2/23/20: Bishop Joseph Walker: “Deeper Prayer”

[Music] the Mount Zion Baptist Church is a word centered ministry designed to evangelize the lost at any cost equip and empower the people of God and provide holistic ministry to our community as well as the world seeking to minister to the total person we are a multi-ethnic multicultural ministry impacting the world in which we live with the uncompromising message of Jesus Christ committed to the spirit of excellence we are striving to become an oasis of Hope within the Nashville community by promoting and providing education awareness as well as financial independence we believe that God must be worshiped and spirit and truth we embrace freedom and worship because the word says where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty our foundation is the Word of God and we believe it in its entirety we believe we can do what it says we can do be who it says we can be and have what it says we can have [Music] me [Music] come on [Music] oh boy morning go ahead with me [Music] Oh [Music] Oh buh-bye [Music] Oh [Music] people [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] take a chance with all this money [Music] Oh [Music] we go again [Music] we have so much [Music] but when I think Oh morning No the door oh boy [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] wait Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] every crate [Music] [Music] laptop [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh God we love you we adore you we praise you we lift up the name of Caesars we celebrate you we appreciate you we thank you for being so good we thank you for being so faithful we thank you for being so loving we thank you for being so good the Bible says oh give thanks unto the Lord [Music] Church that's your place in the clarity [Music] not all over the room if you don't mind that he loves your worship you lift up your voices [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] encourages happens [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the door 114 [Music] always Oh [Music] truth be told everything should be lifted because you know he's made of no wait for you to [Music] [Music] me [Music] this is hard not for us but by his own hand imagine Canada Clara [Music] about your service it's so loving so forgiving is so possible he's so confident well and just like the voices you sing with us come on [Music] [Music] [Music] it's just you see bless his [Music] [Music] [Music] to you [Music] we lost a lil boy to split that out of my spirit [Music] I belong to you now got it so something along [Music] to you [Music] No [Music] Oh ladybirds or what a toilet with the get up Oh [Music] Oh Oh Oh [Music] that No [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] for you if you can use anything you can use if you can use anything [Music] [Music] you can use me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh we need a word from you we wanna go deeper in [Music] if you came [Music] [Music] Oh we all need a touch from you [Music] [Music] would you just give down a wave offering right where you are just tell God thank you if you can use anything Lord you can use me why not sacrifice yourself to the Lord today God if you can use anybody you can use us today use our ears use our mouth use our hands use our feet God use all of us to do what you called for us to do father bless this house bless every one that's under the sound of my voice father I pray in the name of Jesus for peace that surpasses all understanding God you know exactly the issue the problem the circumstance and God if there's anything on the inside of us or only outside of us that's prohibiting you from using us remove in in the name of Jesus we do pray amen hug your neighbor and tell'em it's already done tell them it's already done on your way down to your seat teller it's you may be seated [Music] [Music] to see what I stopped to see what [Music] I will pull go Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] let's take with you [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] oh Jesus will be coming for me one day [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] now you could tell those who grew up in the choir because cuz cuz y'all stood up and you was thinking you know if your soprano stand up real quick if your soprano stand up are y'all ready Aalto stand up sinners stand up come on Jamar [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] Roy rock with a gala come on out there's a rather low [Music] [Applause] you I see it come on come on don't go [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] help me fake off of the choir now choir rehearsals old Tuesday at 7 o'clock and right here at OHP Amen somebody if you're visiting with us today for the first time we welcome you in this place you're in the right place at the right time to receive something powerful from God if this is a very first time worshiping with us today would you do me a favor would you stand to your feet all around the building we don't want you to do anything or say anything other than stand if this is your very first time at Mount Zion Mount Zion help me thank God for all of these worshiping with us today for the very first time you may be seated our ushers are passing to you a visitor's packet any time you now area please don't hesitate to worship with us again we thank God for the presence of mr. Chris and mrs. Jerry Thomas all the way from Canada help me welcome them to the Mount today man we're happy to have you all you think God for the presence of judge Jennifer Smith she's running for re-election for Davison County Criminal Court help me welcome her to the mound today wherever she is all right well we praise God no time we thank God for all of the things happening in our midst our men's health team will be hosting symposium to discuss the state of health in the african-american community community from a historical perspective the event will take place on Saturday February 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at our Antioch location here to tell us more about that is dr. Kevin Billups let's put our hands together and receive him right now born in Mount Zion hard to follow that act but I'm gonna try so I want to talk to you today and I'm on the first thank Bishop Walker and dr. Stephanie for giving me this opportunity to talk to the congregation we have a program that we're putting on a sponsor father sponsored by the Mount Zion men's health ministry it's gonna be along next Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00 and we're talking about health disparity so that are affecting the african-american population you know but both men and women so let me just give you just a few numbers that I think what may will bring this point home if you look at African Americans we're 25 percent more likely to die from heart disease 72 percent more likely to be diabetic 44 percent more likely to die from a stroke 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer 52 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer and and twice as likely to die from prostate cancer so this is something that's impacting our entire community we're gonna you know we're gonna focus on men's health but you know when men go down in the prime of life if you think that doesn't affect the wives and the families and their children's and you're wrong everybody is impacted by this so we have a speaker our keynote speaker at this program is gonna be dr. Mary Ann Wanamaker she's the associate professor of economics at University of Tennessee she's gonna give us some historical perspective and a contemporary perspective on the testee Tuskegee Experiment she published an article on that and in 2016 I know most you know what that is but just really briefly in 1932 a group of black men were actually enrolled in a study which they had no knowledge that they were being enrolled I'm looking at the long-term effects of syphilis in 1947 penicillin came on the market and was available to treat and cure syphilis yet these men were not treated this study went on until 1972 when it was stopped so you had 25 years where men were basically observed with syphilis and this had a really strong impact on how the african-american community looks at overall health care so we're gonna have dr. Wannamaker talk person we're also gonna have a health panel discussion so I want invite all the men and women to come out with this but frontally it for the entire community and again thanks to Bishop Walker and dr. Stephanie for supporting this effort amen if you are a man of faith would you stand to your feet if you are a man of faith stand to your feet you know if you're a man of faith a man women put your hands together help me thank all for the men in this house today men we gotta go and get checked up we got to make sure that we're all right so father in Jesus name thank you God for every man in this house today father I pray for their health God your word says that you wish above all things that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers so thank you God for long life thank you God that we're gonna do what we need to do to be here for our family in Jesus name Amen you may be seated outside we thank all for the partnerships that we have in our community we thank God for the partnership with the YWCA we thank God for this amazing program I mean together here to tell us more about this is deacon shane foster let's receive him right now thank you so much thank you bishop for this opportunity I rose to tell you that out in the atrium we have a table where we're signing people up for the ax men together spring break camp that's happening March the 16th through the 20th if you are a middle school student if you have a kid that's in middle school he's a young boy he needs to get this information on that Thursday we're gonna spend the entire day at Bridgestone Arena the Nashville Predators have come alongside us to talk about this issue their players will be there the coaches will be there and then they'll enjoy the game afterwards this programmer meant together is all about engaging men and boys to end violence against women and girls this is an epidemic in our country and we have to come against this and I'm so excited to partner with our men's ministry with our deacons ministry right here at Mount Zion to bring this to our middle school boys I want to tell you I've been privileged to travel all around the country talking about this issue and and I was on the news a couple of weeks ago and this gentleman called into the news and he said I've just gotten out of prison for domestic violence he said and I'm so appreciative of you doing this work because I saw my grandfather abuse my grandmother he said I then saw my father abused my mother your violence is a learned behavior and we have an obligation and responsibility to teach these young boys that being a man is about more than what culture is telling them that being a man includes value and respect of women and girls so again if you know a young man if you know if you have a young boy that's a middle school student we're out in the atrium we have t-shirts we have signed up package thank you again for this opportunity amen join us this Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. for the Mount Zion prayer call 15 minutes of a powerful prayer and powerful devotion to get your week started off right the numbers are right there on your screen I promise you it'll be a blessing to your life somebody say Wednesday come on open your mouth and say Wednesday we're excited about what God is going to do on Wednesday now listen we're not gonna have our 12:00 noon Bible study we're not gonna have our five o'clock Bible study all roads lead right here to our ohb location for our black history celebration with our very special guest dr. Michael Eric Dyson we're gonna be honoring some hidden figures in our community and so much law an amazing production and I promise you you want to come bring the family bring your friends bring the community out as we celebrate what God is doing come on sign let's put my hands together receive our pastor Bishop Joseph W Walker the third so they thank God for each one of you God is a good God and he's worthy of all the praise anybody glad to be in the house of the Lord one more time we have so much to thank God for and of course we want to just emphasize all the announcements you've heard but particularly I want to make sure that you join us this Wednesday night no 12 no 5 but seven o'clock we are coming together celebrating our history and it's gonna be awesome media ministry is coordinating with our theater ministries of worship at arts ministry it's gonna be a production like none other and Michael Eric Dyson as you know brilliant it's gonna be powerful to once in a lifetime moment for us to celebrate our history so we thank God for Black History Month we thank God but what this night represents somebody give God glory one more time pray you're following us on social media I love to connect with you at Joseph Walker 3 and of course make sure you follow dr. stealth for dr. Steve McCurry and follow Mount Zion as well as Mount Zion Nashville MT Zion Nashville we look forward to remaining connected with you we're gonna prepare our hearts now to worship God in our giving because God is so good man I know I can look out and tell he's been good to somebody out there has even good to you come on has he been good today we gotta prepare our hearts to do just that and of course we're grateful to God and thankful for the privilege that we have a man to be able to worship God in our giving let's do that and if you want to give by text the text information is on the screen we believe but the giving begins with the tithe a dime out of every dollar so today as we give I start out the gift with our tithe secondly we give I'm offering us be so into good ground and thoroughly as we give we give enthusiastically thank you God for the privilege that we have to sow in tradition even greater than our own so we're thankful to God for that those of you watching online thank you so much for connecting with the Mount Zion Church and that we thank you from all around the world as you watching you stream friends watching and Ohio I know you're watching thank you all the way in California thank you I know you're watching we just praise God amen for how God is moving and then we think for and father thank you now but the privilege we have to give bless every household every family which becoming their blessings upon them now in Jesus name somebody say a man [Music] thank you for joining us for worship don't forget to stop by the bookstore to pick up your IM change t-shirt we're requesting that everyone wear the t-shirt on a Wednesday February 26 for the special service this is my story a celebration of Black History at our OHP campus starting at 7 p.m. t-shirts are only 15 dollars so visit the bookstore today Bible study will resume on Wednesday March 4th with a new series from Bishop Walker I'm talking about health today and I want to talk about how important it is or the past few weeks I've seen over Facebook and social media a lot of my friends fathers and loved ones passing prematurely because they haven't taken care of themselves guys it's so important to get screaming's it's so important to go to your doctor is so important to check on yourself I refuse to die prematurely and that's why I'm saying to all my fellows of all ages come out on February 29th Saturday we're gonna be having conversations around health they're gonna be there's gonna be a panel you're gonna be able to ask questions they're gonna be there's gonna be a lot of information there where we can have this conversation and guess what it stays here these things are so important especially if we want to live a healthy and prosperous life so come out on Saturday February 29th let's deal with it let's work on it let's do this together my name is Lydia and my name is Ellison welcome to Kingdom kids live in February we celebrated Valentine's Day from our hearts to yours we love you and there is nothing you can do about it speaking of love don't you just love our volunteers absolutely each Sunday volunteers pour out their hearts to make sure that we're safe that we're learning and that we're becoming disciples of Jesus Christ each and every day so this Sunday make a special effort to connect with one of our youth ministry volunteers in the atrium to see how you could get evolved it truly takes a village and we need you let's hear from two of our current volunteers experience with Kingdom kids hello everyone my name is Sharonda Scott I volunteer with the youth rushers I've served with these talented and extraordinary minds since 2003 and enjoy seeing their growth and the building of their character while volunteering I'm helping them become great leaders in God's kingdom and my name is Valerie Greer when I first started volunteering I started as a Youth Bible study teacher and worked at the youth kiosk registering students for class even when working with youth during this summer camp that's when I discovered it was my passion so any opportunity that was presented for me to work with the children I took advantage of it Kingdom kids needs you all month long we have been celebrating Black History Month how blessed are we to be connected to history each and every week we'll be walked through the doors on Mount Zion Mount Zion has been known for many years as one of the oldest african-american congregations organized in nashville reverend jordan Bransford found at Mount Zion Baptist Church in 1866 after relocating several times in holding services and parishioners homes the congregation finally settled on historic Jefferson Street the well known building in North Nashville was completed in 1905 during the tenure of Reverend sandy Matthews under the leadership of our Domanick pastor Mount Zion is recognized as one of the largest congregations in Tennessee we think our pastor Bishop Joseph W Walker deserved for helping us to never lose sight of our rich history and his commitment to evening they like legacy to future generations thanks for tuning into Kingdom kids live no wait did you forget about the joke of the day no I didn't forget let's hear it what did the cucumber say to the pickled ume a great do to us give it dill pickles easy from keeping kids to you have a great day and don't forget to volunteer hey everybody this is Bishop Joseph Walker the third eye take a moment to invite you you and you to join me dr. Steph for an incredible time we've been preparing for this since last year getting ready to have couples camp that means whether you're married whether you're dating whether you're thinking about dating or thinking about getting married you can come as a single person or a couple you can come as a crew we're just gonna be talking the real about what it means but God brings two people together the challenges of dating working through that how do you know that's the one how do you know it's of God all that stuff we're gonna give it to you like as raw as possible so I want you to be there it's gonna be amazing join me it's gonna be on March the second Monday night seven o'clock and the off location can't wait to see you there the Covenant matters marriage ministry is hosting their annual couples ball on Friday April 3rd you can register on our app or website WWMT Zion Nashville org another way to connect with the ministry leader is to stop by the covenant matters ministry table in the atrium you don't want to miss this event every Tuesday you can listen to bishops new podcasts next level leaders on most podcast platforms this week's topic is relationship management with special guest Chris Hope former NFL player entrepreneur and philanthropist on behalf of the Mount Zion family thank you for choosing to worship here at the Mount [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] father we thank you now for your word today we pray O God that you will speak to us that our faith be strengthened that's somebody's life be change we give you glory and praise because we recognize we are here by divine assignment so God will better to receive what you have for our lives in the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray every heart said a man the one the Lord hears in Matthew chapter 6 today we is we are going into part four of a deeper series and we're gonna talk about a subject that may not be as popular as others but it's perhaps the most vital to your walk as a believer Matthew chapter six and when you pray you shall not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men surely I say to you they have their reward but you when you pray go into your closet or room and when you have shut the door pray to your father who is in the secret place and your father who sees in secret reward you openly and when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do but they think that they will be heard for their many words therefore do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him you may be seated today in the presence of the Lord I wanted today to talk about deeper prayer nothing is more vital to your wall your connection to God as a Christian then understanding the depth and the power of prayer prayer is not only communication with God but prayer is also communing with God many people communicate with you but don't have a desire to abide or to remain or to stay with you when we are in constant communication with God communing with God we then understand that the relationship that God has validated because there is no motive it is purely rooted in a desire to get to know him to grow in him to be all that God wants us to be what is important people of God for us all to understand is that prayer is your lifeline it is literally your life line to heaven considering that fact you will find it interesting that even though it is the lifeline for the believer there are many people who struggle with the regularity that prayer requires fact is if you really think about it many people spend more time on social media more time on the telephone more time watching television than they'd actually do focused in on prayer the Bible is filled with prayers we see it happening throughout Scripture we see in the word of the Lord over 650 prayers prayed prayers are prayed for wisdom for guidance prayers have prayed for revelation to be given to the lives of God's people the hymn writer even declared or what needless pain we bear all because we do not take everything to God in prayer Jesus spends a significant amount of time discussing the issue of prayer as a matter of fact the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5 6 & 7 of Matthew a critical to study but you think about Jesus calling the disciples he does that in chapter 4 but when you arrive in chapter 5 Jesus is giving us some instructions on how a believer should have the proper attitude regarding life regarding adversity and how we enter at respond how we respond and relate to other people that's why it's called in chapter 5 the B attitudes blessed are the poor in spirit blessed that you would men the value and say all men are evil against you these are ways and examples by which you and I should respond to the challenges of life he also gives us some identity issues because he declares to us that we are the salt of the earth we all saw the light of the world a light cannot be hid under a bushel because he said on a hill to give light to the whole house when you get to the issue of prayer however Jesus makes this central to the Sermon on the mountain because it is the catalyst by which all the blessings and things that God desires to do in your life come to pass without a comprehensive understanding of Prayer nothing can ever happen in your life when you really think about it people of God Jesus gives us this model prayer we've all heard it our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done it is a model now it is a model meaning that it possesses it has within it contains the various elements of Prayer it was never designed to be prayed all the time I'm teaching you something now if you say it all the time it's like a model you don't go to a neighborhood and live in the model home the model is a model for that reason fact is if some people who pray that prayer for everything would you bless the food our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name I'm sick would you pray for me our Father but you haven't had to be their name can you pray for us go to bed our Father which art in heaven let's not be pray like that it contains the elements of Prayer but what is important for us to understand today and I really want you to hear this today People of God is that as we begin to go deeper in our prayer life we must be willing to understand that prayer itself must be a priority whatever we value we make a priority in our lives it's important because I realize like you that most of us are very busy we have a lot going on we're being pulled in so many directions between school between work studying and working and kids it's so much going on but that's a wonderful book that I read that still speaks to me today title itself is the answer to that problem Bill Hybels is book too busy not to pray the fact is you are too busy not to pray you have too much hitting you at one time not to be in communion and communication with God you see the reason many of us end up disappointed and disillusioned is because we often run to people and we don't realize we don't realize People of God that prayer is your connection to the source see thank God for the amazing resources around you but ultimately you cannot depend upon people because ultimately they will disappoint you and let you down fact is that often what God is doing is sitting up waiting on you to finally come to your senses and finally realize that God is right there waiting on you to talk to him in fact there's people of God when you begin to think about it Moses did not consult with the people when he was at the Red Sea he didn't ask them what they thought he should do Moses went right to the source and as a result God gave him a strategy stretch out your rod divide the water tell the people of God to go through on dry ground and every Israelite got through that situation because Moses went straight to the source when David was having personal issues David did not consult with people he talked to God himself he chronicled it he said I waited patiently on the Lord he inclined unto me and heard my cry and he brought me out of the horrible pit out of the miry clay and said my feet upon a rock and established my going and put a new song in my mouth even praise unto my God because David understood the power of going to the source the Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh and he did not ask other people what do you think I should do the Apostle Paul literally went straight to the source talked to God and he discovered that sometimes God will tell you know in order to strengthen you and give you a greater revelation of himself because God did not remove the thorn but God did say my grace is sufficient for you and my strength is made perfect in your weakness then it is no secret then that in mark chapter 11 verse 24 the Bible says therefore say I say unto you whatever things you when you pray believe you receive them and you will have them you see prayer is the compass for the believer prayer is the compass for the believer every step you take in your life according to psalm 37:23 are ordered by the lord which means the fact that you were here today of all the places you could be God ordered your steps in this place for a specific reason and a specific purpose now please understand this if you are going to be successful navigating the tough terrain of life you're going to have to pray and ask God for guidance I find it interesting how some people wake up every single day and randomly go through life making decisions about their destiny and often those decisions to end up being dumb and crazy because they do not seek God's counsel and they just randomly make decisions I don't have that kind of time to play Russian roulette with my life people have got listen carefully even chose declares in Jo 23 and 10 but he knows the way I take he knows it and when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold you see when you know what you have in God you go straight to the source and you realize that God is your compass you begin to say you know before I make it a decision God is this the person you want me to be with I'm not gonna ask my friends I'm gonna ask God because their relationships are already jacked up Lord is this the door you want me to walk through it's this the job you want me to have I know what they're offering me but every good thing it's not a god thing so I want to make sure God that I hear from you see people are gone it's important because you find out that there many of us right now who could save ourselves many nights of sleep save ourselves energy and time every only consulted with God God will give you the sky will give you instruction God will give you clarity God will give you strategy remember when David David was in a situation when David had come back from Ziggler and David was saying after all of our stuff has been taken and the man wants to stone me David did not ask the men who wanted to stone him what he should do he fell on his knees and David began to pray and God told David get up go back and get your stuff because David was a man of Prayer you learn that you're not supposed to roll over and let the enemy just roll over you but you have a right to go back into the enemy's territory and claim what God said you could have Jehoshaphat was in a situation when all of his enemies that come against him all of his enemies were there aligned against him and Jehoshaphat did not consult with the people but your hosts of fact went on his knees and got that strategy from God you know what God told your host of that this battle is not yours this battle is the Lord's imagine that that you don't have to raise one finger you ain't got to lose one night of sleep all you got to know is that God's gonna fight this battle the reason why maybe you're anxious and you're still trying to figure stuff out because you're not talking to God because God will tell you to go to sleep and tomorrow by this time I'm I had that thing already worked out somebody can be a witness that's how God works and so people of God please understand prayer is so powerful that theologian Martin Luther says and no one can believe how powerful pray is and what he can't affect except those who have learned it by experience whenever I have prayed earnestly I have been heard and have obtained more than I pray for God sometimes delays but he always comes here it's amazing right because many of us have embraced technology I have and I know often when I'm driving like you we often rely a lot upon technology and when we're trying to get to point A and point B sometimes because of traffic or because of wrecks or things that happen we often rely upon technology upon apps on our phone to give us direction navigational systems in our car and so there we are we put in our destination in hopes that we can get around the traffic that we can avoid wrecks and get to our destination still on time and so there you are but your smart self putting in the destination and finding yourself going down streets you don't even know existed going through neighborhoods you that Lord where am i but you got sense enough to follow the instruction of the navigational system you got sense enough to obey Waze app because you realize that Waze is trying to get you around traffic and help you avoid wrecks wouldn't it be amazing if you really trusted God like that in prayer that when I pray God allows me to avoid wrecks God allowed me to avoid dysfunctional relationships and jacked-up people and God still got me to my destination on time but here's the other thing I want you to hear that when you pray listen carefully you must pray for answers and not for applause Jesus says something very interesting that there is a right way and a wrong way to pray she says I don't want you to be like those hypocrites those Pharisees because what they do they love to pray standing in the temple to be seen of men that's what they do they pray in the temple they pray these prayers to be seen of men now what happens is that oftentimes we become inundated and immersed in dysfunctional models of prayer and we only feel like the only way we can pray is we must be praying to be validated by man it's interesting right because Jesus calls that hypocritical prayer Jesus says people are praying like that because they are performing that word hypocrite means that they are actors or actresses Jesus says don't be acting like that don't be a performing oscar-nominated prayers you see people of God please understand something it is very important to understand that just because you are religious doesn't mean you have relationship see religious religious leaders have titles religious people have garments of religion but they lack authentic relationship they have image but no integrity when you pray you have to guard against turning your prayer into a public performance you see what you must understand People of God is that some people pray like that to appear more spiritual than what they really are you've seen this right how some people pray and they be praying so eloquent he's like oh my god they're so deep they're so deep but you don't realize and oftentimes it ain't nothing but a front fact is is that it's a public performance because there is no authentic prayer life in their own life it's a matter of fact there was a dichotomy between religion and relationship religion is about appearance relationship is about authenticity religion is about position relationship is about presence religion is about getting relationship is about giving which means authentic prayers reach heaven you see what religion Siva pray Jesus says their prayers to reach their destination they reach the people to whom they're trying to impress and consequently they got their reward they got the applause they got the power in the back you sure can pray problem is they still left broke steer left sick still them without the tuition being paid still left with the relationship jacked up to show do you pray because you got exactly what you prayed for but when you are a child of God and you pray to Jesus Christ you then get the reward because according to James 5 and 16 the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous intervals much you see prayer is your currency exchange from heaven you get out of prayer what you put into prayer and that's why James tells us that what you are effectual and you are fervent that you are righteous that things come to pass in your life things won't move in your life if you're not making an exchange in heaven this is why when you pray according to that model and you realize that kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven that is a proclamation of a transfer of heavenly goods to manifest in the earth when you put a demand on it when you think about it like this supply and demand that when I pray I make a demand upon heaven and heaven meets my supply every single time somebody can be a witness that he may not come when you wanted to but he's always when you pray like this you begin to realize you pray because you have access she has a child of God I now know I have access to God I'm not under the Old Covenant where I need to go to the priest and have the priests to pray for me although I appreciate people interceding for me I appreciate people say I'm praying for you I'm covering you I have to realize that as a child of God I already have access to God for myself so I know how to pray for myself I know how to lay hands on myself I know how to lay hands on all of my children I don't need nobody coming into my house doing what I can do for myself as a matter of fact I am a child of God and I go boldly to the throne of grace for myself but not only that not only do I have access but I know my prayers get God's attention somebody shout I am a child of God shout it again say I am a child of God so because I'm a child of God I know that when I pray my prayers gets my daddy's attention you see I have in my home currently a two-year-old who has my name he's a very handsome fella much handsome than me he walks around the house and his vocabulary is off the chain the words that he's using right now are blowing my mind and dr. Steph's mind because he's a brilliant little kid but there is one word he uses that no matter what I'm doing I can be on a phone call with dignitaries around the world I can literally be in a place but I am writing a message I am writing an op-ed I am working on a pocket it doesn't matter he has to figured it out he knows that when he hits that hallway and he uses this word here daddy he knows that he's gonna get his daddy's attention he will go to the refrigerator and open it up and there's stuff he wants he cannot reach and we'll say daddy and he knows that if I called my daddy's name my daddy will come and help me get stuff I can't get for myself I come to tell somebody that if you knew who your daddy was you wouldn't run to all these people but you would say daddy and somebody could be your witness he will show up when I pray I'm praying with anticipation cuz they don't need to Ukraine if you ain't anticipating that thing coming to pass see that's some folks in around you now they fidgety and you looking at them like what's wrong I want you they come in the house believing at any moment God's gonna do what God said he's gonna do I don't know how God gonna do it I don't know when God don't do it but I got a feeling that God is about to make good on some stuff I prayed about is there anybody here that believes that any moment God's gonna do it that you came here and just painted a breakthrough in your life I'm expecting the miracle I feel the intangible I see the invisible somebody here knows that God is gonna do that thing and he might do it because we even leave here the day [Music] wait a minute but I want you to hear something there is power in the secret place Jesus says something very fascinating here he says that when you pray go into your closet go into your closet and when you pray in your car that your father will see in secret here reward you open and there please understand the closet the closet it's not a physical space this is not a physical closet because you gonna suffocate in faith some of you can't even get in your closet no more all that stuff you got in there but what the closet represents is a place to commune it means a place a designated place without interference it is a place where you have disciplined devotion without distraction see there's so many voices in the world there's so much that's trying to flood you and trying to interrupt you but you got to get to a place where you say lord give me in a space where I'm free from these distractions give me in a place where I can find my secret place find my closet because I got to get to a place where I unplug from my iPad and unplug from social media and unplug from television I got a unplug from all this stuff and I gotta just say Lord I need some me and you time so that's what some of you are now you you ever had no you and God time and so long because your life is so busy and moving so fast but sometimes you got so long I just need some me and you time when you get that kind of time in your life it's an amazing thing go into your closet he says then close the door you know it's funny some of you will probably never ever know what a phone booth was yeah the guys riding in the car with me in the 20s and they said I ain't never seen that before and as I saw it on TV or something but that was a time in history but there were physical phone booths they were on they were on corners in in metropolitan areas and the phone book let me help you understand the phone booth phone booths were they were these booths and they had these phones pay phones in them you know some of them were like this and some of them were like this and they had these phone books they were protected by these little plastic covers and they had these iron cords that hung the phone book to the phone so your cousin when comes till it [Applause] and and you would go in there because this was before Google this was before you know all of this you know technology so you have to go to the phone book and to let your fingers do the walking you know I can't believe the sanitation issues we were to thinking about it nan just disturbing but just hear about it it's coming in but you you go in there flipping through the pages trying to find what you need and then you drop some money in the phone and you call once she had the number it was simple like that but it got complicated when night time came the night time created a new dynamic phonebook you couldn't see it so you in the phone booth frustrated trying to see the number you didn't have phones you can pull up and put a flashlight out there so you frustrated because our phone booths were not under streetlights so now you can't see and you still trying to make a call and you frustrated but you didn't realize that the phone booth was designed that you got to get up in there and close the door and when you close the door the light came on maybe the reason why you're not hearing from God and you can't get the breakthrough you need cuz you in the closet but you still got to go open sometimes you got to close the door you might have to delete some people you might have the plaque and unfollow so the light [Music] but come on understand something public manifestation is the result a private manifestation jesus says your father would see it in secret will reward you openly this is fascinating to me think about it people see you blessed and they have no idea of how many hours were spent in the closet people people look at me today people look at me or what God has taught in my life and don't realize that I am literally benefactor of a woman sitting right now in Shreveport Louisiana watching this on Facebook who spent countless hours in the closet praying for her children Lord keep my children from danger seen and unseen Lord cover my children before we had sense to pray for ourselves and you own jobs and you got stuff that God did in your life and you think you just got fortunate you think well you know I just walked into now let me tell you because you had a grandmama or mama or I did it that was in some church but no carpet on the floor that was praying in the closet praying for you and so everything that manifests publicly evil is a result of what happened in the closet and people see you blessed they don't realize how much time you in the closet in literature like you just popped up overnight you don't know how many nights I cried in the closet you don't know how many days I doubted God but I was still in the closet how many times I thought I was gonna lose my mind but I was in the closet what I'm trying to tell you is that your breakthrough is in the closet whatever you need you need God to do something your relationship go to the closet you need God to do something your schooling go to the closet you need to pass that test we'll go to the closet you need God to do something your health go to the doctor and to the closet can I talk to somebody up in here today I'm trying to tell you God you don't break through because that's provision in the closet there's peace in the closet it's power in the closet Clark Kent became Superman because he went to the closet can I talk to somebody here that knows that's power in the closet let me leave this with you today here here is where a culture collision is going to happen I am going to say it but I'm going to say very respectfully but I'm going to be very honest with some of you to help you go deeper in your prayer life and so I want you to really receive it I'm going to say without offence that our formality doesn't move God our faith does what Jesus says he is so is so pivotal and poignant he says I need your methods and your motives to be in alignment because sometimes our methods that our motives are all in different places but you can truly tell where a person's faith is by how they pray because it's not how long you pray it's how strong you pray Jesus warns against repetition and formality this is what many of us grew up hearing in church we grew up hearing repetition and formality and it wasn't that the people who prayed like that didn't love God they did they had a heart for God and love God I don't critique them I critique the system they inherited I create the coaching climate that perpetuated that kind of that kind of methodology because you have people who really love God they thought that's how you pray they didn't realize how that kind of erroneous teaching who ate it so much skepticism and even fear in the lives of those who come behind them so consequently you had deacons who would get on one knee and proudly pray those prayers of repetitions they would pray watch your neighbor watch it they grew up hearing this watch your neighbor this evening my this is your child with the humble heart and bow down here thank you the last night lying down whether you see how you know that how you know those prayer preliminaries you know it because you grew up hearing and every time I didn't get on one knee that's what afraid the season for Heavenly Father is your humble child with the bowed out head I'm a thinking they're letting that line down without my last my matches not my cooling board and when I think of him books the Bible to study War no more and that kind of stuff created such such a performance in Church of repetition that every time a person prayed the fact they had to pray that way and then we start changing the way we talk when we pray we start praying in the King James Version Thou O God who with your finger of love scatter the Stars on the backdrop of the universe and you put wall-to-wall carpet on the earth and called it grass you owe God a merciful and kind all of your Providence and all of your grace the heavens declare your glory you put the hot in the heat and the cold in the ice it was it was incredible drama performance for church and you said now preach pray you sitting there pushing a prese when you should be praying yourself you said never popcorn pray not knowing that what that did it constricted constricted the prayer lives of generations behind because now when the wife looks at her husband and say will you pray he says no no no no I don't want to pray and you think that's because he don't have relationship with God it ain't that is in his mind he's thinking the only president matters it's the one I heard Deacon so on so praying I can't pray like that so now his prayers are constricted because he feel like he got to compete but what he heard growing up cuz we don't pray in the King James but if I called my daddy right now and say father father father father [Applause] verily I say unto thee my dad's gonna think I'm on crack I have a relationship with my daddy I don't have to talk to my dad informality I talk to my daddy like I know my daddy my dad and I have a relationship when you talk to somebody informality it is it is a demonstration of the distance between you and that person that's why you should always be found praying not just on special occasions but she should be found praying according to Ephesians 6 and 18 Bible clearly declares pray always with supplication in the spirit watchful to this in with all perseverance and supplication for the Saints are praying always for all people 1st Thessalonians 5:17 says pray without ceasing that don't mean you walk around praying all the time thank you these things do you think that's spooky some of y'all do [Music] something's wrong with you you know when I'm praying like that what that means is when I pray what I see I'm in constant communion with God it's like I'm online but I'm not using the Internet I have a connection I got a signal but I'm not using it which means because I have a signal I get updates or I get alerts that's when your phone is on you're actually using your phone but sometimes you'll get an alert the reason you got an alert because you connected to the tower when you are praying always it means that I am so connected to God that God be giving me alerts like don't you go there go here don't you turn there go that God gives me he'll download alert sent your spirit am I talking to anybody so I don't want you to twist it the reason why we don't ask some of y'all to pray when we ready to eat because you're gonna be all over in China you're gonna be praying for all 16 of your grandkids you're gonna be closing now we could be like way to me how long and by the time you get through praying we got a wall down food up all over again somebody should teach you it's really okay they just say lord thank you for the food and the hands that prepared it in Jesus name let's see it's really okay when somebody asks you to bless to offer the same law thank you for those who had to give and those who did in Jesus name Amen you've been taught that you got a pretty long and pretty long the reason Ukraine that long publicly because you ain't print it privately you should pray Lord in your closet so you don't waste our time publicly prince-bishop I'm doing the best I can [Applause] and if you still confuse imagine walking through a neighborhood and some rogue Rock router has gotten off a chain and starts coming behind you you looking and you know I know that dog anything to give me and the dog starts running at you barking you not fit in the run time about this evening my Heavenly Father once more again this is your chance thank you that last night you gonna say because you know it's not how long you pray it's not strong you pray you ain't got time sometime with preliminary but you bout to run off the road you ain't got to happen is heeding my Heavenly Father this is your humble child somebody knows that you just say Jesus somewhere between the gasps I let the break he'll send angels on your behalf and protect you Jesus on the mainline stop talking so much and tell us what you here's the deal when you pray I want you to hear this it's gonna be for a few years but I don't know who I'm talking to the minute believe it's already done in the early days of Dallas Theological Seminary true story they had a critical need of $10,000 to keep the work going during the prayer meeting the renowned Bible lecturer Harry Ironside pray Lord you own a cattle on a Thousand Hills please sell some of those cattles to help us meet our need shortly after that prayer a check for $10,000 a ride at the school sent earlier by a friend who had no idea the urgent need nor of ironsides prayer the man simply said the money came from the sale of some of his cattle in other words I don't care how God does it anyway you wanna bless me it's alright with me first John chapter 5 verse 14 the Bible said that this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have the petition of what we've already asked for you got to develop a holy swagger and confidence and you got to come against the spirit of fear that's trying to grip you and make you second-guess but God already told you in this word when you believe by faith people of God you got to believe that it's already done you gotta walk around taking authority over everything that comes in your life to tell you ain't gonna happen see how long is taken you gotta say devil you are liar I believe by faith it's already time God brought you here today to give you confirmation than what you have prayed for is already done I'm only talking to a few of you on every road but I don't know who I'm talking to in just a moment cuz I will beat myself that God brought you here today out of your abundance of frustration to tell you that what you have prayed for is all ready now for many of you who may not wrap your mind around it because you're in the in the moment of frustration I need to make a declaration over your life and here is your weight means that God is working because if it ain't showed up yet you've got to know that God is still working their thing out have you considered that God might be preparing you for it and it for you have you considered that the job you asking God for that he made it appearing it for you by moving certain people out of the way so you don't have to fight those battles when you walk in that race have you considered that God might be surrounding you with the right people building up your faith building up your prayer life so when you walk in that thing you can walk in and say God you did it at the right time and God is doing it by giving you a confirmation number you got 66 books of confirmation number that your package is in route they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength no good Babel he was home from them that walk upright be not weary and will do it for a new season you're gonna reap if you faint not might I tell you that when it gets rough it's confirmation that your blessing is in route the way I know it's close in my life it means that the devil has thrown everything at me to try to discourage me but somebody ought to give God glory because the devil would not be trying to frustrate you if you were not closer now than you've ever been before I dare you to reach over grab somebody by the arm and tell them you better not give up telling it's closer than has ever been before preside over this ministry that we're in a season under an open heaven I declare over your life that whatever you said that according to God's will that God's gonna send it down I have a question who can praise God based on what you know God is about to do in advance who can give God glory that is already too I want you to reach over to me a favor I want you to grab the hand of the person next to you I want you to grab that hand squeeze life into their hand tell that neighbor it's done listen I know listen I know his deal someone look at your life away is it [Music] look at them again and say I told you it's done [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] okay okay I'm not giving free appetizers because they're not paying before but it is a blessing what I'm here to tell you you know this Amazon thing is changing the game that this Amazon thing on my phone Amazon thing on Alexa is where I go and I be audience stuff not be on the road heading home and I get an alert in one place and it says simply this on my phone your package has arrived I as the man of God have come to tell you your package [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh I need somebody I need somebody somebody who bit on your face some batter who been bred so that it was about to give up who was about to say Lord it says take it too low I declare over your life your package [Music] [Applause] it has arrived so all God ever wanted from you was deeper deeper prayer is a deeper level of faith and trust I don't I don't I don't operate like other people but I pray for it I believe it's already done God ordered your steps in this place they listen to me this is why you can't miss this moment saying about religiosity but it's got an impress because you come to church you see impressed because you desire a relationship you got to get out of what you can comfortable with white and black and Asian Hispanic and Baptists and Methodists in Kota yeah God wants relationship with you and today God brought you here today to hear this word because he wants you to make the best decision you could ever make in your life and that is to give your life to Him listen that is because he wants you to come back home it is because he won't you your family to be covered in their ministry where you can grow you just can't be bouncing all over the place you got to some point get somewhere and be steadfast immovable and always abandoned in the book of the Lord because see you got to have a church home you got to have a covering your being poured into faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God even in the natural life you can't either day by this table you can't be running around eatin a better house you got it what you live but you got what you eat either constant diet spiritually and then also you need a covering you're here for school and work and you say pastor I moved to the city I don't have a covering today I invite you to be a part of what God is doing here because we believe listen fundamentally that the power of prayer is what makes people achieve the things that God wants them to do I'm gonna say this and I'm gonna give you this chance to come we don't pray in a reactionary manner there's some people who just pray reactionary I'm in trouble can you pray for me Oh Lord they said I'm gonna get that suitcase somebody praise Him that's all reactionary ain't nothing impressive about that what's impressive is when you pray preemptively it's what you pray before stuff happen you don't pay your insurance you don't get a policy when your house on fire cuz I'm gonna give me a power house no no you pay your premium up so if you see stuff have you like uncovered when I pray I don't care what happens you know why cuz I walk in the light so I want you to look at somebody real quick and just say if you need to make that decision today say I'm gonna sign it to walk with you say let's go deeper together I want you to meet me at this altered I want you to come put your head up I don't want you to walk into the best season of your life am I talking to it's time to go deeper it's time for you to go deeper it's time for you it's time for your family it's time that decision that's gonna shift everything in [Music] come on I don't care who's gonna walk have you don't destroy God's trying to take your deep breaths that's it come on that's it come on church I want you to thank God as they come come on whatever drop I'll pray for you come on - steeper things come on that's it [Music] [Music] yeah that's it come on come on [Music] this last this last appeal and I just I just know when God speaks to me thank you I know when you are out there wrestling come on and you know God is trying to get to you pray for you you pray you said lord I need authentic relationship I'm I want to go deeper you pray for it you said Lord show me what to do guide my life I'm tired of making the same mistakes and gods like okay I brought you here gave you this word and you're gonna sit there and just not respond God says I did all what I could do now you got to do what you got to do because God is a gentleman he's not gonna knock the door down he stands on the door knocks you've got to open it up and this last 60 seconds I want you to hear me go setting home to set in motion the greatest season of your life for you for your family for your destiny but everything you're trying to do this decision is so critical and can't nobody make it for you and sometimes you got to walk out even among your crew and but I don't know my child but I ain't gonna miss my god hands in my life I'm not trying to find nowadays here from people I need everything God has for me don't die spiritually trying to make other people happy I won't wait come on that's it so I need you to move right now cut off come on come on right that's it are you praying Church are you praying come on come on come on come on it takes courage to go deeper but you got it you got this [Music] he'll do it he'll do it he'll do it feel to it [Music] it's just an invitation attention is open for you [Music] that's it that's it [Music] [Music] Mount Zion help me thank God for every person at this altar to take I'm so appreciative of you today and thank God for you I really do we welcome you I want you to face the congregation I want you to go right down that middle aisle but on the count of three bounce on one two three why don't we say welcome home just go right down that middle aisle the team's gonna take you we think come on let's welcome them let's welcome them what a blessing what a blessing what Apple sa what a blessing can't nobody do that but God can't nobody do that but God I pray you everything less today I want you to remember the resources that are out in the 48 today the men's health information we want you to make sure that your man in your life takes advantage of that information on both days streams we want to help our young men treat women right and to be responsible and also we want them to be healthy we want every single person in this place who cares about your history to be here on Wednesday night it's worth it I promise you Michael Eric Dyson is a beast it's gonna be awesome and when you see this production we put on it's gonna be a great historical moment our kids need to know their history and we want to make sure they're here so let's be here I promise you it's gonna change your life I'll be outside shaking hands and would love to shake yours we thank you for sharing with us today thank you for watching today father we thank you we bless you today as we leave this place and never your presence we pray your covering will be with us guided and direct us and give us traveling grace from this place and we meet again and we thank you that our package has arrived and she's sustained somebody say Amen [Music]

Channel: mtzionnashville

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Id: Gqi3UUkzWkI

Length: 104min 46sec (6286 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 24 2020