THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE
TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IS HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH GOD. NOW, I PURPOSELY DIDN'T SAY,
"PRAY." ALTHOUGH THAT'S WHAT HAVING
A CONVERSATION WITH GOD IS. BUT I'M NOT GONNA USE THAT WORD
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WE HAVE SO OVERLY
SPIRITUALIZED THE IDEA OF PRAYER THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HEAR
THINGS A LOT, IT CAN JUST GET TO THE POINT WHERE IT DOESN'T HAVE
MUCH OF A MEANING TO YA. "OH, I KNOW, YOU GOT A PROBLEM. PRAY." WELL, I'M SAYIN', LET'S JUST SAY
THAT SOMEBODY HURTS YOUR FEELINGS. WELL, IF YOU'D JUST TAKE
A MINUTE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH GOD, YOU CAN JUST SAY,
"LORD, YOU KNOW THAT REALLY HURT MY FEELINGS. AND SO I'M ASKIN' YOU TO COMFORT
ME AND HELP ME, LORD, NOT TO JUST HAVE A BAD DAY BECAUSE OF
ONE THING THAT HAPPENED. I LOVE YOU, LORD, AND I WANNA DO
THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO. AND I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT ME
TO STAY UPSET." GO ON ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. NOW YOU'VE TURNED IT OVER TO
THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN REALLY HELP YOU. NOW, I SAID, "HAVE
A CONVERSATION WITH GOD." AND "CONVERSATION" MEANS
"TALKING AND LISTENING." AND YOU KNOW, SADLY, MAN, I WAS
IN CHURCH FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS BEFORE I EVER HEARD
THAT I COULD HEAR FROM GOD. AND THERE ARE LARGE GROUPS OF
EVEN CHRISTIANS WHO JUST, IF YOU TALK ABOUT HEARING FROM GOD,
I MEAN, THEY'RE READY TO JUST WRITE YOU OFF AS SOME KIND
OF A NUT. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: I DO NOT KNOW HOW
ANYBODY CAN READ THE BIBLE AND THINK THAT GOD DOESN'T
TALK TO HIS PEOPLE. I MEAN, HE SPOKE TO ABRAHAM. HE SPOKE TO MOSES. HE SPOKE TO JOSEPH. I MEAN, HE, ALL, HE SPOKE
TO ISAAC. I MEAN, ALL THE WAY DOWN
THE LINE. AND ALL OF THOSE EXAMPLES I JUST
PULLED OUT OF THE OLD COVENANT. WHEN WE GET TO THE NEW
AND WE'RE BORN AGAIN, HE'S LIVING INSIDE OF US. HE SAID, "I'LL NOT ONLY BE WITH
YOU, BUT I'LL BE IN YOU." AND SO, WOW. NOW, WHEN I SAY, "HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH GOD," I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA GO
AROUND HEARIN' VOICES ALL DAY. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYIN'
AT ALL. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: BUT I DO WANNA TALK TO
YOU FOR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT WE HEAR
FROM GOD. SO BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK
THEY DON'T HEAR FROM GOD WHEN THEY DO. BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR
SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST. BUT FIRST OF ALL, JUST A FEW
SCRIPTURES TO LET YOU KNOW THAT GOD WANTS US TO TALK TO HIM
AND HE TALKS TO US. PSALM 5:3: "IN THE MORNING YOU
HEAR MY VOICE, O LORD; IN THE MORNING I PREPARE
[A PRAYER, A SACRIFICE]," SO OUR PRAYERS ARE
LIKE SACRIFICES GOING UP TO GOD, "FOR YOU AND I WATCH AND WAIT
[FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO MY HEART]." NOW, HOW MUCH PLAINER CAN IT BE? BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I UNDERLINED THE WORD "PREPARE"
IN ORANGE BECAUSE I WANTED IT TO STAND OUT. "I PREPARE A PRAYER." I THINK SOMETIMES WE NEED TO
THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WANNA ASK GOD FOR AND STOP JUST THROWIN'
OUT A BUNCH OF WORDS SO WE CAN GET OUR PRAYER TIME IN AND FEEL
GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES SPIRITUALLY. I MEAN, TO BE HONEST,
HALF THE TIME, TILL WE LEARN BETTER,
WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME TRYIN' TO IMPRESS GOD WITH OUR ELOQUENCE. YOU KNOW, GOD HAS TRIED TO TEACH
ME IN MY LIFE, AND HE HAS TO REMIND ME EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
"JOYCE, WHEN YOU PRAY, ASK ME FOR WHAT YOU WANT AND NEED WITH
THE FEWEST AMOUNT OF WORDS POSSIBLE." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND IT'S HARD BECAUSE
WE THINK WE JUST HAVE TO GO ON AND ON, AND SAY THE SAME THING
FOUR TIMES, AND ON AND ON, CHANGE OUR VOICE TONE
AND THE INFLECTION IN OUR VOICE. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: YOU JUST TRY IT. YOU JUST TRY JUST SAYIN',
"LORD, I SINNED. FORGIVE MY SINS. THANK YOU." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: C'MON, I'M PUTTIN'
A CHALLENGE OUT. OH, NO, IT'D BE LIKE,
"OH, GOD, FORGIVE ME. OH, GOD, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. GOD, IF YOU FORGIVE ME,
I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN. LORD, YOU GOTTA--OH, GOD,
PLEASE FORGIVE ME." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: OKAY, LISTEN, HAVE YOU
EVER HAD ANYBODY COME TO YOU--'CAUSE I'VE HAD THIS. THEY'LL COME AND SAY TO ME,
"CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?" "SURE." AFTER THEY'RE 7 MINUTES INTO
TALKING I FINALLY HAVE TO SAY, "AND DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION?" [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: I THINK SOMETIMES GOD
MUST BE THAT WAY WITH US. IT'S LIKE, "AND DID YOU ACTUALLY
WANT SOMETHING?" [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SO,
"I PREPARE A PRAYER." AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU
GOTTA SIT DOWN AND DO AN OUTLINE BEFORE YOU PRAY. BUT I THINK THAT PRAYER IS SO
POWERFUL THAT WE NEED TO START TREATING IT LIKE WHAT IT IS AND
REALIZE THAT WE ARE TALKING TO THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN
THE UNIVERSE TO WHOM NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. AND YOU KNOW,
IN PHILIPPIANS 4:6, AND I'LL PROBABLY GET AROUND TO THIS
SOMETIME LATER IN THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE,
IT SAYS: "BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN ALL THINGS WITH
PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION," AND THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE AMPLIFIES IT
TO SAY, "DEFINITE REQUESTS." SEE, I LIKE THAT. HE'S SAYIN', "BE SURE YOU KNOW
WHAT YOU WANT, AND MAKE IT PLAIN." C'MON, IS THIS HELPIN' ANYBODY? JUST BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT
YOU WANT. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: BUT SEE, WE THINK THAT
WE'RE MORE SPIRITUAL IF WE SAY A LOT MORE WORDS. AND I DON'T WANNA GET MYSELF IN
TROUBLE HERE WITH SOME PEOPLE WHEN I SAY THIS, BUT I DON'T
EVEN NECESSARILY THINK THAT PRAYER HAS TO BE A LONG TIME. I WOULD RATHER PRAY MY WAY
THROUGH THE DAY AND HAVE EACH THING THAT I SAY BE MEANINGFUL
THAN TO JUST DO WHAT I DID FOR YEARS, LOCK MYSELF INTO A ROOM
SOMEWHERE AND YELL AT THE DEVIL AND TRY TO TALK TO GOD
FOR AN HOUR TO PUT MY TIME IN. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: SO I COULD SAY WITH
EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE GROUP, "I PRAY AN HOUR A DAY." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: IF YOU ASKED ME HOW
LONG I PRAY, THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD TELL YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY CLUE. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD
HAVE TO EITHER. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I DON'T WANNA JUST GET
UP IN THE MORNING AND PRAY AND THEN SAY A LITTLE PRAYER
BEFORE I GOT TO BED AT NIGHT AND TRY TO HANDLE THE REST
OF MY DAY ON MY OWN. EVERY TIME THERE'S ANYTHING
HURTING ME, OR BOTHERING ME, OR PRESSURING ME, OR THERE'S
A HEAVINESS IN MY HEART, OR THERE'S A CHALLENGE, I WANT TO
HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH GOD. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I DON'T WANNA WAIT
TO GET HELP UNTIL I PRAY. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I WANNA TALK TO GOD
ABOUT IT AND WATCH AND WAIT FOR HIM TO ANSWER ME IN MY LIFE. NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, THERE'S
NOTHING WRONG WITH DISCIPLINE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING. I'M VERY DISCIPLINED WHEN I GET
UP IN THE MORNING. I SPEND MY FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS
WITH GOD. 'CAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY WANT
TO KNOW ME UNTIL HE'S HAD ME FOR A WHILE. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: JUST TRUST ME. IT'S BETTER IF GOD GETS ME
BEFORE YOU DO, AMEN? [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AND A LOT OF YOU ARE
PROBABLY THAT WAY TOO. YOU JUST HAVEN'T FIGURED IT
OUT YET. [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: AMEN? AND I'M VERY DISCIPLINED WITH
THAT TIME WITH GOD. BUT I DO A LOT OF THINGS
IN THAT TIME. I WRITE IN MY JOURNAL. I TALK TO GOD. I READ. I WRITE IN MY JOURNAL MORE. I SIT QUIETLY FOR A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN THE NEXT THING I DO IS
I WALK EVERY MORNING, OUTSIDE IF THE WEATHER'S GOOD, IF NOT,
ON A TREADMILL, AND I PRAY, TALK TO THE LORD A LOT DURING THAT,
MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE, CONFESS SCRIPTURE OUT LOUD. I HAVE DISCIPLINES IN MY LIFE. BUT I DON'T HAVE LIKE THIS SET
AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I DO EACH THING, THINKING THAT I'M PUTTING
IN SOME KIND OF QUOTA WITH GOD. I WANT, FOR ME, AND I WANNA
SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT GOD GIVES ME THE PRIVILEGE TO TEACH,
I WANNA TEACH YOU HOW TO DO LIFE WITH GOD. AMEN? [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: JUST DO LIFE WITH GOD. I THINK IT'S SO TRAGIC WHEN WE
SPEND 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF, HOWEVER LONG
YOUR CHURCH SERVICE MIGHT BE, ON SUNDAY, AND THE REST OF THE WEEK
JUST NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO GOD. I MEAN, HOW MANY OF US DID THAT
FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS? AND THAT'S NOT WHAT JESUS DIED
TO GIVE US. MARTIN LUTHER SAID, "TO BE
A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT PRAYER IS NO MORE POSSIBLE THAN TO BE
ALIVE WITHOUT BREATHING. NOW, IF YOU INTENDED TO BUILD A
BIG HOUSE, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A LARGE AND A SOLID FOUNDATION. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL
ABOUT BUILDING, YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU PUT A BIG BUILDING ON A TINY
OR A CRACKED FOUNDATION, IT IS NOT GONNA LAST. AND SO IF YOU INTEND TO BUILD
A LARGE AMAZING LIFE, YOU'RE GONNA NEED A SOLID FOUNDATION
AND IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE BUILT ON AND MAINTAINED
BY YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN
GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT CONVERSATION. I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF
A RELATIONSHIP WITH DAVE IF WE NEVER TALKED OR IF I JUST
TALKED AT HIM. SOMETIMES I WONDER IF WE'RE
TALKING TO GOD OR AT GOD. WE REALIZE THAT. YOU GOTTA HAVE A CONVERSATION. I'LL TELL YA SOMETHIN',
WITH A FRIEND, OR A SPOUSE, OR WHOEVER,
THE MORE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION YOU HAVE WITH SOMEBODY, THE
DEEPER THE RELATIONSHIP GETS. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I'M TALKIN' ABOUT
MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION WHERE YOU ACTUALLY SHARE PARTS OF YOU
WITH THIS OTHER PERSON AND YOU TRUST THEM AND YOU LET THEM
INTO YOUR LIFE. MARK 1:35: "AND IN THE MORNING,
LONG BEFORE DAYLIGHT, HE GOT UP AND WENT OUT TO A DESERTED
PLACE, AND THERE HE PRAYED." SO THERE'S EVIDENCE ALL OVER
THE BIBLE THAT JESUS, FIRST THING, SPENT TIME WITH GOD. NOW, HANG ON. BEFORE YOU TELL ME, "WELL,
I'M JUST NOT A MORNING PERSON." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] JOYCE: ANYBODY CAN AT LEAST
SAY, "GOOD MORNING, JESUS. I LOVE YOU." I MEAN, IF YOU JUST ARE SO
SLEEPY AND IN SUCH A BAD HUMOR WHEN YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING
THAT YOU JUST DON'T HONESTLY THINK YOU COULD HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY, NOT EVEN GOD, AT LEAST YOU CAN START
BY SAYING, "GOOD MORNING, LORD. I LOVE YOU. I NEED YOU. WE'LL TALK MORE WHEN
I GET AWAKE." [AUDIENCE LAUGHING] [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: THE ONE THING THAT WE
HAVE TO STOP DOIN' WITH GOD IS PRETENDING AND JUST APPROACHING
HIM WITH RELIGIOSITY. BE REAL WITH GOD. JEREMIAH 33:3: "CALL TO ME
AND I WILL ANSWER YOU." SOUND LIKE A TWO-WAY THING
TO ME. "CALL TO ME AND I WILL
ANSWER YOU. I WILL SHOW YOU GREAT AND MIGHTY
THINGS, FENCED IN AND HIDDEN, WHICH YOU DO NOT KNOW (DO NOT
DISTINGUISH AND RECOGNIZE, HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF AND UNDERSTAND]" PSALM 85:8, AND IF ALL THE REST
OF THESE DIDN'T CONVINCE YOU, THEN THIS ONE WOULD HAVE TO:
"I WILL LISTEN [WITH EXPECTANCY] TO WHAT GOD THE LORD WILL SAY,
FOR HE WILL SPEAK TO HIS PEOPLE," WOW, "TO HIS SAINTS
(THOSE WHO ARE IN RIGHT STANDING WITH HIM]" WE GOTTA READ THAT AGAIN. PSALM 85:8: "I WILL LISTEN
[WITH EXPECTANCY]," DON'T EVER SAY AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE,
"I DON'T HEAR FROM GOD." DON'T SAY THAT,
"I CAN'T HEAR FROM GOD. I DON'T HEAR FROM GOD." AT LEAST MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT
TO CHANGE YOUR CONFESSION AND START LINING IT UP WITH
THE WORD OF GOD THAT SAYS, "I TALK TO GOD,
AND HE TALKS TO ME. I HEAR FROM GOD." [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: "I WILL LISTEN [WITH
EXPECTANCY] TO WHAT GOD THE LORD WILL SAY, FOR HE WILL SPEAK
PEACE TO HIS PEOPLE," WELL, HOW DO WE HEAR GOD'S VOICE? THIS IS GONNA BE QUICK,
SO GRAB IT. FIRST OF ALL, THROUGH HIS WORD. THAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST
PRIMARY WAY THAT WE HEAR FROM GOD. AND IT'S NOT JUST THROUGH
READING THE BIBLE, BUT STUDYING THE BIBLE. AND THEN ALSO, THE MORE YOU KNOW
OF THE WORD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES,
ACCORDING TO JOHN, IS HE BRINGS THINGS TO OUR REMEMBRANCE. AND SO, MANY TIMES I CAN BE
TALKIN' TO GOD ABOUT SOMETHIN' AND MAYBE WHILE WE'RE TALKING
AND I'M LISTENING THEN, JUST A SCRIPTURE WILL COME TO ME
THAT I KNOW. AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE
CAREFUL ABOUT MAKING AMAZING THINGS ORDINARY. [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: I RECALL ONE TIME
SAYIN' TO THE LORD, "YOU KNOW, GOD, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU DON'T
DO THE THINGS YOU USED TO DO WHEN I WAS FIRST STARTED WALKIN'
WITH YOU." AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE SPOKE BACK
TO MY HEART? "I DO THE SAME STUFF
ALL THE TIME. YOU'VE JUST GOTTEN USED TO IT." [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] JOYCE: C'MON. I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU ARE
HAVING AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE. GOD'S DOIN' STUFF AROUND YOU ALL
THE TIME AND YOU'VE JUST KINDA GOTTEN USED TO IT. FAMILIARITY IS A BAD THING. WE WANNA ALWAYS BE
AMAZED BY GOD.
