12+1 Core Values : Prayer-Powered | Rachel Ann Thong

You're listening to a passage to go from acts church.

We hope this passage will light up your day.

So we are on core value number six. What is

that in your books? You see it prayer power. Well,

this morning we had a really powerful time of prayer,

and you know, I've been reflecting a lot on it myself,

you know, on prayer and just really believing in the

power of prayer and believing that we can break chains,

believing that we can heal, believing that we can set

people free. You know, all this sometimes we take for granted,

especially for ourselves, I know for myself, And it is

what I'm saying, just like, Okay, I just let the

flu go by. But now I'm like, no, let's not

just set though with this, Like body be healed, right,

I shed even in the in the last round. So

it's powerful. It's good. And you come forward and faith

and thank you for us then for being sensitive to

the spirit. I think you know, ef ones needed that today,

like just just by faith, come forward and receive what

God has for you. So today we're going to talk

about the sixth value, which is called prayer powered. Okay,

prayer powered. Now there is a difference Okay, it's not

just we're not just talking about a position, a theological position,

which is the power of prayer. We all believe in

the power of prayer, right, We believe that prayer has power.

We believe that what we pray God here see answers.

But we're not just talking about that when we talk

about this value. Okay, we are actually talking about what

powers us forward. It's not just a position. I'll get

to that in a bit. Okay, But but you know,

we all know we pray for heally, we pray to

do well in our studies, we pray for open doors

at work, we pray for provision and things like this,

And however, us have experienced all kinds of prayers answered

in the past. I hope, I hope everyone can raise

your hand. I only see a few hands. Have you

had unsuppressed before? Yeah? Okay, hallelujah. God is good. Yeah.

But so this this is the difference. I wanna do this.

I found a little lamp in my kids room. I

don't know if you can see it. Maybe I should

put it here. Yeah, yeah, and see yeah. Designed, So

when we say something is powered, okay, uh, let's do

this for us. If I say something is battery powered.

What does that mean? You put in a battery and

then then he lights up? Right right? Sorry, shouldn't, shouldn't

anyone's eye. So battery powered torch? If I don't have

the battery inside, yes, it's a huge battery. But if

I take this out, can I power on the touch? Nope?

No power can work, can function without the battery. If

I say something is electrically powered, what does that mean?

No light?

Well, words are I don't know where it came from.

Somebody gave.

I don't, I don't think so anyway, doesn't look like

something he.

Would buy somewhere.

Would I bought it? So without the battery, this doesn't

work without electricity. I didn't switch it off for and plug.

It doesn't work, doesn't function. And so when we talk

about this value prayer powered, we're saying right in X,

without prayer, we're not going to function. Okay. We can't

move forward, we can't do anything, we can't shine, we

can't give light. Okay, So so get that. That's just

setting the stage and setting the scene of what this

whole message is about. This is what we mean when

we say prayer powered. Okay, thank you XTV for helping

the slides as well. So let's look at a couple

of points. I think you in your booklet there you

have the first one, which is the gift of prayer.

We know that in X chapter one, everything started with prayer,

right if you remember X chapter one, verse twelve, they

were where in the upper room. Then were in the

upper room having this prayer meeting. All the disciples were

then X chapter ones that starts with prayer. For those

who may not have been following through the whole thing,

we're talking about these core values and everything is taken

from X chapter X chapter two. Yeah, from ECT chapter two. Okay,

it's not pulled out from thinner.

Uh.

You know, God downloaded this to pass the kenneth to

our leaders to look at these values because everything is

drawn from X chapter two, and that is the church

we want to be, the book of X.

So I think about the prayer meeting.

Right, our prayer they were there and that's where it

started before then the Holy Spirit came and and all that.

But one of the best gifts God has given to

us is to connect with Him, right, to connect with

Him by prayer and through prayer. You know, I think

about our those from the majority faith praying five times

a day. I think about some friends in other religions

who you know they praise, so what's the word fervently?

And you know they were Yeah, religiously it goes to

death ears right, to images of wood of stone. And

yet for us we know our God hears us. We

know he's alive and he loves us and he's good.

Why do we someone take you for granted? Right, even

Jesus gone in the flesh, right, he constantly connected with

our Father in prayer. Right, if you read through the scriptures,

you know on earth he was he was one hundred

percent men, right, he had weaknesses just like us, and

yet he showed us how to connect with the Father.

He was constantly going away from the crowds, from the disciples,

just to spend time with God the Father. So it

really is a gift that we didn't earn, right, we didn't.

We don't deserve to talk to God really, but he

gave us this gift. I mean, I think about when

Christ died and across that's where the fullness of being

able to connect with God took place. Right, Yeah, yeah,

you see there you're wondering what the picture is do

you know what it is? The veil. Yeah, the veil

in the temple is a huge, heavy, thick veil. And

the moment Jesus died and across what happened tall not

from the bottom, from the top, right from the top down,

and so they knew it's not men didn't do it.

I men can not there. You know, they tell you

it would have been from the bottom. But this was

ultimately a symbol of hey, there's no longer this barrier

between men and God because at that time only the

priest can enter into the Holy of Holies. No, yeah, yeah,

Holy of Holies. Okay, it is between It's between the

Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The Holy of

Holies is where God's presence is and only the high priest,

not even any priests. Only the high priest can enter.

But when this was torn, God is saying, hey, anyone

can come to me right, and all of it are

so blessed to be able to just come to the Father.

We have direct access to God. You can read you

can take down Mark chapter fifteen, verse thirty eight. It

says it talks about the will being torn. In fact,

Matthew twenty seven fifty one twenty seven, verse fifty one

says the same thing, and Luke twenty three, verse forty

five also speaks about that. Yeah, and you know it's

the barrier has been removed between a holy God and

humanity and men. Now all of us have direct access.

Someone say, Amen, Amen, God is so good.

Let's see John sixteen, verse twenty four.

I put that verse down there, so she's just said, right,

until now, you have not asked for anything in my name.

You haven't asked anything my name asks, and you will

receive and your joy will be complete. Amen, your joy

will be complete. It's it's a reminder to us. Or

sometimes we haven't we haven't really asked. What say, Maybe

you haven't been desperate en now to like God, I

need this, like I'm not gonna let you go until

I get this answer. And we ask in Jesus name.

There are things that we pray for. We know, we know,

we know, I know that God wants this for us.

If we truly believe that God is good and he

loves us, we know that he wants us to be

set free. He knows that we know right that he

wants us to be healthy, to be strong, to be

free from anything anything binding us, you know it maybe sickness,

maybe anger, and anxiety and depression, all these things. We

know God doesn't want this worse, and so when we're

praying Jesus name, we know there is a line to

his will. Of course he wants to come through for us, right,

So that's the first point. It's really it's a gift.

It's a gift. I mean, Philippins, you have that in

your booklet Phlippines for over six or seven say it's

be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving. Let your requests be known, made known to God.

And the peace of God, the peace of God, which

surpass us all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds

through Christ Jesus. Amen, Amen, Amen. I hope we really

cherish this gift, you know, and not take it for granted.

I mean, whenever we are we are free, or we

are driving, and I was thinking about this, when we're

driving our kind and all that, what do we spend

our time doing? Right? We sometimes you forget this gift.

We can just connect, connect, plug in, plug in, yeah,

plug in, plug into prayer. Okay, so let's go to

point number two the integrity of prayer. Now, we need

to be careful about just using the word I prayed

about it when we make major decisions in life, right,

I pray about it. Yeah, uh, pray about it. And

I'm supposed to date this person. Pray about it, and yeah,

i'mupposed to go there to study or migrade or you know,

big big decisions. Pray about it and yeah, this is

the person I should marry. If we really prayed about something,

I think time will tell, right, the results will actually

show did we really pray about it? Because there's power

and prayer, right, so you'll be seen and it can't

be like I pray about it and then down the road,

you know things things are not working out. I mean,

I know this. There's a bit of a sense diff topic,

but I bring it out. Not not not from anyone here, Okay,

from the past, all these stories from the past, but

there has been people I know who you know, they

say they're choosing a life partner, said, pray about it. It

feels right, but then.

Months down the lane doesn't work out out. Then you

wonder did they really pray? Did they really hear from God?

Another example, another sense this topic. You know, people living church,

changing church. Some say they pray, feel the peace, time

is up here, time to move, but again no man's

down the road. Then you find that, hey, they're not

even found in the church that they felt God was

calling them to, or not found in church at all,

which is even worse. And I mean I'm speaking my

heart breaks for these people because some of the have

been my closest friends, you know, people have journeyed with

as well. And then for them to you know, at

that time, I know I'm not feeling the peace, but

they feel the peace.

I mean, you can.

Stop it, right They say they heard from God, Okay,

but time tells. So when we realize now they're not

route it or even if they are and not you know,

serving God, and it's like, really, did you really pray

about it or was it something else right? Another reason

that you left. One final example I have, again from

not from anyone here, from other people I know, something say,

oh I prayed about this job or changing jobs, and

you know, I know this is this is for me,

and then within months they moved drop again or worse still,

I thought it were still no longer found in church

because the job has taken them away. I have to

work every Sunday. Then you're like, oh, I don't know

whether God really led you to this place, or even

if we did, did you then make a stand right

to still be found in God's house and to still serve?

And so these are just some examples I thought of

you away. We talkt about the integrity of prayer. Did

we really let's not, let's not use it lightly? If

he really did? Really did? If not, yeah, I feel Mila,

just say it's just say it's your own, your own feelings,

your own thoughts, your own logic. So was it really

prayed through? Because I think God will never lead us

to something that will take our time and our our

efforts away and our tension, you know, away from his kingdom,

away from his presence, away from his house, away from

his work.

He'll never do that.

He always lead us to a place where we are

dependent on him, more dependent on him in fact. So

if if you know, you go, there's a one of

my colleagues who entered, you know, into a new position

and at that time felt as a blessing, you know,

sort of a step up, and all kinds of challenges

came and then Suddenly he's like, was it really? Was

it really a blessing? But but to me, hey, theres

all these challenges. It is needed because who you depend on? Now, Yeah,

pray more, pray more, department God and discerning. I mean,

the more time we spend with him, we can discern

whether something is from from God or not. So yeah,

let's not use misuse the phrase I've prayed about it, Okay, Church,

Let's let's really really pray about it if it's a

major decision. And if we didn't, then yeah, don't have

to use that word. Okay. Yeah.

The other thing about integrity I want.

To point out is is let's try not to say,

you know, people share a problem and lay out.

Pray for you and then forget.

Right, sure, forget on our lives so busy, so many

things happen, you know, we have tons of things to

pray for ourselves, so we might forget about it. And

so that's why now I try to if there if

someone shares a problem, I try very best to just say,

can't pray for you now? Now just do it, Just

do it. Pray Now that it's done, at least you

prayed once. After that can continue praying for the person,

but at least you started the prayer. Right, Let's not

take prayer lightly. I pray for you.

It's kind of like a yeah, God bless you.

Sometime God bless you. I don't know what that means.

Sometimes you just say it like it's just a Christian terminology,

you know, like saying good luck. No, Okay, let's not no.

And I know, I know it's scary too sometimes suddenly

start praying for people. But trust me that the more

you do it, the easier it gets. And not just

that if it's your if it's your community. It's like

you know, your your colleagues or your classmates or your family.

Then after a while, right, they kind of expect it.

They know when they share you something, yeah, you gotta

pray for me, right, That's what just happened this week.

I went to visit a former colleague who's going through

a really rough time. And the family is from the

Majority faith, and I was there just buying them because

they're really struggling financially. So when they got the whole

family lunch, you know, set talk with them and all that,

and then as I was about to leave, you know,

she gave me a heart to thank me, and then

she asked, are you going to pray for me? Because

she she knows it, really she knows, like that's what

I will do before I leave, especially when they're in

a crisis moment. So I prayed for prayed for her,

prayed to mind Jesus for her. She broke down sobbing.

But yeah, the more you do it, people just expected.

And I was also encouraged. This other colleague of mine.

They so there's one colleague who, Yeah, I've prayed for

him in certain situations that he's been through. He also

knows this. Once I remember, I said, there's nothing something

I can really do for you except and then he

completed my sentence pray right. So I did pray for him.

But recently we were having a leadership I was eating

with the leaders and then this person not believer, said,

and she's going to say grace. And then this other COLLEIQUEO, yeah,

he's also a believer. He's like, richeld, you want to

say grace, you go hitler.

So I didn't know later on it they told me

later on.

Whenever they go for meals, these two believers have been

like saying grace. So the other guy is so every time.

Now if they don't, he's like hey, and she goes

say grace.

He's about remind reminding them.

But it's become a norm, you know, the previewers like, yeah,

you give thanks, so yeah, just do it.

Just pray, just pray for someone.

After a while, it gets it gets easier, and you

know they would they would be asked, they would be

coming to you for prayer and they would be expecting it. Okay,

come on, and we really believe in the power of

prayer to begin with, to really do it, be both

to practice it. You know, especially among those who don't

yet know him. They may not have experienced the power

of prayer. Or they pray, do they get answers? Maybe

sometimes coincidence, I don't know. But for them to experience

this God, here's this person, this friend, every time they pray,

something happens. Don't you think they'll be curious? They will

want to know it. Why this onnt need a prayers?

And we can say it's not us, it's not about us, right,

It's the God we worship. Amen, amen.

Zo point three. This is where I've got to spend

a bit more time.

So we're gonna dive deeper into what it means, what

it really means to be prayer powered. Like I said,

it's not just the power of prayer, which we know.

We know it's a it's a position, it's a belief.

We know there is power and prayer. But what does

it mean to be prayer powered as a church and

as individuals? Okay, it is put there. It's a lived reality.

It's it's to have our lives our church powered by

prayer like this again, right, I hope this gave a

good analogy. How do we tap into this being powered up?

So prayer power number one or a however you want

to note it down and put it as a prayer

is not an event number one? Okay, Prayer power means

that we don't just see it as an event. And

sometimes yeah, I'm gonna touch a topic that maybe someone

you talking about me, No, not talking about anyone. But

this is an example. Prayer services pray or p R

four y. We have four times a year combined prayer rallies.

When we have it. If we just see it as

an event, that's why we can choose not to show up. Right,

it's just another another meeting. It's not it's not priority.

It's not part of my schedule. It's just something there

on the church calendar. But we if we really believe, right,

and I mean people come together God, here's us. There is

there is power in corporate prayer. Right If if there

isn't right, we won't We won't have copporate prayer line.

I won't just pray on your own. It's okay, just you.

It between you and God.

But she's a nice I own know, so that we

might forget to pray. So maybe come four times a year,

four times a year. No, no, no kidding. Okay, why did

I put Matthew Chapter eighteen nineteen or twenty here?

You want to turn with me?

Matthew eighteen A probably a small Bible today, Okay, I

can't read. Sayce again. I say to you that two

of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask,

it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven,

two or all as long as got two two of

you agree, And verse twenty says for where two or

three are gathered together in my name, I am there

in the midst of them.

That is why we come together as a church.

That is why we have pressed as why we do

pray four times a year, the whole church coming together,

and there God is amongst them, and there he hears us,

and there when we ask in his name, it shall

be done.

We're just following his word a man.

And when we come together with other believers, Really the

main agenda is just looking in prayer. Don't you think

when that happens, the heavens move, angels move on our behalf.

I always remember this fictional book that I read as

a teenager. I think when I've been teenager, probably not

a kid by Frank Peretti. Anyone read Frank Parretti's books. No, okay,

the book title he actually writes Christian thrillers. Those who

like thriller, you can read this Present Darkness and the

sequel is Piercing the Darkness. These two books I read

is basically on spiritual warfare. Yeah, it's love because a

lot of demons lives. Angels and demons. There's a movie

are Angels and Demons. There's a book. There's also book

or angurines. Even that huh Dan Brown, No, not that one,

not Dan Brown. Uh. This is yeah Christian writer.

Uh.

And I remember reading it. But it really brought my

awareness to the spiritual realm. I mean they're quite descriptive

of the demons and all, but also the angels and

and I mean the plot is there's there's this, it's

a little town, you know, there's pasta there, and there's

a lott of occultic activity in the town. And so

it's the church then against the occult. And when the

church prays, the angels get stronger. So there's always like

better between the angels and the demons. And whenever the

church praise, the angels start winning. When they stop praying,

then the demons are winning. Of course, the pastors us

under attack and all that spiritual attack. But yeah, so

you like three llers, check out these books. This Present

Darkness Piercing the Darkness nineteen eighty six was when it

was written in nineteen eighty nine. The sequel, Yeah, no

born yet. I know many of you know bonn yet,

hy we were four years old at that time. Yeah

so was four years old. But yeah, no already my

teenage life, Gora, you're writing now looking for it. I

so don't always a book ready. My parents probably gave

it away. The first boat is this Present Darkness, Present Darkness? Yeah,

I did a sequels piercing the darkness. But I think

if we believe us we saw, if we saw prayer

not as any event, but as waging war against the enemy,

don't you think we'll do it more? All these things

that were suffering now, oh that the world is going

through is a lot of is the book or the enemy?

But what are we doing where? I won't say toddling

or thumbs. I know we're very busy were we have

We are very busy. We have a lot of stuff

going on in our lives. But really, if we were

ready to wage war against the devil and his demons,

his evil angels, fallen angels, I think we'll be at

prayer meetings more.

Because we come together and like you know, we're gonna

bring you down.

Stop this right now. Stop whatever work in my family,

in the church, at my workplace, in my own body, stop,

all these got to stop. We come together and we

wish war against the enemy. You know, the devil and

his demons are probably having a party out there in

the world, I mean their followers. Maybe they are off

for a one in their version of prayer, you know,

communicating with the what underworld and what do you call it?

With the spirits of darkness. But as believers, are we

you know, I'm challenging myself and all over. See are

we too busy or too lazy, or too preoccupied or

too distracted to come together to really wage war together

against the enemy. Yeah, if we want to see our dreams,

our hosts, our vision for our lives, for our church,

our family come through, or we really need to pray. Man.

Oh I did put a verse out there here. Amen. Okay,

So prayers not an event? Amen? Yeah, we got to

do this together and of course in your own lives

as well. Second point I have for you, prayer is

a lifestyle. As a lifestyle first Thessalonians five, verse sixty,

is that verse that is there in your book? No, okay?

It says, rejoin us always if you can turn to

the book with me.

For Sassalonians chapter five, verse sixteen to eighteen, rejoice always

pray without ceasing.

And she just one verse, verse seventeen is pray without

ceasing in.

Everything, gift thanks for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus.

For you, What is the will of.

God for you? It's always like what God was your

will for me?

Answer?

Rejoice, rejoice through every circumstance, good and bad.

Rejoice, pray continually.

This is the gift that God has given us. We

can continually be communicating, connecting with Him, speaking with Him,

and give thanks in everything again, not for everything. Don't

thank God for the sickness, but even in the sickness,

Thank God, I'm still alive. Thank God, I'm still standing.

Thank God for your healing that has already begun and

is done. And I receive it right gift. Thanks, And

maybe this is the it's really this again. I think

this is a secret to happy, fulfilled, abundant life as

simple as that, right, rejoicing through our circumstances. If you're

always rejoicing your circumstances are, then you like you just

be happy, like right all the time. And continually being

connected with God. I think that is so important. Like this,

continually being connected, being thankful in everything. You know, I was,

I was thinking about this yesterday. I went to visit

doctor Jill. She's she's recovering well. Praise Scott for those

who prayed along. Thank you we are Praise God for

a successful procedures. Just in some pain, it's just part

of the side effects after the procedure. In pain and

the kidney, But yeah, keep her in prayer. She should

be discharged today. So I was, I was just thinking

on the drive phone from the car. Can you imagine

the output from our lives right and our speech, in

our speech, in our conduct, if we were continually plugged

into prayer, plugged into prayer, do you think it will

be different? The way we see things, the way we speak,

would be very different if you're continually connected to our creator.

Chair But yeah, played around with the words, were.

Plugged into prayer continually, all the sea is connected to

our creator, downloading from him. Just imagine the things we

would be saying to our friends, our colleagues, you know,

our family, our classmates, anyone. We mean the words of life,

of truth, of encouragement, of comfort, of wisdom.

But most times I realized we are the other way around.

We spend all the time hearing from other people, all

the complaints, all the troubles, all the.

Problems, all the stress, all the worries, all the fear,

all the wise, all the mons groans, and then we

go to God, High God, is it you always get

away around? Right? We hear from men more and then

we go to God. But if we spend more time

hearing from God because we're connecting with him continually in prayer,

then we are once we'll we'll be bringing the truth

life to everyone around us. Can we reverse it? All right?

My encourage into us, let us reverse it the next

time we are driving, you know, doing the dishes, doing

the laundry, doing housewold, cooking. Let's take on what we're doing.

Are we you you know? Do we spend that time

worrying about the doctor's report? Are we thinking about the

movie we just watched? Are we murmuring about the person

that offended you yesterday a not you yesterday? Are you

panicking about the deadline or assignment? Or are we during

those times plugging in, plugging into prayer, connecting with God,

connecting with our creator, just pouring our heart out to him, right,

and not just that, but listening to his response, trying

to hear his response, I hope is the letter if

we catch ourselves, you know, I just plann it thoughts

so that when we catch ourselves, just oh, mine is

just so occupied with other things like, hey, h have

this gift, I can plug in, plug in now, power up?

I mean the other analogies, of course, our phones. Right,

you've all heard that before. How many of you like

leaving the house with the dead flat battery in your phone?

No one does. We like to charge it up full, right,

So let's plug in. Let's just be more conscious of

how we spent every moment in our day. Amen. Amen.

Prayer is not an option. It's not an option. It's

got to be our lifestyle. And then you see things

change around you. Amen, Next, next, one, third, one? See

what is this prayer that powers us forward?

Okay, so we talked about being plugging in.

Similarly, if a car is battery powered or fuel powered, right,

what do you need you need to move? Right?

It's on fire, you need it right to get you

to your destination.

If feel empty or your unique cars, it's not charged,

cannot move, cannot get there. So in X we believe

the only way we're going to get to where God

wants us to be, only way to get to our

destination is with prayer. No other way, no other way.

It's not the doing, it's not the you know, getting

everything done, the hard work, all that is in vain,

in vain without prayer. You ask passa canna passandra, and

you know the leaders that have been around for a

long time. You know, how did how did we get

from three people in year two thousand to now eighteen

church plants in thirteen locations in Malaysia to eleven plants

in four continents around the globe today. Every church plan

was prayed for. None of them were planted, like oh

I just suka suka, want to go here, want go

holiday here. It wasn't It was through prayer x KK.

You were prayed for before we started, right, We started

with about I think about ten of us, five couples

just coming together to pray, just pray for the land,

OKK for how we're gonna start for the people.

We didn't know you then, but you.

Were prayed for and now you're here. Hallelujah amen. So

it's you know, every one of our churches and every

nation that we go into as well every city, we

don't do it without first connecting with God, hearing from

Him and come meeting the planting of the church plan

to God, because we know without him it is pointless,

right if he doesn't go with us, are there's no point?

You know? Moses said in Exodus chapter thirty three, verse fifteen.

If your presence does not go with us, do not

bring us up from here. Moses said that, and we

say that God, if you're not going with us, we're

not going to go there. Yeah. So really, I mean

whenever we if we do wonder or question why planning it? Please,

I'll tell you why. That's the answer because we've prayed

about it. We really prayed about it, and we know

God's presence is with us, and that's why we do it,

and that's why we keep doing it even when it's difficult,

even when times get hard, because we know God is

with us. Amen. Amen, right, my last point. Oh see,

I'm quite I'm early my last point, but maybe you

spend a bit more time here. Pray reveals our dependency.

Who we depend on is revealed by whether or not

we pray, don't you think so? When we know we

got this right, we got something, we are confident, we

are comfortable. How often do we pray about a thing,

because you don't need to. I already got this, I

got this interview, I got this job deal, I got

this exam paper.

Easiest one.

We pray less about it, right, right, like Shah gotta

the hard. They want to pray more, pray for all okay,

very good. Good good example is a good example talking

about myself and maybe when I was when I was

a student. But it can be very different when you're

confident in something versus when you're not, when you're like,

I don't know how I'm gonna take this meeting or

this presentation. You prayed crazy, and the moment we stop praying,

we stopped depending on God. We start depending on our

own strength, our own capability, our own experience. Because when

we pray, we ultimately telling God, God, I really need you.

We don't pray, we're saying God, it's okay, I got this.

I'm all right, I got this. And we can think

of all those times love, when we were so desperate

for God's intervention, right when our lives it's difficult, and

our prayer life went up. I might have shed before,

but you know, one of my toughest times was was

during pandemic and then post pandemic, but it was with

my my firstborn, you know, when I had no.

Clue what was wrong and what I was doing, what

I was doing wrong with.

Her crying, you know, having met downs every single day,

at least twice a day, probably more than that, but

at least two hours each time, and the dependency on God.

I was just like, Gosh, I can't do this. I'm

not sleeping, I'm not I'm not in my right fraim

with my mind. I'm up in the middle of the

night because she's up in the middle of the night.

She can't sleep. She's asked me to walk around outside

on the road to come down. The baby is sleeping,

and my son was born by that time, and she

was three, and he's sleeping, but the just chair is up,

and I remember just being so desperate, like God, I

don't know, I don't know what to do anymore. Answer

didn't come right away, but saw you've heard the story.

You know, God led me to the right doctor, got

the answer, and then the rest is history. It's still

not always easy, but I think she's growing up really well. Yeah,

gaining a lot of confidence, learning to to code, learning

to handle things, and you know, I'm so encouraged. Okay,

I have to share this, this testimony. I shed it

at homes. Yeah, it Unison shed it about Shay who

I told you before that she started like reading the

Bible on her own, right, So every morning that's her routine.

It's her routine. Now she wakes up, she she gets changed, brushes,

her teeth, comes down, opens the Bible. Don't eat nothing,

don't drink nothing. I just opened Bible straight way there.

And the book she's on right now, I think she's

just finished it. It's Leviticus because she wants to recover,

to cover Genesis to revelation. Cannot skip because she's like

that Regid So Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and how many of

you have read Leviticus could you get through it? Skips?

I know it's a child, so I keep skip Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

So there are days where she's crying there in the morning.

I'm like, what this up? Because it's so long and

I don't understand and it's so hard to read. I'm like,

am I just keep the chapter? Like, just just read

something else. When you jump straight to Samuel, Samuel and

Kings are exciting there.

Because you know all the kings and stories skip.

To the Pardler like Genesis was quite genis, so it

is quite exciting. And so it's like all the Bible

stories like oh yeah, I heard this ex kids, you know.

But now it's Leviticus and numbers and Deuteronomy, but no,

she has to read it, so she'll cry like reading

read the whole and and must finish the chapter? Can

all stop it stopped me be doing it when it's

a few pages long, right, I'm like, just put the

bookmark there, stop, must finish, And she'd be crying there

in the whole morning. And I'm like, I just I

know her. So one day I was so tempted to

just say, hey, supposed to be like happier and when

you read the Bible, you know, like it's supposed to

enjoy it life you're not. Then then like, what's the

point that's straight away?

Right?

I felt Holy spirits speak to me like is it really?

And I realized that she has a discipline that a

lot of us don't.

Even when you don't feel like reaally it don't understand

the thing difficult to read?

How we still reading it?

I'm like, wow, Holy Spirit, yup. So I just zip

my mouth and just let her cryd that it's okay

us And then she's learned a discipline Until she's older,

I pray it will still be like that. When it's

like I don't know what this is, I don't feel

like it I'll just do it. Yeah. See we learn

from kids. Nothing to do at this point, I think,

but I just suddenly thought of it. I was talking

about share. Yeah. So she's everything God for her life, right. Yeah,

God is shaping and molding her hat loujah. Yeah. So

we we we don't want our prayer lives to only

be active when we're going through tough times. Right done

like put like no better, no power did any like? Okay,

plug in, Let's just stay like that all the time.

Always have light, always have life. We want to ensure

that nothing gets us to our future, our destination, our purpose. Right,

nothing gets us there. Accept our relationship with our Lord,

with us seeking him, asking him for help, and the

result is, of course God, God answering our prayers according

to his will, not ours. Right, It's his will, So

we always want we want the answers to be according

to his will because ours we don't know any better.

His ways are higher, his thoughts are higher. Man, And

I don't want us to work so hard so to

achieve something that we think is our goal in life

and our purpose in life. But at the end of

the life of this life, right go oops? Oh man,

I missed the whole point. I missed what God had

for me because I was, you know, finding my own way.

I don't want any of us to ever get there.

I want all of us to reach it. And I'm like, wow, God,

this is what you had for me the whole time.

You've been driving me for what you are the fuel

because I've been connecting with you. Prayer has been the

one that got me there, right, And I mean again,

EX Church is an example. If X had gone down

the path of just following what every other church does,

other church growth, we wouldn't you know, we would have

been building a mega church by now.

We would have had a huge building, bought a building.

And have a mega church. But there wasn't God's calling

for us, and it was difficult, difficult to go the

opposite direction from everyone else, not everyone now, but yeah,

but some. But this was God's future for us, and

you know we didn't know it then, so it was

probably fought it then. What start small church now? Everywhere God?

No, our musicians, no in our teachers, not.

Everything, enow, but this is God's design for us and

what he desired for EX Church, and there's no better

place to be than this. How many of you feel

like you're in no better place. Can I even know? Then,

don't tell me, but yeah I do. I genuinely, genuinely do.

And I said before, I'm so blessed to just be

in this church, with your doing life, with your having

met so many of you that I wouldn't have known

if we hadn't planted here, all right, And and yeah,

I think even for my own life, from the time

I graduated to you know, now working twenty years in

my company, right, I see people come, people go by

the way. My boss is also living told me on

Friday dropped the bomb, well not really a bomb, and

I was expecting it. She was in her garden and

she's like, has something to speak to you about? Then

she's like, I think, you know, Like, yeah, I know,

I was expecting it. At a moment my CEO left,

I knew she was probably gonna go. So yeah, I'm

gonna get another boss now. And uh, you know, people

I thought I would have been working with for the

next seven.

Eight years, you know, are now moving on.

But yet every milestone and every change, but the grace

of God, it's the spirit, small voice that has kept

me going. And I thank God. I just listened to him.

It's so funny. I was asking me, why why's the

bost leaving? She had God I got told her to

leave her. They'm like, uh no, I don't know. And

it's like then you still, yeah, are you? But I

mean I don't want to be anywhere else that God

has not and I'm sure all of us do. We

don't be anywhere else where God doesn't want us to be. Yeah. Amen,

So you know when you decide to study somewhere else,

you know, have you prayed and ask God when you

decide to move or my grade, have you asked what

got things right? When we start a business going to

something else? He got leading? When you pursue a relationship,

young people, what's God in it? Please don't make the

same mistakes that I made. Okay, connect connect, Connect with

your creator? I say, is this the guy for me?

And she asked before that because when as that time,

we don't hear God ready, we want to hear our

own voice in it? Right here? I won't hard ony

guess like God say yes, but yeah, let's bring everything

to God in prayer. Amen, everything to God in prayer,

because when we are praying, thing got the point there

praying people will always be in line and we were

aligned to God's will. It's very hard if you're talking

to God all the time, right, you can't really you

can't talk to someone like if you're walking opposite direction, right,

if you're walking with somebody you want no a direction,

cannot talk really.

I know now you've got mobile phones by I mean.

Just this kind of conversation, but if you're constantly talking

to God, you'd definitely be walking in his direction with him. Amen. Amen,

you know I was, I was take a couple of

thoughts to leave with you before I close, but I

was thinking, you know, what is the evidence of a

prayer powered person? What is the evidence? Can we see it?

And when I thought about it, right, I'm actually quite

convinced now that I can't tell if a person is

a praying person or note now all of you like

just get to talk to But I think I think

you will be able to tell whether a person is

a prayerful person by what everything we've be spoken about, right,

So the results and the evidence should be there because

how a person conducts themselves, how they respond to situations,

how they cope in life circumstances. Because when you're not

going to pray and connected with your creator right with God,

then everything will be We won't be God like, will

be God centered, Christ centered right. All our decisions, the

way we think, the way we respond, it will all

be more like, oh my God, right. We won't be

just influenced by what others say or think, and it

will be in line with God's character. So I think

we will all be able to tell when you speak

to someone and they pray, pray or not, can do

one hundred and one things in church like be doing

you know, so being and all that. But it's there prayer,

we can do it. We can, we can. We know

the form, We know the form. But in our day

to day, in our speech and our conduct, is it obvious?

Is there evidence that we are continually speaking to our

to our Father in heaven. Amen? Yeah, I think I'll

leave you with that. If our dependency is not on God,

we don't pray our dependency it's not him, right, So

if our dependency is not on Him, then it's on what.

It's on our own whims and fancies, it's on our

own preferences, it's on the world's values, or worse, it's

on the lives of the enemy. No, we want our

dependency to be on God. Yeah, and I'll close with

with saying this prayer is not an event. My last

life prayer is not an event. It's not for melody

or every Sunday prayer time for melody. No, it's not

a sentence we take onto our decisions. I pray about it,

prayer in exchurch, and I pray in all our lives.

It is the engine of all we do. It is

the engine that powers us forward, gets us where we

need to get to, helps us be what we need

to be. Amen, let's close, come extreme can come up.

Hallelu Yeah, thank you Jesus. And I wanted to just

make a commitment to the Lord this morning. You know

if if you heard this and you're like, yeah, God,

I want I want my prayer life to be something else.

I want to be continually plugged into You. I don't

want to have moments where I'm out flat, no power,

burnt out. I think we're continually plugging. It's hard to

get burned out. Tired, yes, right, something its tired, discouraged, yes,

but completely burnout. I don't think so. If you're continually

plugged into the source, of life, of light, of love,

of joy, of peace, continuous.

No, all this.

Will be so much more effective as believers and really

living out who God wants us to be and and

how he wants us to live.

Yeah.

So if you want to, if if that's you, you

want to make the commingment to God, like God, help

me to just connect with you more.

Yeah.

I think of something practical even this week you can

do to just plug in.

It's just a burst. Like I said, when you're doing

things that don't really need to use brain activity and

like driving, hanging out, laundry cookie, you know, doing the dishes,

use those times, write those little moments. Yeah. We sometimes

some of us don't maybe had that whole hour in

the morning to like worship and spend time someone's doing

someone's don't.

But if we don't, then yeah, all those pockets in

your day are you.

Spending then every time charge I mean now, always in

a car and we get a car, you plug your

phone in and right I know I do that because

always at night forget to charge there in the car,

be charging it, Sam, when we go around, let's plug

in everywhere we go whatever we are doing. When there's

spocus of time. Let's plug in to the Holy Spirit,

to our Father in Heaven through Christ Jesus. Hey man,

that's you. You want to commit that to the Lord

and say, God, I just want to plug in to

you this week onwards. I want to be powered by prayer,

not just believe in the power of prayer, but really

be prayer powered. I want to get to my destination

because I'm plugged into you.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

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I hit for you. God bless