'Yes Lord' Is a Prayer

Genesis chapter 24, if you'll turn there please in your Bible with me, Genesis chapter 24. My message title is Yes Lord is a Prayer. Yes Lord is a Prayer.

And it's specifically important considering that we're going into a time of prayer and fasting this week for the future of this nation. That's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. We begin to fast from solid food as much as is possible, never from liquid food at any time.

And that's from Monday at midnight right through to the end of the service on Thursday night. And we're going to believe God to lead us in prayer, to answer our prayer, and to show us something of his favor on our lives and for this nation at this time. As much as you are able, please join with us in this fast.

Now not everybody can fast from solid food for three days. Some just can't do it. I had a young lady one time when we fasted in this church, she said, I have to eat pastor.

I just can't think about anything but food. I'm useless in a prayer meeting. So if that's what you're going through, then have a toast, some cheese or butter or something, and then get back to fasting again.

But be honest about it. I met one time at a fast, I met a gentleman out on 51st and he told me, he said, pastor, this is amazing. This is the second day of this fast.

And he said, I'm not even hungry and God has sustained me. And all through his beard were the crumbs of the muffin he had just ate. I felt like telling him, if you do get hungry, just give your beard a shake and you'll have enough.

So we'll just be honest about it. We're not in any kind of illegal bondage. Fasting is just to prove your sincerity, to be set apart for God, to set your mind, your focus, your attention.

Especially now when we consider the future that's ahead of us, we really need to lay hold of God now. Now, father, I thank you, God, with all my heart for the touch of heaven in this house. I thank you for your word, which is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.

I thank you, God, for the strength that you're willing to give us if we are willing to hear you. I thank you, Lord, for the touch of heaven on my physical body, overriding the frailty of this human vessel, giving me the grace to disappear, that you may appear, that your voice might be heard. I have no other desire but to honor your name, Lord Jesus Christ, and to see your heart satisfied.

And so I pray, Lord, that your kingdom would come this morning. Your will will be done here in us as it is in heaven. Oh God, give us the grace to hear.

Give us the grace to embrace your will for each of our lives. Give us the grace to pray, especially now. We thank you for this in Jesus' name.

Genesis chapter 24, I'm going to be going through a story about a servant in Abraham's house. He was the oldest servant he had. And then we're going to go right straight through to where he encounters Rebecca.

Now, Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for his master's son. This man was a man of prayer. We're going to see that as we go through the story.

On the other side of the story is a young girl who also has learned to hear the voice of God. And between the two of them, between the oldest servant and a young girl, history is going to be changed. When you and I learn how to pray, when we begin to obey God, there is no limit to what God can do.

There's no limit to the number of lives that can be touched through a surrendered vessel in this house today. You have no idea what God will do until, yes, Lord, becomes your prayer. Not just, please, Lord.

We spend a lot of time saying, please, Lord, do this. Please, Lord, do that. And we ask God, we try to move the hand of God.

We pray prayers that are asking God to initiate something. Please bring my son or daughter home. Please do this for me.

Please give me a better job. So we're asking God to initiate something. And those are good prayers.

But sometimes God chooses to initiate something on his own. And all he is doing is looking for somebody to agree with him. Remember, through the prophet Ezekiel, he said, I sought for a man to stand in the gap that I should not have to judge the nation.

But I could find no one. You see, the point being, he had already initiated mercy. It was already emanating from the heart of God.

And he was simply looking for somebody to say, yes, God, I agree with you that you should show mercy to the nation. When societies get into the condition that ours is in today, it becomes so easy to come up with the reasons why it should be judged. We present, again, the litany of abortion, immorality, all of the social breakdown that's going on in our society.

And it becomes very, very easy to agree that the nation should be judged. We don't find difficulty with that. But what if, what if, in the heart of God, what if God says, I have chosen for this season ahead of you to show mercy to countless millions of people who will hear my voice? And I'm seeking for somebody who's just going to say, yes, Lord, I'm seeking for somebody somewhere who's simply going to agree with me.

I'll give you an example of this. Years ago, we were in Jamaica conducting a crusade in a place called No Man's Land. It was a 30-acre buffer zone between six warring factions in that particular area of inner city Kingston, 100,000 people, 100 percent unemployment, 100 percent drug-controlled, 100 percent violent.

On that particular field, there had been 800 recorded murders in the previous 30 years. Nobody stepped on that field unless they wanted to get shot or shoot somebody from the other side. That's how dangerous that place was.

That's where God sent us to host a crusade. And in the prayer that we prayed before the crusade, God began to speak things to our hearts. And I remember standing on the platform one night, looking out at the field.

The people are incredulous. They, first of all, don't believe that anybody would be there. And then those who are involved, especially from the community leadership, don't really believe that anybody's ever going to come on the field.

Now, long story short, the last night there was almost 14,000 people on that field. Many, many came to Christ. God broke the spirit of poverty over that area.

And there was a revival that's still going on today. It's known as the Trenchtown Miracle. Thank God for that.

But standing on the platform one night, God began to speak to my heart. And I shared, I said, on the right side of the field are going to be houses. Houses are going, this is a killing zone.

Houses, brand new houses are going to be built here. And I saw in the center of the field, a playground with children playing. Now, I wasn't asking God to do it.

He was showing it to me. And I simply agreed with him and spoke it in agreement with God. Today, if you had a chance to see the video, I think you can still archive it.

We set a camera crew there. There are beautiful condominiums on the right side of that field, and there's a children's playground in the middle of what used to be a killing field. I wasn't asking God to do anything.

He had already decided to do it and was just looking for somebody who would say, yes, Lord. And that would become our prayer. Chapter 24 of Genesis, beginning at verse 9. So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Now you know that Abraham is sending his servant out to find a bride for his son. Then the servant took 10 of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he rose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women grow up to draw water. Then he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, please let down your pitcher that I may drink. And she says, drink, and I will also give your camels a drink. Let her be the one you've appointed for your servant Isaac.

And by this, I will know that you have shown kindness to my master. And it happened before, I want you to take note of that, before he had finished speaking. How fast can God answer a prayer? God can answer a prayer before we begin to pray it.

That behold, Rebecca, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin. No man had known her.

And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, please let me drink a little water from your pitcher. So she said, drink, my lord.

Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking. Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

And the man wondering at her remained silent, so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. And so it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring, weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists, weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge? And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom she bore to Nahor. Moreover, she said to him, we have both straw and feet enough and room to lodge.

Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. An interaction that would change the course of history. You and I know that Rebecca became Isaac's wife.

She had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob became the father of the nation of Israel. And of course, through the nation of Israel came our Messiah.

And through the Messiah came you and I. You and I never know what God is about to do when we choose to obey him. Now I want you to take a look. The scripture says this was the oldest servant that Abraham had.

And it speaks to me about those of us maybe who have walked a little longer with God. And we do know him. And we do have a heart to pursue a bride for the master's son.

But what kind of a person will God use? What kind of a man can pray specific prayers and see them answered? First of all, in verse nine says the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham and swore to him concerning this matter. He was a man who was a man of his word, a person of truth. This is the one battle that everyone fights.

This is a kingdom of truth. It is the truth that sets us free. It is the truth of God that is the light for our path and the lamp for our feet.

And if you and I are people of truth, God can begin to lead us in a pathway that will bring great glory to his name and great increase to his kingdom. Then it says the servant took 10 of his master's camels and departed. All his master's goods were in his hand.

If you're a person of truth and you are heading out to glorify God and you want to find a bride for the master's son, I'm telling you, God will put everything he's got in your hand. He'll give you wisdom. He'll give you kindness.

He'll give you joy. He'll give you peace. He'll give you faith.

He'll give you vision. Everything you need to do the work that you're called to do, God will give you. Praise be to God.

If you are loyal, he says he, then he prayed in verse 12. He said, Lord God of my master, Abraham, give me success this day and show kindness to my master, Abraham. This is the kind of a servant that God will use.

It's a man. It's the woman that is not looking for his or her own glory. The prayers that we pray are not just always and continuously about ourselves.

It's a kind of a person that says, God, for your holy namesake, for the sake of the lost, for the sake of others, my God, answer my prayer. Hear my voice. I'm not, I trust that as I seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that you will add to me what I need that settled in my heart.

So I'm not going to waste my whole day praying for myself, but I'm asking Lord that your heart would be satisfied. I'm asking that every lost coin would be found. I'm asking God that you would use me somehow to sweep the house and find every soul that can still turn from darkness to life and light in Jesus Christ.

And he was given boldness to pray a specific prayer. It's amazing. There's, there's a boldness when you're walking and when you're loyal to what God has called you to do, when you're a man or woman of truth, when you value the commission that God and you take seriously the call to find a bride for the master's son.

Then suddenly you find yourself praying prayers that are, that are beyond just generic. They're very specific, led to pray this prayer. Now he said, let it be verse 14, the young woman to whom I say, please let down your pitcher that I may drink.

And she says, drink, and I'll also give your camels a drink. Let her be the one that you've appointed for your servant, Isaac. And by this, I will know that you've shown kindness to my master.

And the scripture says before he had finished speaking, before he had finished speaking, the answer came before he got to the end of his prayer. Now his prayer was please Lord on this side, but on the other side, there's a young girl, Rebecca, no doubt sitting at home. And suddenly it comes into her heart to do something.

Go to the well. You know, if you and I learn to obey those promptings, we spent, we spent a whole lot less time asking and a whole lot more time just saying, yes, Lord, just get up and go to the well. Can you imagine if she had said that day? No, let my sister do it.

I did it yesterday. I have a headache. I don't feel like going today to the well.

I'll go later. I'll go later to the well. But she was a young girl who could obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

This man may not even have begun his prayer when God's Holy Spirit prompts. He's about to say, please, Lord. She's about to say, yes, Lord.

And please, Lord. And yes, Lord are about to meet at the well and history is going to be changed. Praise be to God, the promptings of God.

If we would just learn to obey the promptings of God, the promptings of the Holy Spirit, there might be somebody across the hall in your apartment building that's playing. Please, God, help me. Please, God, show me if you're real.

And you're on the other side of the hall. And this person is saying, please, Lord, and all God is looking for from you is, yes, Lord, moving on your heart to go to do something. I remember years ago, suddenly we were in an area in Canada where there was about 40 square miles of no Christian testimony that we were aware of.

It was the highest per capita poverty rate, really, in all of that area of the country in which we were living, unemployment and poverty. And one day the Lord just put into my heart a thought to start a Bible study in a little country church that I had driven by once or twice. You had to actually be lost to drive by this church.

There's no way you could be going anywhere to go by it. I don't even know why I had gone by it, but I remembered it. And the town was called Pendleton.

I don't know why they called it a town because there were only three houses in the town and they weren't even close to the church. And this little white clapboard church is in the middle of nowhere. And the Lord spoke to my heart, start a Bible study there.

I went to the church board. I told them who I was, why I would like to rent their church, what the intent was. And they ended up telling me I could have the church for free.

They even provided a caretaker to put the heat on and to shovel the snow in the wintertime. So I put flyers together and sent them out, general mailer, Bible study starting at this church. And the first night, the very first night there was a snowstorm.

And so nobody came. I ended up at the church with my son, Jason, who was six years old and my brother-in-law who was a worship leader. And so they, my brother-in-law said to me, well, should we just go home? And I said, no, the Lord, the Lord has called me to do this.

So we're going to have a service tonight. So we did, we worship God. And my son, Jason shared his testimony.

He was six years old and a great time was had by all. I would go back week after week after week. And sometimes it'd be five people, sometimes six, sometimes four.

But it eventually over the course of a couple of years grew, it grew into a church. One church grew into two. It grew into a Christian school.

It grew into a food bank. It grew into a ministry where I was traveling across the country as a revivalist. It grew to the point where one day a man called Leonard Ravenhill in Texas was given a tape of a message I had preached somewhere.

He listened to it. He called my house, asked if I'd come to Lindale, Texas to spend three days with him. I knew he was an author.

I didn't know much about him, but I knew he was an author, respected one. So I went and I stayed with him for three days, spent the whole time just pouring his heart, seven in the morning to seven at night, just pouring his heart into me, began to prophesy some things that he felt God was going to do through my life. I left.

I went back home. That's in 1991. He sent two of those tapes to David Wilkerson who stuck them in the glove compartment of his car.

They were there for three years. David Wilkerson one day is coming back from Summit International School of Ministry. The church is starting to grow.

This church, they're now in this building, it's starting to grow. And he started praying a specific prayer. His prayer was, God, you have to help me.

You got to send help to me. The church is growing fast and I really just need help in this church. Reaches in his glove compartment to clear some things out.

Two tapes fall on the floor, both by the same speaker. Puts them in his player, pulls over to the side of the road, calls my house. The next Tuesday I'm here.

I've been here for 23 years. What if I had gone home? What if I had said this is stupid? Conducting a Bible study in the middle of nowhere and nobody's coming. And very, very few are coming.

What if I said it's not worth the effort? What if Rachel had just not responded to the promptings of God? This is sad, I think, for some to get to the throne of God one day and realize the promptings of God were there to do something that would truly bring honor to his name. But it was so hard to believe that he could use us or would use us or actually was prompting us. And so we stay on the please side of prayer and we never move to the yes Lord side.

We never move to that side of prayer. It's much shorter prayers actually on the yes Lord side. God's the one who's initiating the interaction on our part.

He just tells us to say yes. And so here's Rebecca coming down. She doesn't know this man is praying, looking for a bride.

A bride. Her DNA is going to be in the physical lineage of Jesus Christ. A bride who's going to change the world.

God has got an old servant and a young girl. And she comes out with her pitcher on her shoulder. And the servant ran to meet her and said, please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.

And she said, drink my Lord. Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand and gave him a drink. Now the scripture says she went down to the well, which implies a lot of wells in the Middle Eastern time.

It was like a big square hole in the ground. And there was about three, four or five steps down to the water. So she's got to go down.

I'm assuming she's got about a five gallon, uh, pail that she's got on her shoulder. That'd be about as much as a young teenage girl could carry. And, and when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also until they have finished drinking.

Actually, she does more than he prayed. He just said, let her say, drink and I'll give your camels a drink. But she says, no, I'll, I'll give your camels a drink until they've done.

They've done drinking. And I did some research on this. A thirsty camel can drink between 25 and 45 gallons at one sitting.

Now he's got 10 camels. That's what the scripture says. He left with 10 camels and all his master's goods.

And he's probably got four or five men with him to help with all of the stuff that he's traveling with the tents and all these things where they would have to pitch while they were traveling. And so if let's just be generous and say it's only a 30 gallon day per camel could be 45. The least would be 25, 30 camels, 10 camels times 30 gallons of 300 gallons of water.

She's got a five gallon pitcher at the most on her shoulder. That means 60 trips to the well, think that one through. Here's a young girl who's just not willing to do the minimum.

A lot of people never fully realized the potential that God has for them in his kingdom, because they always settled for the minimum, the least amount of Bible study, the least amount of church attendance, the least amount of prayer. And of course, what makes you think you're going to be incredibly diligent in the work of God, if you're not diligent in the basic things and they come in and just kind of do the minimum just to be able to get across the finish line. Sort of like a belly slide under the grass door as it goes down, getting into heaven is really just the main concern living for God.

Well, maybe, maybe not. And they do the minimum and wonder why they're always dissatisfied. Wonder why there's this empty sense in their heart that somehow I'm destined for more than this.

The book of Proverbs tells us, if you see a diligent man or diligent person, that person will stand before Kings and not before obscure men. That means this person is the one that God can use to be in places that will actually impact their society. And they will not be found always in places that really have little or no effect on anything or anybody around them.

It's all points of diligence. We have on one hand, a trustworthy, truthful, loyal, God-honoring, master-caring servant. On the other hand, we have a young girl who can hear the voice of God, who can move with the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

I'm sure that on the way to that well, the Lord spoke to her heart and said, be kind today. Do an act of kindness today. Go above and beyond what you have to do.

And the servant ran to meet her and she emptied her pitcher into the trough. Verse 20, ran back to the well and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her remained silent as to whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

I'm telling you, when I was researching this, I went to a lot of different online locations. And one of them had a section for comments at the bottom. And it talks about this girl was beautiful and she was pure and she went down to the well probably at least 60 times.

And somebody commented on the bottom, some young man, wow, where can I find a girl like that? If you're online listening, Times Square Church, you can find a girl like that at Times Square Church. We have some of the most beautiful girls in the world from a hundred nations in one spot. This is a Jehovah Jireh spot for you.

So if you're listening today, I want you to pack your camel and head to New York City. Praise be to God. And so it was when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden nose ring, weighing a shekel and two bracelets for her wrist weighing 10 shekels of gold.

You see, when you're given to the work of God, God will bless you. But in her case, you'll notice the blessing didn't occupy her thinking. It's almost like it was there, but she didn't know folks.

The scripture doesn't tell us. She just said, wow, gold, real gold. Is it heavy gold? What kind of, how did you mint this gold? And so many people are just so enamored with the blessings that come that they forget the purpose of God.

They forget why they're on the earth. And the beautiful thing, I think the most beautiful thing about this girl, of everything here, this is what makes her fit for the master's son. The servant says, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge? This girl knew the largeness of her father's heart.

She boasted in her father. That's why she was so generous because she knew the generosity of her father and her father's character had gotten into her character. That's why she would run down to the well.

That's why she would go far beyond what was required in a day because she knew the largeness of her father's heart. And my question to you this morning is, do you know the largeness of God's heart? Do you know his willingness to show mercy? Do you fully understand the longing in the heart of God to see this nation turn back to him again? Do you know that it's not the father's will that any should perish, but that all should come to the saving knowledge of God through Jesus Christ? Do you understand that God so loved the world? He sent his only begotten son. Do you know the largeness of your father's heart? And I love what comes out of her mouth.

I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milka's son, whom she bore to Nahor. Moreover, she said to him, we have both straw and feet enough and room to lodge. Her father sent her to get five gallons of water.

She's coming home with 10 camels, five servants. And she knows there's room in her father's house. She knows her father will never shame her.

Her father will never disappoint her. She knows the heart of her father. That's what makes her generous.

Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. So many people would worship God if you and I would learn to say, yes, Lord. So many people would bow and worship if we were kind, if we're willing to pray specific prayers, if we're willing to walk in obedience.

You see why this is important? Because this is the year 2017. We're going to fast together for three days and ask God about the future of this nation. But you see, the future of America will never be disconnected from the house of God and the people of God.

We are integral to the future of this society. And I know in my heart that God is willing to do exceedingly above and beyond all we can ask or even think. That servant, as wonderful as he was, he put a limitation on his prayer.

He said, let it be the girl who says, and I'll give you a camel's drink also. But God moved on her heart to give the camels drink until they had finished drinking. No wonder he stared in amazement for what did it take an hour, an hour and 20 minutes for all this water to be drawn and put in the trough for these thirsty camels.

No wonder he stared wondering, has the cry of my heart been realized? And when the people of this society finally see a church that is fully engaged with the real and actual work of God, reaching out to the loss, going the extra mile, showing acts of kindness to those who don't necessarily deserve it, and in some cases are not even asking for it. Suddenly people will bow their heads and begin to worship. Thanks be to God.

I'm not willing to walk out of this prayer meeting, this service today. The prayer meeting's coming this week and be the same as when I came in. I want something larger in my heart.

I want to boast of my father more than I have before. I want the willingness to be kind, be on when it's convenient. I don't want to spend the whole time of my prayer life on the please side and forget that yes Lord is also a prayer.

God is initiating something in this moment of history in which we're living. I want to live on the yes Lord side and find out what my part is in that and do what God's called me to do because I fully believe that God Almighty has decreed a moment of mercy for America. It's strictly a moment of mercy.

Even in the days of Isaiah, when the nation seemed to be so hell-bent on its own destruction, God drew this young man into his presence, showed him literally the rot of the whole religious system and the society itself to the point where Isaiah himself said, I'm finished, I'm undone. But then he began to hear the pleadings of God, who will go for me and who shall we send? And Isaiah said, I'll go Lord. And God gave him a tenth of that society for his effort.

One tenth of America is over 30 million people. It's worth it. No matter how dark the day is, no matter how deep the division is, no matter how awkward the moment is, no matter how people's hearts are set against the Lord Jesus Christ, God has given us an open window.

God has decreed mercy one more time and I'm not asking, I'm agreeing now. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.

Show me my part. Yes, Lord. What do you want me to do? Yes, Lord.

How do you want me to do it? Yes, Lord. What do you want me to say? Yes, Lord. Where do you want me to go? Yes, Lord.

Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. It's got to become our prayer.

God spoke to Rebecca. She had to get out of where she was and go to where she needed to be for the miracle to happen. In some cases, God has to speak to people to get up and get out of whatever it is you're in.

Instead of saying, please, Lord, all the time, give me the grace to get out of this relationship. Give me the grace to cease this practice. It's time to start saying, yes, Lord, you've called me to something deeper.

You've called me to make a difference in my society. You've called me to be a person that honors your name and can boast of you to the point where people will bow their heads in worship. And so, yes, Lord, I'm not going to say, please, Lord, any longer and just sit in unbelief.

I'm going to say, yes, Lord, I'm going to get up and get out of where I need to be and get into where you're calling me. And watch the miracles begin to happen. Praise be to God.

Praise be to God. I said, yes, Lord, this morning, I had a whole message prepared sitting over there on that table. The Lord said, leave it there.

Let me speak. So I believe he's spoken. 2017, the year we say, yes, Lord.

Yes, Lord. You already know. You already know what he's asking you to do.

Many here. It's not a secret. He's already spoken it.

You already know. Now, begin at the beginning. Begin with what you know.

Until you obey that, then the other leadings will remain hidden. But if you will begin at the beginning and do the first things. If he's asking you to forgive, then forgive.

If he's asking you to speak truth, speak truth. If he's asking you to be loyal, be loyal. If he's asking you to go beyond in your service to him, what is convenient, then do that.

If he's asking you to stretch, stretch. If he's asking you to love your wife as Christ loves the church, do that. If he's asking you to give reverence to your husband, do that.

Obey. Move. Say, yes, Lord.

And watch what God will begin to do. Watch what God will begin to do. Praise be to God.

Father, I just thank you, Lord, with all my heart today, Lord, for speaking to us. I thank you for just showing us that yes, Lord, is a prayer. I ask you, God, to give us the grace to get up and move towards the well of your life, your calling, your future that you have for each of us, the purpose for our lives.

Give us the grace, Lord, to not just be hearers of the word of God, but doers of the word. I thank you for it with all my heart. And I praise you for it in Jesus' name.

You know, as we make the choice to say yes, you know, I'd like to sing that song again if we can. I hear the chains falling. A bride, servants that are going out to get a bride, by God's grace we are, and believe in God to break bondage and bring people home to Christ through the testimony of our lives.

If you want to say yes, Lord, to Christ in 2017, whatever that costs, whatever it means, wherever it leads, I'm going to ask you just to join me. I'm the first at this altar today. I'm saying yes, Lord, wherever he leads me, I'm going to follow him.

We're going to stand in the annex. You can go between the screens. At home, you can just stand up in your living room.

Same thing in North Jersey, between the screens. And let's stand together and please just come and join me. Those who just want their prayer time to say yes, Lord, God, I will.

I will obey you, Lord, in Jesus' name. You know, you and I don't fully know where it's going to lead when we just say yes to God. But I do know it leads into the miraculous, always does.

It leads into us being in a place where only God could do what God does. It leads into a place where we start understanding the largeness of our father's heart and we can boast of God. That's what I'm doing to you today.

I'm just boasting in the largeness of God's heart because I know it. You can't boast in it till you know it. And you can't know it until you're willing to be led into places where you need that divine strength.

Don't tell me Rebecca didn't need divine strength to pull 300 gallons of water out of a well. She needed divine strength. God will give us the strength we need at the moment when we need it.

And all he's ever asked of his church is to walk with him, to agree with him, not to be reasoning everything all the time, but just follow the promptings. Now, don't make a spiritually spooky thing out of this. It will come to you.

You'll be on the bus, you'll be on the subway and the sudden thought come into your heart to do something. Just obey it. Obey it when you know it's God, a person that maybe needs an act of kindness.

I wonder if Rebecca said, you're going to meet this old guy at a well with 10 camels and I want you to be kind to him. She could never know the reason why she, did she know it's going to lead to the church of Jesus Christ? That act of obedience, you got to follow the sequence. And you don't know when you obey, you touch one person's life and lead them to Christ.

It means all their family and everybody after them that you've touched a lot of people by touching one. It's amazing. It's amazing.

When you see it, we get, we sometimes get caught up in the volume and forget that you touch one life and you've touched everybody that comes after them and many, many people through them. Praise God. Yes, Lord.

That's what we want to say this year. When God speaks to you, the potential in New York city, right at this altar is astronomical of people who just say, yes, Lord, what God will begin to do through your life. The father, just thank you, Lord, for these men and women, God, who are coming to this altar as best as they know how, just like I did when I was younger and still do today to say, Lord, where you lead, I will follow you.

Just let me know it is you speaking to my heart. Let me not be moved under any kind of condemnation, but only by the compassion of God. Lord, lead us into the future.

Lead us in the city. God lead us as a congregation more to make a huge difference, Lord, for your namesake, God, and give us a largeness of heart to go beyond just what is required of the day. Father, I just thank you for it, Lord.

Let it be the hallmark of this church. From this day forward, we truly are servants to Christ and to people. God, you are going to open to us the miraculous.

I know it in my heart, and I pray that you give each one of us, every one of us the courage to embrace your will and your way for our lives. Oh, Jesus, son of God, what miracles can happen when somebody says yes, and we will say yes. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

Praise God.