back to indexPraise and Prayer March 10, 2023
00:00:23.560 |
As you guys are coming in, I'm going to keep explaining. 00:00:29.980 |
it's with the expectation that you're going to be on the ground 00:00:33.380 |
If for whatever the reason that you can't get on the ground, 00:00:36.100 |
you will be sitting in the back or in the back, 00:00:44.420 |
So if you are sitting here, it's with the understanding 00:00:49.140 |
And then this front area is going to be used for prayer. 00:00:52.980 |
We're going to be asking later on if you want to be prayed for 00:00:56.660 |
or you're going to walk around and pray for others, 00:01:03.700 |
So as you're coming in, I'm going to keep explaining. 00:01:08.860 |
and you're going to have to sit because we only have set up 00:01:17.780 |
meaning that you can't have your Bibles or your stuff 00:01:24.780 |
So don't put anything other than the person on the seat. 00:01:35.140 |
So every seat is going to be taken that is set up right now, 00:01:40.540 |
just to give you a heads up, including the front. 00:02:27.420 |
the very front row to the left or to the right. 00:02:55.140 |
And I'm going to go probably about 25, 30 minutes each. 00:03:13.020 |
Pastor Nate, Pastor Mark, and I, Peter, and I, each one of us 00:03:25.620 |
Yeah, closing something, and then that will be it. 00:05:18.540 |
I'm gonna explain, if you are sitting up here 00:05:24.040 |
that's with the understanding that when we're having time 00:05:35.500 |
you can sit in the back area or in the back room, okay? 00:05:45.380 |
So if you have bag on a seat that you're not gonna sit in, 00:05:53.180 |
Because unless you're saving it for somebody, okay? 00:06:25.740 |
and then there's gonna be overflow in the white chairs, okay? 00:06:30.300 |
So if you feel awkward with the person sitting next to you, 00:06:35.300 |
you're gonna have to get over it today, okay? 00:06:45.860 |
for the people who are coming in a little bit later. 00:06:51.860 |
Over there, oh, there's people there already, okay. 00:07:00.940 |
but if we can have some people sit up in the front here 00:07:11.880 |
hoping no one will sit, it's not gonna happen. 00:07:14.880 |
Might as well choose who you're gonna sit next to, okay? 00:07:22.060 |
with nobody sitting there, please fill those seats. 00:07:45.180 |
If later on, and I'm gonna explain again one more time, 00:08:03.540 |
if you want to be prayed for to come up to the front, 00:08:21.380 |
you guys can be easier to come to the front, okay? 00:08:33.380 |
or there's one in between and one in between, 00:08:41.500 |
And if we can have the service team who'll set up the chairs, 00:08:49.800 |
if you guys can go get some more white chairs, 00:08:54.760 |
I don't know if the other team is out getting chairs. 00:09:01.200 |
So just have the chairs ready back there, okay? 00:09:23.080 |
If you guys have seats in between, can you scoot over? 00:09:31.540 |
If you have seats next to you that nobody's sitting in, 00:10:02.940 |
Yeah, so later on, when we get on the ground to pray, 00:10:09.920 |
you can just, we can just move out the white seats. 00:10:50.960 |
and I deliberately made it uncomfortable, so. 00:11:19.560 |
If you have to sit in the aisle with the white chairs, 00:11:27.360 |
So if we, yeah, okay, there's more seats back there. 00:11:43.840 |
Yeah, set some white chairs over here on the side, 00:11:49.400 |
and maybe some more white chairs in the aisle. 00:12:17.920 |
We can put some more right here too, in the middle. 00:17:29.360 |
to sing these praises to you for you are worthy. 00:17:39.820 |
we cannot live this life Lord God without your strength, 00:17:58.320 |
and see Lord God how great and awesome you are. 00:18:23.300 |
that you magnify yourself through this time of prayer. 00:18:51.540 |
So we thank you and entrust this time to you. 00:28:54.400 |
♪ Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker ♪ 00:29:09.400 |
♪ Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker ♪ 00:29:46.400 |
Sing it out one more time, come let us worship. 00:29:55.400 |
♪ Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker ♪ 00:30:11.400 |
♪ Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker ♪ 00:31:37.360 |
And some of you guys were probably grumbling, 00:32:07.200 |
If you didn't bring anything, you have good news, 00:32:16.280 |
And those of you who can't for physical reasons 00:32:18.200 |
or whatever, you guys can just kind of pray in your seat 00:32:28.800 |
but in the halfway mark, our praise team's gonna come up 00:32:36.360 |
And then after that, we're gonna invite people to come up 00:32:48.040 |
you can come up in the front and we'll ask you briefly, 00:32:54.600 |
Then afterwards, you can either go back to your seat 00:32:57.400 |
or you can stay up here and pray for one another, okay? 00:33:02.680 |
You can move around and pray for your friends 00:33:06.160 |
And it doesn't have to be limited to up here. 00:33:08.280 |
You can move around and if people are praying, 00:33:11.200 |
there should be plenty of room to move around. 00:33:23.080 |
so don't pretend like they're not here, all right? 00:33:30.680 |
This is a text that we're gonna be looking at. 00:33:32.600 |
If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, 00:33:35.560 |
or if I command the locusts to devour the land, 00:33:45.360 |
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, 00:33:56.360 |
attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 00:34:11.200 |
I know, Father God, that every soul in this room 00:34:21.200 |
Help us, Lord God, to make this a house of prayer. 00:34:34.360 |
So why am I asking you to kneel today for prayer? 00:34:49.760 |
but it is not strange to previous generations. 00:34:57.160 |
uniquely this generation, it is uniquely Western. 00:35:01.880 |
you'll notice that predominantly kneeling prayer 00:35:08.880 |
So we're the ones who are oddballs, to be honest, 00:35:16.920 |
And I'm not saying that from this day forward 00:35:26.400 |
I'm gonna give you three things from this text. 00:35:28.360 |
First of all, it is a posture of desperation. 00:35:32.140 |
The text that we read is the dedication of the temple. 00:35:37.280 |
And God says to Israel, "If I shut up the heavens." 00:35:44.760 |
He doesn't say if famine comes or the rain doesn't come. 00:35:47.200 |
He said, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, 00:35:50.720 |
"or if I command the locusts to devour the land, 00:35:56.280 |
In other words, when you realize how desperate you are. 00:35:59.480 |
When I put you in a position where you have to pray, 00:36:04.080 |
when I allow certain things to happen in your life, 00:36:08.200 |
when I withhold certain things that you are desperate for, 00:36:11.240 |
when I do this, and he says, "Why does he do this?" 00:36:19.340 |
"When you recognize your desperation," he says, 00:36:32.940 |
We don't need to be having financial problems 00:36:39.680 |
I know for a fact that every single one of you 00:36:52.000 |
Now, it may not look different, it may not sound different, 00:37:06.640 |
but there's two things that are very specific 00:37:09.200 |
that he says that we need to be desperate for. 00:37:11.920 |
And that is, we need to be desperate to conquer our sins. 00:37:21.960 |
I mean, how often do you pray for the Lord's will? 00:37:28.480 |
But here it says clearly, "This is the will of God." 00:37:36.200 |
As much as we pray for his will and job and circumstance, 00:37:45.880 |
The Bible does not make clear what job you ought to have, 00:37:58.040 |
"that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality." 00:38:01.960 |
That is not a wish, that is not a suggestion. 00:38:11.560 |
and you don't have to be young to be struggling with this. 00:38:14.800 |
I think in our generation, one of the primary ways 00:38:17.120 |
that you are being attacked, that we are being attacked, 00:38:20.640 |
is sexual promiscuity, whether with your body, 00:38:25.200 |
with your eyes, with your thoughts, with your ears. 00:38:29.000 |
Sexual immorality is so rampant in our generation 00:38:32.680 |
that every single church, every single Christian 00:38:37.680 |
And the scary thing is, most churches and most Christians 00:38:53.120 |
If you're sitting here because of habitual sexual sin, 00:39:02.280 |
You sought out counsel, accountability, read books, 00:39:22.680 |
of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside 00:39:24.840 |
every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us. 00:39:29.620 |
The sexual sin, and again, it's not the only sin, 00:39:43.460 |
It says every encumbrance, everything that leads you there, 00:39:49.360 |
he says lay it aside and let us run with endurance 00:39:55.240 |
This sin is so serious, he says in Hebrews chapter four, 00:39:59.360 |
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood 00:40:15.240 |
that it's spoken of even up in the pulpit, even pastors? 00:40:38.620 |
is a posture of desperation, to pray with desperation. 00:40:52.280 |
I am begging you to help me to conquer this sin. 00:40:54.860 |
This evening when we pray, we get on our knees 00:40:59.400 |
and we should be in a posture of desperation, 00:41:05.240 |
When you're desperate, you don't come to the Lord casually. 00:41:12.520 |
When you're desperate, you don't pray casually. 00:41:17.840 |
We need to be desperate about those who are lost. 00:41:36.560 |
Your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, 00:41:49.600 |
But how desperate are you in prayer for them? 00:42:02.260 |
even if they may be people that we don't even like, 00:42:20.600 |
He says it's eternal fire, gnashing of teeth. 00:42:36.680 |
that we don't pray casually, we don't pray like, 00:42:39.620 |
if you answer it, okay, if you don't answer it, that's fine. 00:42:44.900 |
where I cannot stop praying until you answer my prayers. 00:42:49.900 |
So when we kneel, it is a position of desperation. 00:42:55.720 |
If, knowing all of that, your heart has become so hardened, 00:43:03.080 |
you're doing Bible study, memorizing Scripture, 00:43:21.000 |
And we can confess this and feel nothing for the lost. 00:43:30.360 |
for your family and friends who don't know Christ, 00:43:34.400 |
then you need to be praying desperately for yourself, 00:43:38.760 |
'cause you are the one who is in need of prayer. 00:43:51.640 |
It says, if my people were called by my name, 00:43:59.520 |
and humble themselves and pray and seek my face 00:44:11.380 |
that we are coming not to simply banker or friend, 00:44:25.820 |
He's greater than us in authority and in power and in honor. 00:44:30.180 |
And so our posture should represent humility. 00:44:37.540 |
So he says, if my people, he didn't just just pray, 00:44:53.300 |
everything has become so casual, especially in California, 00:44:57.300 |
that sometimes we give more consideration and respect 00:45:19.340 |
Glory basically literally means weighty, something serious. 00:45:23.900 |
So if salvation is to be restored to that glory, 00:45:30.060 |
means for his children to recognize the weightiness 00:45:35.860 |
Weightiness of what it is that we are actually doing. 00:45:40.100 |
We are coming in the presence of a thrice holy God, 00:45:46.700 |
Sometimes our casualness in the way that we approach God 00:45:53.540 |
already nullifies what we're going to pray for. 00:45:57.700 |
Because it already establishes that we don't know 00:46:08.660 |
we already are projecting that this time of prayer 00:46:14.740 |
is without recognition that it is in the presence 00:46:22.700 |
You know in Africa, they say that one of the most 00:46:37.140 |
And the reason why the hippos are so dangerous 00:46:40.780 |
is because people don't think it's dangerous. 00:46:50.780 |
And you may be tempted to go near to the hippo. 00:46:55.380 |
And that's how most people get bitten or killed by hippos. 00:47:07.340 |
you know they're always almost moving in slow motion. 00:47:32.860 |
Meaning a hippo can easily run down if it gets angry. 00:47:39.140 |
And that's the reason why so many people die, 00:47:42.140 |
because they don't recognize the danger of the hippo. 00:48:12.780 |
And sometimes we pray for other people to hear 00:48:31.940 |
and the way to warn them about what they were doing 00:48:36.100 |
do you not know that you are the temple of God, 00:48:41.780 |
In other words, do you understand what your gathering is? 00:48:52.820 |
Do you understand what union with Christ means? 00:49:24.620 |
Just as Jesus was jealous for his father's house, 00:49:52.860 |
We're not just doing this because it's Friday. 00:49:55.780 |
We're not doing this 'cause my other plans fell out 00:50:32.980 |
to be desperate for him more than anything else. 00:52:20.580 |
because of all the things I presented to you, 00:52:24.420 |
the easiest thing for us to neglect is prayer. 00:52:28.060 |
Because we say, "I can't pray because I'm tired. 00:52:43.100 |
"I can't pray because there's not enough time. 00:52:46.420 |
"I can't pray because there's too many people around me. 00:52:52.300 |
"I can't pray because there's a lot of children around me. 00:52:55.380 |
"I can't pray because I gotta make breakfast. 00:52:57.860 |
"I can't pray because I have to read my Bible." 00:53:00.980 |
And it doesn't take much for us to fill in those blanks 00:53:14.020 |
"I can't take care of my kids if they don't listen to me. 00:53:17.620 |
"I can't feed my kids if they don't wake up in time. 00:53:28.820 |
"I can't go to church if my car has some problems." 00:53:32.260 |
Imagine what the rest of our life would look like 00:53:37.660 |
With every other thing that we consider important, 00:53:50.740 |
Prayer, of all the things that I have mentioned, 00:54:12.580 |
Don't pray for things that you don't care about. 00:54:14.980 |
Don't make a list of things to pray and check it off 00:54:41.140 |
So this evening, when we come to God in prayer, 00:55:08.220 |
If you don't know and your mind keeps wandering, 00:55:13.940 |
If your knees hurt, get up and stretch or come back. 00:56:48.660 |
Don't worry about what other people are gonna think. 00:57:24.460 |
And I'll give you the rest of the time to pray. 00:57:50.620 |
We have warm houses our children are taken care of. 00:58:02.820 |
So please, Lord, open our eyes, soften our hearts, 00:58:08.020 |
so that we would pray with a sense of urgency. 00:58:10.540 |
Help us, Lord God, to humble ourselves before your throne. 00:58:57.820 |
on our behalf, that you would teach us how to pray. 01:14:38.140 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:16:15.060 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:17:45.900 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:18:14.820 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:18:29.820 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:18:48.740 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:18:57.820 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:19:06.740 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:19:16.740 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:19:25.820 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:19:35.740 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:19:45.740 |
♪ I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it ♪ 01:35:52.100 |
So if I can ask you guys to get back in your seats, 01:35:59.100 |
for the theme of our church, evangelism and prayer. 01:36:03.100 |
And then Pastor Peter is going to come and pray 01:36:07.100 |
for the ministry that's going on in our church. 01:36:09.100 |
And then I will pray for the leaders of our country 01:36:14.100 |
and wrap us up in prayer before our worship team leads us. 01:36:26.100 |
Father, we gather because we have nowhere else to turn. 01:36:39.100 |
And we pray to you, Father, because we are so weak. 01:36:45.100 |
And God, we cry out to you and we are desperate for you 01:36:54.100 |
because you are all we want and you're all we need. 01:37:05.100 |
God, we take a look and wonder at how far we've come 01:37:11.100 |
and we look and see at the state of our own hearts. 01:37:23.100 |
Father, would you continue to work in our hearts 01:37:25.100 |
to change us, that our prayers might be heavy 01:37:35.100 |
And so God, we pray that we would be a church that prays. 01:37:42.100 |
And Father, that it would not be an emotion-filled night. 01:37:58.100 |
that not only in just prayer for all the things that we need, 01:38:08.100 |
God, that our prayers would be your kingdom come 01:38:12.100 |
That our prayers would not be just what I want 01:38:16.100 |
but it would be what your heart is filled with. 01:38:25.100 |
And God, that you would cause us to open up our lips 01:38:30.100 |
that you desire salvation to fall upon this world. 01:38:33.100 |
And so God, we pray that we would be a church 01:38:46.100 |
would come out because it is squeezed out of us. 01:38:57.100 |
I pray that our hearts would change more towards yours 01:39:06.100 |
would do evangelism and would share the gospel 01:39:32.100 |
Father, that we would see so clearly your beauty, 01:39:38.100 |
And God, that we would so long for this world 01:39:52.100 |
that it will overflow out of our love for you. 01:40:30.100 |
We pray, God, that we would not be ashamed of the gospel, 01:40:35.100 |
that we would not operate out of a fear of man. 01:40:51.100 |
we would not just be trying to win over people 01:40:56.100 |
but Lord, that we would present a God who hates sin, 01:41:05.100 |
that we would not be so afraid of how we might be seen, 01:41:09.100 |
but Lord, that we would be pleading with people 01:41:14.100 |
and to confess before a God whose judgment is coming. 01:41:29.100 |
who have yet to receive reconciliation and peace with you. 01:41:34.100 |
God, that it might cause our lives to change, 01:41:38.100 |
that we wouldn't be following after everything else 01:41:45.100 |
but Lord, that our hearts would constantly be going after 01:42:00.100 |
and the outings that we're going out on all this month. 01:42:15.100 |
as we're going out two by two, sharing the gospel, 01:42:18.100 |
Lord, that you would open doors for the gospel 01:42:20.100 |
to be both preached and for hearts to be reached. 01:42:24.100 |
We pray, God, that we would have faith in your word, 01:42:27.100 |
that it is so strong to change the hardest of hearts 01:42:48.100 |
from their sin and to receive the great grace 01:42:52.100 |
that can come from the only God who can save. 01:42:55.100 |
God, as we train that we would be a surrendered people 01:43:00.100 |
people who aren't just going out evangelizing 01:43:05.100 |
but Lord, that we would be people who are done 01:43:19.100 |
We pray, God, for our summer missions team to Korea. 01:43:23.100 |
We pray, God, that even as you've called us here 01:43:32.100 |
God, that if we want to resemble your hearts, 01:43:58.100 |
that we would lay down our lives wherever and however. 01:44:07.100 |
God, we pray, Father, that you would place in them 01:44:20.100 |
would you help them, God, to know your peace. 01:44:24.100 |
Father, we pray for them to be able to see fruit, 01:44:29.100 |
and we pray, God, more so for continued faithfulness in them. 01:44:36.100 |
in those moments where the enemy tries to lead astray, 01:44:43.100 |
and that you would cause them, God, to turn to you 01:44:50.100 |
Father, we pray for more workers in this harvest. 01:44:56.100 |
and we pray, God, that you would strengthen them. 01:45:10.100 |
to not look out with natural eyes but with spiritual ones. 01:45:15.100 |
Father, that you would cause us to share the gospel, 01:45:21.100 |
and you would cause this church to be your hands and feet, 01:45:32.100 |
raise up more and more workers in this harvest. 01:45:41.100 |
our hopes, our desires, fully and wholly towards you. 01:46:31.100 |
and you called us to worship in spirit and in truth. 01:46:41.100 |
Father, there is great temptation just to perform, 01:46:55.100 |
And there's a lot of pressure to do things the way 01:47:08.100 |
But Lord, would you remind us again and again and again 01:47:18.100 |
So would you guard and protect this pulpit, first and foremost, 01:47:31.100 |
that you would help every man that comes to this pulpit 01:47:38.100 |
a man who has saturated the words on the page 01:47:43.100 |
with many tears and with much prayer and much supplication, 01:47:53.100 |
or to tickle any ears, but to feed the sheep. 01:48:16.100 |
and that you would give him an even greater love 01:48:27.100 |
Lord, that they would be your words that he proclaims. 01:48:46.100 |
So I pray, Father God, that every member on the team, 01:48:49.100 |
whether they're singing or they're playing an instrument, 01:48:58.100 |
but they would first have a posture of humility 01:49:06.100 |
And I pray especially for those who are gifted in music, 01:49:10.100 |
that you would cause them to be trembling and fearful, 01:49:14.100 |
knowing that they are being used to draw people 01:49:18.100 |
into the throne of grace, into your presence. 01:49:27.100 |
so that it would not be lip service that is offered. 01:49:29.100 |
It would not just be formality that is presented, 01:49:36.100 |
And I pray also, Lord God, for all the children 01:49:39.100 |
that are coming through our doors into our churches. 01:49:45.100 |
Father, they are all growing up in prosperity and comfort, 01:50:03.100 |
So we pray for our next generation of children 01:50:06.100 |
that you would raise up an army of mighty men and women 01:50:22.100 |
So I pray, Lord, as all the Sunday school teachers, 01:50:33.100 |
May you remind each and every one that it is not by might, 01:50:39.100 |
And I pray, Father God, that you would make us 01:51:02.100 |
that the sanctifying work of the spirit would be evident 01:51:18.100 |
and as we are stewards of this family here at the church, 01:51:32.100 |
And we pray, Lord God, that you would bear fruit 01:51:35.100 |
in a way that honors, magnifies, and exalts Christ. 01:51:44.100 |
Father, may your renown be the very heartbeat 01:52:00.100 |
Lord, as you told us to pray for those who are in authority 01:52:21.100 |
Lord, we have seen the church's love for you grow cold. 01:52:26.100 |
More concern, Lord God, of how the world would view us than you. 01:52:45.100 |
I pray that the fear of your name would grip his heart, 01:52:51.100 |
that he may make decisions, policies, Lord God, 01:53:01.100 |
that we may truly be able to live peaceful and quiet lives 01:53:05.100 |
in a free country, Lord, that you have blessed for so many years, 01:53:09.100 |
that we may gather together in worship to proclaim the truth, 01:53:15.100 |
that we would not live, Lord, in fear of the government's tyranny. 01:53:20.100 |
And so we pray, Father God, for wisdom and authority, Lord God, 01:53:25.100 |
that is above him, that he would recognize that. 01:53:29.100 |
We pray, Father, for Governor Newsom, Lord God, 01:53:51.100 |
that he will be accountable for the decisions that he makes. 01:54:12.100 |
that you cannot, that we cannot be touched beyond what you allow. 01:54:19.100 |
to knowing, Father, that you are sovereign, you are Lord. 01:54:22.100 |
And so we pray, Father God, that you would show yourself mighty. 01:54:27.100 |
We pray for the churches, Lord, that they would be, 01:54:31.100 |
Lord, as they proclaim, to honor you, to worship you in spirit and in truth. 01:54:37.100 |
Bring true revival, true repentance, true holiness, 01:54:44.100 |
true proclamation of the gospel, and true worship. 01:54:58.100 |
Lord, we have brothers and sisters in this room 01:55:06.100 |
Lord, as they cried out to you in desperation, 01:55:19.100 |
Lord, we have children in our congregation who do not know you. 01:55:27.100 |
You know, Father God, that the pain that they're in, 01:55:30.100 |
wanting so desperately more than anything in this world, 01:55:36.100 |
As they cried out to you, would you please answer their prayers? 01:55:51.100 |
that we may run this race together with them. 01:55:55.100 |
Lord, I pray for those who are struggling with sin 01:56:02.100 |
and the destruction that these sins have brought into their lives. 01:56:16.100 |
That if they covet anything else, if they're tempted by anything else, 01:56:34.100 |
better thinking, better wisdom, better community, 02:01:04.100 |
if we can ask you guys to go to the cafe area,