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there’s something about you and the Lord
Jesus by yourself has nothing in the
world to match that nothing nothing so
powerful as that
because remember who you talking to you
talking to the sovereign god of the
universe who has all power can do
anything that needs to be done in your
life
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch the prayer life of Jesus where
is prayer in your life is it first place
second place someplace a no place so we
ask the question what place did it have
in Jesus life that ought to say
something to us about where it ought to
be in our life and oftentimes people
will say well I pray once in a while
that means they don’t pray hardly at all
oh they may say I pray when I get in
trouble I pray when I’m having a hard
time and most people pray when there’s a
need or a want not simply because they
love God not simply because they enjoy
being in this presence not simply
because they love to love him and adore
him with words of Prayer what about the
prayer life of Jesus where did prayer
did in his life well here’s worth it and
that is prayer was number one with Jesus
it was where he began his day and if you
turn for example to mark and just look
at a couple of verses here look if you
will in mark the first chapter and we
found that quickly where prayer had its
place in Jesus life it says in the early
morning while it was still dark Jesus
got up left the house went away to a
secluded place and was praying there
his companions search for him they found
him and said to him everyone’s looking
for you and he said to them let us go
somewhere else to the towns nearby so
that I may preach there also for that is
the purpose for which I came now one of
the things that’s so evident about Jesus
you think about his prayer life he got
up early
he began his prayer early in the morning
getting ready so let me ask you this how
many of you naturalist is private to you
how many of you start your day early in
the morning and the first thing you do
is pray in the morning in fact maybe
some of you do I certainly hope so I got
in the habit of that because and when I
was growing up I delivered newspapers
and so I started early in the morning
about 5:30 of their bouts and nobody on
the street but me and sometimes I was a
little bit scared say you through and so
I started pretty early well it was a
good habit for me because I prayed all
those years delivering newspapers and in
the afternoons of course I watched the
traffic because I had to go in and out
across a very very busy street but it
taught me a great lesson and that is you
start the day with the father before you
do anything else and the truth is none
of us can give an acceptable excuse for
starting it in the other way you sleep
all night
you even if you had to get up early in
the morning or maybe you didn’t sleep
very good but starting the day with the
Lord
that’s what Jesus did because he got up
early in the morning left the house and
went to a solitary place to talk to the
Father now when I think about Jesus and
what he had to do and what every day for
him call for how did he get up early
each morning and begin the day how he
did it is determination on his part he
knew that in all of him to accomplish
what he had to accomplish that day
he had to start early so I wouldn’t ask
you the question is is your relationship
to God
is it important enough that you put that
first in your life each day you say well
I have a big family
well you have a small family a big
family watch this
this is how big a family it isn’t that
convenient it is the issue is what’s the
most important thing in your life if
your relationship to Jesus is the most
important thing in your life you’re
going to start with him you’re gonna be
willing to allow the Lord Jesus Christ
to speak to you early in the morning
getting the day started off right and I
wonder how many times you have been
driving down the expressway or maybe you
and your job or something and nothing’s
going right you stop to think you know
what I didn’t I didn’t even pray this
one and fall left the house in Atlanta
it’s dangerous not to pray before you
leave your house if you’re gonna get on
the expressway I put it that away and so
Jesus made it his priority and think
about this he was the son of God but he
knew that for him to accomplish what the
father wanted him to accomplish he had
to start the day with the father and I
believe therein is the key to ever
accomplish anything or much in life
that’s really worthwhile that has
lasting value that we start off with
with the Lord Jesus Christ surrendering
in life to him for the day asking for
direction making it sensitive and making
it sensitive to people around us
whatever the situation may be that’s the
way he began the day early in the
morning he got up but it’s interesting
in Matthew 14 23 it says he went away to
a secluded place now this is very
important that is when Jesus began early
pray he went somewhere he wouldn’t be
disturbed
so let me ask you this if you start your
day off of the Lord is there place at
your house you won’t be disturbed
probably most people will have some
place
why did he not want to be disturbed
because he was asking for the father’s
direction he knew every day for him
counted somebody said I don’t have a
place in my house there must be some
place in your house some somebody says
well I have a closet but it’s full of
clothes move them aside in other words
there so here’s the important thing
there’s something about a place and I’ve
always had a place and it hasn’t been
away from everybody
it was place of on my living room over
in the corner and my study over in this
corner but I had a met that I lay on and
talked to the Lord and here’s what I
discovered after a season of time every
short period of time I didn’t have to
get ready because the only thing I did
in that place was to talk to the Lord
and so everybody can have a place
somewhere because if that’s all you do
there there’s something about getting
there getting down on your knees of your
face whichever you choose and here’s
what happens after a while your mind
your spirit and your body adjust quickly
this is where the only thing you do is
you talk to God everybody needs a place
they can talk to the father
there’s something about a place were you
and God what happens is it becomes a
holy place and you may just have to have
a man or something that’s it and I
remember when I first got married we
just had one bed small bedroom in the
bath and a living room and a little
small kitchen so the only place I had to
pray was over in a corner of the living
room but I could tell you some things
that God spoke to my heart over by
myself in the living room on my mat I
remember one night I was praying and
asking the Lord to give me direction of
my life and I remember the Lord saying
to me crystal clear whatever you
accomplish in life Gila and I was in
seminary first year so I was in my early
20s
whatever you accomplish in life you have
to accomplish on your knees you can’t
depend upon your abilities your talents
your skill anything the only thing you
can depend upon is prayer on your knees
I’ve never forgotten it
I couldn’t possibly forget it I couldn’t
ever take any credit if anything God’s
done but something about your place God
will speak to you and give you direction
and encouragement for your life then I
can think about many times I’ve knelt on
that same old mat and that mat happened
to be an African that my mother’s
crocheted I guess that’s what you call
it crocheting them for me and that’s
what I always prayed on I still have it
there’s something about a place that you
and the father can talk about the most
intimate things in your life where
you’ll find out that he gave you
direction and the wonderful thing about
having a place is this you’ll remember
things that God says to you there that
if you just prayed any old place more
than like you’d forget it but there’s
something about you and the Father and
your place it’s a private place it’s a
holy place it’s a place where you get
direction and guidance and encouragement
and assurance and where you get
conviction and where you have to weep
sometimes and why you have to cry out to
God and confess sin but it’s your place
when you and God only meet together it’s
your place just you and Jesus meet there
but you look at this light he began
early he went to a secluded place and I
say oftentimes on his knees now the
scripture says that he he fell down to
the ground I don’t know the Jesus prayed
on his knees like you and I would or not
he probably did that would be more
likely than it’s just stretching that on
the ground somewhere somebody says well
I don’t have to get on my knees no you
don’t have to but just think about this
who you talking to you’re talking to
holy God you gotta stand up face-to-face
and talk to him you can but in the
privacy of your home wherever you are
kneeling before him if at all possible
sometimes people can’t kneel understand
that but there’s something about bowing
in the presence of Almighty God that
says something about our spirit about
our attitude and here’s the son of God
and what does he do he falls to the
ground or he kneels before the father
and in Gethsemane he fell to the ground
began to pray well the Bible doesn’t say
he knelt Oh stretch there but more than
likely he knelt before the father this
that there’s something about that
there’s something about kneeling in the
presence of Almighty God talking to him
about your life and about your day and
about the things that concern you if you
want to accomplish the most in life he
started with him and you started with
him by yourself you say well I pray with
my husband and my wife or my children or
my parents there’s something about just
you and God because the truth is you
can’t you can’t pray about everything in
front of somebody else we all have those
things in life that we have to deal with
that we have we need privacy
and certainly Jesus did that and so ask
yourself the question how much time do
you spend with him in a given day and
that and Jesus didn’t go ahead healing
and preaching and then decide he was
gonna pray but that’s the way he began
his day what did he pray one of the
things he prayed was to know the
father’s will listen he says not that I
will but what you will that’s what jesus
prayed so ask yourself the question when
you pray let’s just let’s just take it
for granted for a few months you pray
every morning what do you pray that you
begin your prayer with a list of things
that you’re concerned about or do you
stop to think about yet I want your will
to be not today
watch this there’s something about your
own personal
private prayer life that you surrender
yourself every morning to the Lord Lord
not my will but your will be done
there’s something about laying
everything bare before him all alone
just you and the Lord God does something
in your heart I’ll tell you what he does
he’s growing you up he’s growing you
spiritually something’s happening in
y’all right you said I don’t feel
anything that’s not the issue the issues
you have said to him I acknowledge use
my heavenly father before I begin this
day with anybody else I’m beginning it
with you I know I need you for this day
I need correction I need help I need
support I have needs for this day and I
want you and I our Lord to talk about
this Lord Jesus
Here I am this morning and Lord Here I
am again this month talking about what I
talked to you about yesterday morning
and Lord I’m just as concerned today as
I was just and God I didn’t have an
answer in other words when you have a
private prayer life you can tell them
you’re disappointed he didn’t answer
your prayer you want to you can thank
him for what he’s done here’s what I
want you to realize there’s something
about you and the Lord Jesus by yourself
there’s nothing in the world to match
that nothing nothing so powerful as that
because remember who you’re talking to
you’re talking to the sovereign god of
the universe who has all power can do
anything that needs to be done in your
life and think about this you can’t ask
him anything that he doesn’t have the
power to do and all of us have brought
things to him in our prayer life we
thought god I’m desperate Lord and Danny
I desperately need you I have God Jesus
guy you just got to come through with me
Lord about this he doesn’t get upset
he’s always available and always ready
and always capable of dealing with
anything you and I bring to him then the
scripture says that he spent the whole
night in prayer to the Father I don’t
want you to raise your hand naturally
but if you ever spent all night in
prayer to God
probably in 99.9% of the people have not
because some other would say well I
can’t think of that much to say that’s
not what motivated him what motivated
Jesus to pray all night what motivated
him to pray well different things for
example when he was praying for his
disciples and asking the father to show
him who they were and they were starting
the minister together and so think about
it here’s the son of God they prayed all
night because of his relationship to the
father think about how absolutely
awesome that relationship was no sin
perfect relationship
perfect intimacy with one another and
when you’re not kneel before him and
asked for direction for our life bring
before him the things that concern us
Lord what is your will what would you
have me to do now watch this you and I
have some promises in the Word of God
ask and what it should be given you seek
and what knock and it should be open to
you he promises to answer our prayer he
doesn’t promise to give us everything we
ask for but he watch this he promises to
be there and he promises to listen and
he promises to answer our prayer
according to what he knows is best for
us he knows all of our needs he’s ready
to help us in every single situation in
life we don’t have to plead with him to
listen to us we don’t have to plead with
him to answer our prayer he’s ready and
willing to help us in every circumstance
then he prayed in that 17th chapter John
that the father would protect his
followers and every parent should be
praying for God to protect their
children that’s exactly what he was
doing who do you pray for is there
anybody in your life that’s valuable
enough that you pray for them every day
do you know what their needs are well
why would you be can
about praying for them every day we live
in a world that is dangerous wicked vile
sinful hostile you name it we all need
each other’s prayers and we certainly do
pray for our children and we need to
pray for her parents everywhere you turn
there is evil jesus prayed for his
disciples and he prayed that God would
protect them he said keep them from the
evil one all of us if we prayed very
much you wrestle with the devil because
here’s what he’ll do his best to divide
your mind while you pray he’ll get you
thinking about something else
haven’t you been praying at some point
in your life next thing you know you
think about something had nothing to do
what you started with because Satan will
disrupt your pray he’s their enemy he
doesn’t want us spending time in the
most valuable place during the most
valuable thing we could possibly do and
so Jesus had to deal with him then of
course the Bible says he agonized in
prayer that is when he and the father
were talking about the crucifixion he
was in agony
somebody says for what has agonized me
here’s what it means it means the
trouble is so troubling and the burden
is so heavy you think God I don’t know
how to handle this that Jesus didn’t
have to say I don’t know how to handle
it but sometimes we have to say that you
god you’re gonna have to help me I don’t
know what to do at this point but the
Lord you promise to listen to them and
you promise to answer my prayer God and
you’ll find yourself weeping wondering
what God’s gonna do this God always
answered your friend when you ask him
not always not just because you ask him
then he’d watch this whatever we ask he
listens and he’s gonna answer it when
he’s ready when he knows we’re ready and
the time is right for him to be
glorified and honor than answering that
prayer
and if you afraid very much you’re gonna
come to a place in your life and
situations and circumstances
that’ll be agonizing things will happen
that you have no control over the only
place you can go for help is to God I
think about people and they a wife or
husband comes home in the afternoon they
have a little note I’m leaving this
marriage is over or a son or daughter
says I don’t want to live at home any
longer
whatever it might be all of us have
heard bad news at some point in our life
all of us have heard bad news that we
just felt Lord what do I do at this
point
maybe I sense some desperation one thing
about it in your place to pray wherever
that is it’s like God’s waiting for you
and then I think about this the
scripture says that he went up into the
mountain by himself to pray and when it
was evening he was there alone somebody
says well I usually pray with somebody
listen to me carefully you need to
become such a friend to God you don’t
need anybody to pray with you now
there’s one it’s fun to have somebody to
pray with you and having a prayer
partner is a wonderful thing but you and
God need to be such friends you don’t
need anybody God will show you what to
do you said well I’m praying but I’ve
asked my friend well yes we all have
friends but your Heavenly Father loves
you enough and it’s so committed to you
he says ask and it should be given you
seek you will find knock and it will be
open to you this is the confidence that
we have in him that if we ask anything
according to his will he hears us and if
we know that he hears us we know that we
have the petition we desired of him
that’s who he is
you know what he’s waiting for he’s just
waiting for us to give him time
they listen to him carefully and to do
whatever he says there that here’s
what’ll happen if you praying to him and
God shows you what to do and you don’t
do it
I take exactly what happened next time
you show up to pray in your place
Heavenly Father I want to thank you God
silent he loves us too much to answer
our petitions when we living
disobedience to him and oftentimes
people say well I prayed and I’m still I
have sin in my life and God seems to be
blessing me you know it’s not God listen
to you you’re smart enough to manage
things for me for example people will
say well I prayed about buying this
house or buying this car and and I asked
the Lord about it and he didn’t tell me
not to do it so if he didn’t tell me not
to I guess it’s okay no it’s not God
more than likely would tell you this is
what you should do and God may tell you
and not to but if he tries to point you
to a better way until a later time
listen this is why your place and you
and God become such good friends there’s
no argument about it
in other words he’s going to listen he
watched this God does not mumble he
makes it very clear what we’re to do
does they tell me the first time I’ll
tell you the first time maybe not
because watch this sometimes he has to
get some stuff out of our life before we
listen to him so we may have to pray and
know it’s true you show me if there’s
anything that keeps me from getting the
truth and so sometimes we have to be
sifted a little bit before we listen
then he’ll show us what to do the most
valuable place in your house is for you
in the Lord meet the most valuable time
you spend or invest that’s what it is
an investment of your time it’s when you
and the father together you’ll be amazed
what he’ll tell you you’ll be amazed at
when he’ll start doing in your life and
you’ll be amazed how that place becomes
the most valuable place in your home now
you may not listen to another sermon for
this very casual friendly chat
it’s what this is if you’ll take it to
heart God will do something awesome in
your life but you have to choose that
your love God enough to give him time
amen father we thank you for loving us
thank you for loving us enough to listen
to us and never say that you’re in a
hurry always have time to listen thank
you for being willing to intervene into
our life at any moment to help us
strengthen us enable us to become the
person you want us to be I pray that you
will not I love this message to be lost
in traffic and all the things that
happened the rest of this day
we love Him we praise you Lord in Jesus
name Amen
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