WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.480 We're in a series, if you have been with us for any period of time, or you're new, we're in a series titled He is Good. 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:12.960 This is a painting of uh actually it's a painting of the transfiguration up top that you cannot see. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:18.160 Um, and then the bottom of the mountain, which is what's going on there, which is the text that we'll read today. 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:41.119 Because um going through Mark's gospel, looking at Jesus' life, um, last week what we saw was Jesus up on a mountain being transfigured before the eyes of some of the disciples, and now this is a continuation of the story of him coming down the mountain to actually see, like, hey, here's what, here's what's going on down there while you were up there, here's the things that are taking place down there. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.280 And so we get to see and stay in touch with what Jesus is doing in this particular story. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:50.000 So I'm gonna read starting Mark 9, verses 14 through 29. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:57.920 Mark writes, When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.479 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:04.400 What are you arguing with them about? 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:05.519 He asked them. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:12.239 A man in the crowd answered, Teacher, I brought my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.480 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:17.920 He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.359 Ask your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:26.640 You unbelieving generation, Jesus replied, How long shall I stay with you? 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:28.400 How long shall I put up with you? 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:30.000 Bring the boy to me. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:31.359 And so they brought him. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:35.359 And when the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:38.079 He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:41.519 And Jesus asked the boy's father, How long has he been like this? 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:48.159 From childhood, he answered, It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.439 But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:53.760 If you can, said Jesus. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.079 Everything is possible for one who believes. 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:59.040 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.680 Help my help me overcome my unbelief. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.760 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:11.120 You deaf and mute spirit, he said, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:15.280 And the spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently, and came out. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:19.520 The boy looked so much like a corpse that many people said he's dead. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:23.759 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:29.120 And after Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, Why couldn't we drive it out? 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.639 And he replied, This kind can only come out by prayer. 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:34.000 This is the word of the Lord. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:46.479 The day that I destroyed my left knee, I was a sophomore in high school playing fall ball in a game that did not matter at all. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:49.759 And in that space, I destroyed my knee. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:50.879 I have a couple of slides. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:52.240 I want you to relive this moment with me. 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:53.360 Colin, there's four. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:55.520 I'll sl- I'll I'll cue you, okay? 00:02:56.240 --> 00:03:02.400 I'm playing baseball, sophomore year of high school, killing it, gonna play varsity baseball in sophomore year. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:05.919 Slide one, I was playing shortstop, the CS, that's me. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:08.960 Shortstop, there was a runner on first base. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:15.039 Slide two, the runner tried to steal second, and nobody steals second from Colton. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:19.759 And so I run to second to receive the throw from the catcher. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:25.360 Slide three, the throw from the catcher, the issue with it is it wasn't actually at the base. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:27.919 It was in the line where the guy was running. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:31.199 And what they tell you, and what I knew was stay at the base. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:38.240 You never enter the line, you never enter into the baseline because you might collide with this person and destroy your knee. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:47.120 But I was very arrogant and I was like, I know I can catch this ball, tag this guy, spin out of the way, and then everybody's gonna be like, all hail Colton. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:48.719 Like it will be this moment. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:52.479 In a fallball game that does not matter, nobody's actually there to even watch it. 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:53.919 But that's how I played the game. 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:55.360 Slide four. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:09.520 Instead of staying where I was, I stepped in, I took two steps forward into the baseline, caught the ball, tagged the guy, and the handicap marker is just showing you my experience afterwards. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:11.039 That was how that went. 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:16.959 And um from that one decision, from that one collision, one decision, I took two steps. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.680 Take two steps, make one decision to take two steps. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:23.759 From that one decision, I tore my PCL uh in my knee. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:27.439 I missed my entire sophomore year of varsity baseball. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:33.839 I've had three surgeries on my knee and still need another one because I currently have cartilage floating around my knee. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:39.920 And every morning I wake up, I grab my knee and I move the cartilage out of the joints so that I can walk. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:46.720 Um my wife wants me to take walks with her, um, I every step is painful and I can only go a little bit. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:54.399 Um, and then when my son wants to race me or wants me to chase him, I have to like really consider the cost because it's gonna be terrible. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.240 And what's wild about it is I made a decision when I was 15 years old to take two steps. 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:05.360 15, I took two steps, and it's affected me for the last 23 years of my life. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:11.519 And I just think every now and then I'm like, man, everything would have been different if I would have made just one different decision. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:21.040 One thing could have changed the entire thing, and I wouldn't wake up every morning in pain over my knee and still needing to get a surgery, and my wife saying, Would you please go get a new surgery? 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:23.120 Because we can't take hikes anymore. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:26.560 Um decision, one thing could have changed everything. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:30.079 And I say all of that not because it's connected to the text. 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.399 I just really want you guys to feel bad for me, and it's really hard. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:44.480 Uh no, I say all that because um it's there's something similar to my story that's connected here. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:49.199 One decision in this text, one decision would have changed everything about this story. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:54.639 If these disciples would have just prayed, they would have cast out the demon, and this story goes away. 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:57.759 And Jesus comes down from the mountain, and this none of this happens. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.040 But because they chose not to pray, here's what happens. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.160 The disciples chose not to pray, and so they're powerless. 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:10.800 They have no power to drive out this demon, which then it leads them to arguing, which is the perfect thing to do when you don't have any power. 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:13.759 Like, let's just complain about why why it's not happening. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:17.199 And every time a church starts arguing, Satan gets its wings or something. 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:22.160 Like, I don't know, like what I don't know why we choose to argue, but like that's what he, that's that's what they turn to. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:28.639 No power leads them to argue with the teachers of the law, which leads to Jesus being furious with them, you faithless generation. 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:29.519 What is wrong? 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:34.959 Like, what are you like the boy's still in pain, he's still dealing with this thing, this father's still freaking out. 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:38.240 And you guys think arguing in church is a good way to fix this kid? 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:39.360 What's wrong with you people? 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:40.480 You faithless generation. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.480 How long do I have to stay with you? 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:44.399 How long must I deal with this? 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:50.319 The disciples' powerlessness not only affects, obviously, the boy, but it affects the father. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:54.720 And so the father shows up with full faith to bring his son to Jesus. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:07:01.040 And then he experiences Jesus' followers, and his faith is weakened from experiencing time in their presence. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.079 They show up, he shows up and he's like, This is definitely gonna happen. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:14.720 Then he watches his Jesus' followers struggle, and they he takes that struggle and decides, oh, maybe God isn't able to, they weren't able to help me and they follow Jesus. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.040 Maybe Jesus and God aren't able to help me anymore. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:24.160 And so by their lack of prayer, they diminish and weaken the faith of another person in what God is capable of doing. 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:25.839 And Jesus has to build that back. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.879 Like, if I can, you showed up knowing I can, what happened? 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:33.439 It's like, well, I've been dealing with some of your bros here, and I gotta be honest, it's really messed me up. 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:35.040 I don't, I aren't you like them. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:38.160 And he's like, I'm like them, but not like them. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:40.000 There's something different. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:43.199 And so the reason behind all of this is one thing. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:44.800 And Jesus says it at the very end. 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:46.319 He's like, Why couldn't we drive this out? 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:47.920 And Jesus is like, you didn't pray. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.079 This kind only comes out by prayer. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:52.639 If you want to see something different, you need to pray. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:08:02.480 And so the disciples didn't pray, and Jesus comes back and says this thing, like, this kind, there's something about this, this kind only is driven out by prayer. 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:09.519 And so, what I want to do today is I want to look at two things that Jesus is saying in this statement. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:19.199 When he says, this kind only comes out by prayer, I want to look at two things that we see of like, based on that, here's what he's saying about the power of prayer and what it does for us. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:25.839 And then I, based on that, I want us to look at how we then should pray and how we should press into this gift that we have of prayer. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:31.360 And so two things that Jesus is saying about prayer from the line, this kind only comes out through prayer. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:36.960 The first thing that Jesus is saying about prayer through saying this is that prayer empowers us. 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:38.480 Prayer empowers us. 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:41.600 When they ask the question, why weren't we able to drive it out? 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:43.759 Jesus doesn't point to himself. 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:51.679 He doesn't be like, oh, I'm this kind only comes out by me because I'm the only one powerful enough to drive this kind of demon out. 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:52.960 I'm the only one powerful enough. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.840 I'm the I'm the unique Son of God anointed by the Spirit. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:56.720 Kind of a big deal. 00:08:56.879 --> 00:08:57.440 People know me. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:59.440 Like he doesn't point to himself at all. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:03.679 He actually points to a power that consistently is like, this was available to you. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:07.440 Everything you just saw, this was available to you if you wanted it. 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:09.039 This power isn't unique to me. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:10.960 This power was available to you all along. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:15.360 And the reason you didn't have it, and the reason you couldn't drive it out, is because you were not praying. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:23.600 Prayer empowers us with a strength to do things beyond ourselves and to do things that we cannot do in our own strength. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:29.279 It is something that we press into that that fills us with a power that we don't have naturally. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:34.159 And Jesus is like, the reason you couldn't do this isn't because you didn't have me here. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:35.759 It's because you weren't praying. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:39.039 And prayer gives you something that you don't have in and of yourselves. 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:44.320 This is why Scottish preacher Samuel Chadwick says that this is why Satan dreads nothing but prayer. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.200 One of my favorite quotes Satan dreads nothing but prayer. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.720 His one concern is to keep the church from praying. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:55.360 He fears nothing from our prayerless Bible studies, our prayerless work, our prayerless religion. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:59.600 He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:01.919 He trembles when we pray. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:08.960 The enemy that is actually real, there is a spiritual, demonic enemy that is real, fears us in no way. 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:09.759 There's nothing about us. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:10.879 He's like, I'm really terrified. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:11.440 Like, no. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:21.759 He actually hopes and works in our lives to get us to rely on our own strength, to depend on our own power so that he can just continue doing his thing without any opposition whatsoever. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:22.960 That's what he wants to do. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:30.240 He wants to continue doing incredible demonic work in our lives and then encouraging us to like, you don't need him, just do it yourself. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:31.360 You can handle this. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:41.360 He wants that, but as soon as we shift, as soon as we shift to start praying, something changes because all of a sudden he's like, there's no rival to the power of God. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:42.720 There is no equal. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:57.440 And so when you shift from, I'm going to rely on myself and I'm going to lean on and pray to myself, and we shift that and we start focusing on the Lord and turning our affections and turning our attention to him and going, hey, I don't need my help, I need your help, I don't need their help, I need your help. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:01.440 He trembles when we pray because all of a sudden we're leaning on a power that he knows. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:02.960 That power cast me out of heaven. 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:04.720 I can't do anything against that power. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.679 And so when we pray, he trembles. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:18.000 And to me, and maybe I'll know this and feel this already, but like the fact that he trembles when we pray, to me, that's why prayer is so difficult for us. 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:21.840 That's why it's something that's so hard because it's the thing that's attacked the most. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:29.360 If that's the most powerful thing and he can't hold up against it, it makes sense that it would be the thing that he attacks consistently and makes it the most difficult for us. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:34.480 And so we experience this when we go to pray, like all of a sudden we start dealing with doubts of like, is this even working? 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:36.879 Or questions of like, Am I am I doing this right? 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:38.320 Am I saying the right thing? 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:41.440 With confusion or discouragement, we pray for something that doesn't happen. 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.200 And so it's like, well, prayer doesn't even work. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.679 And so we're discouraged, and I don't even think this is important. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:47.759 For most people, it's just distractions. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:54.240 It's like every time you show up to pray or to do a thing, like, I'm gonna pray this morning, and then all hell breaks loose in your house. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:55.679 And you're like, well, I did pray. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:57.200 And like, some, like, what is that? 00:11:57.279 --> 00:11:58.559 It's not coincidence. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:04.080 It's the thing that shifts like into the space where he's like anything to keep them from praying. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:07.200 He knows it's the strongest weapon that we have against him. 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:14.480 Duncan Campbell, um, Scottish evangelist, says that because of this, the prayer life must be fought for. 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:16.240 You must fight to pray. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.159 Everything will militate against it. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:26.559 Satan will concentrate his subtle powers to contend every inch of the prayer route because the tide of the battle, he knows, turns in prayer. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.720 And that's why we experience resistance. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:30.240 That's why it's hard to pray. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:33.440 That's why whenever you turn your attention to do that, something happens. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:38.000 That's why we deal with these things of like, I don't even know if this is actually accomplishing anything. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:41.519 Somehow I started praying and then life got a lot harder for me this week. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:47.919 And so maybe prayer is the thing that has turned the tide in a space of like my life got harder, I need to stop praying. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:55.840 There's all these things that happen, and the reason is it's because he will attack the prayer route at every inch because he knows this is where the tide turns. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:57.440 It turns in prayer. 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:07.840 And so the hard thing for us when we pray, or especially when we hear, if you hear like prayer empowers you, the hard thing for us is when we pray, no one's walking out of there with more muscles. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:10.240 No one's feeling like, yeah, I feel empowered. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:11.679 Like I see it in the mirror. 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:15.519 Like no one's praying, and all of a sudden it's like, ah, it's just like a bulk day for me. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:16.639 I've been eating a lot of protein. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:26.720 Like, you don't feel anything, you don't see anything, like you do this thing, but because you don't feel different and because you don't see anything different most of the time, it's like, is this actually doing anything? 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:28.799 I hear that it empowers me. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:33.519 But it's just hard to believe that it's actually doing anything because we don't feel it and we don't see it. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:39.120 Charles Taylor in his book The Secular Age, which I am trying to read, and it is really difficult, y'all. 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.639 So if you've ever read it, well done. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:41.440 That's amazing. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:43.759 I'm working very slowly through this book. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:57.039 Um, but he talks about this idea that we live in this culture that we have a very hard time dealing with anything that we can't taste, see, feel, hear, or touch. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.120 Like it's like that's the culture that we live in. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:01.840 He calls it the imminent frame, that nothing exists. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:07.759 Our culture primarily tells us nothing exists outside outside what you can see and prove with empirical data. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:09.360 Like nothing exists inside of that. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.159 And so we live in that culture, we've been shaped by that. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:20.399 And so now when it's like, no, prayer empowers you, and you're like, I can't see it, feel it, and so we struggle to believe that it's actually real because I can't see it or feel it. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:26.639 And he says, that's just the way that you grew up in that culture, and so you've be we Christians have become that as well. 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:39.039 We're living, we're not supposed to live by uh sight, but by faith, and yet still there's this space where it's like it's easier and it's very, very difficult to live by faith and not live by sight, because if I can't see it, it's hard to believe that it exists. 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:41.200 But the truth is we have to fight that. 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:48.720 I mean, if you're a Christian, like you've got to fight that because prayer will make no sense to you if you're like supposed to see every single thing or feel something different every single time you pray. 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:53.120 You'll be super discouraged if you think every time I pray, I'm supposed to feel something. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.120 I'm supposed to see something. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:59.759 Because just because you don't see it or feel it doesn't mean that something isn't happening. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:04.480 Doesn't mean that, like, oh, I didn't feel it, I didn't see it, therefore Jesus must be lying to me. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:05.600 It doesn't mean that. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:10.720 I read this incredible story about a um missionary that I share with our men's group this week. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.279 Um, this man's name was John Patton. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:21.120 They were uh missionaries in the Hebrides Islands, and uh Billy Graham tells this story uh in one of his books, but this is what he what he says. 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:29.519 He says, One night at the Pattons, hostile natives surrounded his home, intent on driving the Pattons out of their home and killing them. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:35.360 Patton and his wife prayed through the entire night, and when daylight finally came, the attackers were gone. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:45.360 A year later, the chief of that tribe became a Christian, and Patton asked the chief about that night they surrounded his home, and the chief replied, Hey, who are all those men you had with you there? 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:49.519 And Patton was confused and explained that only he and his wife were there. 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:55.600 And the chief insisted that he had seen hundreds of big men with shining garments and swords circling the house. 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:58.399 So the natives were afraid and did not attack. 00:15:58.559 --> 00:15:59.120 I love that. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:00.799 That's a cool story right there. 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:05.840 But what I think is far more amazing about this story is the patents didn't see any of that. 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:10.879 Like they they prayed all night, saw no men with shining garments and awesome swords. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:13.200 But the people who needed to see it saw it. 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:16.879 And they decided, like, hey, I think we could take those that man and woman in the house. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.159 I don't think we could take the shining people that are walking around the perimeter. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:21.519 Like, I don't think we have that. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:23.360 And so they end up walking away. 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:26.879 But if they had stopped praying, like, I don't feel like this is doing anything. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:31.759 I'm looking out the window for shining people with swords, and I don't see anything happening, so we should just stop praying. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:32.480 This isn't working. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.000 Who knows what would have happened? 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:41.360 But they took it by faith that, like, this actually empowers us and it moves in power and it shifts things and changes things. 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:43.200 And so they continued to pray. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:45.919 And the chief himself is like, look, I don't know what to tell you. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:48.720 We saw some folks there, and so we didn't move in. 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:57.679 And to us, or to me, I think that prayer is powerful because it empowers us, regardless of whether you see it, regardless of whether you feel it. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:04.160 It is all of those things because Jesus is not a liar and he's not lying to you, and he's not lying to the disciples. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.160 When they're asking, like, why couldn't we do it? 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.680 He's not just saying because you didn't pray, he's not saying that to make them feel bad. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:15.599 He's saying, seriously, you would have been empowered with something that you didn't have and you chose not to pray. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:23.440 Jesus is stating that there are certain things that only come out by receiving power beyond ourselves, and this is true for you. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:31.680 There are things in your life right now that you are physically uncable or incapable and do not have the power to get out of your life. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:39.759 There are struggles, strongholds, temptations you're facing, hardships, addictions, fears, anxieties, thoughts, doubts, questions. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:48.000 You are bumping up against and you will bump up against relationships and things that are happening in the lives of your kids and your family and your friends and your coworkers in the culture. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:53.519 Like you are bumping up against things that you cannot physically in your own strength deal with. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:01.519 And if you choose to continue to believe or disbelieve Jesus, that prayer empowers you, then those things are just going to continue to torment your life. 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:09.680 They're going to stay because you're not powered enough, you're not empowered enough with actually the ability to be able to deal with it. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:13.359 And so his encouragement is like, guys, you should have prayed. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:15.519 And you would have had power beyond yourself. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:17.759 You would have experienced something very different. 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:21.359 Something would have shifted in your marriage, but you chose not to pray. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:26.000 Something would have shifted in your kids, but you chose not to do this. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:29.359 You could have changed some of the things that were going on in your world and in your life. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.559 It's available to you. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:33.279 That power isn't just Jesus because I'm the Son of God. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:34.079 That's amazing. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:40.160 But he's like, that power is available to you, and you chose to not tap into it because you chose not to pray. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:46.000 Prayer empowers us to do with God's strength what we cannot do in our own strength. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:48.079 So that's the first thing that he's saying. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:52.799 Number two, prayer not only empowers us, but prayer changes things. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.039 Prayer actually changes things. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.000 When they ask, why couldn't we drive this out? 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:01.119 Jesus doesn't say, honestly, don't worry about it. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:04.400 God's going to do whatever he's going to do anyway, so your prayers don't really make a difference. 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:06.000 Like he does not say that. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.680 He's like, Why couldn't we drive it out? 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:09.440 Because you didn't pray. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:13.279 You could have changed something, but you chose not to pray. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:15.599 You could have shifted something in the room. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:18.720 That boy could have not been suffering as long as he is currently suffering. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:21.279 You could have taken away this kid's suffering. 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:27.519 And because you chose not to pray, you extended the life of his suffering because you chose not to pray. 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.319 Like you could actually shift things that are going on. 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.039 But because you didn't pray, those things didn't change. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.240 And it was possible. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:36.480 You could have changed this situation. 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:38.960 You could have shifted things in the world. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.839 But this kind only comes out by prayer. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:46.559 Prayer would have made a difference because prayer has the power to change things. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:56.079 There exists in Christian culture and community, maybe it's just in the States. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:58.319 I've never tested it internationally. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:05.759 This prevailing lie that prayer doesn't matter, prayer doesn't change things. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:08.079 God's going to do whatever he's going to do anyway, so prayer doesn't matter. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:09.200 That exists in the church. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:10.559 It will not exist in this church. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:11.519 We're going to shift that. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.319 That's going to change. 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.440 I can't speak for the churches anywhere else, but I lead this one. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:16.559 It will die here. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.319 That lie will go to die here. 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:19.680 Because it's not true. 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:27.119 There's nowhere in the Bible that says, here's a verse, uh, don't worry about praying because God's pretty much just gonna roll however he's gonna roll, and that doesn't really do anything. 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:30.880 There's no Bible verse that says that because the Bible is truth, and that's a lie. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:35.839 And so it's never going to be in this space where you read in the scriptures, where you find, I don't think prayer is that important. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:42.799 If you read the whole canon of scripture, what you wind up with at the end is like, I think prayer is drastically important. 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:47.200 I think he has given us this incredible privilege of stewarding and shaping the world. 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.880 Like, that's where you wind up. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:55.759 And yet somehow, spiritual warfare, in my opinion, has convinced the lie in the church that like this doesn't really matter. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.960 This doesn't really shift things, prayer doesn't really change things. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:01.920 God wants us to do it as a discipline, but it doesn't really do anything. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:04.079 He's gonna do whatever he wants to, anyways, because he's sovereign. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:06.079 And it's like, you don't understand sovereignty. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:07.680 That's not how that works. 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:15.359 And so it's a lie, and I hate it, and it's gonna die in this church, but you know, if you if you believe that, there's tons of great churches, they just don't, anyways. 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.000 But um we love you, you're welcome here. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:21.279 Um but they were not praying. 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:22.079 This story proves that. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:23.759 They were not praying, and so they were missing out. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:25.119 The same is true for you. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:28.240 If you don't pray, you will miss out. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.839 You will not see things change that could have changed. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:34.640 Theologian Dallas Willard says this. 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:41.759 He says, the idea that everything would happen exactly as it does, regardless of whether we pray or not, makes prayer psychologically impossible. 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:52.640 What it means is what he's saying is like if you think you're dealing with issues or something and you think, I should pray, your brain will immediately go, but prayer doesn't do anything. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:55.279 God's already gonna do whatever he's gonna do in this situation, anyways. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:57.680 And so it makes prayer like, then why am I doing this? 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.680 I should just continue walking forward, regardless. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.319 Is because God's gonna just do whatever. 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:04.720 He's like, it makes it psychologically impossible. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:09.200 And then you end up praying, but you're not praying in faith, which is actually something that actually is very important. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:11.200 You pray just because, like, I don't know, it's a duty. 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:12.720 He told me to, I'm supposed to. 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:14.880 But it makes it psychologically impossible. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:19.599 He continues and he says, God's response to our prayers is not a charade. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:25.039 He does not pretend that he is answering our prayer when he is only doing what he was going to do, anyways. 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:29.519 Our requests really do make a difference in what God does or does not do. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:35.039 Your requests in prayer really do make a difference in what God does or does not do. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:44.079 And anytime I'm in a conversation with somebody about this, it normally leads to the question well then why, if God knows my needs, why does he wait? 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:45.680 Why does he wait for me to pray? 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:53.039 If he knows what I need, if he knows what's going on, if he's all powerful and omniscient and knows all the stuff, why does he wait? 00:22:53.119 --> 00:23:00.000 Well, Myron Augsburger, he was a pastor and a theologian, he addresses this exact same question with probably the best quote that I've ever uh heard on it. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:04.160 But he says, if he knows our needs, he addresses the question, if God knows our needs, why pray? 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:05.039 That's what people ask. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:11.200 And he says, it is because he waits, God waits to move until we recognize him and his will. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:18.880 Prayer moves the hand of God by giving him the moral freedom to do in your life what he's been wanting to do. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:23.759 And so God, in his sovereign practice, the way that he runs the world, does not. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.720 He refuses to impose his will upon you. 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:32.400 Consequently, he can function in our lives in accordance with the degree of freedom we surrender to him. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:37.920 He moves, he's never going to force his way into your life. 00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:40.160 He's not going to force his blessings into your life. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:43.519 He's not going to enforce his goodness and force his goodness into your life. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:50.720 And so prayer changes things because he's not going to force what he wants, like the love that he has for you, the things that he wants for you. 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:56.319 He is not going to force those things into your life because he actually loves you and he doesn't want to make you a robot. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.000 And he actually wants you to choose. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:02.960 And so we had prayer changes things because it creates this space where it's like you can do whatever you want to here. 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:06.240 This is why Jesus said, Would you have your will be done here? 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:09.359 Jesus says, Pray, your kingdom come here. 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:13.359 I'm inviting you, I'm giving you moral freedom to do whatever you want to do here. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:14.480 Your kingdom come here. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:15.920 Your will be done here. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:21.759 Jesus is saying, pray that thing so that you're giving me space to stretch my legs and stretch my arms and do some stuff. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.039 You're about to see some weird stuff. 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:26.799 Like he's like, please invite me in to these spaces. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:34.319 And so the first reason he doesn't force himself, or doesn't that prayer changes things is like the reason it changes things is because he's not going to force himself on us. 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:36.000 He's not going to force his will upon us. 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:44.160 And then secondly, the reason prayer changes things is because God actually does want us to learn to be dependent on him. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:49.440 The way that parents want their kids to depend on them, not forever, come on, kids, but like for a little bit. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:54.480 Like you want them to depend on you so that they receive your wisdom and your, you know, what you have for them. 00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:57.759 God wants us to learn dependence on him. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:13.839 And so in your life, if if you just quietly received everything you need and everything that you secretly want but never ask for, what would inevitably happen is you would eventually look at yourself and be like, the reason I have all of this is because of me. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:17.920 If just behind the scenes quietly you receive all of that stuff, you'd be like, I got this. 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:19.119 I did this for myself. 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:22.000 Or you'd or you'd turn it and be like, I'm just lucky. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:25.519 You'd call it luck, you'd call it um good fortune or something. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:29.440 I'm just, I just happen to step into good spaces, and that's why I have these things. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:35.200 If you're not asking him for it, you inevitably would blame it on something else or give credit to something else. 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:39.359 Like karma, like I'm just a good person, and so the universe rewards good people. 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:39.920 No. 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:50.880 And so there's this space where if you don't, he if you don't ask him, and he just quietly gave you all that stuff, you would never look to him and go, like, oh, you're the source of this. 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:56.640 And what he actually wants for us when we pray and when we ask him, and then he provides, you begin to learn. 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:03.039 I think you're a good father who likes to give good gifts to your kids because that's what the scriptures testify that he's about. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:06.079 And so he waits to be asked. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:11.920 Not because he's trying to be cruel, but he's trying to, one, like, I'm not gonna force my love on you. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:15.519 And then two, I want you to actually learn that I'm a good father. 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:20.319 I'd love to give good gifts to my kids, but I need you to learn dependence on me because the safest place for you to be. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:23.839 Not independent of me, but dependent on me. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:26.000 Prayer is the difference maker. 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:27.759 Prayer is the thing that changes things. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:33.119 Billy Graham again says, history has been changed time and time again because of prayer. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:40.960 John Knox, the Scottish theologian, prayed, and the results caused Queen Mary to say, I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the armies of Scotland. 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:41.920 That's pretty good. 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:46.720 John Wesley prayed and revival came to England, sparing the nation of the horrors of the French Revolution. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:50.000 Jonathan Edwards prayed and revival spread through the American colonies. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:55.440 I tell you, history could be changed again if people went back to their knees in believing prayer. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:01.920 Even when times are bleak and the world scorns God, he still works through the prayers of his people. 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.920 He still does that thing. 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:06.799 And so Jesus is like, why couldn't you drive it out? 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:10.000 It's like, because you couldn't change it because you chose not to ask. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:11.759 You chose not to pray. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.000 And prayer changes things. 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:18.960 Jesus is telling us in this story how his kingdom works. 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:23.599 He's like, inside this world, inside my kingdom, asking is very important. 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:25.279 Praying is very important. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.240 How the world works, normally the way you get stuff is you buy it, barter for it, or steal it. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:32.319 In my kingdom, you ask for it. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:33.920 That's how you get it. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:36.799 And so he's teaching us inside his kingdom. 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:39.039