How to Pray Like Hannah and Birth the Promises of God - Bill Johnson Sermons | Bethel Church

Summary

In this sermon by Bill Johnson, he emphasizes the power of fervent, passionate prayer using the story of Hannah from the Bible as a testament to birthing God's promises. Johnson suggests that the anguish and fervency in Hannah's prayer were vital in aligning her desires with God's purpose, enabling her to birth a prophet. He further discusses the importance of forgiveness and dependency on God in prayer, encouraging believers to pursue a life of prayer that aligns with divine purpose.

Highlights

• Bill Johnson discusses the power of fervent prayer in birthing God’s promises, drawing parallels to Hannah's story. 👶
• He emphasizes that labor pains don't create the baby; the baby creates the labor pains, suggesting current struggles might be leading to a divine birthing. 🤰
• The sermon highlights the significance of aligning personal desires with God’s will through passionate prayer. 🔄
• Johnson shares humorous anecdotes about moms, adding a lighthearted touch to the sermon. 😂
• Emphasizes the importance of forgiveness in unlocking prayer's potential. 🔓

Key Takeaways

• Fervent prayer aligns your desires with God's will. 🙏
• Breakthroughs often follow passionate, focused prayer. 🚀
• Prayer isn't just about getting what you want; it's about transformation. 🌟
• Forgiveness is essential for effective prayer. 💖
• Pain and longing in prayer can signal a divine purpose on the horizon. 🌅

Overview

Bill Johnson dives into the story of Hannah, drawing parallels between fervent prayer and the birth of God’s promises. He suggests that just like labor pains signify the arrival of a child, our spiritual struggles might be a precursor to God's plans coming to fruition.

With a blend of humor and deep spiritual insights, Johnson encourages believers not to just seek what they desire but to align with divine intent through passionate prayer. He stresses that real breakthroughs happen when our prayers coincide with God’s purposes.

Emphasizing forgiveness as a critical element, Johnson motivates his audience to embrace a forgiving heart to truly unlock the power of prayer. His message touches on the need for dependency on God and encourages an earnest pursuit of prayer to witness miraculous transformations.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 03:00: Introduction and Prayer for Fulfilled Dreams The chapter titled 'Introduction and Prayer for Fulfilled Dreams' discusses the concept that labor pains are a result of carrying something significant that needs to be birthed. It suggests that the struggles and anguish one may feel are due to the presence of a divine gift or dream given by God. This dream and grace manifest as an intense experience, drawing a parallel to labor pains that are not the cause of the baby, but rather an effect of it. The chapter seems to explore this notion of a 'rite of passage,' connecting the physical experience of childbirth to the spiritual experience of prayer and the fulfillment of dreams.
• 03:00 - 08:00: Funny Children's Perspective on Mothers This chapter humorously captures children's candid and amusing views on their mothers. It begins with an anecdotal narrative about seemingly trivial acts, like picking up paper as instructed by the Lord, blending humor with motivational undertones. The focus is on promoting a straightforward approach to actions, emphasizing that sometimes one should simply do what is right without overthinking or requiring divine prompting. The chapter uses wit to convey everyday lessons, while subtly advocating for directness and responsibility in decision-making, even extending to financial transparency and communication.
• 08:00 - 18:00: Hannah's Story and Passionate Prayers The chapter titled 'Hannah's Story and Passionate Prayers' discusses a significant personal revelation experienced by the speaker. The experience, described as feeling something that was not supposed to be there, has been resolved, and the speaker feels much better now. This event is portrayed as highly meaningful, prompting the speaker to encourage listeners to bring their sons and any fatherless children they might know to partake in what seems to be a positive and beneficial community event. It hints at themes of healing, personal growth, and community support.
• 18:00 - 30:00: Faith and Dependence on God The chapter discusses the importance of faith and dependence on God, particularly highlighting the significance of maternal roles. An invitation is extended to mothers to stand up and be recognized, including those who are expecting, emphasizing their importance in the community. The act of laying hands or surrounding them suggests a communal prayer or blessing, underscoring themes of support, faith, and community unity.
• 30:00 - 45:00: Miracles and the Power of Prayer The chapter discusses the power of miracles and prayer, focusing on an instance where prayers are directed towards a person for blessings, fulfillment of dreams, and breakthroughs. It emphasizes the importance of prayer in achieving unusual favor and blessings, not only for those present but also for the extended online community. The chapter concludes with a prayer invoking Jesus' name for these blessings.
• 45:00 - 56:00: Forgiveness in Prayer This chapter opens with a sense of gratitude and blessing, as expressed through a prayer, possibly directed towards mothers. It features a relatable anecdote involving second graders, who express their innocent and heartwarming perspectives on how God made mothers, showcasing their imaginative and tender qualities.
• 56:00 - 00:00: Conclusion and Invitation to Christian Faith This chapter, titled 'Conclusion and Invitation to Christian Faith,' includes elements of humor and introspection. It features a dialogue where children humorously respond to why God gave them their particular mothers, highlighting familial bonds and perceived affection. The use of background music sets the tone for a reflective and inviting atmosphere as the chapter moves towards a conclusion, inviting readers or listeners to explore or reaffirm their Christian faith.

How to Pray Like Hannah and Birth the Promises of God - Bill Johnson Sermons | Bethel Church Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Labor pains don't create the baby. The baby creates the labor pains. Maybe you're in anguish because you're carrying something that needs to be birthed. It may be that you are imparted a gift and a grace from God, a God-given dream, and it is bringing about the anguish in prayer. It is causing the labor. It really is an amazing event. I this right of passage thing I had never seen before until last year and the
• 00:30 - 01:00 impact was just out of this world and uh so we're just really want to encourage you in fact you don't even need to pray about it just do it heard someone say they saw a piece of paper in the parking lot and the Lord told me to pick it up that's awesome but why did he have to tell you some things you just do because they're the right thing to do is all I'm trying to today. So, um, honestly, it's really If you can't afford it, let them know. Excuse
• 01:00 - 01:30 me. Wow. Something's down there that shouldn't have been there, but you'll be happy to know I am delivered. Whatever it was is gone, and I'm I'm feeling much better. But honestly, this uh event is really really significant. I want to encourage you um you know bring your sons, bring if you uh uh your sons have friends that you think would benefit from it, you know, a kid without a father or maybe a dad that
• 01:30 - 02:00 wouldn't come, help out, do something to bring them along because this is pretty pretty significant. Um I want to have all moms stand. If you're a mom, if uh if you're uh [Applause] pregnant. All right. Come on now. Um so stay standing. Those of you that are sitting around him, lay
• 02:00 - 02:30 hands on him. I want you to pray for him. Pray for the blessing of the Lord. Pray that this would be a year of fulfilled dreams that they even stop praying about things that are long gone. Just start praying breakthrough, breakthrough, breakthrough over every part of their life. All of our online family, we pray and declare the same for you that this would be a year of unusual breakthrough, unusual favor would come to each. We pray in Jesus wonderful, wonderful name. Jesus wonderful name.
• 02:30 - 03:00 Thank you Lord. Amen. and just tell them we bless you in the name of the Lord. Uh, second graders were asked questions about moms and how God made them and why he made them. And what ingredients are mothers made of? One kid said, "God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world with one dab of
• 03:00 - 03:30 [Music] mean. I'm just I'm just reporting the news. I'm not making it. I'm just Why did God give your mother Why did God give you your mother and now some other mom?" One kid said, "Because we're related." Okay. Another one said, "God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like
• 03:30 - 04:00 me." That would be true. That would be true. Um, what kind of little girl was your mom? One kid said, "They say she used to be [Laughter] nice." Another kid said, "My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff." So, what did mom need to know about dad before she married him? One kid said,
• 04:00 - 04:30 "His last name." Another one said, "Had to know his background. Like, is he a crook? Does he get drunk?" Another one says, "Does he make at least hundred $800 a year?" Some pretty high standards there. I love this one. Did he say no to drugs and yes to [Laughter] chores? Why did your mom marry your dad?
• 04:30 - 05:00 One kid said, "My mom makes the best spaghetti in the world and my mom eats a lot." Oh, my grandma says mom didn't have her thinking cap on. Who's the boss at your house? One kid said, "Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to be cuz dad's such a [Laughter] [Applause]
• 05:00 - 05:30 goofball." Another kid says, "Mom's the boss. You can tell by room inspection she sees stuff under the bed." What are the difference between moms and dads? Moms work at work and work at home. Dads just work at [Applause] work. Another kid says, "Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring
• 05:30 - 06:00 them." I love this one. Moms have magic. They make you feel better without medicine. [Applause] What does your mom do in her spare time? One kid says, "Mothers don't do spare [Laughter] time." Another one says, "To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long." "What would it take to make your mom perfect?" One kid says, "On the inside, she's already perfect. On the outside, I
• 06:00 - 06:30 think some kind of plastic surgery. [Applause] I'm I'm reporting the news. I'm not making it. Okay, here's here's the last the last question. If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? One kid says, "Mom has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that." Another one says, "I'd make my
• 06:30 - 07:00 mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it, not me. The last one, I would like for her to get rid of those eyes, the invisible eyes on the back of her head. All right. Oh, I have more. I actually Never mind. I I do have more, but that's enough. Take your Bibles open to 1st Samuel, chapter 1.
• 07:00 - 07:30 Uh this is uh my my mom, my uh one of my sisters and my brother here this morning. Our mom I should say uh went home to be with Jesus on February 17th. So this is our first one without her. And uh she is uh she changed addresses. Now she she would hint around. She was good at leaving hints, some very obvious. I learned over time
• 07:30 - 08:00 that on my birthday she expected roses because she birthed me. It took a while, but I finally got it down and figured out she thinks she deserves roses cuz she birthed me and she would remind me that she birthed me. and uh she uh she went home to be Jesus at the age of 96 and was uh uh such a joy. She actually wrote her memoirs and we're publishing them. Um they'll be out
• 08:00 - 08:30 towards the end of the year. I think um Open Heavens Conference I think we'll have them available by then. But uh it's called The Art of Life. But she was uh such a amazing woman in every way. She was a a pure pure artist. She added beauty to everything she touched and it was just very fun to be brought up in that environment. So very very thankful for mom. Uh she refused to come at my invitation today. So actually I'd probably pass out if she did show up. So So never mind. That was
• 08:30 - 09:00 a joke. Let's leave it there. All right. Um, but what I want to talk to you about today is Hannah, who uh is such an unusual example and profound example of a mother. And um but I I've got mixed emotions because I've got three things that I want to talk to you about. Uh one is uh this incredible uh pursuit of motherhood that she had and it is seen uh most notably through passionate prayer.
• 09:00 - 09:30 her her passionate prayer created something opened up a door for her to enter into something that she couldn't have accessed otherwise. Let me let me rephrase this. Fervent prayer gives birth to things that wouldn't exist otherwise. Fervent prayer gives birth to things that wouldn't exist otherwise. Some things will will only manifest
• 09:30 - 10:00 through the kind of extreme prayer that we're going to read about in just a moment. It's the fervent passionate prayer before the Lord. I'm thankful uh for the privilege of just the one-s sentence prayers. I years ago I was encouraged by my aunt actually uh Helen to study the book of Nehemiah just because of the one-s sentence prayers in there. Nehemiah was not noted for his one-s sentence prayers. Just one
• 10:00 - 10:30 statement he would make and things would change. And I'm thankful that one-s sentence prayers are effective. I'm thankful that uh that we can pray very simple things, join together and pray and miracles take place. I'm thankful that there's not sweat and labor involved in seeing cancer disappear. It's not by our effort. It's not by our sweat. Uh the miracles of God take place by his grace entirely. However, there are some things that are that are I don't I don't know how to describe it yet, but they are they are held back
• 10:30 - 11:00 until this fervent prayer. And I don't think that fervent prayer is to persuade God. I think that fervent prayer changes us. There are sometimes that I can't be trusted with the the magnitude, the size of the prayer that I prayed to have answered. I can't be trusted with the answer praying it casually. I've got to lose some of me
• 11:00 - 11:30 in the pursuit. I don't Does that make sense? There's something that takes back back the the pruning of the heart, the pruning of our life. the singleness of focus. I'm reminded of the passage uh Jesus put in in the stated in the sermon on the mount where he said if your eye is single your body will be full of light. If your eye is single everything about you will be under the influence of the light of God. If your eye is single the word single there is actually two
• 11:30 - 12:00 words is the is the word one the number one and the word voyage. If your eye is set on one voyage, if your eye is set on one reason that you're alive, you you've you're only about one thing. When your eye when when you are reduced to one reason for being alive, then everything about you comes under the influence of God. Hannah had that in this moment. She had one thing that she locked into and gave herself to contend for and to pray for this miracle breakthrough. Let's
• 12:00 - 12:30 read about that right now. Let's go to chapter one. We'll start with verse eight. We're going to read up uh 10 or 12 verses, I suppose, and then uh and then let me just talk to you for a bit. All right. So, verse eight. Uh then Elena, her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than 10 sons?" I like that. I like that verse. I like that verse because um her husband recognized her pain and was
• 12:30 - 13:00 prioritizing serving her. He made her the focus and the priority. He couldn't make up for what was missing, but he did everything he could to serve her. That's the only point is that he rallied to her condition. He didn't demand her to adjust to his. Amen, Bill. Very good point. Verse nine. Then Hannah arose after they finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the
• 13:00 - 13:30 doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. As she uh and she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, "Oh Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidervant and remember me and not forget your maid servant, but will give your maid servant a male child then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head." No razor upon his head is is
• 13:30 - 14:00 the Nazerite vow. It's a setting aside of an individual life un completely unto the Lord. and it was marked by no no razor coming uh on on their head. But I want you to read I want to read verse 11 again. She made a vow to the Lord. So here she's hungry for uh the Lord to give her a child. Then she comes into a place where she makes a vow. Okay, listen to me. She wanted a son. God wanted a prophet.
• 14:00 - 14:30 When her prayer, her anguish of soul, when her cry, her covenant, her vow mirrored the passion of the Lord, she got a breakthrough. Wow. It's a hard thing to learn to pray simply for what God wants.
• 14:30 - 15:00 I prefer spending my time persuading him to like what I want. But this illustrates what it means to seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added. You make his desire your desire. Then suddenly he attends to your needs well as well. So verse 11 again she made a vow. She said, "Oh Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your
• 15:00 - 15:30 maidervant and remember me and not forget your maid servant, but will give your maid servant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." And it happened as she continued praying before the Lord that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you." But Hannah answered
• 15:30 - 16:00 and said, "No, my lord. I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maid servant a wicked woman. For out of the abundance of my complaint and grief, I have spoken until now." And Eli answered and said, "Go in peace. the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of him. Last verse. And she said, "Let your maid servant find favor in your sight." So
• 16:00 - 16:30 the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. She's not pregnant yet. But she lost the sadness. The Bible says, "A good word makes the heart glad." Amen. If you're in pain, don't just look for the breakthrough. Look for the good word. Come on, Bill. If you're in anguish of soul, if
• 16:30 - 17:00 you're you have that sense of incompleteness because something hasn't happened that you've been contending for, don't just look for the breakthrough because joy is available when the good word comes. Some people wait till after the miracle. That's fine. But as you grow more and more, he will look for us to rejoice at the release of the word.
• 17:00 - 17:30 This kind of praying is is an unusual uh kind of praying. As I've already stated, I'm so thankful that this kind of praying isn't the only kind there is. But there's something about losing that sense of selfrespect or dignity, composure, looking good to everybody else. This kind of praying is where you throw all your prayer formulas out the window and you just pour everything out on the table before the Lord in anguish
• 17:30 - 18:00 contending for a breakthrough. This to me uh well it's it's not the same analogy. This to me is the Jacob wrestling with an angel and he leaves that encounter limping. Never he never walks the same again because he has to lose some of himself in contending for this kind of a breakthrough. It's not a paying a price in the sense that we're buying something. But you can't go the farther you go with God, the less you can take with you.
• 18:00 - 18:30 And there's something in this anguish of soul that is so uncommon, but as a result, it also has uncommon answers to prayer, uncommon breakthroughs, things that are unusually miraculous. Hannah had a son. She brought the son to the Lord after he was weaned. So by the time you get to the end of this
• 18:30 - 19:00 chapter, it says, uh, I have lent him to the Lord. Verse 28, as long as he lives, he shall be lent to the Lord. And so they worshiped at that point. So think about this for a minute. Abraham couldn't have a child. Abraham and Sarah, they had one. The Lord told Abraham, "Take your son, sacrifice him." He drew the sword back. The Lord said, "Don't stop. Now I know you'll do anything. you'll give anything. Hannah had the same thing. She made a covenant
• 19:00 - 19:30 with the Lord and in the same way she brought her weaned child and gave to the Lord never to be at home again. What is it like to ache for something so deeply that you pray I don't know how to describe outside of yourself beside yourself different than you would normally function way outside of your gift your personality your self-perception all that stuff goes out the window as you pray at a level of
• 19:30 - 20:00 passion that is extremely rare in this life and she prays and she gets an answer and then with joy she gives the answer back not to recover again. Very similar story to Abraham. Interestingly for Hannah, she ended up having more sons and daughters. The Lord rewarded her her covenant with
• 20:00 - 20:30 him to give him the profit he wanted. and then she allowed her to thrive and to build a family that she wanted. It's just an unusual storyline. This kind of praying brings levels of breakthrough that I don't think come any other way. It's um I I think it's biblically likened
• 20:30 - 21:00 unto giving birth. Yeah. I know it sounds strange, men. Labor pains. Prayer is likened unto labor pains. In Galatians 4, the Apostle Paul talks about being in labor again,
• 21:00 - 21:30 birthing something in the Galatian church that was so filled with compromise until Christ is formed in them. He's laboring in prayer, giving birth through anguish, prayer. But here's the deal. Labor pains don't create the baby. The baby creates the labor labor pains. Maybe you're in anguish because
• 21:30 - 22:00 you're carrying something that needs to be birthed. It just might be that the pain that you're in, that unfulfilled dream is you labor in prayer, but your prayers do not create the baby. It may be that you are imparted a gift and a grace from God and a dream, a God-given dream, and it is
• 22:00 - 22:30 bringing about the anguish in prayer. Yeah, it is causing the labor. One of the things that I'm going to switch gears a little bit here. One of the things that I have been more mindful of in the last few years, I've had some very meaningful conversations about one of the things that as a leader, as a family man, as a
• 22:30 - 23:00 pastor, I have unintentionally communicated something that I don't believe to be true. In our desire to honor families and our desire to honor marriages and our desire to honor children and reproducing, we have made this picture that is not entirely accurate. Let me put it this way. We have unintentionally stated, if I can use a metaphor, that
• 23:00 - 23:30 being single is the hallway that leads to marriage. The room called marriage. If that's true, then being single is never you're never satisfied. You're always arriving somewhere. And that's not true. Being single is another room of the house. It's of equal value to the room being married. We've we've created a picture that you have to be married to arrive to
• 23:30 - 24:00 finally to finally reach your potential. It's just not true. It's not true. If that's true, then Jesus never never reached his potential. So, I'm I'm I've been working the last few years to change my language in this regard. While I want to always honor marriage, honor family, I also want to fight hard to honor people who are single, who are not being single is
• 24:00 - 24:30 not is not pre-marriage. Being single is a room of the house just like marriage is. And I want to honor both. And I want to say, are you married? Awesome. Stay married. Have a good one. If you're single, you want to be married. Awesome. Pray for it. Cry out for it. But enjoy your life as being single because it is you don't need this to become something. The marriage doesn't make you something.
• 24:30 - 25:00 You are who you're supposed to be even in your present condition as being single. And don't think it's a stepping stone that will now bring satisfaction to your life. All right. Now, I've had to rethink and rework my my language here for a while. I'm I'm still learning that one. One of the things that happened for Samuel, Samuel
• 25:00 - 25:30 was u what the Lord said about Samuel in chapter 3, I think it's verse 19, he says, "God let none of his words fall to the ground." So, just picture with me. There's a metaphor. There's uh the word sin uh means to miss the mark. And so what sin is is you've got an archer and you've got a target. And what uh sin is is it's an arrow that falls short. God let none of samuel's words
• 25:30 - 26:00 fall to the ground. Every one of his words hit the target. It's an extraordinary statement over that the Lord makes over one of his own. and he was longing for somebody that could step in and help set direction for the nation of Israel. Hannah was longing for a son. And she mirrored the heart of the Lord and gave him an extremely sacrificial gift. God in return gave her a family, gave her children, do uh sons and daughters.
• 26:00 - 26:30 There's something about laboring in prayer that gives birth to things. Yeah. You know, you you can't Some people aren't hungry because they don't know what's possible.
• 26:30 - 27:00 Some people aren't hungry because they don't know their present need. That's right. Jesus said to the Pharisees who were the neediest per people on the planet in that particular hour. He said to the Pharisees only the sick need a physician. He wasn't saying they weren't sick. He was saying they were unaware of their sickness. The prostitute was aware.
• 27:00 - 27:30 The alcoholic was aware, but the religious leaders were not aware. And as a result, the physician who was available was out of reach for them. There's something about being conscious, not in a depressing way, but in a a um a way that promotes dependency in my heart. We've got this strange paradox that we live with as Christians. One is to grow up and become mature, but the
• 27:30 - 28:00 other is to remain childlike. And remaining childlike is a place of dependency. It's a place of uh if God doesn't show up, I'm bound to fail. There's something about approaching things as a child that makes us so dependent on whether or not God is going to do something. And this kind of praying is that kind of praying. It's a praying out of childlikeness. It's a praying out of absolute desperation. It's a it's a prayer that says there is no plan B. I don't have an alternate
• 28:00 - 28:30 choice. Often times, in fact, this here's what I'm I'm telling folks these days, if you want if you want, in fact, I told the graduates this week, the way you stay hungry is be aware of your need and be aware of what's possible. If you keep those two things intact wherever you need. I think it's why Jesus taught in the Lord's prayer, pray like this, lead me not into
• 28:30 - 29:00 temptation. It's living conscious, not that I have a desire to sin, but I have a capacity to sin. And somehow staying a uh face to face with my vulnerabilities helps me to create a a line of dependency on God where I intentionally seek him for strength in given situations because I'm aware of my need. But then I'm also aware of what's possible. God is the one who does the impossible. Everybody remembers Abraham.
• 29:00 - 29:30 Abraham and Sarah couldn't have children. And the Lord answered their prayer when he was 100 and she was 90. That's amazing. If you can imagine being a birth mother at the age of 90 or the dad at the age of 100. There's resurrection life right there. But to me, the most bizarre part of that
• 29:30 - 30:00 story that you almost never hear about, Sarah died like 40 years later. Abraham gets married again to a woman named Coutura and at the age of 140 has six more sons. So you think Isaac was a miracle? Just saying. Just saying. Just saying.
• 30:00 - 30:30 Just saying. Have you ever thought about a miracle? Pera's uh Hannah had a son she could not have. Following that miracle, it became normal for her her to have children. Is it possible that the miracle you're crying out for will actually introduce you to a way of life that you're unprepared for?
• 30:30 - 31:00 The miraculous the the what was a miracle at one point becomes normal life in the next phase. [Applause] Jesus introduced his ministry in Luke 4. He's quoting Isaiah 61. And he talked about the fact that in
• 31:00 - 31:30 and through his ministry, prisoners would be freed and captives would be free. prisoners and captives. Prisoners are bound because of what they did. Captives are bound because of what was done to them. Wow. God wants everyone free. [Applause]
• 31:30 - 32:00 So, here's here's the the lesson on prayer that I I spoke sometime in the last year. I don't remember when, but it's out of Mark 11 where uh Jesus curses a fig tree. They go on a trip. They come back the next day. Peter says, "Hey, that tree you cursed is dead." And Jesus says, "Have faith in God." Some translations put it this way. Have the faith of God. Which I think is more correct. Have God's faith. And when you do, you can say to this mountain, "Be
• 32:00 - 32:30 removed." It will be removed. If you have no doubt in your heart, it will be removed. So, just walk through this uh logically with me. God, if he uses a natural example, it has to be true in the natural before it has spiritual implications. It has to be true in the natural before it is spiritually true. For example, you would never see in the Bible, the joy of the Lord is like that
• 32:30 - 33:00 feeling right after you robbed a bank. dumb illustration. Of course, it is. But follow me. The reason is so stupid is because it doesn't relate. It's not true in the natural. So, it wouldn't be true in the spiritual. So, when God uses a natural example, it's because it's real. He cursed a fig tree. If he wanted, he could move Mount Shasta. Now, don't go throwing Mount Chasta into the sea. Most of us like it being there.
• 33:00 - 33:30 Just leave it alone. But let's just say for example that were to be done just just to try to illustrate this passage. Let's just say for example somebody took Mount Chasta cast it into the sea into the Pacific Ocean. It would cause tidal waves, tsunamis all over the Pacific where entire cities and islands would be wiped out. The entire planet would know of that event probably the entire planet within 24 hours.
• 33:30 - 34:00 In other words, he's introducing us to a kind of praying that affects the globe. It's not just a kind of praying, now I lay me down to sleep. Those are fine. Lord, bless this food. Thank you for it. Those are fine. But he's actually introducing us into a way of praying that is so significant that the planet or great populations of people are impacted by its answer. Amen. So when he says, "Abide in me. My words
• 34:00 - 34:30 abide in you. You ask whatever you will. It'll be done." He's not saying, "Here's the key to having your way." He says, "Here's the key to finding your purpose. You were assigned to pray the reality of my world into this one until this one mirrors the reality of heaven." It's the purpose of prayer. God is glorified by these answers. So he welcomes us uh welcomes us into this kind of praying where a difference is made literally in the
• 34:30 - 35:00 history of the church in the history of the world and every person in this room has been given the blank check from God. You fill out the you fill it out. But the very next verse after this dialogue he says when you stand to pray if you have ought against anyone forgive. And he goes through the importance of forgiveness. Here's the deal. World shaking answers to prayer. In the same breath, he says,
• 35:00 - 35:30 "When you stand to pray," what kind of prayer? Earthshaking prayers. When you stand to pray, forgive. If prayer could be illustrated as a spear, we would have to say forgiveness is the tip of the spear. Wow. So, wherever that prayer of faith is thrust into the environment, if it's led by forgiveness, it will follow with breakthrough.
• 35:30 - 36:00 We don't have the right to withhold forgiveness. We've been forgiven. Yeah, but you don't know what they did to me. You're right. I I get it. There's a lot of reasons to not forgive, but none of them are good and none of them are God. That's right. Jesus makes this bizarre statement in John 20. First of all, he makes this statement. He says, "As the father sent me, I send you." And then he says, "Whoever you forgive, I forgive."
• 36:00 - 36:30 Is it possible that the church leading the redemptive charge of announcing the forgiveness not only of God but of ourselves, forgiving the neighbor that that did this, forgiving the person that did that, leading the charge with the pronouncement of God's forgiveness is actually what ushers in the great move of God where where countless thousands and millions are brought into the kingdom. Effective prayer led by the spear point of forgiveness.
• 36:30 - 37:00 I'd like to suggest to you that Hannah illustrated something here that is so profound. She says in chapter 2, she says she smiles at her enemies. It's in verse two. She smiles at her enemies. Answered prayer does that to you. It breeds such a confidence in identity,
• 37:00 - 37:30 such a confidence in purpose. So my prayer for us, I I think in the last year, maybe two years, Pastor Dan has been leading us in these these uh the first part of the year a week of prayer and fasting and seeking the Lord. And we've brought in the last couple years that way. And uh in our school of ministry uh spontaneous prayer meetings, students gathering together on their own just to pray throughout the night and the prayer meetings coming early to the school just to pray. We
• 37:30 - 38:00 just notice it all across the board that there just seems to be this call of the Lord upon the people of God to pray and to pray more earnestly. And I I feel like there's this mantle for this kind of praying, this kind of earnest, fervent prayer that gives birth to things. And I feel like the mantle for prayer is the evidence that there is something to be born. The the anguish of soul is
• 38:00 - 38:30 actually the indication there's a child about to be released, about to be born. So I pray that for us as a church family. I pray that God would increase our our our clarity of heart, our clarity of mind, that uh the anguish of heart, for the personal things that the the marriage, the desire for children, the need for healing, the reconciliation, all the stuff that we bring to the table. Uh Father, I pray for that that anguish of heart. I pray that you'd give us an absolute release
• 38:30 - 39:00 in confidence to pray with great boldness and great faith to see the miracles of God invade our world at a level we've never seen before. Impart the grace for effective prayer. I pray that in Jesus name. Let me ask a question. Whenever we gather, there's always uh it's our joy to have people that just join us from all walks of life. And I know that uh there are people here this morning, I'm sure that there are people here this morning that do not have a personal relationship with
• 39:00 - 39:30 Jesus. You don't know what it is to be forgiven of God. You don't know what it is to actually turn your heart towards the Lord, to actually be a disciple, a follower of Jesus. But you would say, Bill, I don't want to leave this building till I know I have found peace with God. I know what it is to be forgiven and actually become a disciple, a follower of this one who died in my place. If there's anybody in the room in that position, I want you just to acknowledge, I want to surrender my life
• 39:30 - 40:00 to Jesus. And do so by just putting your hand up in the air because I just want to make an agreement with you right where you are. Just put your hand up so that I can see you. I want to make that agreement with you. Is it one right over here? Yes. Anybody else? Anyone else? I want to encourage our our online family. Uh we have so many people that join us. If uh you've joined us and you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, just put it in the chat box. Let them know. One of the pastors will come
• 40:00 - 40:30 and they will minister to you and pray for you. I'd like to have everybody stand. And I'd like to have the ministry team, if you would uh come quickly down to the front. And if the rest of you could hold your place for just a moment, it really would help us out. come and rescue me, please. Thank you.