Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life's storms and struggled to find peace? Join us, Pastor Seth and Pastor Jason, as we share our personal experiences in navigating through life's challenges and how a consistent prayer life has been our anchor. Discover the power of prayer to not only find solace in difficult times, but also to celebrate the joys God has brought into our lives.
Before the main topic, Pastors Jason and Seth share a little about family, this past Sundays messages as well as the trending topic of Target's and Bud Light's recent LGBTQ advertisements and why Christians should really share Truth, draw a line in the sand, but also share love.
Dive deep into the story of Jesus calming the storm from Mark 6, and uncover the opportunities created when we face opposition head-on. Learn how focus and humility, like Peter's in Matthew 14, can keep us grounded in our faith, and our responsibility as Christians to protect our children from the world's agenda. We also discuss the true nature of prayer as a two-way dialogue between us and God, providing guidance on how to be intentional and disciplined in our conversations with Him.
As our journey continues, we'll explore the transformative power of prayer in our children's ministry and how it grew to accommodate more kids every Sunday. Uncover different methods of prayer and how worship can serve as an entryway to a deeper connection with God. Don't miss this inspiring and heartwarming episode that will empower you to strengthen your relationship with God through consistent prayer, both within and outside the church.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life's storms and struggled to find peace? Join us, Pastor Seth and Pastor Jason, as we share our personal experiences in navigating through life's challenges and how a consistent prayer life has been our anchor. Discover the power of prayer to not only find solace in difficult times, but also to celebrate the joys God has brought into our lives.
Before the main topic, Pastors Jason and Seth share a little about family, this past Sundays messages as well as the trending topic of Target's and Bud Light's recent LGBTQ advertisements and why Christians should really share Truth, draw a line in the sand, but also share love.
Dive deep into the story of Jesus calming the storm from Mark 6, and uncover the opportunities created when we face opposition head-on. Learn how focus and humility, like Peter's in Matthew 14, can keep us grounded in our faith, and our responsibility as Christians to protect our children from the world's agenda. We also discuss the true nature of prayer as a two-way dialogue between us and God, providing guidance on how to be intentional and disciplined in our conversations with Him.
As our journey continues, we'll explore the transformative power of prayer in our children's ministry and how it grew to accommodate more kids every Sunday. Uncover different methods of prayer and how worship can serve as an entryway to a deeper connection with God. Don't miss this inspiring and heartwarming episode that will empower you to strengthen your relationship with God through consistent prayer, both within and outside the church.
How important is it to have a consistent prayer life? Let's talk about it. What's up, family? We are back again with another episode of Pastor to Pastor, pastor Jason, over here across from me. Pastor Seth, we're excited that you took time to listen. How's things going, pastor Jason?
Speaker 2:Everything's going great, going awesome. So Kobe is headed to Atlanta today. He considers us his senior trip.
Speaker 1:He just thinks he's grown, don't he?
Speaker 2:Man. Look, we had some serious prayer before he left today and we have been. We've been praying over his trip and we've also been praying over smart decisions and for the Lord to guide him in every way. Him and his friends are going to a concert down there. So a little bit nervous, a little bit anxious, but, you know, submit everything to God, So, but we're excited for him, I'm looking forward to him. He leaves in July for a basic training, So he's going to have a lot of life experiences coming soon.
Speaker 2:So how about you guys? What's happening with you?
Speaker 1:Life is good, man. Life is good. Levi's out of school Man. we're so proud of him, man. he got so many awards. man, he got the superstar or shining star something. He's a star. Okay, he's a star in his class, of course. so last year you may not know this, but he got the reward for the award for a future preacher.
Speaker 1:Future preacher And this year he got the award for Bible knowledge and he's always praying in class and helping other people with scripture and stuff like that. So we're super proud of him. Yeah, academically, man, he's going in the first grade but he's already reading right at a second grade level. So he's excited, and for the summer he says what he's going to do is just swim and grill out all summer long. I mean six year old's got big plans bro.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i know how he going to get there and get the food. I know right, i was like who's cooking man, who's getting you?
Speaker 1:there. He's like you guys are not. We got bigger things to do than that brother. Yeah, Life is good. man, awesome man.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Yeah, i know Caleb. He's super excited about the summer getting here and him being able to hang out by the pool and play games and stuff like that. So we're definitely excited heading into this summertime.
Speaker 1:How you like the beard Man. The beard is looking nice. Yeah, luscious, right, it's good man.
Speaker 2:Finally became a man. I can't grow hair on top of my head. Let it grow on my face. We're so proud of you, yeah, you know, do what I can, do what I can.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about it, man. How was Sunday?
Speaker 2:Give us a review of how it was for you, Of course, you know, more day, weekend, we took, you know, some time, first of all to honor our I call our church mother in many ways, ms Jean is. It was her birthday, so we took a moment just to honor her. It's also Memorial Day, so we showed a video and took a moment to honor those who have passed, given their life the ultimate sacrifice for this nation and for us, and so we took a moment to do that. And then, of course, you know, the sermon. In fact, my throat's a little little scratchy. I got that. What do you call it? the Pentecostal?
Speaker 1:fruit. You let them have it son Man look the Lord was moving. I gave him all my God.
Speaker 2:I was preaching from Nehemiah 8 when they were coming back, and Nehemiah 9. Ezra was reading from the book of the law and was was was. They really came many, many ways, came face to face their sin, met their savior in ways How we like to talk about in the New Testament, but really the word of the law. They were reading from the book of Moses, the book of the law. they were reading on how they really had failed. I mean, they said that everybody was crying, they were weeping so hard And I think it's because they realized what, how they had been living compared to how they should be living. And so we talked about that, not to get too deep into it, but yeah, i let it go, man.
Speaker 2:Yesterday I talked about how there's got to. There is a return, and I think we'll get into a main topic or into the news here in a moment. I kind of use this to kind of preface as we were heading into. There's got to be a return, a return of God's people, like it was in Nehemiah, have got to return to the law, we've got to return to the word of God, we got to return to prayer, we've got to return to the morals and ethics and we've got to return to joy, because I think a lot of people right now if you look at the average Christian right now there's not, there is. We have been given victory and authority over the enemy, but oftentimes when you talk to them they're lethargic and slothful and like oh yeah, my back's hurting and car won't start and it
Speaker 2:sound like we listen to country music, right And so and so, yeah, i just talked to really about that. We got to return. Nehemiah told him. he said look, stop all the crying. This is a day for the Lord, this is a holy day. unto the Lord. Go, rejoicing, right And, and rejoice was really kind of kind of what I hung the hat on at the end of you know. rejoice re-meaning to revisit or think back and joy our joys and the Lord, think back to what God has done for you, how awesome and mighty and powerful he is, how he saved you from that place that Ricky Todd likes to talk about, right, hell. he saved you from hell and we should always be able to reach back, no matter our circumstances, no matter our situations, and pull from that and be able to have joy and rejoice. And again, i say Philippians, four, four, rejoice. So kind of what we wrapped up with great, great service though Good time with people. but tell me I know you guys went in, so tell me what you guys were, were you preaching on?
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, we had a great service. So I did. Mark six, which is the story of Jesus, has just fed 5,000. Okay, and he says I'm going to send the crowd away and I'm going to go pray. I want you to get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake and they experienced a storm. It's a well-known story. Most of us tell this story about Peter walking on water, but Mark six doesn't recall Peter walking on water. It just focuses on Jesus coming and stopping the storm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one of the points that I made was notice that the disciples obeyed Jesus and it led them to a storm. That oftentimes, in our obedience to Christ, it leads us to a storm and our curves are people, because opposition oftentimes creates opportunity. Yeah, and the opportunity for them in the storm was for Jesus to reveal his nature and character, that he was just not a miracle worker, he wasn't just someone that could multiply two fish and five loads, but he was truly the son of God, where nature even responds to his voice. And oftentimes my pastor would say this that opposition creates opportunity. Opportunity for what? Opportunity? for you to trust God and God to reveal his nature and who he is to you.
Speaker 1:So we talked about that a little bit. But I also made an emphasis on Matthew 14 shares this same story, but it has an emphasis on Peter walking on water. Mark doesn't recall Peter walking on water because theologians believe that Mark was not on the boat. So mark was a disciple of Peter and so he hears this story from Peter And I love that Peter, when he recalls this story, he doesn't talk about himself walking on water. Now, if this was me and I came to somebody, i wasn't stopping. I like yo, let me tell you they was afraid but I wasn't. Like they didn't know, they thought it was Jesus, But no, no, i know that beard. Like that's my God, jesus, i know it's you. But just just for them, like, call me on the water like I would have told and blew it up Like I would have been the man you know yeah but Peter.
Speaker 1:The moral of the story for him was not what he did, but what Jesus did for them on the boat. It wasn't about his strength and his faith, but it was about Jesus. It's a beautiful picture of the gospel that, no matter where you're at, god will do whatever he needs to do to get to you so you can get to the other side. Yeah, and one other point that I want to make that we did is if what you notice is that a lot of times We just focus on the storm. We're always focused on so, because that's it where the enemy wants us to live focusing on the storm. But what I did is I said you know, they went from a miracle. When they get to the other side, they recognize this Jesus and miracles start breaking out. They lay people on the side and they touch his garment and everybody's being healed and set free. It's a beautiful story. Go watch, go watch it, go watch it on the show?
Speaker 1:Yeah, but Sponsored, not just kidding. Go in and read it. And it's beautiful, because on one side They have the miracle of the two fish, five loves feeding five thousand. And then on the other side of them, they've got miracles after miracles, and oftentimes we we just see a miracle and we forget. So when we get in a storm, we forget what God's done. And so I told our church, i said are you in a storm or are you simply in between two miracles? That there's a miracle on the way. Don't focus so much on the struggle and the pain and opposition. Notice that there's a miracle coming just when you get to the other side. And so that's what we encourage our people to stop focusing on the storm, but focus on the miracle that they're headed to yeah it was a beautiful day, man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we had a great service awesome.
Speaker 2:So it's new segment when it kind of start I would like to dive into and something we've talked about briefly, but in the news, man, the whole, the whole target and anhyzer, bush, tarz, a Target and Bud Light, the pastor, the pastor come out, bud Light, right, but in the news for a different reason. So what are your initial thoughts, man, on kind of what, on the whole thing? I mean, do you have an opinion? if you thought much about it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you know I haven't thought much about it, but I have seen it and you know We can say we want to pastor Jason, but it's expected I mean, the world's gonna be the world They're gonna push their agenda. Yeah well, we have to do as Christians is pushback. Yeah, we, we can't. You know We talked about it briefly, but we just can't sit the sidelines because I, you know, i've got a son, you've got kids. Yeah, we've got to protect them from this, this agenda. God has a plan and this is against it.
Speaker 1:Yeah you know we talked about what, what target is pushing and what. This is What you would say yesterday in your service this woke culture. Yeah is Pushing. It's completely against what we believe, and so it's so important that we stand up.
Speaker 2:And I really equate it to when it comes to this, man is the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and there's a whole lot of squeaking going from a minority at this point and a Not that they're not important, that's not what I'm saying. Look, we love everybody, we know as Christians, it's, it's simple, you love everybody. But I come across a scripture We talked about earlier in the week. They're really kind of, really kind of dug on, dug into my skin, really kind of bothered me a bit And I'm like well, what are you trying to say is and it's revelation 220 he has letter to jeet that Jesus wrote to the church. He's like you tolerated, i have a problem with you. He's writing a letter into the, the chapter topics called the corrupt church. He's like I have a problem with you. Now, i don't know about you, but it Is specially anytime, but especially in revelation, when he says I have a problem with you. We need to be concerned and make sure that we're not in that church, make sure that we are aligning up with whatever he has the problem with.
Speaker 2:And the problem that he had was that you tolerate, you allow depending on what, what version you're reading you allow that spirit of Jezebel to operate. You tolerate it, you put up with it, you don't say anything about it and you let it happen. Look, we love people, there's no doubt about it. Look, i love everyone. I love everybody, but I love them enough to tell them look, what you're doing to yourself right now Is is hurting you and I can't allow it to hurt me or hurt my family, or hurt my sheep or hurt God's people. I can't allow that to happen. You know, the interesting thing we chatted about this is that prayer was taken out of school because of one woman, one woman. One woman stood up and said hey, we shouldn't be praying, you shouldn't be allowed to pray in school. And and prayers Eradicated. And in school completely back down completely the church.
Speaker 2:Where was the church's? and then maybe we weren't, i don't remember that time right, but where? where was the church? What was the church's voice in that situation? Do we just allow it to happen and sit back and say, oh, that's the world, let it just continue down the same path? No, can I tell you that and we've talked about this before if somebody is on their way to hell and We know that there's an exit ramp going down the highway, last stop, last stop, right before you reach your destination, get off on the exit, it is our job To tell people look there, i understand what your flesh is saying.
Speaker 2:I Think of it like this when it comes to homosexuality, when it comes to transgenderism, all those kinds of things, like it is, it is wrong according to the word. I cannot agree with you so that we can. We can agree. I can't agree with you so that we get along. I'm not gonna do that. Scripture is pretty clear. I'm a man of the cloth, i'm a believer in Jesus Christ and while I love you, i can't allow you just to continue blinding people, right? I can't continue to allow that that prophetess Jezebel to operate and lead people astray in the sexual immorality. Like I can't do that. I'm sorry and but at the end of the day, let me. Let me put it to you like this you have to answer for your soul at the end of the day, that's right. I have to answer for mine and I can't allow that. Yeah, the targets then lost nine billion dollars and in value. And how's their bushes lost over 15 billion in value crazy.
Speaker 2:That's what happens when people say no, i'm done with it, i'm tired of hearing it, we're not gonna support these businesses anymore. And you're right, there are a lot of businesses out there We talked about before that that that we shouldn't support because of their values, because of the morals They don't line up Christian, they don't line up with the Christian faith. We can get to those and I think it's a topic We can absolutely talk about soon to make it as a part of the main topic. But look, the people of God have got to stop taking things laying down. Look, we love you, we do, but it is okay at the end of the day, to disagree.
Speaker 2:Yeah contrary to what people may say, contrary to what people may believe, you don't believe, like I believe, that's okay, but I'm on this side saying it's okay. If you believe that way, i don't agree with it, but I can't allow it to impact and influence my life. Right, because my life is governed by the word of God, not by your opinion and not by culture Like that. Culture has creeped its way so far into the church, that church. There's no difference between a lot of churches and culture anymore. There's no differences between the night clubs and the right now and there's a problem with that man.
Speaker 2:We are people of faith. He said come out from amongst them, right, come out and to be separate, be separated. But we've tried to blend so much. Look, just because Jesus hung out with the sinners doesn't mean he sinned Like he brought them. They were changed. We talked about this last episode. He changed their habits, he changed their behavior, he changed their culture, but we've allowed culture to change the church. And look, we are governed by the word of God. I'm to love God with all my heart, mind, body and soul, and I'm to love you as I love myself, and I love myself enough not to let myself go to hell And I love you enough not to let you go. And look, it's okay to disagree, yeah and that's what truth is.
Speaker 1:Truth is the reality of this is I love you enough to tell you the truth, absolutely, you talk about we love you, i love you, i love you, but I let you still live a lie That's gonna send you to what we believe is hell. Yeah, you know, then I don't really love you if I'm just gonna let you go into a burning you know Place. I think if we really want to show that we love people, we have to be honest by sir Jason. We have to tell the truth, and the truth is that your lifestyle is gonna send you somewhere, hurts You do not want to go at the end of the day, you know When you really want the truth, you know who to go to.
Speaker 2:That's right. I've got friends. I've got you. I've got many other.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna tell you the truth. You just believe that I'm gonna go to my wife.
Speaker 2:I'm going to Mayo.
Speaker 2:That's right, right, yes sir, there's, there's, there's different. My wife will give it to me straight, no doubt, and and I know you give it to me straight It's I got several friends, man, that won't sugarcoat it, you know, tell you. Look, i think you need to really look, relook at that and revisit it. We should have those people in our lives because, at the end of the day, when you want to know truth, you know. When you want to hear the true, raw perspective, you know where to go and who to go to and we've got to be that for people of God.
Speaker 2:Isaiah 58 I showed you some my message. They say cry loud, spare not. Look, i Love you, i can't let you go there. Don't do it. I'm begging you, i'm pleading you don't go, but at the end of the day, you make that decision, not me. At the end of the day, when you stand before, when I stand before God, and being judged doubly Accountable, held doubly accountable, i'm gonna say God, their blood's not on my hands. I, i told them what you told me to tell, at least try. I told them what you told me to tell them, and so that's right. Anyway, i believe, though and wrapping this up in the news, man, we, just, we just we got to be pulled out from them. We've got to come out from amongst them. We've got to say, hey, enough is enough. And this whole wokeness thing, man, is really destroying a lot of the fabric of who we are as a nation and who we are as a people. But anyway, anything else, ma'am.
Speaker 1:No, I don't see it on the sidelines and expect something to happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, do everything you do, do and love absolutely. But look, there's a line you have to draw. You've got to stand on one side or the other, that's it. But anyway, hey, let's talk about the main topic man prayer. Let's talk about what is it.
Speaker 1:What is prayer? Prayer is communication between you and God. It's super simple. We don't have to overcomplicate it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it is dialogue, it's not monologue.
Speaker 2:That's it. It's two ways, not just one way.
Speaker 1:It is two ways for sure, And I would say that a lot of times my prayer life is a lot of just listening. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I share my heart to him and I just say speak, lord, your servant is listening. I'm here Because really what we need is less of us talking and more of him. But prayer is super simple. It's just simple you talking to God just like we talk. You don't have to come with the King James version, you don't have to scream at him, he ain't deaf. I mean, prayer is super simple. It's just an easy communication between you and God. What about? what's it not?
Speaker 2:Well, I definitely know it's not a grocery list.
Speaker 1:That's for sure, bro.
Speaker 2:It's not a. You know, we've talked. We just came out of a Wednesday night study on prayer So we went deep into it and we could do it a lot longer. I think we did five weeks. We could have done a lot longer in prayer. Prayer is just so, so important, you know, prayer backed by the word. There's prayer and devotion in our prayer, and so prayer really is. It's not a grocery list We can't run into it with. I wanna hit one, two, three, four, five, six points, and then I'm out. Yep, right, like really. Here's an example.
Speaker 2:The other day, a little while back, i was having an issue and I was looking for this guy at work because I wanted to share this issue with him, get his take on it, his perspective, cause he's a wise fella, he's got some wisdom about him, and I was one of the him to consider my situation and give me some wisdom. And so I was looking for this guy was upstairs looking for him, i was downstairs looking for him, i was in a parking lot looking for him. I didn't know this dude somewhere where he at Right, and so I'm looking for him to talk to about this situation. And I finally found him in his office. A little bit later And I'm like in the middle of telling him the issue that I had and this is no lie the Holy Spirit said I wish you would search for me the way you search for him. Oh man.
Speaker 2:That was heavy. It was I'm like in the middle trying to just you know trying to let the Lord speak and talk to this guy and tell him my situation.
Speaker 2:I had to go downstairs, get in my car on my way home and just sit there and just pray. Lord, forgive me, first of all for not seeking the true wisdom and seeking the kingdom first, and I shared everything with God And I wondered I'm like Lord, i don't know how you're gonna handle this, but my face says that, one, i know you can and two, that you will, because if you want me, if you're pulling from me to share it with you, it's because you desire what I'm conversating about.
Speaker 2:And so, man, that's so true for everybody. It's not a grocery list, it is a conversation. It's a dialogue, not a monologue. I think we've definitely nailed down what those points are.
Speaker 1:Yeah, actually, and Jesus shows us what the that there is importance in prayer. I mean, he didn't just tell us, pastor, he showed us. He prays while he's making decisions. He prayed while he was being confronted with difficult situations. This is throughout scripture. We're pulling this actually from scripture. You look at Jesus when he was doing miracles. He was praying When he was in the garden. He prayed when he was having an emotional suffering of distress. he was even interceding for disciples and praying for them while they were with us, and the beautiful thing is is he's still praying.
Speaker 1:He's interceding for us right now. So he prayed when he was here and he's praying now We need to pray. He gives us this beautiful model of the importance of prayer And if you don't know why you should pray, we're gonna go through some things of why you should pray, how to pray, maybe to give you some things. That has worked for us with prayer, because it's not just something you do mechanically, pastor Jason, but it's actually something that you learn to find discipline in. You're very intentional, in You make time for It's just like kind of fasting. You've gotta be intentional, you've gotta have discipline, you've gotta make time for it, and prayer is the same thing. So let's look at how leaders should pray.
Speaker 2:How leaders should pray. Well, i tell you, i'm big with this and I reach out to our leaders all the time and I say make sure we're praying for our people. I think some the average Christian has in their mindset well, the pastor's the one who prays for the flock. No, no, no, no. You should have in a church the pastor praying for the flock. You should have the individual ministry leaders praying for their portion of the flock.
Speaker 2:And so, as long as we are all kind of in the structure, if you think of it, moses, when he takes people out, he appoints captains right over people to help him with the authority and delegation and all those different things, and so that's kind of how I view structure within a church. So I'm praying heavy over my leaders. Now, i pray over everybody, don't get me wrong, but I pray heavy over my leaders and I expect my leaders to be praying heavy over their ministries and over their people, so they're doubly covered. Yeah, right, and so absolutely, ministry leaders should be praying over their ministries, one not just for their numerical growth, but their spiritual growth, most importantly. They should be praying over them constantly, every day, almost like that's their little flock. And so that's just my take on how ministers or leaders should be praying over their particular ministry, and I know you shared something with me earlier an awesome story about what happened in when you were in Goldsboro.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we were in Goldsboro and we were in kids ministry and we were very structured. I mean, we were running 50, 60 kids. We're very structured, we had curriculum and it was just. You know, you know how it is, it's already built for you. You just study it and you teach it, and so It can become a religious duty It can and it becomes very mechanical.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it can be, you know, it's just about through the motions and stuff. And I had. I was over all birth to fifth grade, but in this particular class it was first to fifth grade that we were teaching, and Sunday morning on the way. See, here's the thing about. Prayer is prayer. When I was, i used to only pray the day of the service, like Lord, bless this service, you know, bless what you're going to do, instead of praying during the week expecting God to do something, and so on the way. I did that wrong. Do not do that. Pray during the week for what you're expecting God to do for you during the week, and especially on Sunday services when you've got people who may not be usually coming. It's showing up. So that Sunday morning I'm praying and I'm like Lord, you know, bless this service. And the Lord said you're going to lay hands on kids today. Yeah, change what you're doing. There are kids in your class that are struggling with suicide and depression. I'm talking about first to fifth grade. Pastor Jason, wow, i bring my team together. There's four of them in there And I'm like, hey, i promise you, i prepared, but today God is going to do something significant. Our kids are going through this. Just go with me. I don't know what God's going to do, but through prayer, god revealed this And we prayed.
Speaker 1:And sure enough, man, there were seven kids that were going through suicide and depression from bullying from from home. And so what we did? we shifted our whole model from the simple prayer, talking to God. God and listening to God shifted the whole culture of our kids ministry. We went from like 50 to 60 to almost 120 kids every Sunday. And what we did? I had my pastor come in, we talked to, i had 75 volunteers And I said whenever you come and touch a kid, wherever class it is, if you're holding the baby, you begin to pray over that baby, you begin to love of that baby. Because, why? Because it may be the only time they experienced Christ, christ, the only time that they experienced love. Because Monday hell is going to break loose, they're going to be mistreated, neglected, unloved. And every Sunday I laid hands on every kid from one prayer God revealing through prayer the needs of his children.
Speaker 2:So it wasn't just a grocery list Like, hey little, we need you to send more people to the ministry, we need you to touch your mind, like like there was a listening, a dialogue, well, the beautiful thing was Pastor Jason.
Speaker 1:I can't say that I didn't go to him like that. Wow. But he still interrupted. What I thought I needed and spoke. Beautiful thing is is how God didn't answer my need. He spoke to me to to meet the needs of others. As a servant.
Speaker 1:And so it's so important that you are sensitive in prayer and you know our church, one of our quarters, this is that is prayer. One of our quarter codes is prayer, and part of our quarter code of prayer is, you know, it comes out of scripture where Jesus is. My house will be a house of prayer, but our goal is this is that we're not a church that prays, We are a people of prayer. Yeah, so the outside of church are actually praying and recovering our leaders, our family, all that good stuff.
Speaker 2:Which is important because, as parents, we're leaders of our homes.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Right And, as men of God, we're the past, we're the pastor, the priest, the king, right, we talk about that, the prophet, priest and king of our own homes, and we should absolutely be praying over our children, praying over our families and being the spearhead that the head of the family, as Christ is head of the church And he is our head right And so and you said something earlier too, i thought was really really great about praying over Let the kids see you praying more than arguing, right, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I told our leadership, because I'm really hard on our leadership, i'm very blunt, i'm very. There's a standard there And I believe that how you lead your home it will reflect how you lead outside of your home. And this one thing I told them let your kids hear you pray more than a hear you argue. Yeah, because you are representing Christ and you want your kids to know what prayer does and the power of prayer. Let them see them outside of church praying together. Yeah, absolutely See you in a minute. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Not just a good night prayer, I mean go in with them. You know what I'm saying Lay hands Say yeah, let's talk about some different methods of prayer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and you got here driving in your car, Dude, i can tell you this I still go to right there. My go to ain't nothing like, ain't nothing like driving on the way to work with some worship music going, and it just leave me innocent prayer. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And there's nothing like a minute, just the spirit, just atmosphere, just feels, just permeates the atmosphere and worship, and a lot of times I use worship as an entryway into prayer Because we know the scripture, we've heard of me in times I got to have us the prayers of his people or the praise of his people. So I'll be praising and worshiping and I'll just go right into prayer. Man, because it for me is just kind of kind of a natural thing just to be, to be calling him down, worshiping him and then enter into prayer.
Speaker 1:That's right, yep, and it's, it's discipline. Yeah, because you probably want to listen to the radio, you probably want to listen to a podcast, but you intentionally take that time To pray and spend time with the Lord, especially when you're so busy. Yeah. By the time you get to work, by the time you get to home. You're never alone. Yeah.
Speaker 1:This is the only alone time you get. Think about that when you're alone. I cannot. Can I use an opportunity to spend time with the Lord? Yeah, not just as a leader, but as a believer, as a son, as a daughter. How do you spend time with the father?
Speaker 1:And one thing that I used to do is I'd have an alarm that would go off because I had to be intentional. My life was so chaotic. I had an alarm that would go off every night at nine o'clock and it simply say go to your room. And I had a prayer closet that had a little, had a little, and I still have it And it's got an altar in it, and I would go to my room. I'd go to my room and I'd go pray and I spend time with the Lord. Sometimes my wife would come in there with me, sometimes Levi would walk in there with me and he'd pray, and sometimes he goes in there by himself And it's just a beautiful thing And rather, rather or not he's really truly praying or not, but knowing that there's a, there's a place set aside for him and God, for me and God to spend time, it's so important.
Speaker 1:Matthew, chapter six, verse six, says this when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray for your father, and pray to your father in private, and then your father, who sees everything, will reward. You See, we think that prayer closets are a spiritual thing, but it's a God thing. Jesus tells us to do this. There's something about praying in private and spending time with him. Don't be a person who only prays in public. Don't be a person who only only opens their mouth and starts talking to Christ when they got a mic in their hand. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah be that person that does it privately.
Speaker 2:Well, that's the fair sequel way to pray right, Pray so that I can be heard.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:But scripture is very clear, in Matthew six, six. Here he says go away by yourself to pray, and what you do in private and secret, God will reward you openly. For Now here's another piece of that. Here's another thing that I found the other night. Actually, what I was studying this was. There's also another thing that happens in the dark. It says if you go into an inner room and whispering people's ear, you're behind the scenes gossiping and sending. Those things will be shouted from the rooftop. So whatever you do behind closed doors, you're either going to be rewarded for or rebuke for You're either going to be rewarded for, or or it's going to be exposed.
Speaker 2:So we've got to be careful what we're doing all the time, because when you think nobody's listening, there's always somebody listening?
Speaker 1:That's right To the father who sees everything is what scripture says So I used to have the alarm and do the prayer closet thing, but now how our schedule has changed around, now What I do is I get up before I leave. I does, and I just walk on our farm and just pray and spend time with the Lord, start my day that way, and I know it's hard for some people to do that to get out, walk around their house or their driveway, stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Well, I will say it's as hard as you want it to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2:There's perspective, there's there's priorities.
Speaker 1:Intentionality intentionality.
Speaker 2:If I want to lose weight and the only time I got to work out is before is before work I'm going to get up early to make it happen. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's. if we had to get up early to be at work early to do something, to get paid, we would do it And we shouldn't. you're not going to be paid for spending time with your father, at least not in the physical in that way. That should be a drive, a self initiating, motivating, a self motivation to spend time with God, to spend time with your creator, because ultimately you want to spend eternity with him anyway. So while wait till then, you know, to be as close as you can be now.
Speaker 1:Yep, absolutely.
Speaker 2:There was a relationship that Moses and that Abraham and that all these, these patriarchs of the Old Testament and New Testament of Jesus had with God, where they would just spend so much intimate time with God. Jesus said I don't do anything right unless I've seen the father do it. And how did he see that God would show him? because he would show him in prayer time. He would show him in that time, the intimate time he had with God. We have this, this saying in the military and in police work is this train hard today for an easy day tomorrow? So Jesus would spend that time with God and learn what God would want him to do so that his day would be easier. That's right.
Speaker 2:I've already said, god's already told me what I'm doing today.
Speaker 1:Clarity direction, peace Absolutely.
Speaker 2:God's already told me what I'm doing today, because I've already spent the time with him. Yep. I know that I'm covered because I've already spent time with the father Right And so it's that intimate time We should want to do that, we should be drawn to do that.
Speaker 1:Yep, i want to throw another scripture at you. Matthew 2641 says watching, pray that you may not enter into temptation, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We know this is Jesus in the garden, yeah, and he's talking about how my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. But the only way for me to overcome my weak flesh is through prayer, and the only way for you to do that is to consistently be in prayer. The only way to fight off temptation, to fight off the attacks of the enemy, is to find yourself in the consistent prayer life.
Speaker 1:Now, i don't have any statistics, i don't have any proof of this.
Speaker 1:It's just a thought that I really bounced off of Pastor Jason earlier. But I would say that there's a high probability that a lot of times when leaders and believers find themselves in more failures or a decline in church and growth and all those things, whatever you want to box it up to be, i would think it was directly connected And you look at this scripture and the scripture would prove this thought that it's directly connected from having lack of prayer in your life, because with the lack of prayer you fall into temptation, because your flesh is consistently weak. If there's one thing that I want you to leave with is that today is the one way to fight the greatest battle against the enemy is to stay in prayer, stay connected to God, find a consistent prayer life. Whether you're a leader, a believer, whatever you want to title you want to put yourself, the best way to find freedom and peace and hope and clarity, like Pastor Jason, is to find a consistent prayer life, not a mechanical prayer life.
Speaker 2:Not a religious.
Speaker 1:Not a religious, a consistent, disciplined prayer life. Yeah, not a grocery list, not a to-do list, but I go to you to hear from you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, And I think we've all got. if you were raised in a family of believers, of the most time he's saints man, grandma, be walking around the house praying.
Speaker 1:In tongues Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, and I think too about being.
Speaker 2:Not that I was, but I know people who were, you know, woke up in the middle of the night with grandma anointing their head with oil and praying over them And, like they used to go into some prayer man and they would have, their services would just be so beautifully filled with the presence of God And with this Holy Spirit. Man, yep. And because Sunday wasn't just an event they did, but it was a coming together of all the saints of God who, out there all week, had already spent time with him. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, so many people come starving on Sundays because they haven't eaten all week long. That's right, when we need to be coming to just really just just fellowship and rejoice and have time together and fellowship together in his presence, together as a family, as an extension of what's already happening throughout the week anyway, absolutely.
Speaker 2:But anyway, man, you got, you got. Listen, let us be honest, and we've been talking now for 35 minutes and this main topic may be 20, 25 minutes of that. We this topic could really be a series. It could go a long way. Prayer is really really deep and our devotion to prayers, god is. It's got to be an attentional and a serious thing. But with what we've given him, i think we've given him enough to chew on, at least for a little while.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So you got anything else for prayer.
Speaker 1:I'm good. I'm good, i'm actually got a priestly prayer that I'm going to do.
Speaker 2:Well, let's go ahead and bless the people, as we like to do.
Speaker 1:here We're going to bless them Pastor to pastor. Numbers, chapter six, has made a Lord bless you and protect you, and made a Lord smile upon you and be gracious to you, and made a Lord show you his favor and give you peace. We just want to thank you so much for taking time to listen and be with us today. Share this with somebody who this could encourage and equip. We'll see you here next time. God bless you.