back to indexBerean Community Church Praise and Prayer Night 01/24/2025
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At this time, please go ahead and make your way forward to take your seats. 00:05:11.000 |
And then if you're right at the edge of an aisle, 00:05:14.000 |
please go ahead and just try to squeeze in towards the center. 00:05:17.000 |
We're glad to be able to join together in time of corporate prayer and 00:05:24.000 |
And just as a heads up to you guys, as in previous Praise and Prayers, 00:05:28.000 |
we really do want to give you guys unhindered times of just prayer. 00:05:32.000 |
We will be giving various topics of prayer, guidance, etc. 00:05:37.000 |
But please know that you can continue just to pray to lift up all of your needs, 00:05:42.000 |
to request the Lord to meet all the various struggles, trials, 00:05:49.000 |
Now, I want to highlight that, as in previous sessions, 00:05:53.000 |
the front rows of the chairs have been removed so that if later when the prayer 00:05:58.000 |
time opens up, you want to come forward to kneel. 00:06:00.000 |
There's just a band of carpet where you can kneel. 00:06:03.000 |
You can go before the Lord and pray in that way. 00:06:05.000 |
You're also welcome, if some of you guys prefer to stand, you're welcome to stand. 00:06:10.000 |
Go stand in the back, etc., to stand and pray as well. 00:06:14.000 |
Would you at this time please join with me in a word of prayer as we begin our time? 00:06:20.000 |
Heavenly Father, we are absolutely indebted to you. 00:06:24.000 |
For, God, you have been so compassionate and gracious to us. 00:06:28.000 |
Lord, your word has revealed that although we were as lost as could be, 00:06:33.000 |
although, Father God, we, like everybody else, was going our own way, 00:06:36.000 |
living according to our own lust, our own passions, 00:06:39.000 |
and in the absolute blindness of our flesh, that it's you who had mercy. 00:06:44.000 |
And then, Lord, to know that God, even though we are yet fallen and so lost, 00:06:52.000 |
at your mercy, Lord God, you hear us when we pray to you, 00:07:00.000 |
We're so grateful that you avail yourself to us. 00:07:03.000 |
I pray, Lord, that with the conviction that, God, our lives are not victorious 00:07:09.000 |
because of our grit or our own power, but rather because of the hand of God, 00:07:14.000 |
I ask that you would help us to pray fervently. 00:07:17.000 |
And, Lord God, as we join in our hearts to lift up corporate topics to you, 00:07:24.000 |
we really ask, God, that you would grant to us your blessings. 00:07:28.000 |
We also pray that as we join our hearts in worship, 00:07:34.000 |
let this truly, Father God, be an outflow of the faith that we have, 00:07:40.000 |
Would you help us to deepen in our affection for you. 00:07:44.000 |
Would you help us, Lord God, to have a deeper sense of dedication 00:07:48.000 |
and a growing conviction that everything you say is real 00:07:54.000 |
We thank you for this evening. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. 00:07:58.000 |
Let's all stand together for a time of praise. 00:13:05.000 |
♪ As your saints bow down, as your people sing ♪ 00:13:10.000 |
♪ We will rise with you, lift it on your wings ♪ 00:14:04.000 |
♪ As your saints bow down, as your people sing ♪ 00:14:09.000 |
♪ We will rise with you, lift it on your wings ♪ 00:15:07.000 |
♪ As your saints bow down, as your people sing ♪ 00:15:12.000 |
♪ We will rise with you, lift it on your wings ♪ 00:16:02.000 |
♪ As your saints bow down, as your people sing ♪ 00:16:07.000 |
♪ We will rise with you, lift it on your wings ♪ 00:16:17.000 |
- Amen, before we go into time of individual prayer, 00:16:22.000 |
I'd like to give an encouragement from scripture 00:16:36.000 |
And regardless of circumstance, how long, et cetera, 00:17:02.000 |
this psalm, along with chapters 13 through 18, 00:17:22.000 |
at the time when God delivered but the mighty hand, 00:17:51.000 |
all giving thanks to him for his great deliverance. 00:17:58.000 |
because, again, this was tied to the Passover, 00:18:03.000 |
these psalms are connected to national festivals. 00:18:57.000 |
But then, when you take a look at this psalm, 00:19:17.000 |
And so we're going to walk through this passage 00:20:18.000 |
Let's take a moment to ask God to bless that reading. 00:20:36.000 |
This would be the tone, Lord God, of our inner soul. 00:21:12.000 |
And what's more, I mentioned just a moment ago 00:21:26.000 |
I mean, there was like a million people in Jerusalem, right? 00:21:31.000 |
yes, there were both the gatherings of people 00:21:33.000 |
at the temple, and they would sing the halal. 00:22:02.000 |
because he hears my voice, and the supplications, 00:22:30.000 |
For 400 years, they were seeing their family members 00:22:35.000 |
They were seeing people in front of them get whipped. 00:22:38.000 |
They themselves experienced the excruciating pains 00:22:43.000 |
And in the midst of this, it was God who said, 00:22:46.000 |
I surely have seen the affliction of my people, 00:22:49.000 |
I have seen it, I have given heed to their cry, 00:23:07.000 |
Likewise, in a cross-reference where King David 00:23:14.000 |
is a passage in Psalm chapter 18, verses 1 through 2. 00:23:21.000 |
King David says, "I love you, O Lord, my strength. 00:23:25.000 |
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 00:23:35.000 |
"I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised." 00:23:39.000 |
And if you look at the subscript of this passage, 00:23:44.000 |
"And all around me was nothing but my enemies, 00:23:46.000 |
"because King Saul was so desperate, so zealous, 00:23:57.000 |
"'Oh, you're so precious, I'll never hurt you,' 00:24:18.000 |
Yes, there are gonna be times when absolutely 00:24:28.000 |
What power do the other brothers and sisters have around us, 00:24:42.000 |
verse two, he says that I shall call upon him 00:24:49.000 |
in the name of the Lord, it's chalked through the Bible. 00:24:54.000 |
It's that we're gonna accept that we're gonna continue. 00:25:07.000 |
And I'll continue in my dependency and trust. 00:25:11.000 |
These are the individuals, this kind of heart 00:26:06.000 |
But is our suffering, are we allowed to compare 00:26:18.000 |
We're talking about people who cried out, cried out 00:26:28.000 |
We're talking about generational kind of suffering 00:26:39.000 |
but even because both because of his own sins 00:26:42.000 |
but because of the wickedness of the people around him, 00:26:45.000 |
he had experienced betrayal by his own family. 00:26:52.000 |
People who he thought were his friends backstabbed him. 00:26:57.000 |
You name the kind of suffering that we may experience, 00:27:04.000 |
When he says, "Around me there is nothing but suffering," 00:27:17.000 |
definitely we dare not exaggerate our hardships. 00:27:26.000 |
But yet at the same time, we know, praise be to God, 00:27:32.000 |
that it's not the degree of our suffering that deserves his ear. 00:27:50.000 |
It's not because of the loudness of our voice. 00:28:00.000 |
And even if it's a whimper and a small voice, 00:28:07.000 |
I dare not compare my suffering with other people, 00:28:16.000 |
But what matters is that we would humble ourselves 00:28:21.000 |
Supplication just purely means asking and pleading for God's grace. 00:28:26.000 |
A beautiful passage comes from 2 Chronicles 6, verse 21. 00:28:33.000 |
It says, "Listen to the supplications of your servant 00:28:36.000 |
and to your people, Israel, when they pray towards this place. 00:28:47.000 |
is that sometimes we absolutely take it for granted. 00:28:54.000 |
because they did not have the open curtain, the open access, 00:28:58.000 |
the full privilege to come with the kind of confidence, 00:29:17.000 |
Thanks be to Christ, for us, we know that in his name, 00:29:33.000 |
Verse 5, "Gracious is the Lord and righteous. 00:30:06.000 |
You know that term "simple" is an interesting one 00:30:08.000 |
because the literal term, or the most frequently way 00:30:36.000 |
How many times do you have to be disappointed, 00:30:41.000 |
And he says, "But it's the Lord who preserves and keeps you. 00:30:49.000 |
There is a lot of self-talk in the Old Testament 00:30:54.000 |
talking to your own heart, talking to your own soul. 00:31:05.000 |
There's almost a question to pose at your own heart 00:31:13.000 |
Do you want to stop suffering through all these sorrows and fears? 00:31:17.000 |
Do you want to stop being swayed left and right, 00:31:25.000 |
almost devastated every time something goes wrong in your life? 00:31:41.000 |
this beautiful psalm, I didn't want to necessarily present to you 00:31:44.000 |
as principle one, "This is what you must do," 00:31:51.000 |
This comes from the heart of people who have a testimony. 00:32:09.000 |
I begged Him, and I said, "Please have mercy on me." 00:32:18.000 |
He made sure that even if I started asking all these questions, 00:32:35.000 |
I pray for us that whether you've gathered here from maybe a state of hardship, 00:32:43.000 |
maybe you've been kind of kicked off your horse, so to speak, 00:32:47.000 |
please know that however you look into the future, 00:33:02.000 |
Heavenly Father, God, we're so thankful that You have given such words 00:33:10.000 |
to be recorded in Your Word to testify of how good and compassionate You are. 00:33:16.000 |
Help us to know this day that, God, You have been faithfully compassionate. 00:33:22.000 |
You have been so gracious to hear the prayers of Your saints for thousands of years. 00:33:27.000 |
And this psalm that we take a moment to reflect on, 00:33:30.000 |
it's so beautiful because it's the same words by Your people across time, 00:33:43.000 |
Lord, You tell us to pray with confidence, to approach Your throne with confidence. 00:33:49.000 |
And we recognize, Father God, it's not because our voice is strong. 00:34:00.000 |
I pray, Lord, that when we pray, it would be with such faith, 00:34:10.000 |
At this time, what we'd like to do is just give you an opportunity, 00:34:18.000 |
And what we'll do is give you guys time for the next 10 minutes. 00:34:21.000 |
There isn't necessarily like a long list of topics or prompt 00:34:27.000 |
Whatever is on your heart, whatever you came in with, 00:34:30.000 |
whatever personal needs you have for yourself, 00:34:35.000 |
So, again, if you'd like to move forward, go ahead and do that now. 00:34:38.000 |
We'll play the background music for you guys, 00:34:41.000 |
and then we'll come back for some more praise afterwards. 00:55:56.320 |
>> Amen. We're going to continue on to pray, but in this next 00:56:00.320 |
segment, I want to ask you to please pray in intercession for 00:56:04.320 |
the brothers and sisters around you. Let's really pray for 00:56:08.340 |
people by name, the people that you're aware of, and by way of 00:56:13.340 |
examples. Recently, there have been a lot of people who have 00:56:17.340 |
unfortunately experienced, you know, loss, a great loss of 00:56:21.340 |
people close to them passing. So, let's really pray that the 00:56:25.340 |
Lord will be their comfort and more. Let's continue to pray for 00:56:29.360 |
those who have ongoing physical needs. You know, we do have 00:56:33.360 |
people at our church who have experienced, whether it's just 00:56:37.360 |
chronic pain, recent diagnosis, et cetera. And so, please 00:56:42.360 |
lift them up. And then, as you know, there is a kind of pain 00:56:46.360 |
that completely outside of the hands of physicians, et cetera, 00:56:50.380 |
whether it's your parents who are in conflict, married 00:56:54.380 |
individuals who should be in harmony in conflict, children in 00:56:58.380 |
conflict with the parents. Sometimes this kind of 00:57:02.380 |
relational conflict is more painful, as you know. So, let's 00:57:06.380 |
pray, because sometimes we think, you know, if we should 00:57:10.400 |
just change the way we talk or change our words, et cetera. But 00:57:14.400 |
actually, I believe the best kind of resolution, the sweetest 00:57:18.400 |
kind of reconciliation comes when the Spirit of God breaks 00:57:22.400 |
you and someone's willing to yield by the power of Christ. 00:57:26.420 |
Let's pray for that to happen, that the kind of conflict 00:57:30.420 |
resolution we experience at our church is thoroughly spiritual. 00:57:34.420 |
Amen? And then also, as you know, there's continual rising 00:57:38.420 |
struggling with spiritual and cognitive mental health kind of 00:57:42.420 |
issues. They wish they were stronger in the way that they 00:57:46.420 |
think and their thought life, et cetera. Let's pray that the 00:57:50.440 |
Lord will strengthen them in every way internally, that God 00:57:54.440 |
will strengthen them in the inner man. So, again, please try 00:57:58.440 |
to think of names specifically and continue to pray. We'll give 00:58:02.440 |
you guys another 10 minutes or so. Thank you. 01:10:24.840 |
- Allow me to cap off that segment with a short prayer. 01:10:53.840 |
we do trust and believe that you are sufficient for all, 01:11:03.840 |
And so for those who are grieving within our midst, 01:11:14.840 |
we pray, Lord, that as you are the God who provides 01:11:17.920 |
and you know their needs before they're even spoken, 01:11:30.840 |
would you please take this time to lift up the ministry here? 01:11:56.840 |
we're so grateful because there are constantly people 01:12:03.840 |
And so please continue to pray for people by name. 01:12:09.840 |
who with great interest are coming out week to week. 01:12:12.840 |
There are individuals within the Bible study, 01:12:14.920 |
here on Sundays, and sometimes at fellowship events. 01:12:22.840 |
The India team just yesterday capped off a visit 01:12:35.840 |
So let's pray for the team that God would use everything, 01:13:21.840 |
but that they would grow in all of those facets 01:13:25.840 |
so that they would be a healthy contributing member 01:13:46.840 |
where I'll be preaching from the book of James 01:14:03.920 |
the learning and the personal practice at home. 01:14:14.840 |
Let's pray that God would make it fruitful to us. 01:14:17.840 |
So again, please go into individual time of prayer. 01:31:29.080 |
Father God, with our hearts joined, we do love you. 01:31:32.080 |
We love you because you've been so good to us, 01:31:38.080 |
Thank you, Lord, that you not only hear, but you deliver. 01:31:47.080 |
Thank you, God, that through Christ we've overcome the world. 01:31:51.080 |
Thank you, God, that through Christ we have eternity. 01:31:54.080 |
Thank you, God, that in Christ we have everything. 01:31:57.080 |
And so, Lord, I pray that, yes, we may grieve. 01:32:02.080 |
We may complain at times, but not like the world. 01:32:23.080 |
There is going to be a fundraiser lunch for the Collegians. 01:32:26.080 |
That's just $10 for adults and $5 for children. 01:32:29.080 |
So please plan on having lunch after the second and third service. 01:32:34.080 |
And then please remember that 2 o'clock we have members meeting here. 01:32:38.080 |
And it will be game sharp at 2 o'clock because we have stuff in the afternoon as well. 01:32:45.080 |
we're going to need help just gathering the carpet