Keep Digging Your Ditches

You can pray to you blue in the face if you know the prayer will be Dr. Tony Evans says God may be limiting his answers to our prayers that limits based on what we do in order to receive his answer. The problem is we are not giving God what he requires to work with. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, seen pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. The most common motto in scouting is be prepared. That's good advice for when you're planning a trek into the wilderness is also something you should practice in your interactions with God today Dr. Rives lays out what we should be doing in preparation for receiving answers to our prayers. Let's join him as he begins in second Kings chapter 3, we have a story that I have a simple challenge to you from this chapter that is to keep digging ditches. The situation is explained to us in the first eight verses of the chapter, I'll summarize it for you three Kings have come together in a conflict with Moab. Moab was paying a tax if you will to Israel. They decided to no longer pay the this created a conflict with Israel and Moab, Israel went to to Judah and Edom about the problem that Moab was no longer fulfilling its obligation and a war is about to break out the scenario, there is a conflict between these groups of people.

The three nations Israel, Judah and Edom against Moab trash but on their way to fight this one battle problem shows up. There has been a drought, a dry spell and water for the soldiers water for the cattle so one problem Moab has become no more than you know what is the central life. What you do when your life is when there is no water.

Water is regularly used in Scripture to talk about like the Holy Spirit is referred to as the life-giving water for the soul. And of course physically without water long enough you die. There was no water. And we can't be refreshed. You already see battle is one thing that the fight the virus is another thing that I all the inconveniences is another thing that fight all of the restrictions, a requirement, but when you have to do that. Nothing refreshing you nothing replenishing you nothing sustaining you but you still in the problem so the king of Israel to Harlem says God has put us in a hot mess up together to be beaten body. God set you up. We know God controls the way you control the water.

There is no water. Where is God when I'm in a drought king of Israel sent goddess that says I know you want to blame God you I want to talk to somebody who knows God when I'm in a drought. It looks like I'm not be defeated, and there is nothing to sustain me not to hear from God. Tell us what to do.

The Lord who can get some information from heaven for situation on earth is probably one of the servant said what is your name Elisha who used to pour water on the hand of Elijah the poor. That one was Eli Johnson so the king of Israel and the king of a went down to him because they needed spiritual clarity what is for a physical situation. If you drought right now. If you are in a battle right in your life in your world with your career with your finances with your family with your future here in this battle. There is no more was no every place you look every place you look at every place you look there is nothing that's giving you life-sustaining clarity and help. Then that means you need a prophetic word delete something that will zero in where you are and what you are dealing with the prophetic word.

So the question on the floors. Is there somewhere. Is there some way I can go and get spiritual on this cultural confusion since the physical is not working itself out getting some sorry for the prophetic word is always relevant. Not the king of Israel was little funny but serious in verse 13 what to do with you three Kings went to hospital, king of an buddy all the time, the king of Israel and said why are you here says, coming to me want to go back to your people to the folks at your mom and dad believed in them want to go back to go. But with the king of Judah, with the king of urgency worship a crisis in a drought situation he can even a problem that he can't resolve. So now you want to go to church, he says, verse 15, Elisha, but now bring me and it came about when the minstrel play that the hand of the Lord came upon know you did people you can show up your phone soon you will only get this this situation did need a sermon they needed a prophetic word in a prophetic word is God speaking personally in the situation to get a prophetic word. They were going to have to worship not just sit down and listen to music in worship. The minstrel is not to simply be a prelude to assume it is to set the must feel for God to speak. God did not speak to the prophet Elisha to give him a prophetic word until the must have been so if you want a prophetic word don't you just show up because you only concern you need to be part of what God is free to express himself on a personal level because you are a worshiper and not just in a tender looking for some, the prophet said, give me a musician because I need for God to speak, Lord came on verse 16 and said that the Lord make Dolly full of trenches I want to dig ditches, trenches ditches make Dolly full, fill it up with holes with trenches below was clapping when I do this because that seems weird for 17 for the Lord, you shall not see when nor shall you see rain yet you shall be filled with water so that you shall drink both you and your cattle and your beast.

When God gives you a prophetic word. It may not make since they got me nowhere. No rain and it will be worn everywhere that does not fit the natural scheme of things. That's not Estrada is no more here and will be no rain and this will be filled does not make since. That's why you a secular state you only listen to your five senses and you don't know how to usual six cents. You will not see what God can do you know why you told him Bill ditches he told ditches so that they could make room for God. You got to make room for God in your life and in your circumstances and your situation. But what a lot of us do is we don't make room for God because to make for God to go outside of my education. I gotta go outside of my notoriety. I got a go outside of my popularity I got a gloss influence I can't limit myself to what my physical world dictates and sometimes the information will come back weird. What makes this when Dr. Evans returns in a moment to explain how the mountains and our lives can turn into nothing more than molehills when we place them in God's hands now.

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Dr. Evans is written. It's just for you is called God is up to something great and reviews the lives of Paul, Peter and Joseph to show how the positives of your past combined with your failures, sins and even the failures of others work together to help you discover and fulfill God's purpose for your life for limited time were making God is up to something great available is our gift when you make a contribution to help support Tony's ministry here on the radio and around the world along with it will include all the messages in his brand-new current teaching series called bold belief were in the middle of one of the 10 lessons in this collection today. Bold belief will help you grasp the reality of God's promises and presence with you and in turn teach you how to live out your life with renewed confidence, conviction, and purpose get the special double resource package when you visit us today@tonyevans.org or call us day or night at 1-800-800-3222 let one of our resource team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222. I'll repeat that information for you after part two of today's lesson and this thing about serving an infinite God is that no matter how much you know there's always more to learn so brand-new the Scripture or an experienced ministry professional. There's something for you with Tony Evans training online courses covering core concepts working at your own pace and schedule dig deep and historical context of the book uncover the key teach and learn how to apply them in real situations. There's lots of exclusive content from Dr. Evans to keep you interested and motivated an online form where you can ask questions and answers and collaborate with other students more you learn, the more you want to give it a try Tony Evans training world discover any time anywhere. I love this.

In verse 18. This is but a slight pain in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites in the okay okay this is a sermon right right right. He says this a hot. This is a slight thing, you mean to tell me we don't get ditches.

The place will be full of water. We will be able to feed the people drink drink my lab. You mean to tell me that I know in a net benefit for the Lord woman came the G.

Campbell Morgan one day and she says I don't bring big things to God. I only bring little things that Dr. G, Morgan said maybe anything you bring to God. He said this is a slow wayward child. It's so small. On the downside, all I don't know how big bills. But what a gift place lands of God is said to say nothing but a slow when it's your prophetic word because it's what God plans to do it but notice he said you have to dig ditches God's you dig ditches because God wants to see your faith at work just want to hear you talking. I believe in God I trust the Lord. No no no no no you have to dig ditches. I know we told you job for you, but you got to go jump you got to dig some ditches and he will only fill the amount of ditches that you dig he said make the valley full of you bring a pimple to the Pacific Ocean. Are you going to double what the Pacific to bring a glass to the Pacific Ocean to get more than a simple but you will get more than a glass.

If you bring a bucket to the Pacific Ocean. You get more than nothing more than a glass. But you will get more than a bucket. If you bring about the Pacific. You'll get more than a simple more than a glass more than a bucket but not more than a bar. If you bring a tanker to the Pacific.

You will get more than a couple more than a glass eye, not because the Pacific what you bring whatever you bring as well. What you bring depends on the ditches you day how committed are you, you can pretend you're blue in the face if you don't dig ditches the print will be answered. Trust in the Lord woman is let me see what you can supply my knee ditches and give me that he can win back my mate, ditches of being like kind of made that God can work with bring my child back. What kind of ditches are you digging to be the right kind of parent that you want to be. You can change my trajectory of my identity. What kind of ditches are you digging to affirm that God says you if you're not digging which you're wasting your time praying the prayer not digging a ditch, but he will fill you with water. See the problem is we are not giving God when he requires to work with and if you are struggling, digging a ditch, find a Jehoshaphat who will encourage you to dig ditches who will not let you just hangout talking a good game, listening to sermons, praying prayers without any ditches from God to work with was one group of people were praying for rain because it had rained in italics for long time praying for rain.

Praying for rain. Praying for rain but it would really want because they were praying and praying for me would they got discouraged and went back home the next day after he went back home started to get cloudy like was going to rain and in the town square was one little boy holding a number.

She became expected. God can expect to get an umbrella dig a ditch on mom, so God I believe what he said I'm going to go on and not just talk about it or go to church to discuss so happened in the morning verse 20 of the time of the offering of the sacrifice to behold. Water came by the way of eating in the country was filled with Bucks County don't see hockey go do something you can do what you can't declare, is how you can do something because he knows how to throw come in so many different ways you can come around in so many different avenues.

That's why don't get discouraged. Don't quit. Dig ditches in your ballot and your well-placed did you ditch your difficult did you get what God tells you to do that, you know little so you won't see the resurrection of Lazarus talking to me discussing it with me did not tell you you won't see you believe that me that you didn't get little stone talking too much stuff. Don't know a lot about talking is explaining what Dr. Tony Evans talking about being ready to handle God's blessings and he'll come back with the closing comment about that in just a moment, so be sure to stay with us the first I want to remind you about that special double offer. I mentioned earlier as a way of saying thanks for your contribution to help keep Tony's teaching on this station will send you all 10 lessons in his brand-new series bold belief along with this powerful audio collection will also include his popular book God is up to something great together this package will reveal how to find God's strength, peace and promise in your life, enabling you to live with confidence, unshakable even in a culture in decline.

Get the details online@tonyevans.org or give us a call at one 800 832, 22, a resource request line is always open, so there's no need to wait again that's Tony Evans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. The Bible tells us one of the attributes of God's Holy Spirit living in operating inside of us is kindness.

And that's something we can never have too much of Dr. Evans encourages you to share a kind word or gesture with someone this weekend as you seek to carry God's light to a world in need of his love will coming up on Monday.

Dr. Evans will talk about pursuing the Lord's power and why it's so important for us to reach out and take hold of Christ. Right now though he's back with this final illustration you know I have the house power strips.

These power strips like yours have five or six connections on the wall. I just have to when I plug the power strip into the wall.

I have expanded my capacity when you accepted Jesus Christ some things came with the house since you know your eternal destiny was secure on the house. I love Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20. Now on to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask for glory on which now who can meet you in your grasp in your spiritual battle in your trial and tribulation marriage in your career on your job with your children now want to give to God now want to go no no no mistreatment glory and don't make it now day. The alternative with Dr. Tony Evans made possible by the generous contributions listeners like