For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
when life throws you a challenge where
does your strength come from today I
want to share with you how to have a
strong life that perspective and power
that carries you through the storms and
a foundation of wisdom that will give
you a life direction fruitfulness and
peace then after the message join me for
a conversation my son Andy as we tackle
some very practical questions about
prayer and talk about how to have a
daily enriching conversation with God
next on InTouch a strong life you can
have a strong body and have a weak life
you can have a strong life have a weak
body well you can have a strong life and
a strong body all of us know what
constitutes a strong body but what
constitutes a strong life and that’s
what I want to talk about in this
message as we said we’ve had three in
this series of church and and family and
now the whole idea of a strong life what
is a strong life so I want you to turn
to a very familiar passage that just
perfectly describes we’ll be talking
about and that’s the seventh chapter
Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount and
in the beginning in the 24th verse and
how many times have you read this and so
I want us to look at this in light of a
strong life and so Jesus said in verse
24 therefore everyone who hears these
words of mine and acts on them may be
compared to a wise man who built his
house on the rock and the rain fell and
the floods came and the winds blew and
slammed against the house and yet it did
not fall for it hadn’t been built and
founded on the rock everyone who hears
these words of mine and does not act on
them will be like a foolish man who
built his house on the sand
the rains fell and the floods came and
the winds blew and slammed against that
house and it fell and great was its fall
when Jesus had finished these words the
crowds were amazed that his teachings
while he was teaching them as one having
Authority and not as the scribes when I
look in the scriptures and I think about
all the verses in the Bible that talk
about life and so forth here’s a perfect
picture of a weak life and a strong life
and remember this every one of us is
still building our life whether you’re
16 or 76 you’re still building your life
and what we are on the inside makes all
the difference in the world
and I think many people at first may
fool you about the lifestyle they look
like but then when the storms hit them
when reality breaks in when there’s
difficulty hardship pain suffering death
loss all kinds of hardship that’s comes
their way the people who have built
their life on the foundation have a
strong life if they built it on the
right foundation people who looked like
they could do the same thing but when
those storms come they don’t have the
same results so you can’t look and see
and tell how strong a person is or how
weak they may be what happens to them
when the storms light of life come and
they’re coming to all of us all kinds of
difficulty hardship and pain and loss
and bereavement it comes to all of us
and the issue is how do we respond in
Palestine for example that they would
have those torrential storms and as a
result those gullies if we would call it
gully would fill up with water and
before long it was a torrential flood
and anything that was weak would fall
the same thing is true in our life when
difficulty hardship and pain and stuff
in this apartment coming our way if our
life is strong we can stand it if it’s
not we want and this is what drives some
people for example to alcohol or drugs
or immorality or whatever it might be
they look strong until the storms of
life come then they got to find
something that would they think satisfy
them or strengthen them or help them our
encouragement there’s only one thing
that does that and what this whole
message is about and what what this
passage of Scripture is about when Jesus
speaks here he’s speaking of two lives a
week life and the strong life if someone
had to look at your life and try to
figure out which is true of you do you
have a strong life or a weak life what
would they consider if they look at you
they may say well he’s gotta be he’s got
to have a strong life she must have a
strong life but what would they say
when these difficulties and hardships
and trials and tribulations come how you
respond in those days that’s how we
judge whether our life is strong or
that’s weak so what I want to do this
message is simply this describe a strong
life we know what a weak life is what’s
a strong life about and how does our
life become strong there’s not a
question of whether you’ll face trials
and storms or not they are coming and
they will reveal who we are and what we
are like and what our foundation is
built on and you as a parent need to
think about this you’re building into
your children either a firm foundation
that will make it possible then to face
in in all the situations in life that
are coming or you may neglect that part
of your discipline in life for them and
they come along and they get blown off
the foundation whatever foundation they
had to begin with and oftentimes parents
say well I can’t figure I can’t I just
can’t believe you’re acting like this it
just may be that you never built the
foundation and them that would show them
how to face when
torrent of temptation comes their way
when the storm of trial comes away in
disappointment in heartache when there’s
loss in their life how do you respond if
you don’t have a strong life you don’t
respond correctly and oftentimes when
that storm comes instead of standing
strong and building you stronger what
happens simply this you cave in and
oftentimes a person will run and wreck
their life so I want us to think about
these characteristics and if you’re wise
you’ll shut these down they’ll all be on
the screen and I want to encourage you
to do this not only to jot them down but
listen be strong enough courageous
enough if that’s what it takes you to
write them down and take them home and
put them on the table beside your bed
and tonight before you go to bed just
read over them and ask yourself the
question or Lord number one in this area
is this in my life am i strong here am i
strong here oops oh I don’t have to ask
you about that one Lord what about this
and what about that in other words take
a little survey some other says well I
don’t need to do that no you don’t need
to but you’ll be wise if you do because
watch this you only know how strong you
are when you find out what your
weaknesses are if you don’t know what
your weaknesses are the devil will trip
you up for sure somebody says well I
could never be tempted by that that
wouldn’t ever come my way you’ve set
yourself up for an attack because Satan
would not he’s not going to ignore that
boast so once you listen carefully and I
want you to think if when I mention each
one of these why does it fit in my life
so let’s begin the first one is simply
this and that is a strong life has
placed their trust in Jesus Christ as
their personal Savior
that is a strong life begins with a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord of their life that’s
first
that’s foremost you can’t put that any
other place except on the bottom that’s
the foundation did you’ve trusted Jesus
and that that is you can look back in
your life and know at a particular time
you may not be able to name that
day of the week or even the month but
you know or maybe even the year but you
know at a certain time you remember that
you gave your life to Christ and that
you know that you’re saved
that’s foundation evidence that you have
a strong life secondly and that’s this
that you are guided by the Holy Spirit a
person has a strong life is guided by
the Holy Spirit when Jesus saved you he
sent the Holy Spirit into your life to
indwell you why did he send him he sent
him for the simple reason that you and I
he knew could not live adequately apart
from him this is why he said to his
disciples before you launch you out on
fulfilling the Great Commission you’re
not ready yet you’re not ready until the
Holy Spirit builds you and enabled you
and empowers you to do what I called you
to do the truth is every strong life is
a life that has the indwelling Holy
Spirit and has him there for God’s
purpose that is to guide us and to lead
us we can’t look around and read the
paper listen to what I watch the
television and find out how to make
decisions we found out how to make
decisions by coming to God asking him
and the Holy Spirit who lives within
every single believer will guide you he
will enable you he will show you the
paths you should take in decisions you
have to make in life he’ll show you
which ones are the wisest decisions a
wise person will listen the promptings
of the Holy Spirit in your life and
that’s why when the Spirit of God speaks
you can’t say oh I was just my feeling
oh you know what I’m not going God
speaks clearly not audibly but he speaks
very clearly and often times stronger
than audibly because he will impress
your heart your life your mind your
attention to one particular area of life
that you’re dealing with he’s trying to
say something to you
o strong life listens to the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit thirdly a strong life
has this priority in their life and that
is spending time alone with prayer in
prayer with God spending time alone with
God in prayer is they listen this is the
connecting point you have with God
you look all around you you can read
this that never and so forth but your
connection point with him is the time
you spend with him in prayer and people
say well you know what I just found
myself too busy to pray no it’s just a
Miss listen it’s a misalignment of
what’s important in your life the most
important thing in your life is your
relationship to him your connection to
Almighty God he’s the one you talk to
he’s the one you you you bring your
needs to a strong person has a strong
prayer life I’ve never I’ve never met a
strong person really they did not have a
strong prayer life you can get by with
some little praying here and there but
you know what
that doesn’t make you strong a strong
life has a communication with God you
know how to talk to him you know how to
listen to him you know how to bring your
needs and hurts and joys and peace and
and everything else to him and that is
an absolute primary of your life in fact
if you think about teaching your
children in life if you don’t teach them
early in life by example first and by
your praying with your children you
listen watch this you have cheated them
you have denied them listen you have you
have hurt them in more ways than you
will ever know they’re gonna grow up
thinking they got to figure it all out
they got to depend on you for everything
no they should you’re believing in their
heart that Almighty God is their God
they know what prayer is they know who
God is and teaching them to spend time
in prayer with God every day there’s not
a single one of us who is too busy to
pray now if you tell God you’re too busy
to pray here’s what do you may do he may
just lay you out with something that
puts you in the hospital of about two
weeks flat on your back and then all
you’ve got to do is pray and for some
time we bring things on ourselves well
Lord I would just would if I if I had
time he will give you time the truth is
you have time and the time you have is
the time he’s given to you it’s a matter
of your choosing
how you spend your time listen you can’t
in it’s not spending you can’t invest
your time in any way that stronger makes
you stronger than praying and talking to
him as a day listen it’s not just the
hab
it is a habit it’s a daily discipline in
your life he is first above everything
else very important for strong life then
of course a strong life is built upon
the teachings of the word of God and
listen and the application of them it’s
one thing to hear it but applying it is
something else so when you come on
Sunday morning you take notes for
example what do you do with them it’s
application and I think about how many
people go to church week after week and
month after years and years and years
they never carry a Bible they never take
a note they can tell you anything the
pastor said and and they in years and
years and years later they can’t tell
you anything why because they heard it
but they didn’t apply it we have to
apply think of all the sounds that you
get in any given day whether it’s
television radio traffic and people
talking whatever it might be the sound
of the the sound of the word of God and
the sound of the voice of God is the
most important sound and you and I
cannot do anything any more important
than feeding upon the Word of God that’s
for example you show me a strong life
and I’ll tell you somebody if you keep
talking to them a little while they’ll
bring up some scripture that God’s laid
on their heart and all of us who have
been through difficult and trial
we’ve got scriptures scriptures that God
placed upon our heart that take us
through difficult times if you don’t
read the Bible you don’t have one you’ll
say well there’s some verse in the Bible
somewhere it goes something like this
you know what that won’t work and
somebody will say once and well why do
you keep why do you keep holding that
Bible up because that’s what this is all
about this isn’t about my opinion this
is about what holy God who created us
and has a will and purpose and plan for
our life who will be there when we die
who will call us the judgment this is
all about him and all about his
relationship to us in our place in life
that’s why we hold the Bible up and
that’s why we hold it up because we’d
like to see everybody carrying the Bible
to church you go to church to be
instructed in the Word of God
not just to go to church to sell your
conscience
and but that’s exactly what some people
do consistently listen a person who has
a strong life consistently obeys God as
a habit and attempts and tries to leave
all the consequences to him sometime we
don’t that’s why I said try if you have
the habit of your life obeying God for
example think about this as a follower
of Jesus Christ to disobey God should be
and they should be an exception in your
life to obey Him should be the norm for
your life why because that’s who we are
and the strong life is a life that is
built on obeying the truth of the word
of God then of course one of the one of
the areas of a strong life is that we
see the Lord Jesus Christ as the
strength of our life now think about
this for a moment
Paul said I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me he’s in jail
beaten chained locked up you name it and
you know what his foundation was so
solid that no matter what they did they
never discouraged him they never made
him quit they tried their best to stop
him from attempted assassinations to
everything else they did why because he
was strong he was strong in the Word of
God he was strong in his relationship to
God he was strong in his obedience to
God and he knew in his heart that the
strength of his life was not in his body
but was in his relationship to Jesus
Christ that’s where our strength lies in
relationship and all these other things
are part of that relationship so ask
yourself the question how strong is your
life how much have you life for example
do you get up in the morning and say
well I’m gonna do this happen the other
how often do you get up to say father I
want to thank you that you’re my
strength today and if you have a job
that’s very difficult do you ever say to
him lord I need I need your strength to
there to get this done I don’t even know
how I’m how I’m gonna be able to do what
I’m supposed to do you’re my strength
then what you’ve done is you you have
invited the Lord God into your life so
to speak through His Holy Spirit to
enable you and strengthen you and
encourage you and don’t it does not let
you quit because with
you can accomplish anything God has set
before you to accomplish then of course
you’ve got to live a disciplined life a
disciplined life is a part of a strong
life because if a person’s disciplined
they’re not disciplined in just one area
if you live a disciplined life you
careful about what you eat you careful
about exercise you’re careful about how
you spend your time you’re careful about
how you spend your money and and we talk
we’re talking about that in a second in
other words you if you live a
disciplined life you in control of your
life I don’t mean in control in a bad
way I mean for example you have goals
and you have direction for your life if
you live a disciplined life there’s some
things you don’t do and if you decide to
live a godly life you’ve made that a
decision in your life and you stood here
week after week after week and you’ve
said you’ve sung this song
I surrender role if you’ve done that and
Jesus Christ is a Lord master of life
you’re building strength and I believe
if you come to church week after week
you take notes you apply them to your
heart you’re building strength God is
building strength into your life
building truth into your life and
building a sense of discipline listen a
disciplined life doesn’t say oh I just
don’t think I’m not going to work today
our disciplined life equal doesn’t say
I’m gonna read the Bible and pray today
I’m just gonna take I’m just gonna do
what I want to do today a disciplined
life isn’t something that happens once
in a while it is a daily constraint in
our life that is a constraint that God
gives us for our own good and that’s
what we try to teach our children we
teach them to live a disciplined life so
you don’t have to discipline you want
them to do certain things you get up a
certain time put on that clothes look
their best and so forth so ask yourself
the question is would you consider your
life a disciplined life you’re in
control or do you just sort of come you
just sort of go with the wind just
whatever comes your way a disciplined
life is a strong life and it’s necessary
then of course I think about the
direction for Allah
what’s the direction where you headed
what are you trying to accomplish in
life I think about how many people get
up and say well I’ve got to go to work
this morning work 8 hours and thank God
I’ll be off at 4 or 5 o’clock or how
many people say and I’ve had them to say
to me maybe purchasing something and
somebody else say I’ll say how you doing
always cute little conversation you well
I’m doing fine thank God it’s Friday
thank God it’s Friday let me ask you a
question
are you living to work 8 hours a day to
get paid so at the end of the week you
can get paid Oh next week you get paid
are you living your life in order to
live till you get 62 or 65 so you can
finally retire and as you said do what I
want to do I do nothing you tell you
about a I’m gonna do nothing your body
responds because God never built a
single one of us to ever reach any age
where we don’t do anything he intends
for us to be usefulness the Bible says
is fruitful in all age every day of our
life every day of your life is a gift
from God it’s not to be wasted and to
say well I’m not gonna do anything today
you can speak you can walk you can
handle things you can help many things
you know I can do until the last day of
our life you and I should be serving him
in some fashion even if it’s just
talking to someone else and some of us
as well but suppose among them in the
hospital in the bed and I don’t have it
five days to live you can talk to a lot
of nurses in five days you can talk to a
lot of other people the hospital do
dying and sick and you name it but
you’re not in the hospital you well at
what point in your life do you have the
right to tell god this is it no more
work you’re gonna enjoy life if you have
a strong life guess what you’re gonna
find the more time you have listen the
more you want to serve God and the
stronger you’re going to get very
important we see a life from God’s
viewpoint from his beef on not our own
then what about these storms of life
because of a strong person listen a
strong person can withstand the storms
and learn from them now most people when
a big storm comes in their life
difficulty hardship pain whatever it
might be they want to ask why have you
allowed this why the God if you love me
why do you love this to happen
why have you take my love one was my
child sick or have I lost my job why
don’t I lost my money to God oh you know
what
why have you done all this to me well
you remember what we said about those
two houses both of them look alike you
can’t tell which is the strong one
without the storm the storms in our life
God allows them they may come through
your animating coming through somebody
else no matter what they come in order
to do what in order to build godly
strength within us he allows them to
build strength
why was Paul such an awesome servant of
God why didn’t God say what Paul you’re
so faithful and loyal and devoted to me
right now these epistles you shouldn’t
be in jail you shouldn’t be tried you
shouldn’t all these things that happen
to and persecuted almost assassinated
why did why did why didn’t God allow
that in his life I’ll tell you why there
would be no there would be no Romans and
no Corinthians and no Ephesians in
Galatians and Colossians and all these
books he wrote in prison
it was difficulty hardship and pain that
he learned the awesome lessons why does
God send these into our life or allow
them to happen he never he never said it
would be an easy life
some people’s life seems to be easier
than others at my age I can tell you
this I wouldn’t change a pain a
heartache a trial a tribulation a hurt
disappointment tears I wouldn’t change
any of that
but what God has taught me under any
condition and God’s God allows these
things in their life we may see them as
enemies and it may be our enemy or maybe
somebody that breaks our heart whatever
it might be but what’s God up to he’s
allowing them why to build inner
strength into your life storms are
coming and the question is can you
handle them are you ready for them if
you haven’t got the right foundation if
you don’t have a strong life you
you don’t respond to that right away and
you find yourself giving up and quitting
or being tempted to go to some other
alternative whether it’s some drug or
some form of immorality or something to
drink or whatever it might be of johning
something and to get the pain out listen
God’s purpose is not to get the paint
out but to get the strength on the
inside of you to build you to be a godly
person so that you can accomplish his
purpose for your life you so I don’t
know what his purpose is he’s more than
willing to show you he’s more than
willing heavy somebody says well I’m 60
years old what purpose has got it got in
my life well let me say two things
you’re asking a little late but he still
has a purpose for your life and he’ll
take you wherever at least some of this
he’ll take you wherever you are willing
to give yourself to him and from that
point on he’ll use you and work in your
life to accomplish his purpose for your
life and accomplish his will a strong
life is what God wants and so without
the storms they’re not going to be in
this strong life and you can look back
over the years that people who’ve been
great saints of God and much written
about him they went through turmoil
hardly he was brokenness you name it
they went a good example as hospital
chambers for example he only lived to be
40 about 22 years of age many of you
don’t know who he is he little a
devotional book called
how many of you know what it is my most
for his highest now that Thailand itself
says a lot he died in an early age but
look what that little book has meant
I’ve read it for years and years and I
written in college and it’s not how long
you live it’s what you do with your life
so what his wife do she took all of that
and sort of arranged it and put it she’s
one to put the book together and those
two people that most people ever know
had used that God has used that book to
transform some of the people’s lives and
mr. God God has a purpose for your life
you need to find out what it is and give
him your life and ask him to build
strength into your life so that whatever
years you have left you don’t want to
waste them God means listen God makes
you to be fruitful all your life
strong and you can be and the strong
faith of course is one of the
characteristics of a strong life and
what builds faith tough times difficult
times and so a strong life’s been tested
and tried and you come somebody said
they’ve been born as we say with a
silver spoon in their mouth they’ve
always had everything they wanted and
everything went their way you know what
I want swap trials and tribulations and
heartaches for that kind of life for
anything in the world because you know
what they’ve missed it they’ve missed it
so the next time you get to complaining
about something and remember this is a
lesson God has he’s got a lesson in
every single trial heartache burden loss
so we have he has a lesson wise men and
women seek to know what their lesson is
people who not worrying about their
foundation and don’t care about it they
just go on and complain and moan and
groan get on some drugs and so forth
they have them get through it and miss
wonderful opportunities in life then of
course a present a strong life has has
courage they got courage you have to
have courage to go through some
difficult that’s not Egyptian remember
what God said to Joshua he said be
strong and of a good courage fear not
neither be dad was made for the Lord
your God is with you because I’m putting
you in charge of 2 million of these
Hebrews and you you remember that they
rebelled against you and the rebelled
against him we’re gonna stone you to
death and they’ve been a problem to
Moses all of his life you’re gonna be in
charge what kind of a test was that but
you know you read the book of Joshua
God’s blessing him all the way through
the book all the way through the book is
blessing him he made one arrow closed a
eye after he did after he defeated the
folks in Jericho and that he listened to
somebody else instead of God and they
got wiped out but from then on he
listened to God and you can see how he
God worked in his life he was a man of
courage
listen Courage’s and something somebody
can give you courage is something
that you grow and your life but trusting
God and watching him work and answer
your petition then I think a person with
a star has a strong life is optimistic I
mean you’re looking for the best why not
when I say to people look your best do
your best
be your best that’s an optimistic a
viewpoint but it’s also a godly
viewpoint if you represent Jesus you’re
looking best you you represent him you
ought to do your best you represent him
you ought to be your best why not
listen we represent him he’s the Living
God
we’re his messengers every one of us is
a Messenger of God on this earth and a
person with a strong life is gonna be
optimistic and not down in the dumps you
show me somebody who’s always
complaining about something and here’s
what’s gonna happen things are getting
tough Oh God
I don’t know what to do I’m afraid of
what’s gonna happen to government’s done
this and you government’s gonna do that
just look to God and forget the
government I mean God is the one who
manages their life and no one else and
so you gotta be optimistic and then
here’s something else that builds a
strong life develop friendships
listen develop friendships with people
who will enrich your life there’s
something awesome about good friends
good friends of character who themselves
have a strong life some people in your
life that that you enjoy being with that
listen just being with you and just
being with them enriches you you say
well how do you mean interview mean
money no but you laugh you love each
other you kid eat other and you help
each other words that each other
business is awesome then of course
expressing love and care for other
people if you can’t express love and
care for other people
you’re not strong if you can’t love
you’re not strong love is one of the
basic listen what listen when when Paul
describes the fruit of the Holy Spirit
where does he start love joy peace love
loving somebody else you you’re giving
yourself away to someone else you may
give them things
you may you may give them yourself in
other words but most of all loving
someone is making yourself available to
them tearing them up encouraging them a
person who really loves is an encourage
a person who really loves is a person
who makes a difference in the people
around them so ask yourself this
question the people who know you do they
think of you as a person who loves or
person who complains all the time how
many of you love being around a
complainer
none of us people who are just
complaining about everything doesn’t
mean that’s what happens they find
something complain about godly people
strong people find something good
something good not something to complain
about all the time loving is very
important then of course a person who
has a strong life they love listen they
love they live and they serve God out of
their spiritual gifts now a spiritual
gift is a gift of service or a gift of
giving gift of exhortation they’re all
that seven major gifts in the book of
Romans so in the first service I said I
asked how many of you know what your
spiritual gift is and some of them did
some didn’t it will just give you joy to
learn what your gift is because once you
begin to operate up your gift a lot of
things that are paying to you net won’t
be paying the more like you just say oh
is that the way that is and so once a
person learns their spiritual gift then
they become strong you you work out of a
whole different resource a spiritual
gift is a gift from God that enables you
in a particular area of your life to do
exceptionally well and so when you’re
trying to do something you don’t have a
gift for it it’s difficult but I’m
simply saying when you have that gift
there’s a sense of inner strength we all
have one or more that inner strength
does something to you for the inside and
you’ll be able to do better whatever you
do then of course quick to forgive a
strong person that’s quick to forgive
you want to you want to hinder yourself
you hold a grudge you be unforgiving and
you say well what’s that got to do with
a strong life I’ll tell you what happens
to a person who has an unforgiving
spirit it will affect you ultimately it
will affect your very physical body if
you have an unforgiving spirit you hold
grudges you have a sense of hate those
attitudes attitudes that affect the
person because you see whatever affects
your emotions that affects your body
because you can’t separate spirit
emotions and physical but it all goes
together and it isn’t just the spiritual
thing it’s a spiritual thing to act that
way but it becomes a physical thing what
you think and how you feel makes all the
difference in the world and a strong
person is careful about how they relate
to people and so you would be quick to
forgive let me ask you a question
what profit is there what profit is
there in a person’s life when they hold
a grudge they’re not forgiving they
build hatred in their life and I’m
Austin they just hold it there what
advantage to you is that not one what
disadvantage is there to you many messes
up your relationship to God you say you
mean to tell me if my relationship
somebody else is not right my
relationship to gods not rights exactly
right and yes what happens when you hold
those attitudes in you and that only
hinders your relationship to the Lord it
hinders every aspect of your walk with
him and it it’s going to affect your
body people who have that attitude after
a while you know who had shows first
right here you started watching them it
shows there it’s already been working on
the inside but that’s where it shows
first God intends for us to be godly and
to walk before him in a holy fashion he
created us that way and you know what it
doesn’t make any difference if a million
people tell you it’s not right just let
them say it the truth is that’s what the
Word of God teaches if you’re thinking
about our God who is holy and loving and
forgiving and you say well sometime I
have that problem I can remember the
time when in my life I dealt with that
once and for all and knew how
to deal with it something had happened
to me that hurt me and so I was just
sort of saying well Lord that you know
you know that stuff you tell him he
doesn’t listen to and so it’s like the
Lord said to me remember the cross I
thought yes how many times have i
forgiven you yes
have I held anything against you no do
you what right do you have to hold
anything against anyone when I have
forgiven you of everything you have ever
done and I have it even beforehand
forgiven you of all you’ll ever do that
cured me
it should cure everybody if you if you
have those kind of feelings toward
somebody else just look at the cross his
outstretched arms and his shed blood
took care of all of our sin all of our
mistakes all of our heartaches and all
of our burdens strong life is very very
forgiving quick to forgive and then of
course there’s inner peace person else
is throwing that’s gonna have been a
piece why your relationship with God is
right relationship with others is right
difficulties hardship pain comes to
there into your life what happens in
spite of all that there’s a peace and I
can remember this you know some things
you can remember you’ll never forget I
can remember when I heard the worst news
I could ever hear as a pastor worst and
I got the phone call and when I finished
I put the phone down I had this
overwhelming sense of awesome peace and
I remember saying God you’ve cared me
through all these other storms you’ll
take me through this one because
because God is faithful he will keep his
word no matter what we do and it’s all
of these things that build strength into
our life that so when the torrential
storms come we don’t waver we don’t give
up we don’t quit and then of course the
wise use of money and that is if you
have a if you if you have a strong life
and if if you’ll think about it for a
moment money drives most people and look
at what in other words what happens in
America it’s it’s what’s happening on
the stock market what’s happening here
what’s happening to this corporation
that one what’s happening to money how
much money do people have well it’s a
real simple way and that is we save some
we give some we spend some and in the
giving we tithe their income and trust
God to do exactly what he says and I can
tell you I’ve been a Christian for 68
years I have more than tithe all
sixty-eight years I’ve been blessed over
and over and over and over and over
again and he couldn’t even tell you why
but I can tell you this here’s what
happens when you obey God you can’t even
tell why he blesses you you can’t
predict what God’s come though you
distrust him and see what happens in a
strong life isn’t word about money
if somebody says but I just I just have
enough to make ends meet well I’ve been
there too and you know what my ends got
met why because God’s not gonna come up
short he’s gonna do exactly what he says
given that she’ll be given to you how
good measure pressed down shaken
together and running over the top that’s
what he says now what we deserve but
what he decides to give us a strong life
knows how to handle money and a weak
life oftentimes does not a person can
know how to handle money and still have
a weak life but if a person has a if a
person is a strong life they can know
how to handle their money and then of
course listen to this
belonging to belonging to a Bible
teaching Church now I wouldn’t tell
anybody else where to go to church but I
can say this if you’re gonna live a
Christian life you need to know what a
Christian life is all about
if you gonna live a godly life and
follow the Lord Jesus Christ you need to
be taught we listen God’s continually
teaching me I study all week long I’m
not looking for sermons I’m looking and
asking God to speak to my heart teach me
something new work in my life if you go
to a church and sit there twenty or
thirty minutes or an hour and nobody
opens the Bible you in the wrong church
you may not like that but let me ask you
a question why to go spend an hour in
some in a church and the Word of God is
ignored
that’s what church is all about church
is about worshipping Him had them under
who I’m worshipping with from the Word
of God very important that you belong to
a church where they teach the Word of
God so that you can grow in your life
and you can be strong and you can be you
can be fruitful for the kingdom of God I
will not tell you what to do about your
church I’m just asking you why would you
spend an hour in the church where the
gospel is not preached and the very
qualities and characteristics of
Almighty God and never talked about
Jesus’s tell they ignored what’s that
all about I wouldn’t go to a church like
that I wouldn’t go to church they didn’t
teach the Word of God because this is
what this is a time to worship Him and
what what helps me worship Him is
knowing the truth about him where do I
learn that I learned from reading myself
and I also learned from those who’ve
gone before me who also teach me the
truths that they’ve learned very
important view gonna be a strong person
that you have a source from which you
strengthened continuously then of course
a strong person works to build a strong
family if you have a strong life you
want your children to be strong you want
them to know early in life what the
Christian life is all about and you want
them you want to live the kind of life
before them they don’t have to ask
what’s a Christian life like they
and say my daddy of my mother is a
wonderful Christian building is strong
then we had a whole sermon on this I
won’t repeat that and then a servant
spirit a person has a strength within
you that’s from God that makes you want
to serve others you want to help others
you want to do something for somebody
else if it’s all coming your way it’s
not very fruitful it’s when you’re not
able to give ourselves away to other
people so a strong life
it’s a giving life not just money a
strong life is giving of ourselves
there’s somebody else let me ask you
this how many of us have been helped in
our life by other people every single
one of us we’ve all been helped by
somebody else and God intends for us to
do the same for other people then of
course to be goal-oriented that is you
have goals in life somebody said to me
one time how can you how can you be
trust God and still have goals well
Jesus had goals he says I must needs go
through Samaria and he knew that his
ultimate goal was the cross and so God
has goals for all of us you know it’s if
you if there’s a purpose for you living
their goals and that purpose things that
he wants you to accomplish and
oftentimes a person won’t they won’t set
a goal in their life because they think
oh that’s too high God would never do
that to me so they get down here no
listen is God weak no God’s great he’s
powerful he’s on mission we should set
godly goals godly guilds for our life
that look look like it’s something we
can’t do but God will help you reach it
if you’re willing to walk the pathway of
obedience and faith and an optimistic
spirit trusting him and everything you
do then of course to be confident to be
confident and these doesn’t mean to be
cocky doesn’t mean to be proud in
egotistical it means listen that you
have a self assurance that is based on
your relationship to God that whatever
he called you to do you can do it
wherever he called you to go you can go
well I think about how many missionaries
have gone to many many
in the world laid down their lives
preaching and teaching the gospel
confident that God had sent them and
therefore they could weather the storms
whatever it might be every single one of
us has a degree of confidence because
when you walk at the money but the key
in your card to turn it on you’re
confident that it’s gonna turn on your
engines gonna turn on you’re gonna get
to work you drive an expressway most
people around you doing at least 80 or
85 you have a sense of confidence I’m
not sure what it’s built on confidence
that you’re gonna get to work
we have confidence about many things
listen oftentimes we have less
confidence in holy God than we have in
things that we can’t do anything about
why wouldn’t you be a confident person
why wouldn’t you be assured God is your
heavenly Father Jesus as your Savior the
Holy Spirit is your motivator and he’s
your energizer and there was why
shouldn’t we be confident a strong
person is and then I would mention two
last things first of all one of them is
to be fruitful if you’re a strong person
you’re gonna be fruitful your life’s
gonna be fruitful somebody’s gonna see
you and think you know what that’s kind
of person I want to be that’s what I
want in my life and all of us have met
people like that and I can remember the
two pastors the first one I ever met
that I’d never heard in the preaching
like he preached and I was in in Texas
when I heard him and I remember sitting
there thinking god I knew somebody could
preach like that in the night I’m
hearing him it absolutely transformed me
gave me gave me all sorts of confidence
and assurance and and I wanting to be
fruitful in my life the other man this
first time I ever heard him I thought
here’s the second man he’s really
stirred me I’ve watched the Spirit of
God of working him I thought Lord thank
you thank you thank you I’ve heard the
second man that motivated me to want to
give my best no matter what stead of the
Word of God be true to the Word of God
so if you think about it you’re either
gonna bear good fruit a bad fruit and
you know what if somebody says well who
determines that nobody but us
we’re the ones who determine that and so
a strong life is fruit-bearing in
listening character conduct and
conversation they got to be strong the
last thing I would say is simply this
and that is this kind of life we’re
talking about will impact the lives of
others you’re gonna have an influence on
other people a strong life always
impacts other people so I would
encourage you to whether you listened or
whether you were sitting here to take
this list and you’ll say well there’s
all this apply to me well I feed it it
certainly item over everyone I’m applied
to me I want I want every single one of
those things in my life when I for
example one remember something oh when I
want to when I want to go when I went to
accomplish certain things I write them
down I put them beside my bed I put them
on my study now as I go over them and
over me over them because I don’t want
to lose them if you just put this you
put this in your bow so I’m gonna keep
this really close in my Bible no no no
not that I just get it off the paper and
yet in your heart in your life if you
mean business if you keep it somewhere
close that you can keep reading them and
really mean you thank God what’s missing
in my life and Lord Shoji well first of
all you’re not being obedient to me
first of all you’re not spending time in
prayer words if you want to if you want
a strong life and if I should ask you
how many of you want a weak life nobody
is gonna want a weak life and I’ll just
share with you the things that make for
a strong life and I pray God will
entrench them into your heart and into
your daily activities of your life amen
father we thank you this morning that
you’re so good to us so gracious and
kind and even in our best efforts father
we falter you always then pick us up
keep us moving
and the girl is like yourself you said
you predestined us to be conformed to
your image I pray that you’ll sink these
truths into every life and that each
person will be wise enough to look at
themselves in the light of what is a
strong life and make a decision to give
you their best in Jesus name Amen Jesus
Christ is the foundation of a strong
life live for God and you’ll find peace
and blessing visit intouch.org e to
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well dad you just finished up this
fantastic three-part series called
strong and you talked about I’m strong
churches strong families and then just
becoming strong personally so what I
want us to do I thought would be fun is
to take the subject matter from that
great series and ask the question how
does personal prayer interact or our
interface with those three topics and
before we jump into the specifics though
I thought we should just talk about
prayer in general now as a pastor and I
don’t know if you hear this I bet you do
that the thing I hear most from people
about prayer is Andy
I just don’t think prayer works it just
doesn’t work and then people tell a
story about something they prayed for
and it didn’t work so Before we jump
into the specifics why do you think
people think prayer doesn’t work and
what do you think I guess in general is
the even the purpose of prayer to begin
with well the purpose of prayer most
people don’t even think about and that
is the purpose of prayer is God wants us
to develop an intimate personal
relationship with him he said he
predestined us to be conformed to the
likeness of his son and his son and he
had this awesome relationship and so
that’s what the artist looking for and
the reason it doesn’t work number one a
lot of those people who’s saying they’re
praying are not even saved secondly
people who are saved have sin in their
life and thirdly many people are just
praying for selfish things they’re not
praying for all the people they’re not
asking for the will of God to be done
it’s all about me myself and I and God
is not interested in that yeah I think
that’s true in fact when I listen to
people for even Christians if I’m in a
small group and we have prayer requests
you know the prayer requests are usually
pretty self-centered or if they’re not
self-centered they’re somehow related to
being self-centered because it’s pray
for my son or my daughter or my aunt
somehow it gets back to me and then God
doesn’t do exactly what we want God to
do and we think something’s wrong with
God they sort of make out an errand boy
or Santa Claus yeah and so when I get in
trouble lord here’s where I am I need
some help I need this I mean that that’s
not even what prayer is all about so if
you had to summarize it you have you
know if somebody would say so tell me
why should I pray just give me one good
reason to pray if I don’t see the
results I’m getting why should I
continue to pray the
because it’s the will of God that you
pray and Paul put it this way he said
pray without ceasing
it’s that development of a relationship
and so if a person never prays you have
no relationship to God and if you’re
praying with only selfish motives
that’s no relationship he wants intimacy
with us and I think until a person
realizes that their prayer life is just
gonna be empty
now when you say prayer life I’m
thinking for many listeners and viewers
prayer life they’ve never heard they
know what prayer is into what life is
they’ve never heard prayer life and
growing up one of my earliest memories
we’ve talked about this one of my
earliest memories was when we lived in
Miami and you built a cinderblock
shed in our backyard for tools and a
lawnmower but then you took part of that
you put a dividing wall and you had your
study out there and mom would send me
out there to get you for dinner when
dinner was ready and I’d run out there
burst into the door and you would be
stretched out on your face praying and I
couldn’t hear what you were saying but I
could hear that you were saying
something in my whole life I remember
wherever we lived you always had a place
to pray and I think that’s associated
with your prayer life so talk about why
you had a place and then answer this
question do you think everybody should
have a place or was that something
that’s just kind of something you did
because of your personality well you
know I grew up with my mom teaching me
to pray to pray not necessarily and then
when I got my first paper route I prayed
all the way around the paper out every
morning out loud or just yeah I allow it
because nobody on the streets the five
o’clock one at 5:30 in the morning so I
didn’t care what they heard me or not
and so I did it because I felt the need
and I grew up in a situation which
you’re aware of that I needed God I
didn’t do very well in school to begin
with
and so I grew up with a sense of need of
him and the wonderful thing about it is
it taught me to begin my days every day
talking to him and I still do and so
when I look back over those times and
then I think about time since then in
every study I’ve ever had I’ve always
had a place to pray a prayer room
and it is it just became a way of life
for me that you begin the day with the
Lord and and when I didn’t for example
at home a place in my study I had a
place to pray and one of the reasons I
think you need a place is I discovered
this sort of as a result of doing it and
that is when I would get to the place I
was going to pray it’s like I didn’t
have to get ready Wow the words I’d been
there so often for the very same thing
of talking to the Lord when I got there
I didn’t have to say well you forget
this and that the other it’s like I was
ready and the second thing and people
will think this is foolish but it
doesn’t make any difference what they
think about it there are times when I
pray I want to cover up my head and the
times when I would pray I want to be in
a dark room I don’t want any
distractions and I think there’s
something about having a place that you
and God meet and that place is very
precious and very special it’s where you
open your heart it’s where you claim
your promises it’s where you deal with
trials and heartaches and burdens and
your life that you can’t even share with
anybody else it becomes like an altar Li
it’s like a place of a place of
sacrifice you and the Father meet and
you share your heart and I pray out loud
most of the time and somebody says well
you don’t have to pray all that no I
don’t but I do because what I discovered
I’m not distracted if I’m praying out
loud if I’m just sitting you’re mumbling
mm-hmm then I made start thinking about
something else but if I’m talking to the
Lord and I’m talking out loud and
unloading my heart to him and believing
that he’s listening to me and so often
had discovered this and having that
place if I’d come in in the afternoon
after a pretty tough day or even if it
wasn’t that tough day and I’d lie down
and on my face that’s the way I pray and
people said you don’t have to kneel no
you don’t but to me our reverence God is
a holy God
and I feel like that’s what I need to do
personally but I’d lied and sometimes
I’d go to sleep many times while you’re
praying yeah that’s right I bet no one
listening today has ever had that happen
to them before so this is a I’d go to
sleep and here’s the interesting thing
when I wake up I’d be so alert and it’s
like God allowed me to go to sleep to
climb my spirit and to just flush out of
me all the things that I’ve been
thinking about and things I may have
been concerned about so that time of
quietness is a time of God just just
cleaning me out and and just making it
possible for me to focus on him so
you’ve always had a place I’ve always
had a place and so tell us about your
places and the reason I ask is because
when I talk this is one of the well this
is one of the greatest things you taught
me because I’ve always had a place and
I’ve always had a place to pray because
I grew up seeing that and for me and
respond to this is that this sounds if
this is what you’re talking about when I
was in college I would get went to
Georgia State I would get there early
and I found a hallway it was a stairwell
that was an emergency stairwell if the
elevators or escalators weren’t working
and I got there early and I sat on the
same step at this on the same floor
inside the same door every single
morning before class at Georgia State
University on the days that I had class
and that was my place at school and the
only thing I ever did there because it’s
the only time I ever went to that
hallway I would sit there and to your
point it’s like I was immediately ready
to begin my social life then at home I
had a different place but I tell people
all the time it doesn’t have to be a
prayer room it doesn’t have to be a
prayer closet it could be a chair and
the only time you ever sit in that chair
in a guest room is when you’re gonna
have your devotional life is that what
you’re talking about absolutely you know
and when I was growing up also we had a
very small house and and I found the
place in the church which is two blocks
away downstairs in the basement way back
here to go through three doors to get to
distil room but I in the afternoon after
I delivered newspapers I would go in
there and just unload my heart to the
Lord and ask for direction for my life I
can pray as loud as I wanted to
and nobody is and I wouldn’t prank
anybody else but somehow when I pray out
loud I’m not distracted and my mind
doesn’t wander but that place is very
precious and I think everybody needs a
place I really do and I have somebody
pastor friends and when I talk about
these things they’ll ask me about my
devotional life and they’re always they
always seem to be shocked that I have a
place and I just assume well doesn’t
everybody have a place but it’s because
I grew up that that was just an
assumption so I don’t think it’s a
personality thing I really do think
people need a place and I think we need
to pray out loud not because God can’t
hear our prayers but you’re exactly
right
people say well my mind wanders when I
pray and I always say exactly what you
what you inferred I say that’s because
you don’t pray out loud you have
thinking prayers and so all you need is
a new thought to come along but if you
pray out loud and there’s no one around
no one’s going to interrupt you you know
there are a lot of mental interruptions
if you’re praying out loud it’s it’s a
point of focus you know the second thing
about praying out loud sometimes I’ve
been praying and I will I will be
talking with a lot about but something
particularly and when I hear myself say
it I think oh yes Lord do you ever write
things down while you’re praying
absolutely that’s why I keep a notepad
about I know we’re getting off the
subject a little bit but that’s that I
do as well and that’s an interesting
thing so why why would you stop praying
to write something down because I don’t
want to forget it their words if God
said it I do not want to forget it and
often times and I discovered this also
if I’m studying and I’m tired I get in
the prayer room go fast asleep and not
meaning to but I do when I wake up I’m
so real I’m so refreshed it’s like God’s
clear that everything now he can speak
yeah and I discovered that first of all
I thought well I’m not very spiritual I
go to sleep I supposed to be praying no
it’s God’s time of quieting our spirit
so I can really hear what he has to say
and I think that encourages a lot of
people because I think everyone who’s
been a Christian for very long is
frustrated by how easily they get
distracted and how oftentimes they fall
asleep when they’re praying but you’re
saying that God
can use that if we don’t wake up and
then get busy again and miss that
opportunity to wake up to hear them to
listen carefully and all of this assumes
that you have carved out time for this
and there’s this isn’t prayer while
you’re driving this isn’t I have five
minutes this is throughout your life and
I guess the paper route helped establish
that you’ve set aside time and for you
it’s normally mornings right right and
you know III started in the mornings
because at that point in my life I was
thirteen years old and I was that than
all these streets and so forth and where
I live and I was afraid so I get up and
before I got out of the bed I started
praying and you know this is a habit
I’ve had over these years before I get
out of the bed I ask God to give me
wisdom for the day and direction and
make me sensitive to his presence and I
want to be obedient to your Lord today
whatever that might be or you get out
before I get out of the bed because I
love lined and the quietness and the
darkness and somebody says why would you
why would you cover up your head cover
my head because I don’t want any
distractions and so if I don’t see
anything hear anything it’s just God me
and I love that and there’s a lot of Old
Testament imagery there there’s a lot of
that kind of reverence for isolation
there’s a lot of Jewish tradition around
that very idea even things that aren’t
in the Old Testament where that was a
part of the separation
it almost represented the private
Tabernacle going into the Holy of Holies
this is my quiet
that’s my holy polish that’s right okay
so let’s change subject a little bit the
series that you did strong it’s
fantastic he took these three topics
Church family and personal life and so
let’s talk a little bit about praying
for the church now I would guess most
Christians never pray for their church
they might pray for their pastor but in
terms of just praying for their local
church and I think you and I would agree
that if there’s an institutional
organization anywhere in the world that
needs prayer not because things are bad
but because of you know the church is
really the epicenter of the activity of
God on the earth you know Jesus said I’m
going to build my church
that’s the only thing he said he was
going to build and he’s been building it
for 2,000 years so if you if you could
say to every Christian in our country I
want you to pray for your local church
and here’s what I want you to pray what
would you want them to pray as you think
about strong local churches I would pray
first of all that my church would have a
vision for their purpose to reach people
for Christ and meet their needs
secondly I’d pray for unity of spirit at
what we do we do it together we head in
one direction in three I would pray for
the spirit of obedience to permeate that
church and for I would pray for an
awareness of the dependence upon the
holy spirit to accomplish all the work
that yacht is set forth at church so in
a sense
anybody who listened to that message
could actually take those points and you
could each one of those could be what
you pray for your local church even
though I picked three or four I think I
can’t remember exactly I think it was
point number nine you talked about unity
and I want to read this passage from
John 17 and let you comment on this
because in John 17 as you know and most
of your audience knows this was Jesus
high priestly prayer and it’s so
fascinating because he prays for his
disciples and then he prays for those
who will believe based upon their
testimony which is us so in essence he’s
praying for us in the future and for the
future Church and I just think this is
such an interesting comment Jesus is
John 17:20 Jesus says my prayer is not
for them alone talking about his current
day disciples I pray also for those who
will believe in me through their message
that and then in the next verse he tells
us what they pray and sometimes when I
preach this passage I say to people okay
now we’re about to find out what Jesus
prayed for us what do you think it was
and I let people guess what do you think
he’s going to pray him he could pray
anything for us and he prayed the very
thing that you just mentioned that all
of them may be one father just as you
and are you and me and I’m in you may
they also be in us so that the world may
believe that you have sent me that the
reason that people will take the church
seriously is the unity they see in the
church and so I do think it’s so
important that we all of us pray for
churches that there would be unity not
necessarily around style or the way that
we do things that but Outsiders would
look at us so when you think about
praying for unity in the church again
give us one you know if you forget
everything else I say you’re going to
pray for your local church
well should we pray around that I would
pray that the
Spirit of God would speak to the hearts
of the people in the church that we
would have a oneness of mind in heart
about who we are where we headed what
we’re trying to accomplish and that
total dependence upon the Lord Himself
and I think one of the reasons Jesus
said that it’s because if there’s no
unity than what’s our message to the
world yep we don’t have a message if
there’s this unit and you think about
churches that have splits and the pastor
gets runned off or he leaves or whatever
and there’s this unity that’s heartache
there’s disappointment there’s
accusations as anger all kinds of things
and I mean Jesus of course foresaw all
that and when he prayed that prayer he
was indicating does how extremely
important the spirit of unity is for the
effectiveness of the of the body of
Christ and isn’t it interesting I mean
it’s 2,000 years ago there isn’t even
church yet and he knew the number-one
thing the church would struggle with was
unity I mean it’s really fantastic
because we know churches rarely split
over theology that would sort of be a
breath of fresh air right he split over
the disunity among people over the some
of the dumbest things we’ve and look at
the Apostle Paul he wrote all those
letters but it was conflict everywhere
he went disunity is pharisees sadducees
you know those who love the law and i
mean it was just totally confusion in
fact I think sometimes I certainly would
not have wanted to be the pastor of the
Corinthian church there was nothing but
conflict and disorder and sin and
disobedience and I think what an awesome
sense of commitment Paul had because
disunity was one of the biggest problems
he faced you know and it’s the very
thing jesus prayed for right okay the
second thing you talked about in the
strong series was family and in the
message you said this a strong family is
one in which the members of the family
have a love and devotion to one another
a strong family is one where members
that family have a strong love and
devotion for one another so with that in
mind how should we pray for our families
and I think just the family in general
how how would you how would you do that
well I can tell you how I prayed for my
family and you’re a part of that
I prayed number one
that the spirit of obedience would be
transferred from my life to your life
into that his life and in his life I
prayed that you would discover the will
of God for your life I prayed that you
would walk obediently before him I
prayed that you would do your best or
whatever God called you to do and people
would ask me oftentimes well did you
pray for nd to go in the ministry I said
no I never suggested it I just said my
desire for you is that you be obedient
to God
whatever that requires of you and I pray
that for the family then I also think we
have to pray for their protection and a
sense of discernment to know what is
right and what is wrong and what is good
and what is best and what’s the will of
the Father and that their business of
unity within the family that’s not
always the case but I think that’s a
vital part of what we pray for the
family and to pray that we would have a
testimony as a family yeah I have a
testimony and I think that’s very
important today because look at most
families today they’re all broken up
they have no concept whatsoever of a
real sense of love and devotion to each
other when we had our first child and
Andrew was in a car seat I remember we
were driving to Hilton Head South
Carolina and I said to Sandra I said and
I’m not really much of a goal setter
you’re an extraordinary goal setter and
helped me with that but I’ve that’s just
not a strength for me but I said I feel
like we need to have a family goal or
two and that we would then pray toward
this goal if we can kind of set what’s
the North Star for our family what’s the
the place we want to be someday and this
is 20 over 20 years ago and we landed on
this idea and it’s it goes right to this
unity idea we decided that the the
finish line or the bullseye on the
target for us as a family would be that
when our kids are old enough not to have
to be with us that they would want to be
with us that when they had the choice to
be wherever they wanted to be and go
wherever they wanted to go that when
they could there would be a desire not
oh it’s Christmas we have to go it’s
Thanksgiving we have to go but they
would lean
would want to be with us and setting
that as a goal and praying for that and
praying with them about that here we are
20 years later and recently we were all
five together and we were walking around
and and to finished up dinner and I just
whispered to Sandra said it worked
I said look our kids you know they’re 21
19 and about 21 19 17 you know there are
a stage where they can get in their cars
go over the – off in college and they
enjoy being together and I really do
think it was establishing that up front
but then to your point not only defining
what is a strong family but praying to
that end because as you know when you
pray to an end it shapes your behavior
and so I feel like we’re at a stage
where we are reaping the benefits of
really prayers in that very direction
well you remember growing up oftentimes
when we had an issue we had a table
about this size and we’d all get we had
a place right we’d all get around the
table and pray about whether its buying
a car or house or whatever it might be
about moving right and I remember I
think one of the important things is to
involve the children in major decisions
and when I was thinking about leaving
Bartow and coming the First Baptist
Atlanta I decided one of the things I
was concerned about is how you respond
to that we lived in Bartow and you know
two blocks the understand it was a big
lake we could fish and do all these
things and so I said that let’s go for a
bike ride which we did pretty often and
I remember the question I asked I said
Andy what would you think about if I
told you I was thinking about leaving
Bartow and moving to a big city Atlanta
Georgia
I thought never forget what you said you
said I quoted accurately well whenever
God has spoken before and we have obeyed
him he’s always blessed us why hurry it
I said that that’s exactly what you said
and so I said thank you Jesus fifth
grade
yeah I said thank you Jesus that’s how
long you know I would say that was young
you thought flesh and blood did not
reveal that to you you’re only in the
fifth grade you know
well but you grew up believing God and
trusting him and believing that prayer
mattered and I think back we prayed
about everything and going back and kind
of connecting some of these dots and you
just brought this up because this is
later in my notes we had a you know we
talked about having a place of Prayer
individually but we had a place of
Prayer as a family some people call it a
family altar you were great as a pastor
about not over spiritualizing things and
I’ve tried to do that with my kids
because as a pastor people expect you to
have a family altar I don’t really even
know what that is
but we had a place you said let’s pray
and we all knew we were gonna go right
over to that round coffee table and we
were gonna get on our knees and pray and
so as a father
we’ve Sander and I’ve done the same
thing ours is a little less formal we
call it stare prayer and it’s because we
always gather on the stairs would say
let’s pray we go to the stairs we could
kneel if when a kneel or sit and as the
kids were older and you know we could
all get on the stairs so it over time we
called it stair prayer and we still call
it that the other night Allie and Sandra
and I went over we said let’s pray and
we all just headed to the stairs so
having a place even as a family can make
a significant difference well and you
are evidence of the fact that it’s
fruitful and that it works well time
will tell by this point my forget been
all right let’s move to the third
category we talked about praying for the
church and pretty first family and the
third part of the series you talked
about having a strong life so when you
think about and you had so much helpful
content but when you think about if I’m
gonna pray for a strong life what’s
central what what do you pray for
specifically what’s in some ways the one
thing well my personal conviction is to
pray God I want to be an obedient
servant so make me sensitive to what
you’re saying correct anything in my
heart of my life that would cause me to
be disobedient in any way so I think
obedience is Ishi and if you’ll think
about it you don’t hit people talk about
the obedience no and so when I talk
about being obedient to God I’m sure a
lot of folks think what does that mean
it means you do what he
says to do and it means you found out in
the word exactly what he says and I
think you can’t separate effective
praying from reading the Word of God
because you you can just get off in all
kind of situations and circumstances it
without God’s Word and this is well
that’s why I call the Bible the guide
book this guides me in every single
decision of life this nothing you can
come up with so you read the Word of God
here’s what he says and then you talk to
him about it well God what did you mean
by this and it’s not having a Bible
study it’s it’s looking in the guidebook
to think well now how about to deal with
the situation circumstance in my goal
for you all was that early in life that
you could never remember when we started
praying together or I can remember when
you aren’t you didn’t even have an idea
hardly who I was I’d get a massage your
bed at night I’d pray that the Lord
would bless you and gave you guidance
and God that law that you show ended
very early in life your will for his
life I pray that before you haven’t
understood what the will of God was
about and I prayed it when you didn’t
know what it was about and I’ve always
prayed it that that God would show you
his will and that you would walk in it
and I say the same thing for Becky and I
think if parents will just hone in on
that one thing Lord show them your will
and give them the wisdom and the courage
to be obedient that takes care of
everything yep and again it’s it becomes
directional kids here their parents
praying for them and there are a lot of
things you pick up just listening to
your parents pray for you in your
message and that this was just took me
by surprise and and at first I thought I
don’t know but then I thought no this is
a big deal you talked about maintaining
an optimistic outlook and I thought in
terms of having a strong life that’s
really powerful clinically that’s been
proven optimist just do better in life
they live longer how is there a
connection between your prayer life and
your optimism
absolutely and here’s the reason who am
I talking to I’m talking to all mighty
God who has all power to do all things
secondly I’m talking to a God who
me absolutely unconditionally I’m
talking to a God who wants the best for
me I’m talking to a God who has promised
in his word to enable me to accomplish
anything and everything he set out for
me to accomplish and so I think if a
person’s prayer life is affected they
gonna be optimistic they’re gonna be
excited and I wake up every morning
excited I do and even when I’m facing
some trial or some particular burden I
can end up a thanking God you’ve heard
me I know you’re gonna work in this even
as I did this morning praying to
somebody very special in my life and
praying that the Spirit of God would
give them wisdom and direction and so
you know it’s it’s a it’s a powerful
thing and I think one of the main things
about prayer that the Lord taught me
that in fact I was in seminary the first
year second year and my place to pray
was over in the corner of the living
room didn’t have a living room and a
very small kitchen one bedroom the bath
that was it
as over Nocona I’ll never forget this
it’s and I was praying about school and
the future and so forth
it’s like the Lord said to me very
clearly and I don’t know what I was
praying about at that particular point
but it’s like he said to me you must
remember this it’s not you it is me it’s
it’s me in you and and secondly he said
to me very clearly whatever you
accomplish in life you will accomplish
on your knees not by your education not
by your intelligence not about your
gifts by on your knees so that was God’s
signal to me you operate on your knees
in devotion to him no matter what and
when I think of all the battles I threw
in these 80 years it’s worked I mean I
am optimistic because I’ve seen God
bring me through so many things that
other people would have said no give
them quit and walk away or whatever it
might be I don’t know how you can pray
actively if you’re not praying in faith
that is faith in God that he will do
what he says he will be what he said he
would be and he will enable you no
matter what i am and i heard a clinical
psychologist he wasn’t doing a spiritual
talk it was just a informational talk
about behavior and they did broad
studies about educated people and not so
educated people super-bright people not
so bright people who all went into a
certain kind of sales and they were
trying to figure out what the common
denominator was or the people who did
well and those who didn’t and after they
looked at all kinds of different
categories and they determined at the
end of the day it was belief that the
person who believed they could did and
the person that at some point along the
way quit believing they could didn’t and
when I heard that I thought it’s so
amazing that it’s the central to Jesus
teaching especially in the book of John
he comes back to over and over and over
the importance of belief and not simply
belief in the promises of God although
that’s extraordinarily important is
central to us as Christians but just the
human characteristic of belief and then
when I saw that in your message I
thought that’s a big part of who you are
and what you’ve done you have always you
believed that God would do what God has
promised but you’ve always believed
anything is possible that it’s just I
mean you grew up telling me that you can
do anything you set your mind to it’s
possible and you’re an optimist and I
guess in spite of the way you were
brought up you had every reason to be a
pessimist but um I just think it’s
powerful and I was so glad that in the
message even though it seemed you know
there wasn’t a verse for optimism you
know it’s absolutely true and there’s
certainly a spiritual component to that
well if you’ll think about it look at
the god you serve and if you’re walking
obediently before him and listening to
him how can you lose yep and I remember
when they were voting on me at the First
Baptist Church Atlanta and that big
business meeting we had is here they
keep me afar me whatever and I’m sitting
over in the wing in the wing and nobody
knows that I’m there and in the process
I had my Bible open and I was looking at
this verse
and he says no weapon formed against you
will prosper and I’m sitting over that
reading that and I’m listen to all these
people just saying all the things they
want to say it was all over they voted
for me to be the pastor and I think
there’s something very important about
praying with scripture because all I had
that night was it was a pastor scripture
no weapon formed against you will
prosper and so I said then I keep
reading it and I listened to all this
stuff and I keep reading that and I was
thinking this morning I was talking to
someone who’s going through a very
difficult time and they gave me a
passage of scripture and of confidence
of what y’all was going to do then I
gave them this one back because they
were saying I want to be sure I say the
right thing it’s very important and how
I’m strategic it was I gave him this
verse I put my words in your mouth and
they’ve covered you with a shadow of my
hand Wow that’s Isaiah what I was there
51 16 and 551c read it read it one more
time okay I put my words in your mouth
and have covered you with a shadow of my
hand imagine that and I’ll tell you what
I didn’t want on occasion when President
Reagan was president and as a group of
us were meeting with him and and
naturally you gotta have your picture
made and all that stuff so you know
we’re not allowed to give him anything
but he was on his getting ready to go to
Russia the next week I wrote that out a
very small piece of paper and I shook
his hands and I said mr. president you
God told me to give you this and he took
it he took it yeah and I found that
later he said one of the persons who
work with them that the most important
thing that had happened in that meeting
is a note that somebody handed him
really yeah so I thought that was very
interesting and I’ve never heard that
story before
yeah well I don’t tell it because I
don’t want somebody think well do you
know President Reagan well I think we
should probably just give all of his
credit all of his success to that day
when you handed him that note that might
have been the defining moment in his
presidency
well what happened to pull down it
the Berlin Wall No well you think about
walking away and he’s thinking oh great
you know I mean people are always trying
to give the prize I mean people are
always trying to give us stuff imagine
the president right and he gets in a
quiet corner and he’s about to handed to
somebody else or throw it away and he
looks sticks it in his pocket and as you
know presidents really don’t carry
anything there it’s almost there too
dignified like the King they to carry
something is almost work so to think
that he had that in his pocket and maybe
the only thing he carried around for
that day or the days to come that was a
pretty bold move because I had put my
words in your mouth and have covered you
with a shadow of my hand which means he
would tell him what to say and cover
there Wow all right well we’re wrapping
up and we’ve talked about prayer the
purpose of prayer that most people need
a place and we need to pray out loud and
we talked about praying to this grid to
pray for your church pray for unity John
17 pray for that pray for your family
and pray for yourself personally that
you build on a solid foundation anything
else you want to add to all of that or a
different subject or in summary to your
audience before we wrap up yeah I’d
simply say this that your life is gonna
be determined by your prayer life what
you accomplished of what you failed to
accomplish your prayer life based on the
truth of the word of God will determine
your success of your failure your
relationship to Almighty God into others
and whether you accomplish in life what
you set out to accomplish and most of
all it will determine the degree of
intimacy you have with your heavenly
Father very very important well that was
fantastic can’t think of a better way to
wrap that up thanks for having this
conversation I think everybody loves to
appear a little bit deeper into your
personal life it makes it more personal
for all of us so thanks and I love doing
it with you and I love you thank you