good morning my friends I'm pastor
Steven Brooks and welcome to today's
online Internet church service why don't
you grab your Bibles and join me as
we'll begin today in 1st Timothy chapter
4 and let's drop down to verse 8 let's
honor and worship the Lord by bringing
the tithes and offerings into the
storehouse of God and we're going to
look at one verse today concerning this
it says in verse 8 for bodily exercise
profits a little now let's not dismiss
exercise because it does have its place
in our lives but in the grand scale of
eternity we have to look at it as being
a minor not a major focus for a bodily
exercise profits a little but godliness
is profitable for all things having
promise of the life that now is and of
that which is to come I think it's
fascinating that just as you can
increase certain standards of exercise
you can also increase in your ability to
go stronger in godliness even in the
area of godly financial giving you know
for some people they they love jogging
they love running and they're they're
wearing their watch and they'll go out
and they're tying themself and they're
they're trying to make improvements
which if you keep running every day you
will make those improvements maybe not
on a daily basis do you see much of a
change but you know in a couple of weeks
going by or a couple of months you can
really see some very amazing changes
when you apply yourself to physical
exercise and these are changes that can
be noted in strength or in speed or
endurance you can just measure those and
you can see hey I'm getting stronger run
getting faster and of course it's very
encouraging when you see good results
but just as you can make those increases
in natural exercise you could also make
increases in godliness by exercising
yourself in the area of godliness even
in the area of godly financial giving
you know there are barriers that you can
pass by I remember when I was in the
tenth grade for some reason this has
been something that just sticks in my
mind but when I was in tenth grade I
started running track and my coach
decided to put me into the distance
events and he put me in the mile and I'd
already been training for a couple of
weeks so there came a track meet another
track meet that I was put in and I ran
the mile and when I crossed the finish
line I didn't I didn't really uh you
know do that well I I finished like in
10th place or something like that and my
coach came up to me and he said Stephen
he said congratulations I said well what
for he said you just broke five minutes
in the mild you just ran a 456 mile I
thought well that's wonderful what had
happened I had dipped beneath a barrier
and I had gone into a new realm and so
you know I just continued over the years
to lower and lower and lower at that
time and I found out that if you
exercise yourself in that you're going
to you're going to make those
improvements well the same thing is true
with giving you can give and you were at
a certain level of strength but if
you'll keep exercising that you'll see
that God will give seed to the sower and
as you get stronger and sowing God gives
bigger seeds and it really is amazing
how just as you can excel in the natural
by exercising and getting better
you can also excel in giving but look to
her to have to work out your giving
muscles praise the Lord and when you sow
and you sow you're exercising that and
it really does take you to new levels of
faith and sometimes there can be those
barriers that you go past maybe a
certain number and that number just
registers in your mind and you think you
know what I've crossed into a new
barrier and so then you you stop and
think well where where for the next one
be at and you think well that would be a
great goal and the Holy Spirit can help
you get there how do you get there
through more exercise it works the same
way you could exercise yourself under
godliness
you can also exercise yourself you know
for strength gains for endurance gains
speed gains or whatever sport would make
you happy you can see improve
but I think I think it's incredible that
we can also develop this in the area of
godly giving praise the Lord so today as
we bring the tithes and offerings into
the storehouse of God on your check or
on your online giving just make a
notation and put godly exercise giving
woo praise the Lord
I like that godly exercise giving and
you're gonna get stronger and you're
gonna be able to push more lift more it
is just amazing how they are so closely
related but it's all involved in
exercising that faith area of giving and
as you do the Lord brings the harvest in
and you get stronger and stronger in
that area area we know it works in the
natural but just as it works in the
natural it works in the spiritual as
well so be encouraged as you give today
because I believe the Lord is going to
help you to reach new levels that's
something that my wife and I you know me
and Kelly we're always reaching for that
we have had the privilege of being able
to so knowing that God gave us the seed
but we want to do more
praise God so our faith is to be able to
give more tithe more so more how do we
get there we get there by exercising
it's the way that we all get there by
going into new realms by exercising to
be stronger in that area so today just
make that notation on your giving and
watch what God will do as you continue
to workout and exercise in the area of
godliness express through godly giving
praise the Lord now if you would prefer
to mail in your tithes and offerings
please send them to Steven Brooks
international p.o box 7 1 7 Moravian
falls North Carolina 2 8 6 5 4 if you
would like to go online and bring your
Tyson offerings in online you can do so
anytime day or night from any place in
the world please visit our ministry
website WWF even Brooks org there is a
link on the home page called tithes and
offerings sow and reap and you can go
there and they'll come right into the
ministry storehouse also on our website
as a hitter called projects we have two
projects by faith that we're working on
right now one is a fence project for the
Ministry of property and the other is a
aircraft hangar praise the Lord it if
you would like to sew into any one of
those two projects it would be a
blessing for the ministry as well and
thank you for your giving Heavenly
Father bless your people as they honor
you with the tithe and as they honor you
by sowing financial seed I thank you
father god they're going to see
themselves get stronger and stronger and
father you're gonna continue to give
them larger and larger seeds to sow we
thank you Father God you are a good God
and your laws work in the natural and in
the spiritual as well we thank you in
Jesus name Amen
praise God I tell you what the knowledge
of God's ways the knowledge of God's
laws is absolutely priceless
praise God fascinating let's go today to
the book of Romans chapter 8 and the
book of Romans is considered by
theologians to be the greatest writing
of the Apostle Paul and I agree
completely that it is it is so rich and
so in-depth that you really cannot rush
through the book of Romans you have to
go through it slowly and we're gonna
spend a little bit of time looking at
three verses and we're gonna talk today
about prayer confidence praise God
Heavenly Father we ask that as we go
into your word that your Holy Spirit
would illuminate the scriptures that we
can grasp them and understand them and
apply them to our lives even today we
ask this father in the name of Jesus and
we all agree and say amen praise God
Romans chapter 8 verse 26 likewise the
spirit also helps in our weakness for we
do not know what we should pray for as
we ought but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered there is a place in
prayer where your native language
whether it's English or Spanish French
German Russian
whatever it might be you get a place in
the in the natural where your mind can
only take you so far maybe you don't
have the information or the knowledge
that you would like to have to be able
to pray more accurately into that
situation but when you reach that place
you can move from English or your native
language over into the spirit and you
can begin to pray in the spirit and
begin to pray in tongues and the Holy
Spirit will come along and it will help
you to pray in the perfect will of God
it's it's amazing what the Holy Spirit
will do the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us so he comes along
and he carries us along and as long as
we're willing to speak it out he will
give us the utterance praise God verse
27 and by the way praying in the spirit
can bring great refreshing and great
blessing into your life verse 27 now he
who searches the hearts knows what the
mind of the Spirit is because he makes
intercession for the saints according to
the will of God so when you're allowing
the Holy Spirit to pray through you and
you move from English over into tongues
you are praying according to the will of
God and sometimes in our normal native
tongue like English you know what it is
possible to pray in a way where we're
not praying in agreement with God's will
for our lives maybe we think we are but
we're actually not but when you begin to
pray in the spirit it says that we are
praying according to the will of God
that's why it's very encouraging to know
that when you pray in the spirit or pray
in tongues you are praying 100% in line
in harmony with God's will for your life
now your mind does not have knowledge of
what you're praying unless you have that
anointing that anointing or inspiration
of the Spirit to ask the Father for the
interpretation of what you have just
prayed in tongues now I don't always
have that that anointing or that leading
to ask for
interpretation but there are some times
particularly when there's been a real
powerful prayer time when I'll say
Heavenly Father in Jesus name please
reveal to me what I have been praying
about for the last 45 minutes or the
last hour in tongues please please give
me the interpretation or the gist of the
overall interpretation of what I have
been praying and if you will wait upon
the Lord in faith the Holy Spirit will
give you the interpretation praise God
it may begin to come out in tongues and
then you interpret those tongues into
English or it may just be that the
interpretation comes directly out and
suddenly you have the understanding of
what you have been praying about for
that period of time during your prayer
time in tongues
praise the Lord now verse 28 and we know
that all things work together for good
to those who love God this is something
that we should settle in our hearts I
know it's easy to read this first and
say it's true and we know that it's true
but we need to embrace it because it
really is true that God he is working
all things for good yeah and that's all
things that's good things that's just
also like normal things maybe things
that aren't very exciting but there's
still a part of our life and then
there's also difficult things trials or
hardships that would come our way that
we have to encounter that we have to
face and you think you think in the
natural you like poof you've got a lot
of other things to do I would I would
certainly not have to have this on my
platter why does this why does this
happen but you know what it's if it's
something that God is allowing then
God's allowing it for a purpose we'll
talk about that purpose in just a moment
and since it's there it's very
comforting to know that God is eating
even in that situation
he's even using that where he's working
it for good he's working it for good for
those who love him that would be you and
I and those who are called according to
his purpose that's the second that's the
second confirmation and that would refer
to us as well
verse 29 for whom he foreknew and God
foreknew ever
everything about you before you were
ever born
he knew what your name would be he knew
who your parents would be he knew this
plan that he had for your life he knew
exactly what you would be doing your
temperament your character your nature
your personality all of that okay so for
whom he foreknew he also predestined to
be conformed to the image of his son so
in the earth we have natural laws in the
Bible we have spiritual laws not only do
we have the spiritual laws in the Bible
but we even have many of the natural
laws also unveiled and laid out as well
and so they're beautiful they're lovely
with that there are there are laws that
govern prosperity there are laws that
govern the blessing of God functioning
and operating in your life we have these
beautiful promises and scriptures in the
Word of God such as Deuteronomy chapter
28 verses 1 through 14 and you read that
and you realize that through Christ you
being Abraham's seed you realize hey
that's for me wow this is really really
good stuff and it is all of these things
natural laws spiritual laws even laws
governing healing there they're all in
the atonement and they are for God's
people they are for you and I but my
friends along with these beautiful
natural laws and beautiful spiritual
laws as beautiful as they are and as
high as they are God still has the
initiative he still has the prerogative
he still has the ability to override
them for what many that walk close to
God many would consider it to be the
highest law of them all and you know
what I agree
I believe it's actually the highest law
of all what is that pastor Stephen I
would call it the law of Conformity
that's just what I call it the law of
Conformity in other word
God's greatest desire let's talk about
ministers for a moment God's greatest
desire for a minister is not to have a
big church God's greatest desire for a
minister is not to have a global
ministry and have its name known around
the world that's good but that's not
God's greatest desire for many minister
and you know what a lot of ministers
think it is they think the greatest
thing they could do is get a lot of
people saved and that's wonderful but
they think the greatest thing they can
do is get people saved or you don't have
I have a great teaching ministry or you
know just ministered to a millions of
people and that's all good but you know
what even for Minister that's not God's
highest purpose for them what is it what
is God's highest purpose for a minister
is for that minister that man or woman
to be conformed to the image of God's
son to be conformed into the image of
Jesus because you can have a global
ministry and you can still not have that
stamp of the image of Christ upon you
where when people look at you or God
looks at you that there's a clear
representation of Christ oh not that
you're not saved yes you're saved and
you're washed with the blood but there
can be a lot of undeveloped areas in
your life where that image is not fully
brought into maturity as a mature son or
daughter of the Most High God and that's
what God wants and in his people more
than anything else
pastor Steve and I want to I want a
prosperous business I want a beautiful
family pastor Steve but I want to do
great things that's all good that's all
wonderful and God wants you to have all
of that God wants you blessed God wants
you healthy God wants you prosperous but
along with all of that don't ever forget
there's a higher law and God sometimes
can work with some of these other laws
well maybe maybe four-season they're
even suspended why because he's trying
to accomplish something even greater
what would that be well pastor Stephen
what can be greater than my blessing I
want to be blessed
what could ever be greater than that
what could it be greater is that
you become like Christ ooh and remember
remember one of the primary means of
conformity is that it's not through good
times it's not through blessings it's
not through prosperity it's not really
through those things where we are
conformed into Christ's image if it were
we'd be like Lord make us all
billionaires all right but that's that's
not how God works because we have a a
carnal flesh nature that we have to deal
with we we have to deal with crucifying
the selfish nature that can be so
selfish that can be so me centered and
so God has to work with us in this
conformity process so while blessings
and good things can be a part of it the
greater part of how he works to conform
us into the image of his son is actually
through trials through challenges
through difficulties through what the
King James Version calls long-suffering
the NIV unit New International Version
calls it causing endurance or patience
or some translations they define it as
patient endurance but either way well
even if it says patient endurance it
still has a reference to enduring
patiently through difficult times that's
actually what's being applied in the
Greek that you're enduring patiently
through something that would be
uncomfortable in a sense so we can't
skip around the fact that in our lives
we can have trials and you can think
well hey Lord what's going on what's
going on where's the blessing where's
the healing where's the prosperity I
know it belongs to me and God
understands that as well and he is going
to bless you but God has a greater he
has a greater purpose what is that that
you and I are conformed into the image
of his son and so in his great wisdom in
his all-knowing omniscient mind he will
look at our life and because he's able
to see the end
from the beginning he sees where he
wants to get us to and he will allow
certain things to come into our life
that can be a challenge that can really
have to cause us to press into prey like
we never have before because of
something that has entered into our life
that could be a difficulty and you know
what God's working all of those things
for good he's working it all for good
for whom he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his son
I I believe in my heart 100% that there
are some very sweet very loving
Christians who are saved who are washed
with the blood who even would speak in
tongues and raise their hands and shout
hallelujah in church I believe because I
met some of them that there are some
Christians that that are in this
category that they love God but yet they
are unstable in some areas of their walk
with the Lord in some areas of their
character to the point that they don't
have a lot of financial blessing and if
God overnight allowed them to become
multimillionaires I'm fully convinced
100% they would probably destroy them
now they would say although it wasn't I
can handle it pastor Stephen stand back
and let God pour the money on me but you
know what the truth is is that it would
most likely destroy them because they're
struggling the handle would that which
they already have and if you're having
all kinds of problems on a budget of
$2,000 a month and suddenly you have
twenty thousand dollars a month you'll
eventually fill that up and you'll begin
to have even larger problems there so
God wants you to have victory where
you're at praise the Lord hallelujah
thank you Lord Jesus
but there are some they're fully
convinced I'm ready but God in His love
and even in his mercy sees that they're
not well pastor Stephen you teach the
laws of prosperity yep and I teach them
right out of the Bible because they are
in the Bible but remember don't ever
forget the law of Conformity is a higher
law and that's that's really what God
has on his heart and so I'm not saying
he's not gonna bless you I'm not saying
he's not going to prosper you I'm not
saying
not going to bring you into your psalm
66 verse 12 wealthy place all I'm saying
is that it's more important in his heart
and in his eyes to see you conformed
into the image of his son than it is for
you to get a bunch of bunch of money and
then the next thing we know we haven't
seen you in a month we don't hear from
you anymore you just fade out you fade
out and you slip off back into the world
and you slip back off in the darkness Oh
Pastor Steven I'd never do that
that's what they all say yet I've seen
people do it I've seen people do it just
fade out fade away get away from God why
they're getting so blessed they have
gotten so caught up in the bus scene
that they have forgotten the blesser and
now they're just fascinating what their
blessing fascinate it with their toy
fascinating with all their blessings and
the next thing you know you they're
never in prayer meetings anymore that
they're giving just dissipates and
disappears and they just fade out and as
a shepherd you have to go out there
looking for them Jesus left the ninety
and nine to go after the one missing one
and I know what it is to go out there
and make the calls and give the emails
and say brother or sister what happened
where did you go the Lord cares about
you how are you doing
Oh Pastor Steven you know I've just you
have been so busy and all and you know
but often times the blessing the
blessing see Israel as a nation often
fell away from the Lord in a cyclical
pattern over and over again when when
they were at the top not when we're at
the bottom when they were at the bottom
there cried out to God God deliver us
from our enemies god help us God get us
out of this mess and God would deliver
them and then there would be a time of
reprieve and they'd get some refreshing
some prosperity would start flowing
again and they're back at the top and
soon as they would get back at the top
they would they would just turn
completely away from God again and turn
to false idols and find out what the he
the nations around them were doing and
they would start doing what they were
doing and get involved in all those sins
and abominations and the next thing you
know they're doing worse than what the
heathen nations are and it would repeat
over and over and over again and all of
those are in the Bible the Apostle Paul
said for our admonition and it is an
example unto
because we have come unto the end of the
ages and we need to be aware of these
things and we can't let our solar snake
deceive us and allow us to think that we
are in a certain place when we are not
yet there
praise the Lord but we're getting there
by God's grace we're moving into the
true heart of the Lord you know it's the
same thing with healing pastor Steven I
know the scriptures I know that Jesus
died for my sins and in that act of the
New Covenant healing was also purchased
for me yes it was I agree 1,000%
I teach healing all over the world and
I've seen people healed all over the
world but remember even but even what
the Covenant law of divine healing
there's still a higher law
what is that higher law the law of
Conformity that you had been predestined
to be conformed to the image of his dear
son and that's actually more important
in God's eyes than your healing mmm whew
are there some areas in your life don't
raise your hand are there some areas in
your life that needs some notable
conformity I'm not talking about maybe a
little area you know or I'm talking like
are there areas that you could look and
say Lord yeah we really I really need
some serious conformity in that area
okay that's that's more important to the
Lord then you winning a hundred million
people to the Lord
oh no it's not pastor statement that's
more important no it's not and my
friends we must get back to the heart of
the gospel and Billy Graham said this
this is what dr. Graham said he said
it's more important that god when all of
you then you in all of the world now
catch that catch what he was saying
because one man has said I want to win
the world for the Lord and Billy Graham
said it's more important that God win
all of you then that you win all of the
world see God wants all of your heart he
wants to take all of those areas that
are out of conformity and he wants to
begin to conform them into the
of a mature son or daughter in the Lord
praise God and yes it's more important
it's more important than ministry it's
more important than all of us other
stuff it's more important than building
a big business it's more important than
anything else and I think the church has
drifted from this vital truth praise God
but we want to stay focused on where God
puts the major not the minor the minors
are nice but let's not get hung up on
the minors let's put all of our focus on
the majors and then often these other
things begin to come into shape as well
praise God you know I remember years
back when I was with my old pastor he
was he was really downhearted in his
office one day and he had he had the
look on of his on his face like almost
like a look of like why even try
and I said pastor I said what's wrong I
was just a young man in my early 20s I
said pastor what's wrong he said brother
Brooks he said brother so-and-so came
into my office a few weeks back and he
confessed to me that he had taken the
AIDS test and just had full-blown AIDS
and he had he had it bad too and it was
already doing the number on his body he
had already had it for quite some time
and you know then he took the test it
just confirmed it and it was just taking
him down taking him out and he was under
a death sentence and he came to my
office he said brother Brooks he came to
my office in tears weeping repenting
crying and he said pastor pray for me
pray for me pastor that God would heal
me I believe in miracles I believe in a
healing God and he said brother Brooks I
laid my hands on him there was an
anointing and I prayed for him and God
forgave him washed his sins away and God
healed him and he felt the anointing the
healing power of Jesus going to his body
and he knew that he was healed he went
back and retook the AIDS test and where
before it had tested positive he went
back in to be took it and it tested
negative
totally clean it was completely gone
from his body
I said pastor that symmetrical I said I
don't understand why are you why are you
so sad he said brother Brooks I've just
found out he's going back into the world
now that he's gotten healed now that
he's gotten all of this energy surging
back into his body because now his model
is totally fine he has now turned from
the Lord and he's gone back he's gone
back into all of the sin and my pastor
was very just discouraged
I said pastor that that's what you did
all that you can do you did that all
that you could do and you know the
pastor he'd he'd tried to gone back and
reach him again and say hey you've gone
back come back but the person was just
caught up in all of his sin he'd just
run back into it with this healthy body
now he was strong now he could sin
really good now oh my friends what's
more important healing or being
conformed into the image of God's Son
what it is it's more important to yield
to the law of Conformity praise God
praise God hallelujah
praise God Lord Jesus we thank you what
do you want to be healed so you have to
ask these questions to the Lord why do I
want to be healed well pastor Stephen I
want to be heal because I don't want to
be sick we know that but what is your
motive so you could serve the Lord or
you just keep keep living and doing your
own thing
so what's more important the law of
healing or God may pyth maybe the maybe
the healing hasn't come because God's
trying to work with you in the area of
Conformity I'm not saying that is why
but I'm saying that should be examined
absolutely praise the Lord well pastor
Stephen I want to be healed so I can
just travel the world and go on vacation
well I think you should talk with the
Lord about conformity conformity to his
will when we surrender our lives our
will our plan to his life regardless of
what it could be you know I'm I'm
mindful of the story of the pastor who
received a phone call from a church in
another city a very large city and this
was a much larger church and they said
we've heard good things about you and
you know you've been doing a good job of
that church and we would like we would
like for you to
consider taking the pastor it at our
church and they told him that you know
it would have a lot higher pay a lot a
lot better benefits and he's hearing all
of this and he's thinking about it and
he's really liking it and they said you
know we'll take care of the parsonage
and uh you know there's great schools
for your children to choose from and on
and on they went and they just they just
gave him an offer that was just
incredible so you know he gets off the
phone and you know at really the church
he was at he loved the people but he was
having he was having different areas of
struggle different things of that he was
kind of just going through the season of
conformity and so you know you know he
would have loved and out so anyhow well
this church called him and they were
really giving him a splendid out so um
so he tells his wife about the phone
call and he said honey we really need to
pray about this he said I'm going to go
up in the attic right now and I'm going
to start praying she said whoa well
that's the great idea she said well hey
I'll go with you we'll both go up in the
Attic together and we'll pray together
he said no he said I'll go up in that I
can pray and you go you just stay
downstairs and start packing all the
boxes for the move he was he was going
to pray but in his heart he was already
he's taking that job he's out of there
so here's what I'm saying Jesus is Lord
and if he wants you to take that job
take that promotion take that assignment
then by all means go that direction but
you really should pray about it but if
he wants you to stay and that is part of
the conformity process then he wants you
to be there
now here's what I found during the
conformity process you can wiggle out of
it but it's very hard I wouldn't even
use the word wiggle you almost have to
fight and violate something to get out
of it you really have to override the
Holy Spirit and you really have to
frustrate the Angels to get out of
something that God has you in when he's
working on you and that conformity
process so stay there stay there the
graduation is so sweet the graduation is
so good that you don't want to miss it
praise God so I just want to share that
today
we talked about it on Wednesday I kind
of want to give a little bit further
insight into the conformity process that
much of it takes place through trials
challenges and difficulties now these
difficult times don't last forever
once that season is over then the
refreshing comes but while you're in it
stay close to the Lord and you won't
have that peace and you will have that
strength from the Lord that you will
need in order to go through it praise
God
now I want to talk about something else
today that is very vital for this
conforming process for whom he foreknew
that would be you and me he also
predestined okay so this is part of the
plan he predestined us to be conformed
to the image of his son now I have found
out that prayer can have a major role in
this conforming process I want to give
you an example let's go to the Gospel of
Matthew chapter 18 this kind of makes me
giggle makes me laugh a little bit this
passage of Scripture because you can
know something really well about a
certain scripture but yet maybe there's
another side of the coin concerning that
same scripture where there can be
something also that you don't know that
you don't see about it
that still affects how the whole thing
works so let's see if we can get this
right today Matthew chapter 18 verse 19
this is fun verse 19 again I say to you
that if two of you agree on earth
concerning anything that they ask it
will be done for them by My Father in
heaven okay
so on this verse I've had some of the
greatest miracles in my life
manifest out of taking this verse
praying it with somebody else coming
into agreement touching and concerning
that thing
holding an agreement in faith and boom
seen results to that prayer that had
been nothing short of absolutely
miraculous and some of the stories that
have come out of it have blessed many
many people by those powerful
testimonies now that same verse also has
at other times left me completely
frustrated because I've seen it work and
then in other cases and other scenarios
I've prayed it and I've had absolutely
zero results where it didn't happen it
didn't work and I'm left standing there
puzzle thinking well it worked on this
one I wonder why I didn't work on this
one but you know what as time goes by
and you begin to meditate on these
things the Holy Spirit begins to give
insight and the Holy Spirit revealed to
me that that this verse has to be
quickened by the Holy Spirit in order
for it to work there has to be a
quickening okay this is the verse let's
grab this verse now let's work it right
now let's take a hold of it there has to
be a quickening and very very
importantly you have to balance it with
God's will and that's where probably 90%
of the times of it's missed that's where
the problem would be right there well
pastor Stephen it says concerning
anything that they ask that's like a
blank check mmm not really not really
let me let me throw a little more light
on this from from the book of first John
hold your finger here Matthew 18 verse
19 let's go to 1st John chapter 5 verse
14 now this is the confidence please say
that word right where you're at today
say it with me please say the word
confidence say confidence now this is
the confidence that we have in him that
if we ask anything according to his will
ah okay so not just asking anything but
asking anything according to his will he
hears us by the way if you're asking
outside of God's will and your and the
further outside of his will you get the
less and less confident your prayers are
and you could be standing there praying
that prayer with the the utmost fervency
you could be sweating you could even
sweat drops of blood but if you're
praying and agonizing and exerting all
the energy and it's not God's will
you're either gonna get zero results or
either very poor results but you're
never going to get the miracle that
you're looking for why you're going in
the wrong direction it's like being in
Charlotte and somebody wants to go to
Los Angeles and you tell them to go
south well they're going to end up in
Miami well that you know they could
still all roads lead to LA no they don't
if you go south you're gonna end up in
the Gulf of Mexico you're never gonna
make it to LA and so we need to go in
the right direction and you're if you're
flying in the wrong direction you're
never going to arrive at where you want
to get to so we have to pray according
to the will of God and when you do when
you know what that will is tremendous
confidence surges into your prayers
tremendous confidence surges into your
asking whew and there's boldness and
there's Authority and it is it's
irreplaceable so you must have prayer
confidence this is all part of the
molding the conforming process because
oftentimes when we're praying solace
prayers when we're praying these types
of prayers we're doing that because
we're not conformed into the image of
Jesus and we're praying for things that
ask you for things and wanting things
that God doesn't want us to have at
least he doesn't want us to have them
right then maybe some things there are
guts planned but it's not the time right
now it's not the place and yet we're
being persistent we're being stubborn
and we're even parting scriptures and
it's not by the spirit it's by the flesh
and so there's no results so we need to
go back and we need to surrender to the
highest law what is that highest law God
wants to conform us into the image of
his son is what I'm asking is what the
thing that I'm requesting is this going
to conform me into the image of
son or is it going to do something to
blur that praise God these are things we
need to ask we need to examine motives
we need to ask why did we do what we do
why are we asking for what we're asking
is God in this or is this just me praise
the Lord hallelujah now this is the
confidence that we have in him that if
we ask anything according to his will he
hears us praise God
thank you Lord Jesus so you know what
you can pray Matthew chapter 18 verse 19
and you can find somebody to agree with
you and you can touch and you can agree
and you could really begin to lock in on
prayer but if it's not God's will I just
need to let you know it's not going to
happen oh yes it is pastor Steve what
we're gonna pray it in it won't work
like that you cannot force God to do
something that he that is not his will
for him to do now there can be some
things where there's a gray area that I
would call permissive wheel maybe it's
not God's best but he will permit you he
will allow you to have it you know maybe
he would like for you to do it a
different way but it's not something
that's going to jeopardize your overall
destiny but there are some things that
we can try to demand that we could even
ask for that God looks at it and he sees
that if they get that if I actually give
that to them it's going to so alter
their destiny that it will even threaten
the outcome of them completing the
calling that I have for them and there
are some places where you could do some
things where you could really miss it in
a big way now here's the thing when you
don't have a lot of light with the Lord
well you don't have a lot of Revelation
there is extra grace that's applied but
when you begin to really walk with the
Lord
you find out that you have less leeway
because God is really working in you and
time is of the essence so the further
along you get with the Lord and the more
light and revelation and the more
responsibility you have because of your
knowledge of the truth that he's going
to place a different demand upon your
life praise God and the training is at a
completely different level
it's at a completely different level you
know a very godly prophet not an
exaggeration to say one of the greatest
prophets in the world his wife who's now
in heaven her life recently ended a few
years back she's in heaven now his wife
shared an amazing story of how some
things happened in the life of her and
her husband this great prophet some some
things happen that were traumatic very
difficult for her and her husband but by
God's grace they kept going forward but
I tell you she said some of the things
that happened just it was such a trial
and brought such pressure in her life
that suddenly the book of Job became
like a very real living nourishing book
and brought a lot of comfort and she
said it was just it just seemed
everywhere she turned there was just
there was great difficulties to work
through and she spoke out she spoke
these mouths out of her were out of her
mouth and she said lord I can't take one
more thing if one more thing happens I
can't take it and she said for a few
days she found herself saying that very
adequately I can't take one more thing
she would and and if you had read some
of her experiences you'd be like well
yeah you've you've had a really bad week
you've had like a really bad month
you've had some incredibly bad things
hits you very very heartbreaking but
nevertheless she made that statement
multiple times lord I can't take one
more thing well after having said that
for a couple days she didn't know it but
her husband this wonderful prophet had
done some things with some family
members just to try to relax and unwind
because of all the crazy stuff going on
so he he used a friend's dune buggy and
when driving the dune buggy he
accidentally flipped it over and broke
multiple bones in his arm
so one of the family members comes and
tells his wife your husband has just you
know fractured his arm and broken it in
multiple places and she said now come on
stop joking this is no I'm not in the
mood for Joe
and he said no I'm not joking we've got
a rushing to the emergency room right
now and she said god I can't take one
more thing and the Lord spoke to her as
they were driving him to the emergency
room and of course they get him they're
getting fixed up but the Lord spoke to
her because she's a mature woman of God
having traveled the world seeing great
signs wonders and miracles and she's
she's ministered to many many people
she's seen the power of God the Lord
spoke to her as a mother in Israel and
said don't ever threaten me with those
words again and she she immediately knew
that she had misspoken because the Lord
said you say don't she's you know the
Lord said you say to me I can't take any
more he said well what do you mean by
that what are you going to do if he said
are you saying that you're going to
abandon me are you gonna walk away from
me are you going to give up on me and
leave me so he said do not say that when
you make that statement you were
threatening me that you're going to
leave me whoa hallelujah I'm telling you
the closer you get to the Lord he treats
you with a different level of maturity
he doesn't treat you like a little baby
Christian he treats you with a different
level of maturity and expects you to
yield to the conforming process and that
was a process of conforming her into the
image of Christ whoa was it easy no I I
read the story that's like who wouldn't
want to have to walk through that but
God was with her all the way Grace was
being supplied and it was just something
some things that were in the path that
she had to go through praise the Lord it
my friends during these times don't ever
forget God's working it for good pastor
Steve and I prayed Matthew chapter 18
verse 19 and nothing happened Oh God's
working it for good
God's conforming you into the image of
yours of his son so that you don't pray
squirrel these squirrely prayers that
are out of line out of God's will or
that you're not coming into agreement
with others actually joining their
agreement that is not in harmony with
Scripture or in harmony with God's plan
for their life as
especially when you know it and you
should tell them I don't think I could
agree with you on this I don't think
this is God's will for you to reap rain
this and I can't agree with you on it
why well explained to them why met maybe
nobody has told them maybe nobody's
helped them praise the Lord because
after all if you jump in there and agree
with them and it doesn't happen now that
you know they're like well mmm you know
it says that God does it but I guess he
didn't do it for us and then another
left puzzled
praise the Lord so these are things that
we learned this is all part of the
conforming process and God's more I'll
even say this there's a higher law than
answered prayer there there are things
that God is more concerned about than
answering your prayers what would that
be pastor Stephen there's there's
nothing more important than answered
prayer yes there is you being conformed
into the image of his son that's more
important than having a prayer answered
and God may delay the answer to that
prayer if he sees this process of you
going through perhaps patient endurance
for a season if that will work the image
of Christ into you then he might extend
that for that higher purpose and then
he'll answer that prayer whew
but yield to the process glory to God
and know that God's working all things
for good
he really is and God is a good God thank
you Lord Jesus and my friends when you
do see the fruit of that conforming
process and the heart of the Lord really
begins to get formed in you and you
begin to grow in the wisdom and the
knowledge of the Lord able to discern
between good and evil right and wrong
able to pray accurately not just rushed
in the prayers to start asking for all
kinds of stuff but go into prayer with
very targeted petitions that are in
agreement with the heart of God when you
go into a place like that
now you come into prayer with tremendous
confidence and there's a place when you
mature the Lord
if you're not sure you won't ask you'll
just take a few days take a few weeks
and get it right in your spirit before
even asking and then when you get it
right then you can ask and it brings the
most tremendous confidence and I
remember confidence is very important in
prayer is it an expression of faith but
it's also an expression of knowing God
I'm dialed in to your wheel to the
timing to the plan to the season to the
answer that you have for my life I'm
asking you for this thing praise the
Lord
that's very very important praise God
now very quickly a closing scripture
Colossians chapter 1 Colossians chapter
1 is a tremendous prayer in chapter 1
verse 9 that you can pray so that this
knowledge of God this wisdom of God is
revealed to you concerning God's plan
for your life
Colossians chapter 1 verse 9 for this
reason we also since the day we heard it
do not cease to pray for you and to ask
that you may be filled with the
knowledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding it's not just
enough to know the knowledge of God's
will but you must have that knowledge of
his will in all wisdom and all spiritual
understanding the wisdom of God's will
the wisdom of sensing the application
how to walk it out the spiritual
understanding of knowing there's timing
involved let's get all of this lined up
right see it's very important to have
that but if you will pray and ask God
for this this is my favorite prayer in
the entire Bible if you will pray this
and ask God for it he will give you the
knowledge of his will and it will be
given to you with wisdom and spiritual
understanding attached to it hmm and
your prayers will become so effective
and there'll be other times you just say
I'm not going to pray I don't know God's
will on that yet I'm still waiting I'm
not making a specific request on that
because I yet don't know so I'm gonna
hold up on that until I get some more
leading of the Lord praise God thank you
Lord Jesus
I think that as we mature the Lord we
slow down a little bit we don't just
rush into things we slow down and we ask
more questions and we wait on the Lord
because we want to see the Lord's image
expressed through us maturity so
immaturity just rushes rushes into all
kinds of things mmm
there can be faith but there can also be
foolishness and that can also be
presumption well I just presume that's
what God meant and we can presume
completely wrong so we want to walk into
the maturity of the Lord and He will
speak to us and he will guide us with
his eye he will guide us and we will
hear from him and we will make the right
decisions praise God because of this
your life is getting easier and easier
and easier and because of this your life
is becoming better and better and better
whoo yes receive the blessing of the
Lord all of these other things are
attached to it seek you first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness and
all of these things will be added all of
these things will be added unto you the
kingdom his righteousness being
conformed into the image of God's dear
son things to meditate on when you're
going through trials and when you're
going through situations that seem to be
extended seasons of long-suffering
praise the Lord this will help you to
understand what God's up - he's
conforming you into the image of his son
he's actually working all things in your
life for good so rejoice because it's
gonna be really really good not only in
the world to come but also in this life
as well praise the Lord hallelujah mmm
thank you Jesus see I'm speaking to a
group of believers that are more
interested than just getting into heaven
you actually want to get into heaven
having reached that level of sonship
that level of maturity that God is using
this earth period that you're living
your life down here this is your
probationary
period to be developed into the image of
his son that is the primary reason that
you're here for that image to be molded
into you mmm thank you Lord Jesus that's
why you're here so it's more than just
gaining heaven it's gaining heaven
having understood what the Lord wanted
you to focus on a major on and working
on that and focusing on that it's more
important than a mega ministry it's more
important than a moral thing it's more
important than having millions and
millions of dollars praise the Lord it's
God's greatest purpose for your life
let's pray Heavenly Father I pray that
those who would find themselves perhaps
in the thick of the conforming process
that they will know that tests are not
forever that eventually the exam is
completed and then it's back into the
regular session of life of learning and
teaching and having fun classroom
environment but that exams and tests
period are not always on the schedule
but father if there are any of your
people today that are in the exam better
in the heat of the conforming process
may they allow you to do the work that
you're intending to do and father any
areas that would be out of conformity
mold it mold it into the mature image of
Jesus thank you Father God we give you
glory and honor and praise that you are
preparing us while we're on this earth
for eternity now father I thank you that
you are raising up the overcomers
because it's the overcomers who will
rule and reign in the world to come it's
the ones who allowed you to conform them
while they were on the earth into the
image of your son who will be qualified
to rule over the nations of the world
during the reign of the Lord Jesus
Christ from Jerusalem thank you Father
God bring your people into the place of
being an overcomer thank you Father God
this all revolves around you
building to the conformity process and
brought into maturity father we thank
you that you're going to accomplish your
work in the lives of every person
watching in Jesus name we give you all
the praise thank you Father
now supply more than enough grace more
than enough strength more than enough
wisdom mercy and wisdom that every
attribute from heaven flow oh god the
strengthen your people so they may make
it through any tough time and rejoice in
you in the midst of it because you're
gonna work it all for good father we
give you all the praise in the beautiful
name of Jesus we pray today amen and
amen hallelujah if you're watching today
and you are not yet a child of God you
can become a child of God by receiving
Christ as your Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ is the bridge between lost
humanity and the holy God the Heavenly
Father so Jesus is in the middle he is
the only mediator
he's the only one between God and man
he's the only bridge so the only way to
receive eternal life the only way to
receive forgiveness of sins is through
the man the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of
God himself
praise God if you would like to receive
forgiveness of your sins and receive
eternal life into your heart today
then pray this prayer after me say Lord
Jesus come into my heart I yield my life
to you give me a fresh beginning today
wash my sins away write my name in your
book of life thank you Jesus I receive
you now as my Lord and Savior amen and
amen and if you have prayed that prayer
Christ is now your Lord and Savior and
you belong to him you belong to God and
the family of God hallelujah thank you
Jesus family let's all take communion
together today please grab some
unleavened bread and some grape juice
praise the Lord Heavenly Father we thank
you for the bread and the juice we bless
it we consecrate it this is now the
flesh
and the blood of our Lord and Savior
thank you Father God as we receive the
body of Christ we thank you for your
strength flowing into us we thank you
for the conforming process being worked
out in our lives we give you all of the
praise in Jesus name Amen my friends as
you take the body of the Lord remember
what Jesus said many who are first are
going to be last why they never yield it
to the conformity process they think
they're running ahead but they're not
but many that are last they're gonna be
the ones that end up actually first
because they yield it to the conformity
process and Christ can be seen in them
so let's receive the body of the Lord
Jesus
praise the Lord father we give you
praise thank you for the blood of Jesus
washing all of our sins away father we
just as a corporate body we repent of
all sin we ask that you would wash us
clean from all sin and we give you all
of the praise father we just thank you
for righteousness right standing imputed
righteousness because we are in Christ
and we thank you Father God for taking
us into that conformity of your son
which is also holiness we give you
praise father god father we thank you
that righteousness is imputed because of
our position in Christ but holiness is
something that has worked out so father
God we give you praise as we received
the blood of Jesus we thank you for
grace to live a holy life in a very
sinful dirty word a dirty world we thank
you for protecting us and shielding us
we ask that you would deliver us from
evil and that you would keep us from
temptation we give you praise in Jesus
name we agree and say Amen
let's drink praise God hallelujah my
friends and all things rejoice God is
working all things say that say all
things for my good God's working it out
so watch and see stay positive stay full
of faith keep praising the Lord God will
work miracles in your life I'll see you
back next time bye-bye