Faith, Prayer and the Power of Jesus Name (John 20)

Discover the life-changing power found in the name of Jesus as we study John 20:29-31 this Sunday. We'll learn how faith in His name can shape our prayers, transform our lives, and lead us to experience the fullness of God’s promises. Whether you're seeking encouragement or looking to grow in your relationship with Christ, this message will provide practical insights for living with confidence in His strength and authority. 

NOTES:

Rockwell Church     Sept 29, 2024     Pastor Chris Teien
Faith, Prayer and the Power of Jesus Name
John 20:29-31

#1 Understanding the Authority of Jesus’ Name

#2  Living in the Victory of Jesus’ Name

#3  Praying in Jesus’ Name with Confidence

#4  Experiencing Transformation through the Power of His Name 

The WELL Faith Podcast offers encouraging, Bible-based messages from Pastor Chris Teien and guests. New sermons are released every Sunday. Replay episodes are marked with an asterisk. Find us online at ChrisTeien.com and Rockwell.Church in Virginia, MN. Email comments to wellfaith24@gmail.com

Transcript

Chris T 0:00

Alright, so I'm continuing in the book of John. So this is the second to the last episode in the book of John. So the next time we get together, we'll talk about Peter, who denied Jesus being restored. And then that will be the end of John. And then we'll go to Jonah for four weeks. So we'll have Peter, who made a big mess of his life at that time. And then we'll just switch to Jonah, the guy who also made a big mess of his life, and how God worked in that. But the power of Jesus' name. So we worship Jesus. We make it clear that we worship Jesus. There is no other name given under heaven by which men must be saved. So let me pray right now again. Lord Jesus, we pray that you would give us open hearts and open ears, and that your Holy Spirit would uh speak through me the words that you want them to hear about the power of Jesus' name, and we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. So it's probably as long as you can remember, as people prayed, that I would be praying in Jesus' name. That would put that stamp of authority on there. It'd be like, it doesn't count if it wasn't in Jesus' name. Yeah, pray it again, pray it again in this time in Jesus' name. You know, put that stamp of authority on there, make it official. You know, names can make a big difference. You know, sometimes you can get what you want if you throw out the right name. Sometimes you can um like get a better deal, you can get into a uh like a golf club or so, you know, different places if you know the right names, if you can say, oh, you know, so and so, so-and-so sent me, or I know this person, or whatever. One time, I probably, you know, I probably shared this with some of you before, but one time uh we well, we had a house built when we planted the church. There was no place to live before, so we we had a house built and it came with new appliances. And so the new refrigerator failed three times, three times it stopped working, and we had to cancel our ice cream social. No, actually, no, we weren't having so that's if you're watching online, we were gonna have an ice cream social, but we can't now because the freezer broke and the ice cream is soup. So, anyway, um, so I called the company and I said, you know, this is the third time the refrigerator is broken. I think maybe you should replace it. And so the lady's like, well, no, I think we should probably come fix it again. So one of my new neighbors that moved into the neighborhood happened to be married to the head to this lady's boss, the company that I had called about my problem. Um, the new leader of their department of their industry or whatever happened to be this guy down the street's wife. I had never met his wife before, never talked to her, couldn't point her out in a room, but I knew her name. And for some reason, I said to the person I was talking to on the phone, I said, Well, this sounds kind of difficult and discouraging. I said, Well, you know, what is your name? Uh, I will just go down the street and talk to my neighbor, and I named her name. I I said her name, who's my new neighbor down the street, and I'll just let her know what's going on and see if she can help me. And so the person I was talking to on the phone said, Um, excuse me, what? Your neighbor is who? Could you please hold for a moment? And so, anyway, so this more enthusiastic same person gets back on the phone and says, Oh, sure, we can fix that. And I said, You know, I kind of regret the fact that we didn't get an ice maker with this refrigerator. Can we do something about that? She's like, we will get you a new refrigerator with an ice maker right away, and it was delivered. And so I threw out her name, and I did not lie, and I did not do anything unethical, but I'm telling you that when you use the right name, you can get results. And with using the power of Jesus' name in your prayer, I think it's because God created us to worship him, and God created us to want to have a personal relationship with him. So I think when you cry out in desperation and you're thankful for things, and it's in Jesus' name there's that constant connection that says, Hey, I wasn't lucky, I wasn't wise enough to just throw out somebody's name, um, I didn't manipulate. It was Jesus. It was Jesus who answered the prayer. I called out in my time of need in Jesus' name, and Jesus answered. So we're going to be looking at John chapter 20, and we're just going to look at 29 through 31. But to get an idea of the context, we have Thomas, who we all call doubting Thomas, because he didn't get to see Jesus when Jesus came back from the dead. And Thomas is like, I am not going to believe it until I can literally put my fingers in the holes in his hands. And I'm not going to believe it until I see him. So Jesus literally appears and goes straight for Thomas, because he supernaturally knows what Thomas is in need of, and shows himself to Thomas. And I think Thomas actually regretted his unbelief, but that's where we are in the context of this. So when Jesus told him, Jesus told Thomas and the other disciples around, you believe because you've seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me. So think about that for a minute. I personally have never seen Jesus face to face. I have experienced Jesus in my life. The Holy Spirit bears testimony that I'm a child of God. I saw immediate life change when I got saved. One thing is I quit swearing and I quit cheating in school. Um wasn't, I didn't need to, it was just a strategy that I had. So allowed me to take algebra twice, actually. So never loved algebra either time. So the first time, half of the answers were in the back of the book, and I had a lot of friends. And then it came time for the final, and the teacher's like, Chris, why don't you come up and sit next to me? I'm like, no, I'm good. Thank you. I'm fine. I like it back here. He's like, no, why don't you come up here and sit? So yeah, got to take algebra again. So turns out that's not my spiritual gift. It turned out my spiritual gift was geometry. So, but either way, if you're bad at math, you can always become a pastor. So that's okay. But let's just look at the passage and then I'll talk more about it. So, okay, then Thomas, or then Jesus told Thomas, Jesus told him, You believe because you've seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me. The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book, in this gospel, in John, because this is the end of John basically. But these are written, these things that are written in this book, these miracles, these things about Jesus, are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. And that's where I want to hang my hat today on the power of his name. There is great power in his name, understanding the authority of Jesus' name. We can live victoriously in the power of Jesus' name. When you think about Jesus, what do you think about Jesus? How do you think Jesus would appear if he came to us? Um when I first thought about giving my life to Jesus, I had this weird picture in my head that he was this effeminate, weak person that's meek and mild, but not the kind of person that I wanted to follow. So if when I was in junior high, if you wanted to get my attention, you just get some strong football player person or whatever, and I would be tuned in to that person. And then, you know, thinking about you know, effeminate pictures of you know, written or made like in the 1600s of Jesus. Umce Jesus came into my life, I realized that's probably not how Jesus looked. I mean, he was son of a carpenter, he walked a lot. My guess is he was pretty fit. So and Isaiah had said there'd be no beauty or majesty that we'd be drawn to him, but my guess is that he was he was adequately tough and strong. But how has Jesus affected you? How has Jesus changed you? Have you experienced any forms of his presence? Answered prayer, peace, and assurance, um the power of Jesus in your life. So his prayer answering mercies that make a difference. Just a heart change and a life change to transform you into a different person. That's what I want to talk about today. So again, John 20, 31. These are written. So John is saying this book, these things are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. I think he knew that people, Christians, Christ followers, would come back to this gospel again and again for encouragement, as they, as Jesus was gone for encouragement, as they were persecuted for their faith for encouragement, as they came to the end of their days and wondered about what happens next, they come to the Gospel of John for encouragement. As they wondered, you know, if I invest my life, if I invest my money, if I invest my time, if I invest my reputation in following Jesus, is that the right thing? Will it be worth it? And I think the Gospel of John gives us the information that we need to read over and over again that would help us to continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. So it's also a great gospel to lead lost people to Christ that we may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing in him you will have life, eternal life, abundant life, wonderful life in the power of his name. Jesus came down from heaven, left the throne room to be with us in Philippians chapter 2. It talks about how Jesus set aside temporarily some of his power as God, so that he could come be among us. And then it says in Philippians 2 verse 9 Therefore God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And we worship, we worship that name, that holy name, and it is a good thing. So I know in Jesus I am a Christ follower. I know that I declare his name, and I know that I can request things in the power of Jesus' name and the authority of his name because he's what he said he's done, what he has said and done. And I know that I am saved by the power of Jesus' name. Because Romans 10, 9 says, if you declare with your mouth, what say it with me, Jesus, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. So it's with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it's with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. It is Jesus. And then it says, For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And we know that name is Jesus. Grab the lights. We're going to watch a quick video clip that also names other names of Jesus that the Bible uses. So let's watch this for a quick minute.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

His name is Wonderful Counselor, who guides us through the hills and valleys of life. His name is mighty God, who harnesses his infinite power to give strength to the finite. His name is Everlasting Father, our faithful and forever protector and provider. His name is Prince of Peace, who calms the storm in our soul and leads us to still waters. His name is Man of Sorrows, who carries our shame and our pain and our guilt in our past. He is the Lamb of God, who lives and bleeds and dies in our place. He is the Lion of Judah, who fights for us the battles we could not fight on our own. He is the power of God, the wisdom of God, the glory of God, and the gift of God. And he is the Son of God. He's the ancient of days, who has no beginning and who has no end. He is the radiance of God's glory, the culmination of the perfection of God. He is the commander of God's army, with multitudes of angels bowing in reference to the mention of his holy name. You the living stone and the rock of ages. You are the root of Jesse and the Son of David. He is the Light of the World and the Lord of all. He is the King of Kings. He is the image of the invisible. He is undefeatable. He is undefeatable. He is incomparable. And worthy of his name. The name of Jesus. Jesus.

Chris T 14:25

When we acknowledge Jesus as his place, as our Savior and King. As we declare our trust in him and we move forward, we can experience living in the victory. Oh Jesus' name. Again. John 20, 29, Jesus told Thomas, Because you've seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. So when we walk up, when we step out in faith, we can experience Jesus. When we pray for things that we need, we pray for things that other people need. We pray beyond what we need and we pray for things to happen. We are intercessor, we intercede in prayer, when we pray proactively and we see answers to prayer. That helps us in our belief. It helps us to have those God moments. It helps us to have those experiences, to know that I had a need, and there was no way that it could be answered. I tried everything on my own. And then when I had exhausted all my resources, it appears the God of the universe reached down from heaven and provided my need. And I praise Jesus because of it. It is a good thing to know that you belong to Jesus. It is a good thing to know that Jesus is your Lord and your Savior and your future hope. In Hebrews chapter 11, the great heroes of the faith chapter, which I love, you should read Hebrews chapter 11 often. Faith says, now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. And so when you read the rest of that chapter, you find all of these people who faithfully served God and maybe didn't realize all of the results, maybe didn't get everything that they had asked for, maybe didn't see the results of all of their faithfulness, yet God calls them out by the power of the Holy Spirit in the written word, calls them out and says, Hey, look at these people. Look at these people who were faithful, these people who were confident, these people who had hope and assurance, and we should have hope. And for a Christian, hope isn't, well, you know, I sure hope that happens. I sure hope the Vikings win today. No, it's a confident hope, an expectation that says, My hope is in Jesus, and I know these things that are promised are going to happen. I know that Jesus will be with me every moment of my Christ-following life. I know that the Holy Spirit has been given as a deposit on my salvation and will never leave me. I know that when I die, that I will go into the presence of Jesus. I know that I will spend eternity with Jesus. I have that confident assurance. It's not just uh, I sure hope that happens, but it's a confident hope. When you read Hebrews chapter 11 and you read about those great characters that you learned about in Sunday school with the flannel graphs or whatever, the you know the real big heroes of the faith, and then you see that some you don't even know their names, but some were persecuted for their faith. Some some went through difficulty. And what's if you read in Hebrews chapter 11, it talks about these people, and it says the world wasn't worthy of them. God esteemed them so highly that scripture says, these people went through all this hard stuff, went through all this persecution, put on lambskins so that they weren't seen as people, so that they could get what they needed during times of persecution. It says the world wasn't worthy of them. So in John 20, verse 31, where it says, These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, by believing you may have life in his name. Life in his name. What kind of life do you want to have in his name? How much will you trust God with your life? So I've shared before that when I was in high school that I had prayed that I got I prayed to be saved, but then a period of time after that, like I don't know, a year later or whatever, um, I prayed to fully give my life to Christ and say, you know, I want you to be, I know you're Lord, but I want you to be Lord of my life, and I want to do what you want me to do. I want to, I want the job that you want me to have. So people were asking me what I was gonna do with my life, and I didn't know. And I'm like, Jesus, whatever you want me to do. And then I felt called to ministry, and God put that on my heart. And I had this um thing on my heart that I just really wanted to serve. I was supposed to serve in full-time ministry, and so I prepared for that, and then I I don't know, uh it was a long period of, it was a long process. So I went to Bible college and then I got discouraged because I didn't like the Bible college. Uh dropped out and then met the perfect girl, prayed for a wife while I was volunteering at a Bible camp. And as you know, God provided that wife because she came and bought my parents' car. And so I've got this stream of God answering prayers and directing my life, and I got into full-time ministry, and so I was in full-time ministry in multiple in some like three different churches, uh, three different ministries over time. And then um in August 1st, three years ago or so. August, yeah, August 1st, three years ago, it was the first time in my life since I was 14 years old that I did not have a job. So the uh leader of the group I was part of, the denomination, said, Why don't you go try something else? Why don't you go somewhere else? We'll give you good reference. Just go do something different. You've been at this church for 20 years, go try something else. Uh go do something else. And I'm like, what did I do wrong? And he's like, Well, you didn't do anything wrong, I just prayed about it, and I think you should go do something else. And it was a time where I really had to trust God. I did not know what would be next. It was, you know, right after COVID. So do I trust God and pray and wait for a ministry opportunity because it could take a long time, or do I become the new manager at the local quick trip? What is it that God wants me to do? And so I decided that I would try to hire myself out as a consultant to other churches, and I had started to do some things for different ministries, and then I got the opportunity to come here. So I heard about that in September, and then I first came here in October three years ago, but it was trusting that my life was in Jesus. I had dedicated my life to Christ, so therefore, I couldn't just pick it back up and say, Okay, Jesus, I don't like what you're doing with my life. I'm taking it back. It's mine, I'm gonna go do my own thing. Instead, it was praying, it was trusting, it was waiting. And fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long. And so that is a blessing. But is your life in Jesus? Is your life in the Master's hands? Do you trust Him to get you through in this life? Are you committed to whatever? Now, if he wanted me, if you know it seemed very clear that Jesus wanted to send me as a missionary to Quick Trip or Chick-fil-A or wherever else, you know, I guess I'd go work there and do that if I knew that it was Jesus' will for me. But sometimes we move forward and we don't know what's going to happen next, but we just trust and we can't see, but we believe. We don't know how the prayer is going to be answered, but we're just confident we're going to do the right thing. At work, when we're pushed to do something that's unethical or wrong and we're afraid we're going to lose our job for it, we pray about it in Jesus' name and we move forward in righteousness, doing the right thing and the right way. And for some reason, if it causes us to lose our job for doing the right thing, then we trust that Jesus will help us to find another job and we pray for that and look for that opportunity. And I've seen in many different churches uh people in the church providing jobs for other people in the church, or people that know somebody that can provide. And sometimes that's why it's good when you share your prayer requests so that people can pray for you. And sometimes people know people with resources to help you get what you need. Sometimes Jesus uses the connections and the network in the church to help people find what they need. It is a good thing, it is a good thing, and that leads us to pray in Jesus' name with confidence, to pray in Jesus' name with confidence. Um I don't know who I share things with. I just know I only have like 14 stories and I just repeat them. No, not really. I probably have more. But um, anyway, John 14, 13, Jesus says, I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. And so I'm gonna share a story that I've shared before, but this is probably the first time I actually showed the picture of the car in the story. But so um my wife and I, for the first 10 years of our marriage, we only had one car, not the same car, just one car. So we could only afford the insurance on one car. My wife stayed at home with our little kids, and we didn't have a whole lot of money. And so um we had one particular car that I didn't really like, and then I had to get a root canal, and that was all drugged up. But somehow I saw this car in the trading times, and it had dumb wheels on it. And so, under the influence of drugs, I went out and bought this car with my wife. And then I got it home and I bought different wheels for it. I really liked it. So unfortunately, it broke down while Julie was going to her daycare job, and um, she did not like the car because it was hard to get two babies in the back seat. It's not the kind of car that works good with car seats. So, me, I like the car. She did not like the car. She wanted a four-door cutlass Sierra, which was very hard for me because that was not a car that I would want. But anyway, we got the car that she wanted because I love my wife and I know what's right. So you take good care of your wife and give her the transportation she needs, and that'd be a good thing. So, um, matter of fact, when I was younger, my dad told me, when you if when you get if and when you get married, you make sure your wife has a nice car. You can drive whatever um junker or toy or whatever else you want to drive, but just make sure she has she has a good car. So, and if you're watching dad, you said that, I remember it, but we can talk about it when I see you and next week. But anyway, so got this car and the insurance is due. I know I need to sell it, and so I pray. I said, this is a great opportunity for us uh to pray that God provides it. I don't have the money to pay the insurance, I'm not gonna go borrow the money to pay the insurance. We lived at an apartment and I didn't want it to get towed away, and I don't want to have a car without insurance because I'd be irresponsible. So we gave God like 30 days. We gave the Lord like 30 days and we put this car up for sale with the for sale sign and everything. And for like the first few weeks, nothing. Nothing, no response. It's like, seriously, this is a nice car. No response. And we're praying, and um, I had driven it to work and the check engine light had come on, and that was unusual. And it's not like today where I have like a little plug-in scanner and I can like tell you why your check on many cars, tell you why your check engine and light is on, email you the results, and give you a list of ways that you can fix it. So here the only way to turn it off was to go to the dealer or disconnect the battery for a while and hope it goes away. Or or you could try to get disconnect the light too. That would be something. So, but anyway, we prayed about it and prayed about it, and we prayed in Jesus' name. And we had this list of things we prayed. Things like Matthew 7, ask and it will be given to you, seeking you will find, knocking the door will be open to you for everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, the door will be open. Lord, we are seeking a buyer. Lord, we are asking you to sell this car. Lord, we are asking for someone to want to open that door and take that car. John 15, 7. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done to you. Lord, we are doing everything we can here to stay close to you, and we're praying you sell this car. So we need to sell this car because we don't have the money for the insurance, and we actually we need the money to pay the bills from the car, and we bought another car, and so Lord, we need that money. Mark 11, 24. I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Okay, we're gonna, Lord, we know that you're gonna sell our car. We just we just know it, we just trust. We don't know when when it's gonna happen, but we hope that on this certain day, on I don't remember what the day was, but on this certain day, Lord, we're praying that our car is sold by them. John, first John 5 14. This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have what we asked of him. All right, so the Lord's gonna sell this car and we're gonna get that money that we need, and it's gonna be okay. Philippians 4, 6. Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. All right. This car is gonna sell. We just we're just gonna trust and thank you, Jesus. First John 3 21. If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. Well, we went to church this week. I think we helped volunteer in ministry. Um, we've been doing everything. Yeah, okay. So we both agree the car needs to be sold. So I'm being honest about selling the car. Matthew 18, 19. Truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, I am there with him. Julie, do you agree with me we should sell this car? Yeah, we are in agreement, Lord. We're in agreement. We need to sell this car. John 14, 13, I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. So the day comes where I had prayed that the car would be gone. I'm literally praying, like I'm at the bed praying, Lord, I was disappointed. I don't get it. So it is the day we prayed and we waited. Maybe you are on a different time schedule. Maybe your will is not our will. Maybe you want us to keep it and you're gonna provide money somehow for us. But Lord, maybe it will sell tomorrow. And so that day, actually, this younger guy had come to look at it. And while he was driving it, not only did the check engine light go off, but it sputtered, and I didn't have time to fix it or anything. I figured he wasn't coming back for it for sure. But I'm not sure. It was like 10 or 10.05 at night. I'm literally praying, Lord, I'm disappointed. And he there's a guy at the door. We're like, what? What's going on? And this kid is like, hey, um, I want your car, I have the cash, I know you have the title. Can I take it tonight? I really need transportation. How last minute can you get? And the reason that I bring that up is because just like many other things that I prayed for, many times you exhaust every resource. Every time you wait and you wait, and you can't do it on your own. It's impossible. And then it seems like Jesus likes to answer prayers at the very last minute, so you know that it's him. The prayers are answered, and it is a good thing. And um Jesus is glorified. You remember in Acts chapter 7 that Stephen was being stoned, persecuted for his faith, and he looked up and he cried, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He cried out to Jesus. He knew that he was being persecuted for Jesus, he knew he was connected to Jesus, he knew he was headed to be in the presence of Jesus. And not only did he say, Lord, I'm coming to you, but he's like, Lord, forgive these people, don't hold this sin against them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in Jesus. So again, this is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us and he can answer our prayer. And number four, experiencing transformation through the power of his name. Experiencing transformation in the power of his name. Oswald Chambers, who um wrote great devotional books and was a war chaplain, wrote, prayer in Jesus' name is not asking for what you want, it's asking for what he wants. It's laying down your will and aligning with the will of the Father, trusting that his way is always best. And we trust in Jesus. So again, that by believing you may have life in his name. So Colossians 3:17 says, Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So Jesus can totally transform your life, and part of that is walking hand in hand with the Savior. Part of it is walking in obedience and trusting him for things that you could have never done on your own, trusting him for things that you don't think that you would be qualified to do or things that you would be able to afford to do. He can put you in different situations and provide in amazing ways. So um, whatever you do, so what is it that you do? So um, I'm always looking for better time management stuff. You know, I need something that allows my schedule to be interrupted because I make a task list of all the things that need to get done for the church and all the things that I want to do. So I think I heard Pastor Dan from Chisholm the other day at lunch tell his associate Mark that pastoral ministry, if I remember it, said something like there's 20 hours of things you have to do, 20 hours of things you could do, and another 20 to 40 hours of things that would be a really good idea to do. So you can always be busy in ministry. So I currently use the tick-tick app and I've looked at different, you know, apps and stuff to you know, try to try to stay more focused. But part of me wants to not only know what I'm supposed to do next, but I want to be able to know what I did last week. You know, I want to be able to evaluate, um, self-evaluate. I really do not need your help on trying to figure out what I did or what I didn't do. So I told, I told one of my kids one time that wanted me to do a lot of stuff with like fixing vehicles and cars and whatever else. I'm like, so sometimes I'm really busy because I worked at home. Sometimes I'm really busy doing church stuff and work. And other times I'm really busy resting, recovering from doing church stuff and work because I need a break. And then there's other stuff, you know, that we can plan, but it's not. If you see me sitting there doing nothing, I might be really busy doing nothing to recover from doing something. And so that probably sounds crazy, but maybe it's a good way to live your life. I don't know. But nonetheless, what is it that you do? Think about what you do, how you do it, and is it in the name of the Lord Jesus? Does it have eternal value? Does it matter? Is it gonna make you healthier? Is it gonna help you to live longer? Is it gonna, does it glorify God? Does the thing that you choose to participate, is it just a waste of time and a distraction? Has Satan tricked you into wasting your time and not serving Jesus in a way that would really matter? Or are you really focused on, you know, I'm doing things, I'm building relationships, I'm investing in my kids or other people's kids, um, I'm showing care for others, I'm involved in the church, in the community, um, I'm using my time wisely. I'm doing it all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So um EM Bounds, if you want to, we're the worship team can come up here, but if you want to read great stuff on prayer, go get E.M. Bound's Complete Works on Prayer. So it's like multiple books under one, but he will greatly encourage you to pray. He writes, in the necessity of prayer, prayer in Jesus' name is prayer that accords with the revealed will of God and is offered in faith, expecting God to work through the perfect intercession of his son. And that is in Jesus' name. Lord, I thank you that you have given us an opportunity to be reminded that all that we have that's worthwhile comes from you. Our eternity is wrapped up in you, our salvation, our future hope is wrapped up in you in Jesus' name. Lord, we pray that you would help us as we go from here to use our time wisely and to pray for stuff. Pray for stuff that we need, pray for stuff that other people need, pray for things that we don't want to happen, pray for things that we do want to happen, um, pray for things to to come about, like new life groups and new ministries and new opportunities in this church. Lord, we pray that you would do great things. And we ask us all in Jesus' name, Amen.