" we do a lot of praying+ but we don't e!pect an answer," says lu#e $%&'( Ri)# Warren. $ow does #od answer0 we need four attitudes in order to receie an answer from #od.
" we do a lot of praying+ but we don't e!pect an answer," says lu#e $%&'( Ri)# Warren. $ow does #od answer0 we need four attitudes in order to receie an answer from #od.
" we do a lot of praying+ but we don't e!pect an answer," says lu#e $%&'( Ri)# Warren. $ow does #od answer0 we need four attitudes in order to receie an answer from #od.
Lu#e $%&'( Ri)# Warren We're in a series of messages on "Prayer Can Change Your Life". The first week we talked about the four purposes of prayer. The second week we talked about the fie conditions of prayer. Last week we talked about the si! steps in dealing with prayer for a difficult situation or problem. Today " want to talk to you about how #od answers prayer or "$ow to %eceie &n &nswer 'rom #od." There are four attitudes " beliee we need in order to hae answers to our prayers. " heard a story one time about a young girl who wrote a letter to a missionary. "t was a prayer letter and she was trying to lend her support to the missionary. (idently she'd been told not to re)uest a response to her letter because the missionaries were ery busy. *o the missionary got a kick out of her letter. "t said+ ",ear -r. -issionary+ we are praying for you. .ut we are not e!pecting an answer." " think that little girl summari/ed the prayers lies of most Christians. We do a lot of praying+ but we don't e!pect an answer. Why doesn't #od answer0 We're going to look at that today. $ow does #od answer0 We need four attitudes in order to receie an answer from #od. $* You +u,! -e .i//ing !o /e! Go0 an,.er in Hi, o.n !i+e* That means according to $is schedule+ $is timetable. "n other words 11 wheneer #od thinks it's best. The fact is+ #od often delays answers to prayers. $e doesn't answer eerything immediately. Why0 Why does $e wait0 Why does $e withhold the gift sometimes for a period of time0 " think that was the reason 2acharias was so skeptical. *ometimes " hae a hard time belieing #od's going to answer my prayers. .ut " beliee if #od sent a special delierer angel to meet me face to face and say+ "%ick+ "'m here to tell you+ #od has answered your prayer." " think "'d be coninced. " think " would be pretty certain it was going to happen. 2acharias was an ama/ing guy. &n angel comes and says+ "#od sent me here. " am #abriel+ the archangel and you're going to hae your prayer answered." Then 2acharias says in . 34 "$ow can " be sure of this0" $e's the ultimate skeptic. Why didn't he beliee it0 .ecause he had stopped praying that prayer years before. "f you read the passage casually it looks like "$e went into the temple. $e prayed. &nd the angel came and said+ 5Your prayer6s been answered.'" .ut the fact of the matter is+ they had gien up on this prayer years earlier. 2acharias said+ "" am an old man and my wife is well along in years." 7That's diplomacy89 $e says+ "We gae up on that prayer a long time ago." HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " The fact is+ #od often delays. &nd the first principle is you'e got to let #od answer in $is own time. . 3: "The angel said to him, `Don't be afraid Zacharias, your prayer had been heard'" The tense of the word "heard" literally means it's already happened. "t happened a long time ago. #od answers our prayers immediately+ but sometimes there's a delay in the giing of the gift. $e hears it immediately. There's no problem with it taking time for your prayer to get to #od. "t is there instantly. .ut sometimes $e delays the giing of the answer for a period of time and that is one of the hardest things we hae to learn. &s a parent+ the hardest concept for my kids to learn is this. They don't understand the difference between "no" and "not yet". "t's hard for them. They'll say+ ",addy+ can " hae a cookie0" ;ot yet. They might go into a fit like "'m neer going to gie them a cookie. Why0 .ecause immature people don't understand the difference between "no" and "not yet". The mark of maturity in the Christian life is this< $ow long can you wait0 That's a mark of maturity in life. .abies always hae to hae it immediately. .ut a mature person can wait. " talked to a person once who said+ "" tried prayer. " prayed for two weeks and nothing happened so "'e gien up on prayer. "'e lost my faith in prayer." ;o+ you haen't lost your faith. You'e lost your patience. You spell faith 11 P&T"(;C(. 'aith is patience. Why does #od delay our answers to prayer0 =sually it's because $e needs to prepare us first. $e needs to get us ready. $e wants to bless us and in order to gie that blessing to us+ $e has to prepare us for it. -y little girl comes to me and says+ ",addy+ can " drie the car today0" *he's a four year old8 " say+ ";ot today. *omeday you'll get to drie the car. When you grow up and you're mature and you'e learned how to drie+ then you'll get the re)uest answered. .ut not yet+ because you need to grow up." #od waits many times to answer our prayer for us to grow up. The frustration we hae is we usually think we're ready before #od does. We think we're ready to receie the answer and $e's waiting for us to mature. *ometimes " kind of feel like $abakkuk. $abakkuk's big )uestion was "Why0" "$ow long+ Lord0" he says. $ae you eer said that0 "$ow long are You going to let me go through this0" You wonder+ ""f #od sees eerything "'m going through and if #od really cares about what "'m going through and if #od has the power to help me get out of what "'m going through+ what's up+ #od0 Why aren't You working0" That's a legitimate )uestion. "f $e sees and $e cares and $e's got the power to do something about it+ why doesn't $e0 Why doesn't $e work it out0 The answer is+ $e usually wants to change you first. $e wants to change your attitude. &fter you'e learned the right attitude+ then #od's free to go to work on the problem. .ut #od is more interested in making you mature than $e is about making life easy. *o $e starts by saying+ "You get your life changed and then "'ll help you work on the problem." "nstead of going out and saying+ "Lord+ change this situation8" you start by saying+ "Lord+ change me." "Lord+ change me in this marriage and not my spouse." "Lord change me in this >ob problem." ?nce you're in line+ then #od can go ahead and answer. ,o you hae a financial difficulty0 -aybe what #od's saying is "" want you to learn the right attitude about money first and then " can help you out." "s there a problem in your marriage0 @1A HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " -aybe #od's saying+ "'irst you need to change your attitude and then " can start working in your marriage." The fact of the matter is this< #od is neer late. $is timing is perfect. We may think $e's late but $e's neer late. #od's delays are not #od's denials. ";ot yet" does not mean ";o". What do " do0 $ow do " pray when prayer is being delayed0 "'e prayed and it's not been answered immediately+ what do " do0 You keep on praying until one of three things happens< 3. You get the answer. When you get it then you can stop praying. ?bious. A. You get the assurance that you're going to get it. &nd sometimes #od does that. $e says+ ""'m going to gie you this" and you're sure of it and you stop asking #od for it and you start thanking #od for it and you start acting on it. -ark 33 says+ "When you pray believe that you've receive it, and you'll get it." You beliee it in adance. When " was in high school+ " got a letter one day that said " had receied a four1year scholarship to college. " didn't wait for the money to come in to start acting on it+ " started getting ready. " bought some new clothes for college+ got my an in shape. " got ready and said goodbye to my friends and " took off. " acted in faith. " had the assurance that it was coming. We can act that way with #od. *o you keep praying until you get it or until you get the assurance. :. You keep praying until #od reeals to you that it's not $is will. When you figure that out+ you become uncomfortable praying about it and you don't hae any peace so you stop praying. *o in order to receie an answer from #od+ one+ we must be willing to let #od answer in $is time. '* We +u,! -e .i//ing !o /e! Go0 an,.er in Hi, o.n .ay* ;ot only wheneer $e thinks best but howeer $e thinks best. #od's ways are always better and usually bigger when $e answers. The .ible says in "saiah+ "My ays are not your ays." -y ways are higher+ #od says. The reason #od often delays an answer to prayer is so $e can answer in a way bigger than you thought originally. What would hae happened in this story if #od would hae answered (li/abeth and 2acharias' re)uest for a baby immediately0 What would they hae gotten0 & little Bewish baby. &nd they would hae loed him or her. They would hae cherished the baby and it would hae been great. .ut #od delayed the re)uest for a number of years and then when $e answered $e gae them Bohn the .aptist+ cousin of Besus Christ. The last ?ld Testament prophet+ the only prophet able to see the prophecies of Besus fulfilled+ the forerunner of the -essiah. Bohn the .aptist was like the announcer. $e was the forerunner saying+ "$ere $e is8" and is pointing to $im. .ecause #od delayed the re)uest+ $e didn't >ust gie them any old baby. $e gae them a Bohn the .aptist. @1: HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " #od delayed $anna's re)uest for a son many years. .ut when $e finally gae her a son+ $e gae her a *amuel+ the greatest ?ld Testament prophet. #od does this. ?ur problem is two fold< We ask too little and we want it too )uick. "nstead of letting #od work in $is time+ in $is way to do something big. We don't dream big enough. We don't pray big enough. We don't think big enough. We aim too low. "n (phesians :<AC "!ut "od is able to do even e#ceedingly above hat you are able to thin$ or imagine." You think of the greatest thing in your imagination and #od can do bigger than your imagination. That's ama/ing8 *ometimes " beliee that erse and " try to claim it. " pray+ ""'m going to beliee You for something impossible" and " think of the biggest thing " can pray for and think+ "This is really going to impress #od." " pray for it and wait for the Wow8 from #od. " get+ "*on+ can't you do any better than that0 Where's your creatiity0 Where's your imagination0 " can do that with no problem8 .eliee -e for something big8 " can do something aboe what you can imagine." We'e prayed and asked #od for AC+CCC members in our church. .ut we don't want them oernight. We want them a little at a time as the church grows oer AC+ :C+ @C years. The way #od does it+ is like the way $e gae the land of "srael to the "sraelites. When they were led across the %ed *ea and got to the Promised Land and #od said+ ""'m going to gie you this land+ but you're only going to get it little by little. "'m not going to gie it to you all at once because it'd oerwhelm you." "f #od really gae you all the re)uests you ask+ it would oerwhelm you. Bohn ,. %ockefeller said+ ""'d neer gie anybody a million bucks. "t would ruin him. They couldn't handle it." #od said ""'ll gie the land to you little by little and you can take oer the land a little at a time." Let #od answer in $is own time and you let #od answer in $is own way. "f #od had answered some of my prayers e!actly as "'d asked them+ " would hae gotten short1changed. $is answer was much greater than what " asked for. "'m thankful that #od hasn't answered all my prayers. *ome of them would hae been a disaster8 #od says+ "Let me answer in -y time and -y way." You're praying about a >ob. You want to get this >ob change and all of a sudden it falls through. ,on't sweat it8 #od's got a better idea. You're praying about a situation. &ll of a sudden+ it doesn't work out. ,on't worry about it. #od's got Plan .. &ctually it is Plan & 11 yours was Plan .8 Let #od answer in $is time and $is way. *ometimes the worst thing in the world for us is to get our re)uests answered. The prodigal son. What did he say0 "#ie me my inheritance8" $e got it and it ruined him. " remember when Day and " got married+ we got a wedding card from a guy named Leonard %aenhill. "t said+ "#od always gies $is best to those who leae the choice to $im." Let #od answer in $is time and let #od answer in $is way. (* You +u,! -e .i//ing !o /e! Go0 an,.er in Hi, o.n 1o.er2 in Hi, o.n a-i/i!y* @1@ HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " ,on't try to help out #od. ,on't ask for it and then you go out and try to work it out on your own. Let #od answer in $is own power. That's called a miracle. &nd #od says+ "Let -e do it in -y own power." There's an important truth in this story about 2acharias and (li/abeth. The fact is this< #od often waits until the situation is humanly impossible before $e answers. When did #od gie 2acharias and (li/abeth a baby0 &fter they were beyond childbearing years. They said+ "We're too old8" They were physically unable to hae kids. Then #od answered. Why0 .ecause when #od answers an impossible situation+ who gets all the credit0 Who gets all the glory0 "t's a greater miracle. The same thing happened to *arah and &braham. ?ne day #od came to &braham and said+ "You're going to be the father of a great nation." &braham said+ "" don't hae any kids+ but that's great8" *o he waited and waited... &ll of a sudden &braham is ninety1nine years old and still nothing's happened. "n the meantime+ he has decided he's going to help #od out instead of letting #od do it in his own power. *o he goes and gets a second wife and has a child by her. #od says+ "That's not -y plan8 Let -e do it in -y time+ -y way and -y power." *o at age ninety1nine and $is wife is ninety+ an angel comes to him one day and says+ "&braham+ you're going to be a 'ather." %omans @ says+ "%braham staggered not." " think "'d hae staggered if " heard that at ninety1nine. $e goes to his home and says+ "$oney+ you're neer going to beliee what " >ust heard. You're going to hae a baby." That's got to be the first time in history that the man knew first. What was *arah's reaction0 *he started laughing. We know she didn't beliee it because she laughed. & ninety1year1old woman who hears she's going to be pregnant would not laugh+ she'd cry if she belieed it. *he laughs. Then #od gies a child. The point is that #od waited until it was humanly impossible+ hopeless+ then $e answered the prayer with a miracle. Warning about prayer< "f you start praying about something+ particularly a problem+ do not be surprised if it gets worse before it gets better. You're haing problems in your marriage and you start praying+ and your mate gets more hostile+ or you're praying about a financial problem and all of a sudden it gets worse+ or you're praying for somebody to get well+ and they get sicker. Why0 .ecause sometimes #od will let things get to the point of hopelessness in order that $e might gain the most glory out of it. Let #od answer in $is power. $is plan is to let the thing get out of our control and when you're about ready to gie up hope+ that's an opportunity for a miracle. There's a beautiful story in the .ible that illustrates this. The story of -ary and -artha. They were sisters. They had a brother named La/arus. ?ne day La/arus got sick and so -artha and -ary sent for Besus to come for $im to be healed. They sent a message "Besus+ come )uick. "t is an emergency situation. We need You right now. ?ur brother is sick. You'e got to come right now8" They were frantic. & lot of times we pray that way. "#od+ You'e got to do something now8 "t's urgent. ,o it now8" .ut nothing happens. "n the story about -ary and -artha+ Besus intentionally delayed. $e was >ust a few miles away from their home but it took $im three days to get there. You look at it from an outsider's iewpoint and it looks like Besus was callous. "t looked like $e didn't care+ >ust imperious to the @1E HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " situation and didn't care. $e waits three days. Then after three days after this re)uest+ $e turns to $is disciples+ "Let's go." $e goes to La/arus' home. .y this time La/arus has died and -ary and -artha come running out and they both said the same thing+ "Besus+ where hae You been0 "f You had been here when we called You+ this wouldn't hae happened. We called four days ago. You delayed and our brother's dead." They're rebuking #od. We do the same thing. We say+ "Why+ #od0 Why are You doing this0 What are You doing0 Why haen't You answered0 "t's still lousy." Besus >ust calmly looked at them and said+ "-ary+ -artha+ if you'll >ust beliee+ you will see the glory of #od. You'll see a miracle." $e walks up to the cae+ because they buried them in caes. They moed the stone out of the way and Besus says+ "La/arus+ come on down8 Come forth8" *omebody has said that it's a good thing that $e said+ "La/arus" because if $e had >ust said+ "Come forth"+ eerybody who was dead would hae come forth. That was a rhema. "t was a specific word+ to a specific man+ at a specific time. $e says+ "La/arus+ come forth." $e neer said that to eery other dead person in the alley. $e >ust said it to one man and that man came forth. The point is+ Besus waited until the situation was humanly impossible and then $e bailed him out. $e did it in $is own power. Which gies #od the most glory0 %aising the dead or curing a sick person0 #od always does it in a way that gies $im the most glory. ¬her story in the .ible. Barius had a twele1year1old daughter who was sick+ dying. ?ne day+ he comes to Besus in a crowd and says+ "-y daughter is dying+ she's ery sick. Please come." *o Besus starts walking and as he's walking+ there's another lady who had a problem 11 there is also the twele years. The daughter was twele years old and this woman had been ill for twele years. *he had a hemorrhage in her body and she could not stop bleeding and it had bothered her for twele years. *he comes up behind Besus and touches $im on the back in the crowd. Besus is walking to Barius' home and stops and turns around and says+ "Who touched -e0" The disciples are saying+ "What do You mean+ 5Who touched -e0' You're in a crowd." .ut $e felt this woman's touch. What would you do if you were Barius0 Your daughter's dying and Besus says+ "Who touched -e0" 11 "Besus+ who cares who touched You. -y daughter is dying. #et on the stick8 Let's moe it. There's eerybody all around You. Let's go." Besus stops and hears the woman's story and $e heals that woman right there on the spot8 That means there was a delay. $e starts up again after this interruption and Barius' serants come from the home and tell him+ "'orget it8 "t's too late. *end the -aster back. The girl's died. "t's too late." Besus turned around to Barius and says+ "Barius+ don't worry about it. Bust keep on belieing." &nd $e goes in and raises the girl from the dead. The point of that story is this< While you are waiting for #od to answer your prayer+ keep your eyes open to see confirmations of #od's power in other people's lies. Barius got a liing e!ample. "t didn't matter if the girl were alie or dead. Besus was going there. $e turned around to the woman as if to say+ "Barius+ hold your horses8 Watch this. You ain't seen nothing yet." &nd $e heals the lady. @1F HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " When you are waiting for a prayer that's been delayed+ you keep your eyes open to watch #od at work in other people's lies and it will build your faith. ,o you want to hae an answer from #od0 .e willing to let #od answer in $is own time. .e willing to let #od answer in $is own way. .e willing to let #od answer in $is own power. "* 3e .i//ing !o /e! Go0 an,.er for Hi, o.n 1ur1o,e* ;ot only wheneer $e wants+ howeer $e wants+ but also for whateer reason $e chooses. Why does #od answer prayer0 What are $is reasons0 The entire .ible summari/es why #od answers prayer in two statements< 'or our growth+ and for $is glory. That's why #od answers all prayer. 'irst+ for our growth+ for our gain+ for our blessing. Two+ for $is glory. $e answers a prayer when $e can be glorified in that answer. Then $e answers. Why did #od answer (li/abeth's and 2acharias' prayer for a son0 .ecause $e needed a Bohn the .aptist. $e had a purpose for that little boy. $e knew that (li/abeth and 2acharias would raise him well. %emember the story of Boseph in the .ible0 #od said to Boseph in a dream+ "You're going to be a ruler one day. You're going to be the ruler of a great county." Then what happened0 Boseph was promptly sold by his brothers into slaery. $e goes as a slae into his master's home+ his master's wife tries to seduce him+ he would not gie in+ so the wife has him put in >ail. That's not e!actly the way to build a political career. *old into slaery and then maligned and put in >ail. $is whole career is downhill. .ut #od made him second in command in (gypt in $is own time+ in $is own way+ with $is power 11 Boseph had nothing to do about it 11 for $is purpose. " think the greatest e!ample of what "'m trying to say we can see in the life of Paul. %omans 3. Paul was willing to let #od answer his prayers in $is own time+ in $is own way+ in $is own method+ $is own power+ for $is own purpose. %omans 3. This is a letter that Paul wrote to the Christians in %ome+ which was the capital of the %oman (mpire at that time. . G "To all ho are in &ome ho are called by "od called to be saints." $e says he's been praying for them 11 . 3C+ "'n my prayers at all times and ' pray no that at last by "od's ill the ay may be opened for me to come to you." . 3E "That is hy ''m so eager to preach the gospel also to you ho are in &ome." Paul's desire+ his one motie in life+ his ultimate goal+ his dream was to preach in %ome. "" want to go to the most significant city in the world. " want to preach to the moers and the shakers." " can imagine what his dream was. ""'m going to go to %ome. "'m going to rent the coliseum for three nights. "'m going to pass out flyers. "'m going to get a great P& system and a good Christian rock group to back me up and we're going to hae one great crusade. ;ero's going to get saed...." $e had isions of preaching in %ome. %omans 3E is Paul's great prayer. $e lied and breathed his desire to go to %ome. . AC "'t has alays been my ambition to preach the gospel here (hrist as not $non so that ' ould not be building on someone else's foundation." That's been a life erse of mine. . A@ "' plan to do so hen ' go to )pain. ' hope to visit you hile passing through and to have you assist me on my *ourney there and ' have en*oyed your company for a hile." $e wants to come to %ome. @1G HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " Then he says+ "+ray that ''m going to have a prosperous *ourney." ,id #od eer answer Paul's prayer0 Yes+ but notice how $e did it. &cts A4<3F Luke says talking about Paul "When e got to &ome, +aul as alloed to live by himself ith a soldier to guard him." That's not e!actly what Paul had in mind 11 house arrest. Paul went as a prisoner to %ome. That's how he ended up getting there. $e had been put through the %oman court system and he ends up in %ome as a prisoner in a house chained to a %oman centurion. That's not e!actly his plan. $e had written+ "Pray for me that " might hae a prosperous >ourney." What kind of >ourney did he hae0 $e was in a shipwreck+ in chains+ in the middle of winter+ and he got bitten by a bunch of snakes. "t's not e!actly your typical -editerranean cruise. "t would neer make it on ,ove !oat. "t wasn't our opinion of a rela!ing way to %ome. $e gets there as a prisoner and then is kept in house arrest. The point is this. Paul made it to %ome. .ut he was willing to let #od work it out in #od's way. $ow did Paul get there0 Through 'eli! and &grippa and Caesar 11 %oman leaders. Point< *ometimes #od answers our prayers through the most unlikely people. $e'd probably neer imagined that 'eli!+ &grippa and Caesar were going to be the answer to Paul's prayer to get to %ome. *econd+ #od answered in $is own time. ;o telling how many times Paul packed his bags and tried to head off for %ome. "t was in his blood. $e wanted to do it more than anything else. The fact of the matter is+ #od is neer in a hurry. You study the #ospels+ and read about Besus' work+ how many times did $e say+ ""t's not time yet." $e was neer in a hurry. Then #od answered for $is own purpose. Paul wanted to go to %ome to preach. Why did #od want Paul in %ome0 To write. While Paul was in %ome under house arrest+ he had a lot of time on his hands. What did he do0 $e wrote a bunch of letters to different Christians all oer the -editerranean. They put them together and it's now called the ;ew Testament. We got the ;ew Testament because Paul was allowing #od to answer in $is own way+ $is own time+ for $is own @14 HOW TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD Prayer Can Change Your Life Par! " of " purpose. Paul was such an actiist the only way #od could get him to slow down and write the ;ew Testament was put him in >ail. Paul's real desire was that he might make an impact for Christ on the world. $e thought the best way to make that impact was to preach in %ome. *ometimes #od denies our original re)uest to gie us what is really the desire of our heart. What made a greater impact+ preaching in %ome for a three1day crusade or writing the .ible0 ?bious. *ummari/e< When you pray and the re)uest is not right+ #od says ";o." When you pray and you're not right+ #od says+ "#row." When you pray and the timing is not right+ #od says+ "*low." When eerything's in place+ #od says+ "#o." $e gies the green light and you're able to moe. Prayer< What about your prayer life this morning0 &re you willing to let #od answer your prayer in $is way+ anyway $e sees fit0 "n $is time+ wheneer $e sees fit0 Whateer way $e thinks best0 "n $is power0 "t may mean that things don't go all as planned for a while+ and they may get worse+ so #od can do a miracle when the situation becomes humanly impossible. &re you willing to let #od answer your prayers for $is purpose0 What is $is purpose0 Your growth and $is glory. Why are you praying what you are praying0 What's your motie0 "f you're praying for health+ what are you going to do with that health in your body once you're got it0 "f you're praying for financial freedom+ what are you going to do with all that money once you'e got it0 "f you're praying for a new >ob+ what are you going to do with it0 Will #od get any glory out of it0 &re you willing to let $im answer in $is time+ in $is way+ in $is ability+ for $is purpose0 Would you pray this prayer in your heart0 "Lord+ help me to know You better. $elp me to reali/e how much You loe me. $elp me to know Your plan for my life. $elp me to cooperate in that plan. Besus Christ+ " ask You to come into my life. -ake me a Christian. -ake me a new person inside. " want to know You personally+ not >ust as a religion but in a relationship. -ake Yourself real to me this morning. " want to beliee in You. " do beliee in You. Thank You for loing me. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. $elp me to understand it more." "f you prayed a prayer like this+ a prayer of commitment+ #od brought you here for a purpose today. This is a new beginning for you. " made a decision like this a number of years ago and it was a turning point in my life. " didn't understand it all but >ust like you+ " prayed a simple prayer. The purpose of our church is to help you grow. Lord+ thank You for Your word. Thank You that it's practical and releant and it applies to our lies. $elp us to let You answer our prayers in Your way+ in Your time+ for Your purpose+ in Your ability. We know that Your ways are always better and usually bigger. "n Besus' name. &men. @1H