Love & Unity Corporate Prayer | April 12, 2025

WEBVTT

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You pray it and he can answer it. The effectual

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fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

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God will put the prayer in your heart to pray

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so that he can answer it. It goes into the hearts

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of the people, doesn't return void, it produces

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results. Thank you, Jesus. Well, I have a teaching

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for us, a brief teaching, but before I get into

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the thing that God has laid on my heart, let

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me just mute all. You all during teaching. So

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before we get into the teaching, I just wanted

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to share a scripture that I heard when I sat

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down and came into my office. For me, it's this

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afternoon. For some of you, it's this morning,

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but I heard Acts 10 to 44. And the scripture

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is while Peter yet spake the word, the Holy Ghost

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fell on all them that heard the word. And I just

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want to encourage everyone, those of you that

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are pastors and leaders and those of you are

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going to be speaking, especially over the holiday

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season, to expect the Holy Spirit to fall on

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the congregation while you're preaching, while

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you're teaching. He can fall to convict and convince

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those that are there of their need for Jesus.

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He can fall. like in the days of Catherine Coleman,

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where the power gifts just manifested and nobody

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touched them, nobody did anything. And I think

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we're coming into that season where the Holy

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Spirit desires to demonstrate himself. And that's

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the beauty of man moving aside and the Holy Spirit

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moving in. And we're seeing that. Where we don't

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even have to like have at times altar calls in

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certain regards because the Holy Spirit's beginning

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to manifest in our meetings when we're on the

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road. So I just want to encourage those of you

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that are leaders and pastors to really begin

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to believe God and expect the Holy Spirit to

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fall and to do and to demonstrate himself. So

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we're going to our prayer focus. in this particular

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Zoom meeting is going to be to pray and to intercede

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on the behalf of the upcoming Easter services

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that we have in our churches. Whether we're pastors

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or not, every one of us are part of a local body.

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And the beauty of prayer is prayer goes before

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us and it prepares the way, makes the crooked

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way straight. The rough place is plain. It opens

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up the door for God to work. And the Bible says,

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though I'm absent in the flesh, I'm present with

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you in the spirit. So and there's no time or

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distance in the spirit. So we can begin to pray

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and intercede and prepare the hearts of the people

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that are going to be attending our meetings before

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they ever get. into the church building or wherever

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they are. They say that Easter is one of the

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holidays that more people get saved than any

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other holiday. And so that's going to be our

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prayer focus today. But before we get into the

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word, I have a kind of a simple teaching, especially

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for those of you that are more mature. But I

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think it's good to visit the foundational teachings.

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And the Bible also says to remember the things

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that we've heard or learned, lest at any time

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we would let them slip. And I just really quickly,

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before we get into prayer, I just want to talk

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to you about the benefits of being a person of

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prayer. Now, the very first thing and one of

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the very first benefits is that when we are people,

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men and women of prayer, there is an added strength

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to us when we need it. Okay. And the Bible says

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in Psalm 16, 11, you will show me the path of

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life in your presence is fullness of joy at your

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right hand, our pleasures forevermore. And, and

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so in his presence, when we pray, you know, there's

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in his presence, there's fullness of joy. So

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we're in the presence of God and that's the place

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of fullness of joy. And Nehemiah 8, 10 says,

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And the joy of the Lord is our strength. So when

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we need strength, when we spend time in the presence

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of God, there is an added strength to our walk

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with God, to our ministries, to everything that

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we set our hand to do. Number two, strength in

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weakness. 2 Corinthians 12, 9 says, my grace

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is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect

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in weakness. So in prayer, we acknowledge our

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limitations, which we all have, and invite God's

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strength into our lives, empowering us to overcome

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challenges. So that's the beauty of prayer. He

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strengthens us. Jude 1, 20 says, but you, beloved.

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building up yourself on your most holy faith

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praying in the holy ghost so when we pray when

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we spend time in the presence of god we're building

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up ourselves and in context in jude it says praying

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in the holy ghost and first corinthians 14 4

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says for he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself

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and that greek word edify means to charge yourself

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up like as a battery for example you know we

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all have these cell phones and when they the

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battery power starts getting low um what do we

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do we get out the charger we hook up hook the

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charger up to the power source and therefore

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the charge is built up or edified or charged

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so when we pray in tongues and we give ourselves

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over to praying in the holy ghost we are charging

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ourselves up and for me this is probably i haven't

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done this in years but this is my sixth meeting

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in seven days that i had to speak at or lead

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god in prayer for and yesterday i was feeling

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a little you know, physically tired. So I just

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went into the presence of God. I just began to

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walk the floors and I just began to pray in the

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Holy Ghost. And I know you know this, but you

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are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in

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a body. So when we pray in tongues, it's our

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inner man that's being charged up. It's our inner

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man that's being built up and edified. And that's

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where we can rely on the inner man to gain the

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ascendancy. over our souls our bodies need rest

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i think we need to be wise about that but prayer

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causes us to be built up and edified so therefore

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we are able to receive added strength when we

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need it number two rewards um is what we can

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see receive as a benefit of being a person of

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prayer hebrews 11 6 Says without faith, it is

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impossible to please him. But he who comes to

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God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder

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of those. who diligently seek him. And I think

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it's important, especially those of you that

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are leaders to remember that we don't seek him

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and pray to him just to get a message and just

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to hear from God and just to get the word of

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the Lord. But we need to also remember that we

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have our own personal relationship with him.

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And so when we go to God in the place of prayer,

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you know, having the understanding that Lord,

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I'm here just to fellowship with you. And you

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said in your word that when I come to you, that

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you are a rewarder of those that diligently seek

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you. So I don't really know in totality what

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those rewards would be. I'm sure Apostle Calvin

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has some insight into that. But whatever the

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rewards, I want them. If they're the rewards

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here on this earth, I receive them. If they're

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rewards that... that we receive up in heaven,

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I totally want to receive them because it's what

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we do for God on this earth that we will receive

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rewards for when we go and stand before him.

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Matthew 6, 6 says, but you, when you pray. Go

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into your room. That's a chamber, an inner room,

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a place of intimacy. And when you have shut your

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door, to me, I look at that and say, shut out

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the distractions. Shut out the television. Shut

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out the refrigerator and that cheesecake that's

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in the refrigerator. Shut out all the things

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that you need to do in ministry and as leadership.

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Shut the door and pray to your Father who is

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in this secret place and your Father who sees

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in secret. will reward you openly. And I love

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that. I love the fact that he is a God who sees.

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And when we spend time in our intimate time and

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fellowship with him, he's looking at us, right?

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The Bible says, my eyes will be open and my ears

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attentive unto the prayers that are made in your

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secret place or wherever you are. So he's a God

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who sees. So when we spend time in the presence

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of God, I like to think, I just like to think

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about the fact, because it is fact, because it's

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the word of God, that he sees. what we're doing

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in secret and it goes on to say he will reward

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you openly again what those rewards are i'm not

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really quite sure but i will say this as leaders

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i think the greatest rewards that we can have

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is that we carry the presence of god we're a

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carrier of the presence of god and when we speak

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when we teach when we minister we're ministering

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out of our overflow and not out of our reserve.

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That's why yesterday when I was feeling tired,

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I knew I had to lead guided prayer last night.

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And then today I just said, Lord, I'm just going

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to give myself over to praying in the Holy Ghost.

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I'm going to shut myself in my office and spend

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time with you because you will renew my strength.

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When I wait upon you and I look unto you and

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I put you first place, I know you will strengthen

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me with might. by your spirit in my inner man.

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And therefore I can say, I can do all things

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through Christ who strengthens me because it's

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not my sufficiency. It's because of you abiding

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in me, Christ in me, the hope of glory that will

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be able to rise up and move through me in this

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time. So he is a rewarder of those that diligently

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seek him. Job 42 .10 says, Now I use this verse

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all the time. This is the first time I put it

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in these notes for today. That when you pray,

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The Lord will turn your captivity, specifically

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in the prayer of intercession. And if you have

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needs, and if you have challenges, and if you

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have things you're dealing with, the Lord will

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turn your captivity, restore your fortunes. He

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will bless you exceedingly, abundantly, above

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all. You can ask, hope, dream, or desire. There's

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just something about spending time in the presence

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of God. There are rewards and benefits. And in

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Job's case, God... gave job twice as much as

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he had before um number three when we pray the

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my favorite benefit of being a person of prayer

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is friendship and intimacy with god it says here

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in exodus 33 11 so the lord spoke to moses face

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to face as a man speaks to his friend friendship

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with god The Lord spoke to Moses face to face

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as a man speaks to his friend. Now, God is no

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respecter of persons. Moses obviously had a heart

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for God and he had a humble and contrite spirit.

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He acknowledged his weaknesses. He acknowledged

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that he needed God to help him. And he spent

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time in the presence of God and he made spending

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time in the presence of God his priority. And

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he said, Lord, if you don't go with me, I'm in

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big trouble. Moses had this kind of friendship

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and intimacy with God. But the beauty of it is

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the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man

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speaks to his friend. So it was the Lord that

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called Moses his friend. And I want to be a friend

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of God. And I know you do, too. And that's why

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we're on this. prayer call today and it says

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of course you know joshua and he would return

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to the camp but joshua of course he was venturing

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and training up and he did not depart from the

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tabernacle now what was moses's legacy and i

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think this is something especially those of us

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that are over 50 need to think about about and

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those of us that are on medicare and social security

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what do we want our legacy to be here's moses's

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legacy Deuteronomy 34, 9 through 12 says, Moses

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was 120 years old, okay? And Joshua, the son

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of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom. Moses

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laid his hand on him. The children of Israel

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heeded to him and did as the Lord had commanded

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Moses. So Joshua, as you know, was his successor.

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But since then, here's Moses' legacy. There has

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not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses. What

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about Moses? He was a prophet. That's cool. But

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what about Moses? Whom the Lord knew face to

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face. And then it goes on and talks about in

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all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent

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him to do in the land of Egypt before Pharaoh,

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before all his servants, and in all the land,

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and by all that mighty power and the great terror

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which Moses performed in the sight of Israel.

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But his legacy was that he had friendship and

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intimacy with God. And I think that's where it

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begins and that's where it ends. For those of

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us who are called into full -time ministry, that

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we minister out of that friendship, out of that

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overflow, so that we have the heart of God when

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we minister. So it's intimacy and friendship

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with God. Then we have the Apostle Paul in Philippians

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3 .10. He said, my determined purpose is that

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I may know him. That I may progressively become

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more deeply and intimately acquainted with him,

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perceiving and recognizing and understanding

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the wonders of his person more strongly and more

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clearly. So here we see that the Apostle Paul,

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his determined purpose was to know Jesus Christ,

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to know his heart, to understand his heart. And

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out of knowing his heart, God will give us wisdom,

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revelation, and understanding into the hearts

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of the people that we lead. There's a prayer

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that I pray. I say, Lord, you know, give me the

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wisdom to discern what is in your heart and mine

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and what is in my own heart and mine. And that

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discernment is cultivated and developed. In the

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place of prayer. When we have time with him.

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In the secret place of prayer. And I think it's

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important for all of us. And myself included.

00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:43.240
To always be reminded. Not to neglect the first

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works. That is to love the Lord our God. With

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all of our hearts. All of our souls. All of our

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strength. And everything that is within us. To

00:15:52.179 --> 00:15:56.220
put him personally. First place in our lives.

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Lastly. Prayer ascends. And this is what's going

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to happen. today prayer is sense before God as

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incense in the realm of the spirit this is what's

00:16:08.309 --> 00:16:12.129
literally happening revelations 8 3 & 4 says

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Then another angel, having a golden censer, came

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and stood at the altar. He was given much incense

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that he should offer it with the prayers of all

00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:26.159
the saints upon the golden altar, which was before

00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.320
the throne. And the smoke of that incense with

00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:32.559
the prayers of the saints ascended before God

00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:36.179
from the angel's hand. So when we pray in general

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and when we pray today. Of course, we know that

00:16:39.620 --> 00:16:42.379
prayer opens up the door for God to work. We

00:16:42.379 --> 00:16:45.320
know that we have not because we ask not. We

00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:48.019
know that man is God's avenue into the earth.

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We know that Satan is the God of this world.

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And unless we pray and stand and use our authority,

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God can't do what he desires to do because the

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enemy has a stronghold in our region and our

00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:00.940
cities over the hearts and minds of our people

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that we're leading. But also. When we pray, our

00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:08.180
prayers are like an incense that go up before

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:12.259
the throne room of grace. And God hears us. He

00:17:12.259 --> 00:17:15.660
smells that fragrance. And the beauty of this

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particular thought process is that the Bible

00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:23.259
says in 2 Corinthians 2 .15, For we are to God

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the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who

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are being saved and those who are perishing.

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So like I said before, We're carriers of the

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presence of God and also we're carriers of his

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fragrance. So when we pray, there is something

00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:49.740
tangible that is being transferred to us in the

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presence of God. Now, I know I said lastly, but

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I forgot I had one more. When you see answers

00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.519
to your prayers, which we're seeing, aren't we?

00:17:58.779 --> 00:18:04.750
It brings joy. john 16 24 says now until now

00:18:04.750 --> 00:18:08.849
you have asked nothing in my name ask and you

00:18:08.849 --> 00:18:14.089
will receive that your joy may be full and i

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love the fact that jesus said in his word men

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ought to always pray and not faint and sometimes

00:18:21.289 --> 00:18:24.150
things will get worse Before they get better.

00:18:24.569 --> 00:18:27.869
Because when you pray. When we pray. Our prayers

00:18:27.869 --> 00:18:30.250
are going into the realm of the spirit. You're

00:18:30.250 --> 00:18:32.509
making the devil uncomfortable. You're telling

00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:35.430
him to leave. He doesn't want to leave. So you're

00:18:35.430 --> 00:18:38.029
going in. And you're putting pressure on the

00:18:38.029 --> 00:18:39.670
devil. And you're getting kicked back. You're

00:18:39.670 --> 00:18:42.609
getting resistance. But as we remain steadfast.

00:18:43.089 --> 00:18:46.009
Immovable. Always abounding in the labor of love

00:18:46.009 --> 00:18:50.779
of prayer. The enemy has to flee. okay so and

00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:53.119
therefore number two it's not only the resistance

00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.880
from the enemy that we see things getting worse

00:18:55.880 --> 00:18:58.539
at times but it's also because when we begin

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to pray for the hearts and destinies of the people

00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:04.500
we're praying for there's there's war and so

00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:06.700
the holy spirit begins to convict and convince

00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:09.740
them of their need for change or their need for

00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:13.519
jesus or whatever the case may be and you know

00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:16.279
people They don't always like to change. They

00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.339
don't always like to yield to the Holy Spirit.

00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:22.539
So there's a little bit of resistance until the

00:19:22.539 --> 00:19:24.579
Holy Spirit's able to penetrate their hearts,

00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:28.000
until the Word of God that's in seed form begins

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:30.980
to rise in their hearts. And so, therefore, when

00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:33.319
things get worse, I just want to encourage everyone,

00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:36.140
that means our prayers are working. That's why

00:19:36.140 --> 00:19:40.259
Jesus said we ought to always pray and not faint.

00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:43.869
Okay? So are you ready to pray for the Easter

00:19:43.869 --> 00:19:46.309
services? How many of you are ready? Let's see

00:19:46.309 --> 00:19:48.069
your hands. How many are ready to pray for the

00:19:48.069 --> 00:19:50.549
Easter services? Now, isn't that interesting

00:19:50.549 --> 00:19:53.410
that we can pray and believe God for the Easter

00:19:53.410 --> 00:19:57.130
services for all of our churches, all of the

00:19:57.130 --> 00:20:00.309
places that we have an influence and God will

00:20:00.309 --> 00:20:03.490
answer our prayers. Well, the beauty of God is,

00:20:03.529 --> 00:20:06.329
think about it. He knows our name. He knows any

00:20:06.329 --> 00:20:09.230
hairs we have on our head. He speaks to us all

00:20:09.230 --> 00:20:12.609
individually. He's a very personal God. And when

00:20:12.609 --> 00:20:15.609
we begin to pray for our churches, it's going

00:20:15.609 --> 00:20:18.509
to open up the door for him to work. And our

00:20:18.509 --> 00:20:20.549
prayers are going to go into the realm of the

00:20:20.549 --> 00:20:24.750
spirit. And they will. The Bible says the effectual

00:20:24.750 --> 00:20:30.690
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

00:20:31.309 --> 00:20:33.509
So we're going to pray for the Easter services.

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We're going to go ahead. I'm going to unmute

00:20:36.609 --> 00:20:45.829
everyone. Participants too. I hope this works.

00:20:45.890 --> 00:20:52.269
Is everyone unmuted? Let me see about. I think

00:20:52.269 --> 00:20:54.650
we have to unmute ourselves. Okay, so everybody

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unmute yourself. Because we all want to pray

00:20:59.349 --> 00:21:03.319
together. Okay, so just unmute yourself. I'm

00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:05.240
still waiting for some to unmute. Do you know

00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:08.859
how to do it? So let's go ahead and let's just

00:21:08.859 --> 00:21:12.759
begin to pray. Father, we as a group. together

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we are praying we thank you you know Thank you.

00:22:40.200 --> 00:26:08.420
is is is is um um um Thank you. um is is foreign

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um um um foreign Thank you so much for tuning

00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:05.920
in to today's podcast. It has been such a joy

00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:06.900
sharing this time with you.