My Prayer Focus, Pt. 1

Are you going through something? Who among you are going through

some challenges, trials. Yes, whether financial,

emotional, in relationships, you know, physical, maybe you need

healing. We all go through something.

Amen. The Lord did not promise us to

have a easy life when we follow Him.

In fact, our lives in Christ will we will face so many

challenges. But Jesus said cheer up, I have

overcome the world. Amen.

He made it through to show to us that we can OK, I don't see

nothing. So Bible I can do all the things

through Christ who strengthens us.

So my point here friends is that prayer is very important.

But then I want to talk about, OK, this topic I entitled it

this morning and my prayer focus on 2025.

OK? I use my because I'm want to

make it personal. If you would like to make it

yours also, then you change the title to our prayer focus.

Now there are so many things, prayer items that I know I'm

sure we need to pray besides the prayer items that I'm going to

show you, OK. But in general, I, I encourage

you not to miss the points that I'll be sharing, OK?

Number one, pray for favour, for the good fear or the fear of the

Lord for success in what they do, for guidance, for

discernment for all active believers, meaning to say those

people who have served the Lord, the servants of the Lord, people

who are active in ministry, people who are, you know, right

now faithful in, in their assignments from the Lord, Amen.

We need to pray for favor. This is very important because

one of The thing is that we can get too busy.

No, because the, the, the responsibility, the demands is

so great and so high that we need other people to also to, to

rally around us, to pray for us. Amen.

And so I need your prayers. Yesterday I had a call from

abroad. And by the way, I know I was not

here for a month. OK?

So let me update you. I will be speaking in Malaysia

for, for a training, OK, the, the farming training, 4 square

farming. And at the same time it's an

actual training, it's simulation of, you know, things like that.

So many leaders from other countries will, will gather in

that farm area there for the farming.

So I'll be one of the speakers. And then after that, so that's

one weekend, OK, after that we cannot go home yet.

We will have to stay in Singapore because I all, I have

another training in Singapore. So I, I was asked to talk about

the urban farming, which is the first farming that we taught you

here in church. So please pray for us because

the pressure is real. The pressure is real.

It's no longer in the Philippines.

It's outside the Philippines and the and so there's so many

things no, And I'm going to be meeting people from from other

places, no for, for planning and etcetera.

There's so many meetings I'm attending to and there's so many

updates that I can give you, but I cannot.

But those who will be attending our meeting this afternoon, I

will update you. OK, What's happening in the

world, what's happening there? You know this and that.

That's why the point is this, instead of me spilling

everything, it's better that we all pray so the Lord can prepare

our hearts. The Lord can prepare us, Amen.

Pray for us, pray for favor, pray that we can really share

the gospel clearly, Amen. Next is that #2 pray for

repentance, revival, and awakening on lukewarm believers.

This is happening today, you see, not only in our churches,

in our denomination, but even in other places, you know,

churches, pastors are experiencing members who were so

on fire before, but now it's the opposite.

Hello. And so some of them doesn't even

have the desire to come to church nor worship God anymore.

That is so sad. And so you see, you just read

the Scriptures. It's it's there in Scriptures

this is happening. Amen.

And so let's pray for revival and awakening.

It begins with us, with the prayer warriors.

Amen. Bah #3, pray for repentance,

revival and awakening. Also on those who left the

Faith. I'm not referring to those who

left Maranatha Family Church. I am referring to those who left

the Faith, those who who have abandoned the faith.

Is this true in the New Testament?

If you read the the scripture, first Timothy 41 says the Spirit

clearly says meaning say the Holy Spirit clearly says that in

the last days or in the later times some will abandoned the

faith. Meaning say these people are

already in faith and they just left.

OK, they abandoned the faith. Alright then how can that be

true? I isn't it?

Isn't it? God is faithful and he who began

a good work in US will be will be faithful to bring it to

completion. Isn't that the word of the Lord?

Yes, but remember my pastor told me this.

Listen, he said when you got born again, you did not lose

your free will. You still have your free will.

God's part, God's role is to keep you.

He is faithful, Amen. And your role is to follow Him,

Amen. Our role is to follow Him.

And that is why these two forces, you know, it works.

It is at work. I'm sorry, it is at work.

So my point here, some of them they married people with with a

demonic religion, teachings of demons.

That's why you read first Timothy 41.

It's there. The spirit clearly says that in

the light later time some will abandoned the faith and it says

follow deceiving spirits, the things taught by demons.

So if they're teaching their belief is against the Bible,

it's demonic. Amen, Amen #4 pray for the

salvation of the lost and for the radical transformation.

I added I added that radical transformation.

I just don't want to see people. Hey, those who want to repent

come to the altar. They come, they cry and then

that's it. No, what I want to see is the a

transformed life. Amen.

Amen That as they come to Jesus, the change that will really take

place cannot vivid back Canon Claro Canon can obvious you no

Makita anymore. Not transformed.

The the heart's desire have changed.

The appetites. The the the the appetites have

changed. I'm not referring to physical

food. The the way of of thinking their

their choices. Do you understand their vision

have changed. You see, that is what we need.

Amen. I'm going to give you one

example today, OK? One example of praying for the

lost and then praying for the radical transformation.

Let me make mention like the life of our engineer here, JV.

JV, can you raise your hand? OK, this is our engineer who

just won the contest in China. They won over many mechanics

from different countries. Hallelujah.

I'm so proud of we have the best mechanic here.

So listen, our spiritual daughter Roxanne invited her

here, I mean, to come to church and then told her to join the

DBS. Him, him.

I'm sorry. And then what?

And then he attended. And then he he realized now

Allah Moody Sabtania on some gospel.

He received Jesus. And now he demanded.

I want more teachings. More teachings.

Yeah. So he should go and be be some,

be some. Even if he's the only one to

attend the Bible study, it doesn't matter.

I want to learn more and more. So they are making progress with

the DBS without the DBS Discovery Bible study and and

and then and then we talk etcetera.

And I saw the transformation in his life.

That is what we're looking for. Let you know.

Let's pray that people on our youth camp.

When is that next week that many more lives will come to Jesus.

So invite Amen. Can you tell somebody youth,

especially say youth, invite your friends to our youth camp

Amen. Let us pray in Napaka NASA

encounter Jesus and then they will be changed.

Amen. BA what is the point of you

know, receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then after a

while you live like demons. You know, you don't show change

instead you become worse. That's I mean you say your your

encounter or your your you you how what they call this aim of

pagdawat K Jesus a story in Savior is not true because if

the Holy Spirit is in you, you will be changed.

Amen #5 Last but not the least. Now you can add whatever prayer

item you want, but for me, this is one of my focus.

Pray to God to send more laborers in the harvest field

resulting to missions because this is the point.

What is the point if we are in Matthew 24 right now, at this

present time, meaning birth pains, the Lord Jesus Christ

said, and the gospel of this Kingdom shall be preached into

all the nations as a testimony. OK, and then what?

The end will come. Meaning you say this is one of

the ministry that we need to focus on, Amen.

In the last days we are called and the Bible says until a

number of Gentiles have come in, do you understand?

Mean you say we are to occupy the nations, we are to reach the

lost, Amen. Because once all the Gentiles,

the number of Gentiles have come in, and then salvation will

return to Israel and Israel will be saved, and then the end will

come. That's what the Bible says,

Amen. So this is our work right now.

We need more laborers. That's why I want a radical

transformation. That is my prayer so that we

can, you know, we will see more laborers serving the Lord in the

harvest field. Hallelujah.

Are you there? So this leads me to the point

because one, I've been preaching through our to our churches

about the end times and listen up at the very end on judgment

day, Jesus used a metaphor, A metaphor to show that there are

only two kinds of people that will be judged, the sheep and

the goats. The prayer item that I just gave

you is praying for the sheep and the goats.

I'm thinking about, you know, transforming everyone to become

ships, not the goat. That's why I want radical

transformation. Hello.

Not everyone who comes to church, not everyone who sings

Hallelujah. Glory to God, I love you, Lord.

We'll enter in. Remember Jesus said, I mean

these people who will be judged, they said, Lord, did we not cast

out demons in your name? Did we not prophecy in your

name? So they know the Lord, they know

the word of God. They use the name of Jesus as

the authority. And they said, Lord, did we not,

we, did we not cast out devils in your name?

And Jesus will tell them, depart from me.

I never knew you, you who practice wickedness and listen.

That is why we have to know, you know, if I have to, to join a

singing contest, which I will not because I, I don't think I

will win, but if I will join a singing contest, I'd like to

know the criteria, correct, true or false, because that is going

to be the basis for the judge. So before I, I, during my school

days, elementary and high school, I, I, I joined the

guitar classical guitar contest, OK.

And then of course, I, I know the criteria because there is a

proper way to handle the guitar, OK, The position, the posture,

the everything, because that is part of the criteria.

Now before on judgment day, there is a criteria with this

metaphor, like criteria is either you're a sheep or a goat.

They sound the same, they forage, they eat the same leaves

and plants, correct vegetation. There are, they are herbivore,

but their behaviour, they differ, they show different

behaviours. So let me take you to Matthew

2531 to 46 for a moment. The sheep and the goats.

Now many of you are already familiar with this teaching.

Are you ready? When the Son of Man comes in his

glory, and all the angels with him, He will sit on his glorious

throne. All the nations will be gathered

before him, and He will separate the people one from another as a

shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Imagine this ending on the He will put verse 33.

He will put the ship on his right and the goats on his left.

OK. There is no in between guys.

There is no in between. Either you are on the right or

on the left. No in betweens verse 34.

Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are

blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the Kingdom

prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.

I was a stranger and you invited me in.

I needed clothes and you clothed me.

I was sick and you look after me.

I was in prison and you came to visit me.

What do you see? Is that you do you have the kind

this kind of heart? Verse 37 then the righteous or

the the ships the ship will answer him.

Lord, when did we see you hungry and fed you or thirsty and give

you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger

and invited you in or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The king will reply in verse 14. Truly I tell you, whatever you

did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of

mine, you did it for me. So it's not really about about

us literally doing something for the Lord, but it's about us

doing something to others for the glory of the Lord.

Amen. What do you see?

I'll give you what I see. One word, 1 adjective that I can

give about this kind of personality or characteristics.

Are you ready? Selfless.

Selfless person. He's not thinking about more of

Maine. What about me?

What's mine? What will I get?

It's not something like that. What will I get?

What can I give? Selflessness.

Amen. Then verse 41 it says, Then he

will say to those on his left, depart from me you who are

cursed into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his

angels. For I was hungry, and you gave

me nothing to eat. I was thirsty.

You gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger.

You did not invite me in. I needed clothes and you did not

clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you

did not look after me. Whoa.

And then they will also answer the goats, Answered the Lord.

They said, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a

stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not

help you? Verse 45 The Lord answered, he

will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not, you

did not do for one of the least of this brethren of mine.

You did not do for me. So let's be careful how we treat

people. Check your motives, check your

heart. Are you doing good things for

yourself? Because some people, oh, I have

helped the poor, I have given to the poor.

I have, you know, etcetera, etcetera.

But they did it for popularity because they're running for

office because election is near. Hello, hello.

So they need more publicity. But listen up.

These things you do is something you do even without the eyes of

the public. It's innate in you.

It comes from within. The driving force is coming from

your heart. It's unstoppable.

You cannot control yourself from from from looking at people with

mercy in your eyes. Where is that coming from?

That is the point. These people do not have that.

They don't have. They don't care.

Why? Because their characteristics in

one word, my one word is this. They are self selfish.

The ship are selfless, the goats are selfish.

They will not do anything if they cannot gain.

If they do not have profit out of it, what will I get from

that? If I do you a favor, what will I

get? Hello.

They want to secure, you know what they can gain from what

they do. If none, they will not do

anything. They will not lay a finger to

help you, but the ship, when they see you are, you know

you're struggling. Whatever you're doing, if

they're there, they will run to help you.

Are you listening? Those who have eyes, ears to

hear, hear. This is the word of the Lord.

So what's the basis? What determines the choice?

His choice? Listen #1 ship's

characteristics. The summary is they feed the

hungry, give drink to the thirsty, show hospitality to

strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit them

prison. These people are selfless.

I am not saying that we are saved by works.

That is not the message. We are saved by grace through

faith in Christ Jesus. The good works are just result

of your salvation. Amen.

So let me #2 The Lord Jesus is describing the acts of kindness,

love, mercy, and care that naturally flows from our hearts

that we perform for others is the fruit or the byproduct of a

genuine relationship with God. The good deeds or fruit is the

proof that the Spirit of God lives in US and has influenced

us to do good deeds. It's the driving force inside

our hearts. If that is not you, I am sharing

this verse today. You need to cry out to God.

Lord transform me. I want radical transformation.

I want you to become Lord of my life, not just Savior.

Amen. Amen.

Because if not, you are only living for yourself and you're

wasting your time on earth. Our life here, if you're not

serving the Lord is a waste. You have to serve the Lord every

second of the day of you. Breathing is very important

because if you are on your deathbed, you know what, it's

going to be hard. My grip, my Lord.

Oh God, sorry I wasted so much time.

I'm telling you, serve the Lord now.

Amen. Get involved.

Join the DBS, join the Home group, join trainings, attend,

participate. Because you know what, life is

short. It is so short, I realize it.

I'm a grandfather now. But then it was like yesterday.

But if you're not aligned with God, you're not tuned with God,

the Lord is not going to lead you to places where you can

become a blessing. Because how will God send you if

you are not a blessing? Be a blessing here, here, start

in the church. Amen.

So the Lord who sees our hearts, our motives, everything that we

do, the Lord is going to make a way to send you so you can

become a blessing. And I believe even this farming

thing is a blessing from the Lord.

Only God can teach us these things.

Amen. God is preparing His people.

So let me go back. This is the final point.

I'm sorry, let's go back #3 this is the last.

In other words, His sheep are obedient.

They follow the shepherd's voice because they know the voice of

God, while goats in general are stubborn and independent.

I'm going to show you a picture. OK, just very quickly.

So eyes on the display on the screen.

OK, Who is that? So that was me.

OK, So I'm happy that there's some pictures.

Now look, this is just one of my pet, no one of my playmate.

I have a lot of playmates in the farm, farm animals since since

my grade school years. The the OK that variety, the

breed, I'm sorry, the breed is the Anglo Nobian breed.

It's good for meat and milk producers.

So before I go to school, I have to wake up at dawn to to clean

the area to I mean, I was doing farming since I was young, OK.

And I hated it, not realizing that.

Now I'm back with farming and I love it.

So during those days it was like Moses me growing up.

It's like my training ground. Now I'm in the real world.

So before going to school, I have to milk the goats,

etcetera, attend them and bring them there.

And I have observed. So after school I go back to the

house, water the plants of my grandma, and then run back to

school to do the PE or the YDT. We call it before YDT, not PE.

Right now it's no longer PE. It's called mapping.

Mapping. OK, So but my, I have a problem

with these goats. OK, the young and the old ones,

you know, if don't they don't like you, they will.

So I under Ganila and my my cousin because they they don't,

most of them don't like my cousin.

So you know when he's not looking.

So they will run and run and head back the, the, the Lubot.

And of course I scold them, Hey, don't do that.

And so I, you know, they, but no matter how, what kind of

discipline you do with these goats, they still cannot get it.

And guess what? I tell them, Hey, no, not there.

So I tie them somewhere because we planted.

Look, look, look, I'm not here, correct?

So thank you. So we have a place we planted

Napier. So we, we, I tend them there.

But then guess what? If somebody will be loose from,

from whatever, they will go to the flowers, they will go to

where our plants and they will eat.

And they're not going to consume everything.

They eat a little here, a little there.

And then they're so disobedient. They're so stubborn man, but I

love some of them because some of them are not like that.

Some are behave. And guess what?

Those who does not behave, I tell them this.

I said watch out this coming December, you are a candidate.

I'm sure you will be a candidate because you have been my

headache ever since. Every day.

You're a headache to me every day.

Guys, don't let God tell you on December, don't be a headache.

Amen. Amen.

Because you know what, God is a God of love is a God of

discipline. But The thing is, there is going

to come a time when he is going to judge.

And, and one of the features that I see the difference is

their coat. You know the ship, they have

wool while the goats have hair. OK, the feeding habits, sheep

primarily graze. You know what's a graze?

It's they stoop down and they they eat even if there's small

grass, they eat everything including the stem.

They can survive. But our goats, they will not eat

the stem. They will just eat the leaves,

hello and etcetera, etcetera. So the sheep, if you're a sheep,

whatever you hear from the word of God, you will eat them all.

Hello. Same.

And the sheep, they will eat like that.

But the goats, not every time they eat like that.

If they see leaves upset, they climb.

In fact, goats are good climbers.

Hello. So so guys, the way they eat is

the way you eat the word of God. Do you love the word of God

meaning to say goats? They don't like the word of God.

They may know some, but it's a behavior now, social behavior.

Sheep are social and they flock together.

Well, goats are individualistic and independent.

So when there is, you know, when there is a, a threat or danger,

the, the ship, we can come together and they run in circle,

OK, forming one big body, OK. Unlike the goats, when they see

danger, they they scatter. They, they, they don't have,

it's so different, OK, it's so different.

So anyway, guys, I, I don't like to eat much of the time, but I

can, I can expound more on this, not just from experience, but

there's so many characteristics or behavior that you see a

difference that you can connect. That's why the Lord Jesus Christ

the the the the righteous judge himself shared the topic on or

the metaphor that he used between sheep and goats.

Don't be a goat. You are not a goat.

Let's pray that people will be saved and transformed.

Radical transformation. Amen.

Now, because we have time, because if not, we know what's

going to happen when He comes, He will separate the sheep from

the goats. So listen up.

Generally, the believers and the unbelievers, if you have Christ

in you, you're safe, Amen. You believe in Christ, you're

repented from sin, you're safe. But if you don't, if you refuse

Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you don't repent from your sins,

you don't have relationship with God, then surely you're a goat,

correct? Amen.

So friends, going back, that is why in my heart, my revelation

is this. Lord, I really need to pray for

the save and the unsafe. Hello, let's pray for them.

Lord, I pray that people will be transformed from selfishness to

selflessness, from self focus to God focus life.

Amen. And guess what?

We cannot do it by ourselves. The flesh that is prone to sin,

that you know, attached with a sinful nature cannot change

anything. We need the Holy Spirit, we need

the word of God and get This is my experience.

I cannot become dependent of God unless I have both the prayer

life and the study of the Word. You have to read the Word of

God. Amen.

What? What you feed your mind when you

saturate your mind with the Word, with the Scriptures,

Hallelujah, you're learning more from the Word.

It's God using the Word to teach us.

It's God communicating to us. It's God talking to us.

And now we try to understand. That's why the Bible says hear

and obey. And those who hear him are his

sheep. They believe that.

My sheep, what did Jesus say? My sheep hears my voice.

He said, I know them and they follow me.

To them I gave, I give eternal life and no one will be able to

snatch them out of my hands, neither from my Father's hand.

Amen. That's in the book of John.

It's not part of my presentation, but it's in the

Bible. So, so I want you to think about

this. If Jesus used this metaphor, use

it use it to, to to to gauge yourself.

Lord, am I on your right or I am on the left?

Where is your right? This OK?

Am I on the right or am I on the left?

You just have to use a logic common sense.

Amen. So if Jesus used this this in

his teaching, this metaphor, I believe he's giving us something

and it is important for us to make Jesus not only as our

Savior, but Lord, meaning we follow him.

Christianity is about repenting from sin and following Jesus.

That is Christianity. If you claim to be a Christian

and you're not following Jesus, you are not a Christian.

Christianity means being Christ centered.

You are in the state of being in Christ Jesus, nothing more,

nothing less. It's not about religion.

That's why religion cannot save us.

Religion is nothing but good works, but good works will not

save us. But if the good works that you

perform are coming from the the the leading of the spirit in

you, well that is good. Amen, Amen, Bah.

So that I believe I want to to share with you because truly we

live in the last days. If during the time of Paul is

already, if that time, if those days were already last days for

them, how much more now? Amen.

So we have to pray. I know we have loved ones who

need Jesus who are not saved yet.

So we need to spend more time in prayer and we have friends that

are no longer active in the Lord who are now serving themselves

only. Let's pray for them.

Let's not argue with them. Let's pray for them.

It's hard to argue with selfish people.

You will never win. They will always win.

You don't need to win an argument.

You just need to pray and say God, revival and awakening,

Hallelujah, Amen. Are you there?

I love you guys and I hope that I know you're praying, but if

you know you can intensify a prayer to it.

Talk to God. Always read the Bible.

Become dependent on God and you will become selfless for God,

not selfish.