Sunday Message - Dr. Mark Jones (August 14, 2016) | Life Bible Church

Something is shifting in this trilogy of prayer.

There's a momentum. We're at the halfway mark.

And God is stirring us. He stirred my voice.

I used it so much I don't have it. So they'll

just have to turn the volume up. But I'm going

to give it to you from my heart. The theme was

anchored. And the thought was stabilizing prayers

in seas of uncertainty. How many have felt a

little destabilized or a little shaken during

this last season? Lift your hand up if that's

you. Could you stand up if you felt a little

bit shaken or a little bit troubled in your soul

or a little bit pushed, a little bit challenged?

Look at this. Now, we have to realize something.

That we've come to the kingdom for such a time

as this, the body. I was thinking as we were

worshiping and had all these festivals, I was

thinking we need a worship and family. Worship

week, something where we just come and worship,

soak, saturate all week. Just let the Spirit

of God come on the songs. Let the song of the

Lord, just let it break out. Just it's time to

saturate. I'm not calling you to do that. I just,

you got up and said there were other festivals

and we were having a festival. I thought, let's

just stretch it out a couple days. You know,

to me, something is. Is moving. Go ahead and

sit down. I just wanted to identify that we're

all in this season of uncertainty. That culture

around you shifts all the time. But God's kingdom

moves on and is forever. And we're anchored on

another level. We're anchored down at another

place. And God wants to speak to us. I had this

thought coming in. I wasn't going to share it.

I was going to move on to some notes. But I feel

I'm supposed to share it because I realize that

we started this Friday night and we're ending

this today. And that it's a cooperative thing.

It's everybody together, walking together. That

we are one family here. That we're moving by

the Spirit. That God is stirring your heart in

a very particular and certain way. God wants

to anchor us in a deeper faith. Come on, how

many want to? I mean, you're not, I'm not putting

anything on that. I'm just putting that out there.

How many want a deeper faith? Just want that

root to grow. I'm going to talk about that today.

Just open up to what God has for you. Something

is moving. Something is occurring right now.

God is up to something amazing. And a closer

walk with him. Have you been hungering for a

closer walk with the Lord? Have you felt like

something is stirring you to something deeper,

something more meaningful, something more fulfilling?

I just sense God wants to bring us into a closer

walk with him. Whatever that looks like. I'm

convinced if four billion people got up in the

morning to meet with the Lord, it would look

different for all four billion of those people

because God wants to draw us near. One simple

scripture, submit therefore to God. And what?

Resist the devil. That's the part we don't like.

How many like that part? No, that's a reality.

That this is a conflict we're in. This is a battle

we're in. This is a challenge we're in. This

is a, how many felt some unusual pressure coming

against your mind this week? Just a weird, you

prayed one of the most powerful prayers I've

heard in that room. Did you feel pressure this

week? Yeah, there's a. There's a warfare. And

it's weird because it kind of happens right between

here, doesn't it? It's not something you just

wake up. Oh, what's this? Like, it's a battle

we're in. It's a fight. I just believe we're

not, we're moving from a defensive position to

an offensive position. That's what's shifting

in these three conferences. I felt it when I

was here on Saturday. It's like you, you, you.

You get down because the pressure. And then the

pressure forms your thinking. And then your thinking

gets you discouraged. And then you get oppressed.

And it tries to cap the capacity within you.

But then God comes and breathes on that. And

he opens you up. Because there's more. Because

it's bigger. And he's moving us from a position

of defense to offense. And to me this is so.

Well. It's just bigger than me, that's all I

can say. So I'm not managing it from heaven.

We see just in a part. You see all these people

stand up and they're feeling uncertain. You see

all these people raise their hand and they've

come under some kind of mental pressure. And

when it comes on you, you think you're the only

person that that's happening to. You're not.

We're one body. If you're feeling it, other people

are feeling it. If you're going through it, other

people are feeling that same challenge. God is

waking us up to this battle. And something is

shifting. That is his heart for this weekend.

It's to deepen our faith and to draw us near

to him. And to draw us close and to draw us into

his love and draw us into his presence. And allow

us to saturate in the grace that's available.

I listen to Tim and Stephanie, I'm thinking,

one was a little down, one was up, one was down,

one was up. It was a mutual faith thing. They

were just walking together and they saw the miraculous

of God. Plus the family sees the miraculous of

God. I don't know how you follow that up. I think

I should just have an altar call and just come

down and just get blessed. You have a financial

need? Come on down. You know what I mean? Just

like open heavens. It's open heavens here. This

is water like people are dying out there. We

drink it. We receive it. It flows in us. It comes

out of us. Helps us. Encourages us. Strengthens

us. Our minds can't even wrap around. God is

so good. Something is happening. My encouragement

is open your heart. Just open it. To all he has

for you in this season. He has something for

you. I just want to encourage you to open up

your heart. Maybe just do this. Maybe just like.

Open up your heart, maybe with your hands, just

like, just a prophetic act, just opening up to

what God has. Yeah, take a deep breath. Just

let the Spirit of God just fill you with His

wind. I can't fill you with anything. But He

can. Right here, right now, right in that seat,

right? In all your confusion. Addiction. It doesn't

matter to him. He's more powerful. He's stronger.

He's not coming here to judge us. He's coming

here to love us. Your mind plays tricks on you.

Your mind's sometimes your own enemy. Your mind's

taking you where you shouldn't have gone. Your

mind has led you down paths that weren't healthy.

But that was then. This is now. You're right

here. This is right now. It's right now. You're

here. By the grace of God, you're here. How many

have a testimony, I shouldn't even be here? How

many have a testimony, you shouldn't even be

here? You had so many near misses, you should

be some, you know, that's the grace of God. It's

just on you. You stand up and pray. Your identity's

not in your prayer. You're the gift. We kind

of think, what's our gift? You're it. You're

the gift. You are the gift. We're always measuring

ourselves one to another. You're just it. You're

beautiful. Turn to someone and tell them, you're

beautiful. You're amazing. You're incredible.

The world's discouraging us. We might as well

come in here and get encouraged. Tell them you're

looking great. Tell them God's on your side.

When you were thinking all week, he wasn't. Sometimes

we wonder where he went. He didn't go anywhere.

Just our brain did. We have these doctrines that

are true and stable and on the word of God. That

he's omnipresent. And we're asking questions

like, where'd he go? And he's going, I didn't

go anywhere. In fact, I'm living inside you.

Take a look. Okay. If I don't share like that.

We think another way and we leave the same way,

but God wants us to start thinking different.

She stood right here and said, I'm going to think

different. I'm no longer going to hope or maybe

or it'd be nicer. Do you like me? Do you care

about me? No. I'm certain. How many can't use

a mind makeover? How many can't use a complete?

Who's in for a mind makeover? You just kind of

like need a whole new way to perceive life. The

Bible tells us, don't look at what you can see,

but what you can't see, because what you can't

see is eternal. He actually implores us to look

at what we can't see. I'm thinking, I stopped

looking at what I can see. I do recovery ministry.

I used to see a drug addict or someone in drugs

coming in and that was our project. Now I just

see someone coming in looking for love. And we

just start loving them. And God starts changing.

It's power and love. There's so much power that

it's brought you here today. It brought you out

of where you were and it's set you right here.

But we do know we're in this cosmic conflict

that's on such a scale that if we just peek,

I always say, Lord, take me back there. Show

me the conflict. He said, it'd scare the wits

out of you. I suffer from panic and anxiety.

So he said, I don't think so. We'll save that

for another day. We know so little. We build

our own kingdom so we can think we're important.

It's ridiculous, really. We're so... I don't

know. Dismantle me, Lord. Just take me apart.

Start building from the ground up. The other

day, I'm driving. The Lord says, Mark. He uses

my first name. Yes, Lord. What is it this time?

Where are you? I'm here. I know you're always

here. You never went anywhere. Mark, you're not

called to make something happen. I said, yeah,

I know. That's what I've been doing for 56, 57

years. He said, you're called to be a part of

the happening. Changed my life in one sense.

More has happened since that statement than what

I tried to do in all those other years. Because

we're a part of something that's happening. It's

being mastermind from a seat in heaven. It's

already in force. It's already planned out. It's

already been accomplished. My job is just to

participate with the happening. The Bible says,

my sheep hear my voice, know me, and they follow

me. That's all we need to use our brain for.

I tell people, I said, if you're using your brain

to lust or to control other people or to figure

out the future or try to worry, then you're confused.

How many are using their brain for that? Could

I have a show of hands? No, I mean, honestly,

you're using your brain for that. And is that

working out very well? No. Stop it. I always

tell people, just stop it. I can't. It's driving

me. No, the Lord wants to free us from all that.

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

He's able to lead you. He's able to guide you.

He's able to direct you. He does it with his

love. It's the most amazing thing when we just

rest, relax, just get in the flow. There's already

a current that's flowing. You know when you're

in it because you have these really good thoughts

and you have this really, and you get up and

you can do things and you think, how'd that happen?

It happened through flow. But then you go right

out and you start yelling at somebody or give

me that food quicker when you give it to them.

And so that's called anti -flow. You had to come

to the seminar to get all the facts and details,

but I'm giving you kind of the highlights. This

is kind of like ESPN at night. You know, you

missed all the events, but you just get it. Are

you enjoying it? Just if you're enjoying it.

The big idea is God loves you. And he has a plan

for you. And you can relax. And enjoy the ride.

And we can start to deprogram all this chaos

that's going on in our mind and we can open ourselves

up to the love of God because they found in brain

science that I didn't understand this. But I've

been experiencing it. That there's two core centers

in our brain down as deep as it goes. They found

this in science. Love and fear. You spoke it

today. The fear. The love. The love, when love's

excited in us, it heals our brain. It heals our

decision making. It heals our life. It gets us

in the right mind. It helps us. It says perfect

love casts out what? Fear. The Bible, brain science

now is just discovering what the Bible's been

telling us the whole time. And fear brings what?

Torment. How many felt tormented this week? Lift

your hand up high. I mean, we're in a moment.

This is where life and death are. The enemy,

he's not out to play games. It's the thief cometh

to steal, kill, and destroy. I've come that you

might have life. And have it more abundantly.

Again raise your hand if you felt that torment.

If you felt that oppression. That wrestling.

See as we come each week. We're in this cosmic

conflict. We're in this battle. And everyone

is facing it as we go out there. That's why the

love of God is so powerful. And we can help each

other so much. I've stopped asking people. what

they do because it doesn't really matter because

the gift in you, you are the gift and you will

do the gift. I only seem to care about how you're

doing right now. Because I never know if the

person's in torment or if they're in flow. But

I do know a prayer of faith will deal with that

torment. I do know a touch on the shoulder will

And part of blessing. I do know a word in due

season. It's sweet. We're facing such a battle

out there. We're facing such a conflict. We're

in such a dynamic. And I believe present truth.

God's pouring out his love. He's pouring out

his love. I want to say a few things about his

love, but I want to finish this. I want to get

this in the atmosphere, this thought. Embrace

change. Not brace for change, embrace change.

There's two choices in the kingdom. You can fall

on the rock or the rock can fall on you. I believe

that God is wanting to bring change. Permanent

change to our way of thinking. Permanent change

to a release of joy. How many have just been

discouraged lately? Lift your hand up if that's

been you. Just lift your hand up. See, the power

of what we think, the power of what goes on in

our mind, the power of the pressure that's there.

Are you open to embrace change? For some of that

old to go and the new to come? How many are ready

for some of that old thinking to pass away and

some new thinking to come? How many are like

our sister Stephanie who says, I just had to

embrace change. Change the way I'm thinking.

Brought a miracle. She said that so calmly. But

I'm not a calm person, so I'm over there doing,

come on, break out the song. Get the dance. Get

the tambourine. You know, how many of you really

wanted to dance? You wanted to break out? We

were hearing the love of God at work. And it

didn't depress you back there. Like, oh, that's

depressing. You know, it excited something in

your brain. It stimulated something to where

you had these actual thoughts. And they've got

it down to brain science where it releases oxytocin.

You just listening to that testimony released

oxytocin within your body. It's not cortisol,

not the stress hormone, but it released this

hormone that goes through and you get a good

feeling. Believe me, God designed the body, soul,

and the spirit. We've not given anything to what

actually our brain does, although what your brain's

thinking you're doing. Stop it. That's what I

came to tell you. Stop it. One time I was at

Elmer's and a guy was telling me the things he

was doing. sinful things and uh after we were

done he got we walked out he goes that was the

happiest and joyous confessional I've ever been

at because the love of God was there he fully

expected to get just bam right across the table

he was saying it so loud when he was doing the

whole restaurant could hear I he didn't need

to shout it from the house top I was thinking

shut it down a little bit Hey, if you don't care,

I don't care. Whatever. Just, I guess God's here.

He was there when you did it. So, and you didn't

even, weren't even cognizant of it. So, open

it up a little bit. God, we sin in secret. We

think he wasn't there. You took him with you.

We don't even get it. tell you something, you

go, I think that's right. You go, is that in

the Bible? We can't get away from him. You might

as well embrace him. You might as well bring

it to him. You might as well confess it. You

know, if I came in here and dug on sin, you'd

just close up. You come in here and love on sin

and it's just like, where's the altar? You're

just like, man, that's no fun anyway. It doesn't

leave any lasting pleasure. And so, man, we're

so confused and we're fighting all these battles.

Open it up. I think more healings happen just

in standing up, raising your hand. Because the

devil works in darkness. And God works in the

light. He used to think at Recovery Ministry

that it was a God forgive me. That it was a subsection

of the church. Until I got the phone calls from

different people and I realized it wasn't a subsection.

It was a cross section. I wasn't dealing with

a subsection of the church. I was dealing with

the cross section. That everything they were

fighting, every leader was fighting, everybody's

fighting, everybody's fighting. No one gets out

of the battle. I don't know. I wanted to encourage

you today. Oh, let me finish this. Circular thinker,

right? Maybe I took, when I prayed for you, I

was taking a little bit for me, like just a little

organization. Surrender your hearts to him this

morning. We're going to hear a theme. It's not

going to be, it's going to be a theme. Because

they found in quantum that what it actually proves

is that man has a free will. The most powerful

thing you possess is the power to choose. Choose

this day whom you're going to serve. You have

that power today. You could be in here and not

saved. You have the power to choose whether you're

going to go with the Lord. But the doorway to

that choice to him is surrender. I was teaching

a right -wrong thinking class and I thought I

was waxing eloquent, had everybody meeting with

the Lord. I went to have a girl share her testimony

and she finally shared after 10 weeks. She raised

her hand and she said, I just want to share my

testimony. I said, I want to share that you've

been talking about surrender for 10 weeks and

I'm still trying to decide if I give my life

to the Lord, if he'll do a better job with it

than I can do. So I thought, I was waiting for

her to say that when she was meeting with the

Lord, it was fantastic. And the Lord said that's

the greatest battle on the planet. I hadn't read

brain science. I hadn't read anything. I don't

know anything about quantum. I don't know anything.

That very statement almost set me to the ground.

And then the Lord said. That's the biggest enemy

within people. It's the choice. Or it's the biggest

blessing. It's the choice. It's just which way

you choose. And so surrender is a. word that,

how many like to surrender? Could I have a show

of hands if you like to surrender? Now, could

I have a show of hands if you don't like to surrender,

if you like to have your rights and your way

and your thing and you are, you know, lift your

hand up. Don't, not halfway. No, you could. So

I saw that halfway hand like, whoa. I'm already

being set free. That's it. That's all God needed.

He's already in. He's already working. Because

where he works, I can't see. If he's saying something,

I could be saying this and you're hearing something

completely different from the Holy Spirit. Or

you're on, I don't know, waiting for a football,

you know, or whatever. Brain's an interesting

thing, but God is up to something right now.

He loves us. Man, does he love us. It's crazy

love. I wanted to come up here and tell you how

much he loved you. I'm sitting down there. How

do you do that? How do you describe that? How

do you impart that? How is that felt by somebody?

It's so large. We just have to open up to it.

We just have to embrace change. We just have

to be willing. We just have to come into this

new knowing that he loves us. I wanted to encourage

you in prayer today. How many want to be encouraged

in prayer? You want to be encouraged. How many

have been discouraged in prayer in the past?

Have they felt a little guilt, condemnation,

and shame? Could I have a show of hands? See,

that's... I have like seven hours here of stuff.

We're just highlighting things and just enjoying

the moment. I want to remind you of one thing.

Prayer is the most resisted activity on the planet.

So if you've had a hard time with prayer, it's

because it's resisted. I want to tell you the

best things in God will be resisted. That's why

we have to go on the, say it with me, offensive.

We're going to go on the offensive. We're not

going to stay on the defensive. We're going to

move into a position and we're going to, all

we're going to do, I'm only asking you this.

I make no, pastor asked me to talk on prayer.

I'm asking you to lean into it. More prayer is

better than less prayer. Take that to the bank.

You ever pray that you didn't feel better? You

ever pray for someone they got worse? They always

feel better. Prayer. I put down on my notes,

I wrote these notes this morning on my back.

Just praying. Every conversation Kelly and I

had changed me yesterday. There's a law that's

called entanglement. It's an unusual law. It's

a scientific law. But it proves that we're one

body and that we're more entangled than we really

realize. I don't know how I can feel this close

to you unless it's supernatural. I don't know

how we could make that five minute exchange and

have it change in orientation in my mind. Except

that it's the kingdom of God advancing. And it's

us in. Entanglement, we're entangled. It's beyond

what you, if you try to wrap around what you

can see, you'll miss it because it's something

beyond one spirit, one body. We read those things,

we throw them out there and then we don't, they

don't, they're. They're in a supernatural realm.

We have to perceive things from the supernatural,

from a place where we're positioned with him.

Because you can't, because how do you know? They

found atoms in that thing, atoms. And then they

found, there's like five other names for how

small it gets. And now it's so small, the science

is finding, that they just think it's energy

vibrating. I don't get that. I don't even see

that in the natural. I can't see that, but that's

what's holding that wall up. You go out to the

galaxies. You go the other direction. And that's

just his creation. And that's two directions

outside of what you can see. And we can't even

get that. Now get God. Remember, we have one

statement. He's God. We're not. We're just on

a need -to -know basis with him. When we need

to know it, we'll hear his voice. We'll know

him and know it's him. And we'll what? Follow

him. Don't use your brain for anything else.

That's enough. Get the other clutter out of there

so we can just get that in and you're going to

be a dynamo. God's up to something and he's decluttering

us so he can fill us. Remember, we're going on

the offense. If it's not a declutter so we can

look good, it's a declutter for a fill up. I

had these notes and everything was prayed back

in that room back there. Every single thing.

Every single thing. The Lord talked to me this

morning and I just pecked out on my phone in

the notes section. Was prayed in that room. Entanglement.

You just hear something, just a vibration, just

a Holy Ghost quickening and get up and blow the

room up. God didn't give us a spirit of fear,

but the enemy would like to stir that up in your

brain. And cause you to be so fragmented and

thwarted and stopped. And God's over here with

power, love, and a sound mind. I suggest we just

embrace change. Don't think you're just how you

are and that's forever how you are. I'm almost

out of time. I haven't even got to what prayer

is. I want to say, I want you to write this down

if you can. And then I want you to see if you

think it's right. Because I just got it this

morning. I believe this. Prayer is a lot of things.

It's a lot of things. It's intercession. It's

this. It's petition. It's a lot of things, but

I, and I don't want to, I'm not minimizing those

things. Those are all within this framework of

what I want to say. It's what I believe. It's

what I'm feeling, sensing, seeing in Scripture.

Prayer is a place. We can open up our heart and

be loved by God. That's what Kelly told me yesterday.

Told me it was a place. He didn't say it in those

words. He didn't articulate it. He took five

minutes, but what I heard this morning was prayer

is a place. We're seated with him in heavenly

places. It boils down after it's a place in him

where our life is hid in him. It's a dynamic

prayer. We've tried to define it in what we can

see. And it's not definable that way because

it's a relationship with him. Prayer is more

than a prayer we pray. It's an intimate, ongoing

relationship with him. That's why Paul said pray

without ceasing. It wasn't separate from the

relationship. The other is works. But this isn't

works. Prayer is a work of grace. It's a whole

dynamic that when we come into it, we want more.

I thank God. And Abraham were hanging it out.

And the prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah came as

a result of their relationship. And then we pull

that out. Digest that out. Get that in the natural.

Then we preach on prayer. And it ceases to be

what it was. I want to read you a scripture that's

so mind -boggling. Of course, prayed in the back.

Because we're all in this entanglement. We're

the body. And may you have the power to understand,

as all God's people should, how wide, how long,

how high, and how deep his love is. And this

is Paul's prayer. This is an eternal prayer.

This prayer has never stopped being prayed. This

was an organic prayer launched in the writing

of this book. But it wasn't, it was a prayer.

This is the prayer. May you experience the love

of Christ. Though it is too great to understand

fully, beyond your understanding, but you can

experience it. And when you experience it, it's

undeniable. It's irrefutable. It's, sorry, I

already got it. I get it. Anyway. I'm already

over. Though it is too great to understand. Now

get this. Then it goes on. Then you will be made

complete. This isn't self helps. This isn't God

helps those who help themselves. This is God

helps those who ask him for help. He's ready

to help us. Then you will be made complete with

all the fullness of life and power that comes

from him. I want to say this one thought. The

most powerful thing we can do each day. You can

play. Because I'm ending. It's 1151. The most

powerful thing we can do each day. Is come to

God each morning to meet with him. I can't think

of a more sane thing. Who wakes up clouded in

the morning? Who wakes up depressed, discouraged?

Prayer is an intimate, ongoing meeting with God.

Psalms 90 verse 14 says, remember, I almost had

Psalms 90:14

a nervous breakdown eight years ago. I was riding

my bike. The Lord said, the closest you and I

ever were to dental school. And I flashed back

to dental school, spending the mornings with

him, 15 minutes. I didn't go to a charismatic

church. I didn't know anything. I just went out

in the woods. He came and I'd fall over and wave

after wave of his presence. I felt better. And

I'd go to dental school. People would get saved.

I didn't even associate that to that morning

that that's what was happening. Psalms 90, 14

says this. Satisfy me every morning with your

unfailing love. I want to read one more scripture.

Then I'm done. God's love isn't done. I'm just...

After he talks about depression and paralyzing

fear, in Psalms 143 he says, let me hear of your

unfailing love every morning. For I am trusting

you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself

to you. Surrender. The Bible tells us to grow

our roots down deep into his love. It's that

same prayer in Ephesians 3. I believe the roots

God wants to grow in you in this season are surrender.

How many are ready to grow? Surrender. Trust.

How many struggle with trust? Let's grow a root

down into his love. How many struggle with pride?

Let's grow humility. Let's just get into his

love. The other root is faith. The other root

is thanksgiving. All are prayers. But it has

to start in the organic place of his love or

it just works. Go ahead and stand. I have for

you a first 15 little brochure that you can have.

It's just a two -page little thing. It's called

the first 15. It's about spending the first 15

minutes with the Lord in the morning. Just in

unscripted enjoyment of meeting with God. Don't

make it a duty. Make it an opportunity. Make

it a time where you can just find a little corner

somewhere. Get some music with some headphones

and a little set time, a little set place, a

little set plan. Oh, 15 minutes won't be enough

after a while, but just start with 15. It would

be, just set that alarm. The devil will turn

it off. There'll be such resistance. Just fight,

lean in. We're just gonna, what? Just do it.

Just, let's do this together. It's just lean

in to prayer. into His love, into this place

that He has for you. And I guarantee you this,

He's going to heal your brain. And you won't

even have to try. It'll be a product of growing

your roots into His love. You'll be strong. You'll

be strong when the wind comes and the rain comes.

You'll be strong because your roots will be down

in His love. He loves you so much. You have to.

How many have struggled with your lovability?

Just lift your hand up if that's you. Just struggled

with. Just open. Let's just open up. Just open

up to his love. Open up to his healing. Open

up to his help. Open up to his strength. Open

up to him. He loves us so much. Why don't you

just bow your hearts, maybe close your eyes this

morning, open your hands toward heaven. Lord,

today, in all that was shared, Father, from encouragement,

the testimonies, Lord, to some nuggets of truth,

Lord, today we ask. Lord, that prayer would not

be something we would look at that we have not

done well or somehow we feel guilty because we

should do more. The whole point of today, Lord,

is Lord, that we want to know you more. We want

to move into that place of fellowship. We want

to move into that place of hearing your voice

and talking to you and bringing you into our

daily life, Lord, where you matter. And God,

I'm praying right now, even as was a challenge

this weekend at every session. And Lord, it is

a challenge even this morning that we would every

day take, Lord, even just a small portion, 15

minutes. Lord, it's a small amount, but it's

a significant amount of choice. And we would

set you first. We'd worship you. We'd bring.

You into our thoughts and our hearts. We surrender

to you, Lord, the key of this morning. Prayer

is about surrender. Prayer is about not my will,

but your will be done. Prayer is about recognizing

that I must have you and that you want me to

ask you into my life. It's not about what I can

do for you, Lord. It's about you coming into

my life. You're God and I'm not. Lord, infuse

us this morning with prayer. Lord, I'm praying

for, Lord, Life Bible Church, I'm praying for

this. This Sunday, August 14th, Lord, in the

next six to eight weeks, Lord, there would be

a significant infusion of prayer, of people bringing

you, Holy Spirit, you, Jesus, you, Heavenly Father,

right into the very living room, right into that

place of privacy, Lord, where everything is open

to you and we're not ashamed to talk to you.

Some of us will walk and pray. Some of us will

get into a closed room where no one can see or

hear. Some of us will just find our own place.

But Lord, every one of us needs, Lord, that place

of encounter, that place of relationship, that

place of knowing you. Lord, we throw off, Lord,

the old things as we heard today. Not the cherished

things, the treasured things, the things of God,

but Lord, the old mindsets that look to put burdens

and shackles, that look to put religious works

over our minds. Today, in Jesus' name, Lord,

we ask for the love of God to draw us to the

place like you did with Adam and Eve, the walking

in the garden. Lord, you walk in the garden of

our heart. Come to you each morning and put you

first. In Jesus' name, amen. If you are interested

in hearing other podcasts or contacting Life

Bible Church, go to www .lifebiblechurch .org

or call us at 541 -995 -8282.