Defiant Prayer, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer told about prayer is not you not want to pray for 60 years or so after the parade. Obviously I struggle with this.you know the process prayer and how you know the rest of us are Pastor Jade here in your house :-) vintage are so glad that you're back with us today.

Your joining us today as we tackle a foundational topic in the Christian life. Prayer every Christian knows appears important that for honest allowing this kind of wonder what the point is, after all, if God is truly in control and he already knows what we need or what we can ask why even bother telling him pastor Jenny answers that question is, we conclude our series called press through if you've missed any of the previous messages can find them all@jdgreer.com. Now here's pastor JD with the second half our message in Daniel titled defiant today with a look at another dog's life is very similar. Daniel felt even if you'll go to church a few times school couple times a kid dangles will the stories that you likely know is it will most famous Bible heroes of all time. But what I want to do is spend a little time in his life looking at a few things to be in Daniel six. I will try to show you three things about Daniel's life and his relationship a prayer. That's a major theme in Daniel's life.

Three things about Daniel's prayer. Michelle you personal Daniel's discipline in prayer for discipline of prayer subtly and will try to show you Daniel's defiance through prayer minimum so you Daniel's endurance and prayer. Daniel did not get his marching orders from the king or the daily newspaper or the school administration officials what was popular now what was trending on twitter or always being socially acceptable or politically correct or anything else. Daniel got his marching orders from God, which was by the way, the key to his success is when you try to please everybody. You will fail when you are concerned with pleasing only God. It makes first of all decision-making much easier because you know that a lot of decisions you made because you know that you go to please God and God himself prospered. Daniel because of it was the key to his success as you live for an audience of one.

Whatever decisions you make wanting you to please that was God's God was in charge of his success by best single story Bellamy extrapolate three things out of that story that I mentioned to you about Daniel's prayer.

Here they are number one. I will rephrase them to apply to our lives what our prayer should be characterized by discipline.

My parents taught it to me when I was a teenager and about God's grace with his help, that is been a part of my life almost every day versus I was a teenager is just daily meeting with God to be able to bring to him these things and that led his power, his strength come into me. Honestly, does you that do not have a timer you meet with God every day.

I don't know how you do it.

I really don't. I don't know how you gain the wisdom to make decisions.

I don't know how you have the strength to maintain your marriage and other relationships. I don't know how you don't know the difficulty I do know how you deal with difficult people and how you raise your children. Because that is the lifeblood for me because it is the place where God's wisdom and his power is the vehicle the conduit by which God releases that strength. That's the key additional strength visiting me to God, three times a day. Jesus before he made decisions before he chose his 12 disciples all night in prayer all night was awesome. You spent a significant amount of time in prayer before you made a decision where you go to college where you major in the day you have a Merry right already, you'll need it because maybe Jesus just resisted that he needed. I gotta stop because he was weak right yeah I would say that Jesus documented account. Prayer covers before he made significant decisions and probably be a good idea for me and you that we would make significant decisions that we have a prayer that brings up our stuff all the time you look at the children of Israel in the Old Testament. What you find out is that the place where they went wrong.

Joshua 11 is when they forgot to pray about certain decisions and is made because they look obvious to them. I would say that you are cutting yourself off from the life and power of God in your family and your life unless you have a daily type that you meet with God is powerful is in the what if the means by which God steals our spirit and strengthens our resolve is meeting with him and pray God gives us the ability to make wise decisions. The ability to bring Harley to our marriage, ability to raise her kids. What if that was the means by which God did that and you cut yourself off from it easy.

It is the way you overcome the weaknesses of your flesh is the way that you gain access to the wisdom and power of God. God, unless you are the one who builds my children, unless you establish my marriage lets you build my church, my ministry my life I'm laboring in vain. How much have you labored in vain.

Building a house that has no spiritual significance at all.

You labored hard labor hard to build your career to build your family and you want ridiculously hard lesson God builds the house, the way that you lay hold of the blessing of the power, the promise of God consistently throughout the Bible is by believing prayer so our prayers should be characterized by discipline, number two, our prayer should be characterized by defiance she would. Daniel's doing is holding up the words of God to God is all know the promises of God to God is his God. You promised it. Your name your names on the line. This is not an idea you said it and I want you to do what you said you would do but does them effective prayer begins when you perceive the gap between where a situation is and where God wants it to be. Now listen that in most cases has to be done with humility because we don't always know the will of God, rattle a lot of times I will know exactly what God wants.

But a lot of the will of God. I do know through his word.

So here's my question for you. How well do you know the word of God. How well you know the word of God because the strengths of our prayers, strength of our prayers to God are entirely dependent on our knowledge of the word of God.

The strength of your prayers to God are entirely dependent on your knowledge of the word of God told you last week.

The Bible is your prayer book is the promises that God has laid out for you practice them. Prayers that started in heaven, or heard by heaven. So if you want to have the help of heaven. You got a list of the words from heaven because prayers that are affected begin and end with the promises of God. They give you perceiving what God intends.

It begins with you.

Praying God's word but you listen to the prayers of people who get God's attention itself_quote Scripture at all.how well do you know the word of God because your prayers will not be any stronger than your knowledge of the word of God. Prayers that are heard by God are expressed.

According to the will of God. You will of God. The word of God. Therefore you will know the will of God, he will hear the word of God the prayers at your prayer not to be more effective than your ability to know the work thing that you gotta do is you better start knowing the Bible. And you gotta start anchoring your prayers in Scripture.

The reason some of your prayer lives are so weak like a mantra that God is like the sound of the words you begin to understand the heart and the mind of God and use pray his words back to him. You've got to know the word of God. It's not too late to start mass of your boys are your 40s are in your 50s and you barely know what God says about your marriage and your family are certain situations you need to become a student of God's word, because that will become the means by which you begin to pray because you'll start to perceive situations for God's will. Says one thing and this is what the situation is you perceive that gap you'll start to say God let your will be done on earth like it is an avid it is when you perceive a gap between where God wants a situation to be and where situation is that you lay hold of God's promises that his power and you change the situation where you perceive a gap in your life is and how you struggle with sin is out of the gap is, is it in your marriage is in the life of one of your children. Is it in the ministry situation that you are in a ministry situation, whether it's with family or friends or wherever you see a gap between where you know God wants you to be where it is. When I was a senior and when I was a senior in college, I started a Bible study of told you this before him toward a Bible study our campus together with one my best friends than Bruce Ashford is now an elder here in our church on the glue from a handful of people. My senior year to several hundred people. For whatever reason it threatened the school administration, mainly because I think we started a small movement and because the gospel was being preached and you notice the gospel people are okay with the idea of Christians will also free to become defensive. The people because is there salvation found in one that's Jesus and you are to be saved through him we were seeing this, gospel, wakening inhabitants of the school administration tried various ways to discourage our group have a Closing down buildings one allows the media. Finally, they told me at the end of that year that I was no longer welcome to teach the Bible on their campus, When I graduated, so that what you tell me not to come back to the campus and teach the Bible. This is not even if uninvited by student that I don't yet know you and I want to do that sit as far as we're concerned you are not allowed to walk a bit campus with an open Bible and teach them out of the Bible. But as far as I know that based on the fact they've never lifted out on me know a group of us, we just how it was fruitful years of ministry I've ever seen or heard about a group of students that this involved when looking at scores of people would come to Christ been discipled. I know people on the mission field today who came out of that movement.

We could see how it was God's will that is subtle, that now sober for 21-year-old didn't know any better, just waiting for God to God. This is your situation.

I don't know what to do. The administration knew it was too big to just cancel it so they asked for somebody in their religion department that would take it over and just kind of you more shape and conformist movement of students in the what they wanted.

One guy came forward a rising star in their religion department named Alex. Alex and I'd like to take it over. He was a religious student. They said fine will that they know this is a guy that we've been discipling for six months and he took over the Bible study and let it for the next three years beyond larger than anything we ever had because he was a student there was so much less they could forbid him to do. We perceive the gap is over 21-year-olds who had very little time. Not much knowledge we perceive the gap between what was and what God wanted. So we lay hold of the promises of God and pray the door open for the gospel and God. So what they intended for evil in God you're listening to the message titled prayer here on life. JD Greer when you take a moment and ask you about your email inbox full of spam and newsletters like night like you don't remember signing up for many vast cases. So why not invite something both wholesome and valuable to replace the state take the time to sign up today for the daily email devotional from Pastor Jamie.

The devotionals follow along with our current teaching here on the program you can stay plugged into these messages regardless of your schedule click better way to remember and curse all that were learning about prayer. Right now I think flagging even after the show is over. Sign up for this free resource. JD Greer.com/resources now. Let's return for the final moments in her teaching series titled press again some a church I've received gap between where our church is where I perceive God wants the gospel to be.

I know that what God wants is for the home was the orphan, the prisoner, the mother the high school dropout to have a felt experience with the healing power of Jesus and that he wants his people saturating every broken part of the city so that they can testify to them in those places of how much God loves them and how much and how able he is to heal.

I know that what God wants is a spirit of unity between the churches in Raleigh-Durham and unbelievable spirit of unity where they serve one another and wash one another's feet.

That is itself a testimony of the gospel. I know that God wants the racial and racial diversity among believers in the Raleigh-Durham area to be a testimony to the reconciling power of the gospel. I know that he wants us to plan a thousand churches and blessed thousand cities and places all around the world have churches that bed that drive.

I know that that's what God told me he wanted and I do find a situation when I perceive the gap between where it is, or don't want to be people in our church are going to yell at you all the time you listen when you yell at you this because I believe this because you believe it is God's word tells us. If so, we believe it we perceive the gap between where is where God wants it, we rise up to claim the promises that God is made available for and we will deify anyone like Darius or his jealous satraps try to keep us from obeying God to bring on King Darius you put us in the in the lives then our God is a God who shut the mouths of wives data private disability private Defiance number three last one or prayer should be characterized by endurance, endurance into quick observations from Daniel's life.

It will say this job is taken or someone.

Daniel's going to be thrown in the wind before it stopped writing Daniel's wondering thrown in the lines them avoid stopping us how much he endured.

My question how Bibles prayer to you. Daniels would lose his life for its operating how much of a priority. Is it in your day. The game changer so you will look back at this time in your life is to be the game changer. This is all you get out of the series that you have a daily time to meet with God I've told you this before so you have been around the church for a while. One of the top two or three memories I have. Growing up in my house is what I would get up early when I get wrong for whatever reason I can remember as a five-year-old going into where my dad at 530 in the morning before he went off to work was on his knees with his Bible open, pray for us.

Nothing that my dad ever taught me had as big of an impact on me is seeing him on his knees praying and asking God to work in his family because I saw the belief he had, the God of prayer, and I felt the effects of the answers to prayer some of your children death desperately need to see that you have a time that you meet with God so they know the source of what is going on and you want to do it with them and in front of them.

That's all. Daniel endured right number two Daniel under this, Daniel's willing to persist in prayer until God answered. Dana was going to persist until God answer and we know listen as we know the return from exile that he prayed for. We know that it took 70 years. You do the math to figure out the Daniel prayed for at least 60 years before God answered 16 years you will and pray for something for six years before.answers would you make it that long would you pray for something for 60 years with no answer. That's how Daniel endured psycho light so you look up and you like what is going on. There's a lot more happening than you realize going on when you break that was. It doesn't directly say just to be fair, it doesn't really say the second angel came because they know Right but you gotta wonder about the connection. Daniel 321 day God module answered majors like I'm trying to answer what do humans in the way Daniel keeps praying, here's my question what it Daniel had quit praying on day 21 is equipped rented a 20 I don't know to be honest with you.

There's so much mystery here. It is unwise to speculate but I know the uniform teaching of Scripture to share with you last week is that some answers are only given in response to persistent prayer. Some answers only given response to persistent prayer so you pray for 20 days and there's no answer key. You pray for 60 years and there's no answer key, praying how ghastly I struggle with this how you know how do you know when you persist in prayer and how you know when the rest of the sovereignty of God in Matthew 16 Jesus talk about prayer fees is not in the door will be open to you. Not having you just want to write, you don't still like to know when you're not my store with they gotta bourbon their doors on that you know was that you not you repeatedly not is not to be like the persistent widow who wears the judge down to her persistent asking be like Jacob wrestled with God be like Daniel who pressed her for 21 days and 60 years, we know the early church pray. We know they prayed all night for the release of Peter Linda's Ascot one-time gold watch TV and leaving the sovereignty of God's hands. They Pray until God released him. The Bible honestly present both sides. Honestly, I do not know how to tell you which is which I do say there's attention in the Holy Spirit as to guide you. That's what you got it you got the Holy Spirit to guide you with things like this I would say as a general rule, as a general rule, you should keep pressing through until God makes it clear for you to stop your sure something is God's word and that you're interpreting God's word correctly by the never give up interest you get it so that thing that God is put in your heart that place.

You know God wants to work in your life as God told you to stop praying about it that place. You know the God you believe almost work has got to just operate about it, then don't you praying to God makes it clear stop at me conclude this message with the conclusion of the story some useless meeting you in church like what happens in a little while okay it is bad and is good. I bad day in August on the lines them.

King Darius was evidently pretty good guy you like Daniel you want this to happen, but like abilities gullible weak willed and stupid. So do not stop it. So in the tent of Lyons and King Darius it says is up all night worrying about my patient worry about Daniel but I think this is interesting. King Darius was up all night worrying Daniel's enemies are up all night party.

Daniel is the only one who got a great night slick old Old Republic King Darius rushes down to the deadlines and it's mornings of falsity and say there one night he yells in the Daniel.

Daniel did your God protect you, to keep you in their Daniel got a good night sleep, coffee, newspaper, feet up, repeat reading between the lines, you know me just it's it's a great sea on a professional. I God Daniel safe through his prayer in the plot of wicked men was overturned and gobbled glorified, but do not conclude that the message of this story is simply if you pray and trust God like Daniel, he will always keep you safe and deliver you from harm. That's not true. You know that's not true.

There are too many people in the Bible. The did make it out of the lines then God's people died in lines then all the time so the message of the story is not just there to be a Daniel be like Daniel you get your lines then the message of the book of Daniel, the message Daniel's life of something bigger to Dana point you like Old Testament stories do beyond himself to point you to the way that you can endure the way you can have disappointed the way you had the strength to defy in prayer, you know. How does that Daniel was innocent.

It tells us right was flawless and he was sentenced to death.

There was another that we know who is even more innocent. The Daniel yet. He was sentenced to death as well.

Death by the lien to be read Psalm 22, you'll find of the crucifixion is described in terms of the liens and circling Jesus and tearing his flesh from his body. Jesus was innocent. Jesus will save us the deathlike Daniel Daniel trusted God in some pretty impressive ways. There was one who trusted God even more than Daniel Jesus. Daniel came out of the liens them without a scratch.

Jesus would come out of his trial, filled with wounds see what that tells me what that tells me is, no matter where I find myself with prayer matter what situation I face. I can trust God because God when in the lines did for me and God was torn apart for me so that I would have no condemnation left over me so I can be sure in whatever situation I again that God hears me because God proved that once and for all on the cross. That's the bigger and better message of day so I can pray for 60 years with no answer why did I know that God is listening to what I was listening because he went in the lines them for me was torn apart for me because I know that God hears. I know that God answers because God became the victim of the lines then that I encouraging message from Pastor Jeannie Greer and with that we wrapped up this short series called pressed through.

Remember you can always hear the entire study. Again, free of charge when you go to Jeannie Greer.com so Jeannie most Christians believe that prayer is important. It comes down to it we sometimes go hold days or even weeks without really spending time in prayer.

Why do you think that is yet most of us want blame our lack of prayer are prayerless and subtle lack of self-discipline that same reason we don't work out enough meat enough broccoli and alfalfa sprouts to lack of discipline prayerless. This is hosting what is a gospel problem because I am not aware how dependent I am on God or how willing he is to help me as well offering this month as it is a great little prayer bundle five things you pray for your kids by Melissa Kruger, Scott think to pray for your parents by Chelsea Stanley and Bob, thank you. Pray for your city by Helen Thomas of the necklace.

It's a great bundle that will really put some structure or maybe even jumpstart your prayer life. I'm very excited to be able to commend them to you if you reach out to us@jdgreer.com. I would love to start a partnership with you where you support the ministry here in the system would be our way of saying thank you. Just a reminder that today is the last day to get your bundle of the five things to pray.

But don't miss out each but the prayer suggestions are based on a passage of the Bible you can hear the don't wait another moment. Contact us today and will send you find out when you generously give to support this ministry, 866-335-5224. Give online Greer.com hi Molly benefits tomorrow.

We are beginning a new teaching series that ministry. Pastor Jeannie often says the gospel jump often into the pool of the Christian my actually I know what this means, between day on your ministry