their chair with your facility or your small group do it and somebody from your campuses in a common closeout and Legion are prayer teams are in place.

Okay our worship team to play quietly as you pray. I want you right now in all of our campuses and what you think one of there's more I come right now to one of these people there when your game is less men's than the next new minutes is an tabernacle