Pray

I once again make myself available to you Lord. Take coals from the altar and touch lips of clay today. Let the love of God work in this house right now in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Aren't you glad to be in the house of the Lord today. Thankful for all of you being here. Thankful for our guests that are with us today. We welcome you. If you're online and you've joined us, we're honored that you've come. As I say every week, if you're driving, please focus. Um, so glad that you're here. We everybody that has a part of what happens here at CAC, you are so important. And that could be from cars to coffee to catastrophic charisma. I don't know. There's a lot of Cwords there. But everybody that teaches a class or sings or greets or smiles or holds babies, all of that stuff, thank you. Thank you so much for your investment in the kingdom. Amen. We uh we believe that the spirit of the Lord changes people's lives. Therefore, we come together intentionally. Amen. How many got here today because somebody knocked you out, jugged you here, and threw you in a seat? Okay. besides you. Uh, anyone else? Every who was that? Who was that? So good to be in the house of the Lord today. We do have I would like to shout out before we go to the word. Do we have a picture of our youngans yesterday? Look at this group right here. Aren't they a thug looking group? Yesterday, my wife and I, we're the good-looking ones in the middle here. Right there where with some of these young folk, we did a community event. This is our Yale students, Young Apostolic Leadership Enhancement Group. That's a handful of them. We walked five kilometers. That's like 9,000 miles. We decided, didn't we? I mean, it's like what what the old-timers would call a fur piece, but uh they were raising funds for this group. And man, they they're doing some pretty cool stuff. And we wanted our kids to be involved with that stuff outside the walls. Is that all right? Outside the walls. So I give kudos to those young folk that came and walked with me. My wife, she knew stand there. Her and Connor were volunteer staff. Who? Zakayiah. Oh, that's right. They were they were helpers. and uh the rest of us dragged ourselves down the road. If anybody wants to know something about Herb and Kira, I've I've got some some data. Oh, you ready for it? No, I'm joking. Herb's running. Herb, don't run. I'm joking. You can be seated. Thank you so much for being here today. The Lord bless you. Amen. And

I do have a statement to make as I begin this today. Some of you may or may not understand it, but I I will make the statement as well. Look what the Lord has done. >> That all right? >> All right. Some of us are like, "Okay, keep going. My coupon's going to go to waste. Look what the Lord has done. I recently spent some time looking into the past of CAC, the past of Cornerstone. Talked to Sister Stacy McB. She is out today because of her father's sick, but I I I asked her as our coordinator of prayer ministries, how long have you been in this particular position? And she let me to know since Noah almost. She said about 2013 that I asked her to become our prayer coordinator for our church because I I believe that prayer matters. Somebody say right. >> Come on, somebody do this. Prayer matters. In fact, fun fact, I'm standing here today because of Brandon's dad was the prayer coordinator in Murphy'sboro for 712 years. That's Brandon right there. He's the troubled guy. But, uh, here at CAC, we have an incredible history of prayer. Brother Austin, we all know, established the times of prayer when he was pastoring here. He started the work in 1997. and my wife and I and our kids came here, there was a Tuesday night prayer time. So I know that prayer has been a part of the foundation that we have built on here at CAC in 2026. Prayer chains, uh, prayer request websites where folk can submit their needs. People would call for specific prayer. We would have a time of prayer while walking across the bridge downtown during the National Day of Prayer. Everybody say prayer. We have pre-ervice prayer. That's what we saw earlier today. There was three people that got up and led us in prayer before we started our worship time because we believe that if we bathe everything we do in prayer, the hand of the Lord will be there. We do midweek prayer. We do all kinds of prayer times and meetings and sessions and and and if you do the math, the fact remains is that we can safely say here at Cornerstone that we have prayed. We have prayed. In fact, just from 2013, the date that I mentioned to you a moment ago with our dedicated times of prayer and our midweeks and the sessions and the prayer chains and the prayer times and the in-person and the online and the Monday night at home altar and so forth. We probably have more than 2500 different dedicated times of prayer and much more that have been prayed by people here at Cornerstone Apostolic Church. You want to know why that I'm mentioning this today? Because I still believe that if we are a praying church, we are a blessed church. If you spend time communicating with Jesus Christ, to walk in his favor and desire to please him, when you are asking him for guidance and direction, when you are giving him praise and honor, when you're loving him, listen, in the good times, in the not so good times, in the times of plenty, in the times of lean, when you know it doesn't make sense, but somehow you pray anyway. way. I come to tell somebody today, and if the devil wants to listen in, he's more than welcome. We at Cornerstone, we are a praying church. If you're glad you're a praying church, would you give the Lord some praise right now? OH, COME ON. THE FAMILY THAT prays together, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT a praying prayer, PRAYERFUL CHURCH. NOW, CAN WE PRAY MORE? ABSOLUTELY. Are the prayers that we pray sincere and from the heart? Yes, they are. Is there a better way to pray where we can learn how to more effectively pray? Yes, there is. But I rise to this podium today to remind the family of believers bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. We pray. We pray. We pray. I'm going to say IT A THOUSAND TIMES TODAY. WHY? BECAUSE WE have come to a place in our culture, in our society where folk don't want to talk ABOUT THE SWEET BY AND BY AND ABOUT THAT that's coming along. They want to live IN THE HERE AND NOW AND THEIR SELFISH WAYS. But I declare the whole council of the Lord in THIS PLACE. UH IF WE WILL PRAY, GOD WILL MOVE MOUNTAINS. UH GOD WILL SHOW UP. UH THINGS WILL HAPPEN. DISEASES WILL GO AWAY. UH SICKNESS WILL BE GONE. THE NAME OF JESUS WILL BE APPLIED. THE BLOOD OF JESUS WILL STILL MOVE. WHY? BECAUSE WHEN WE PRAY, HEAVEN STANDS AT ATTENTION. >> I still make time for prayer in my life. I still press through the day IN AND DAY OUT. I STILL ADD JESUS TO THE THINGS THAT I DO. UH WE PRAY OVER WHAT WE DO HERE. WE PRAY OVER WHAT WE DON'T DO HERE. WE PRAY WHERE WE GO. WE PRAY WHEN WE get up. We pray WHEN WE LAY DOWN. UH WE SHOW UP AT TIMES OF PRAYER. WE DECLARE IT BEFORE CHURCH, DURING CHURCH, AND AFTER CHURCH. UH YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY? BECAUSE IF WE'LL EVER GET JESUS TO A PLACE WHERE HE NEEDS TO BE UH GREAT THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FAMILY OF GOD. STAY WITH ME SOMEBODY TODAY. WHY DO WE PRAY? IT'S BECAUSE THE HAND OF THE LORD WILL WORK WITH THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM. Listen to me. YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS, DON'T PRAY. >> Come on. IF HE NEVER SHOWED UP IN YOUR LIFE AND GOT YOU OUT OF A MESS, STOP YOUR PRAYING. >> We pray. We have seen the hand OF THE LORD WORK IN SO MANY WONDERFUL WAYS. CAN I I'M GOING TO BE BOLD RIGHT NOW. And some of you ARE GOING TO SCRATCH YOUR HEAD AND WONDER WHY I MAKE this statement. You've got a journal. You write it down. I would be so bold as to say right now that many of us need life's challenges in our lives to keep us praying. >> SOME OF YOU ARE PRAYING ABOUT THINGS YOU'VE PRAYED FOR FOR YEARS AND GOD HASN'T MOVED ON THEM YET AND YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW IF HE CAN. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING? YOU KEEP PRAYING. >> AND THE LORD'S SAYING VERY GRACEFULLY, IF YOU KEEP ASKING, IF YOU KEEP KNOCKING, I'M NOT DEAF EAR TO YOU. I'M NOT WALKING AWAY FROM YOU. I HAVE NOT LEFT YOU. BUT I KNOW THIS THAT WHEN THE TROUBLES RISE AND WHEN CONCERNS COME UH AND WHEN THINGS FALL APART, I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO PRAY. >> I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU'RE PRAYING, UH I'VE GOT A CONNECTION WITH YOU. UH AND I'M ABLE TO WORK IN YOUR LIFE. UH COME ON. SOME OF YOU, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS AND SICKNESS AND THINGS GOING ON, YOU WOULDN'T PRAY. You know how I KNOW THAT? CUZ I'M STANDING HERE. >> And there there's days when I'm like, Lord, what do I pray about today? H God, you've been good. You made a way. You provided. You healed. You delivered. You You did all kind of good stuff. And then I stand THERE AND I SAY, "BUT LORD, I've got family. I've got neighbors. I've got friends. I've got co-workers. I've got people that I don't even know. I got a whole city. LORD GOD, THERE ARE PEOPLE TODAY sitting on bar stools and living under bridges that need to know you. And I begin to recognize THE FACT THAT IF I WILL PRAY, THE LORD GOD WILL MOVE uh in any situation and things can change. COME ON. SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. UH you weren't worth it. YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY VALUE. YOU were nothing but MESSED UP. YOU HAD ALL KIND OF JUNK GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE. BUT YOU PRAYED. SOMEBODY PRAYED FOR YOU. UH SOMEBODY SPOKE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU COULDN'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME. SOMEBODY DECLARED THE BLOOD OF JESUS OVER YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW. THEREFORE, I DECLARE TO THIS CHURCH AT CORNERSTONE, WE WILL PRAY. WE WILL TALK TO GOD. UH WE WILL INVITE HIM INTO OUR LIVES. WE'LL GET UP WITH HIM IN THE MORNING. WE'LL LAY DOWN AT NIGHT WITH HIM. UH WE'LL TEACH IT TO OUR CHILDREN. UH WE'LL DISCUSS IT IN THE GOOD TIMES AND WE'LL PRAY IN THE BAD TIMES. WE'LL BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN AND WE'LL KNOW WITH A TESTIMONY THAT HE ALREADY HAS. WE PRAY. TELL THREE PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOU, PRAY. PRAY. TELL SOMEBODY, PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. >>

If you have ever prayed about something that was way out of your means and far past your reach, but in the midst of the mess, in the midst OF THE CHAOS, GOD MOVED IN AND your prayer was answered. I WISH YOU'D THROW YOUR HAND IN THE AIR. NOW, WHILE THAT HAND'S IN THE AIR, LIMPLY HANGING THERE, WHY DON'T YOU SHAKE IT AROUND A LITTLE BIT? >> WHY DON'T YOU SAY, "HEY, GOD. HEY, HERE, RIGHT HERE. I'M THE ONE THAT YOU BLESSED. I'M THE PRODAL THAT CAME HOME. I'M THE ONE THAT DIDN'T HAVE I'M THE ONE THAT NOW IS IN MY RIGHT MIND. I'M THE ONE THAT DIDN'T HAVE A SUIT TO PUT ON. I'M THE ONE THAT DIDN'T HAVE A CAR TO DRIVE. I'M THE ONE THAT HAD A MESSED UP HOME LIFE. I'M THE ONE THAT PUT THINGS IN MY BODY THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE. I'M THE ONE, GOD, BUT LOOK AT ME NOW. I'M ABLE TO COME TO AN ALTAR. I'M ABLE TO REACH FOR MY BROTHER AND SISTER. SOMEBODY BELIEVES IN ME. UH SOMEBODY BELIEVES THAT I CAN HELP THEM. WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING ME, "WOULD YOU PRAY FOR MY SITUATION?" >> You ever wonder, anybody ever wonder if the Lord actually hears you? That's a fair question. Have you ever gotten to a place when you want to see the outcome, but you don't know where to look for it? Have you ever questioned if God is actually listening? Now, I I think as humans that we are well capable of making a mess. Would you look at your neighbor and say, "That's you." And I know that things can happen in our lives and we dig oursel in a deeper hole. Elbow your neighbor. Say that's you, too. But here's the fact of the matter. Fun. It's It's always interesting. Now, again, as a pastor, I realize that I have a weird sense of humor and I have a weird thought p. That's just what God's given me. I don't know who to blame for it yet, but I'll figure it out one of these days. Uh the Lord begins to deal with me about a word to bring to the church family. And almost always, brother Sam, almost always that day in that service, in that time with God's people, somebody brings a point out that God gave me. >> I'm standing there today talking to my dear brother RICHARD AND HE'S, MAN, IF I DIDN'T HAVE GOD IN MY LIFE, I DON'T KNOW. I'M SITTING THERE GO, "OH LORD, he don't EVEN KNOW. HE DON'T EVEN KNOW. OH, HE DON'T EVEN KNOW, MAN. WHEN GOD begin to work in my life, I don't have a million dollars, but I'm in my right mind. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I'm in my right mind. GOD'S MADE A WAY. GOD'S PROVIDED. COME ON, BROTHER RICHARD. DON'T LEAVE ME NOW. GOD OPENED DOORS THAT I don't deserve. GOD GAVE ME A JOB THAT I don't deserve. I've got money in the bank. I don't have a LOT OF IT, BUT I PUT GOD FIRST IN MY TITHE AND OFFERING. AND NOW I CAN SEE THAT BECAUSE I'm a praying man. THAT GOD'S BLESSING MY FAMILY THAT GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN MY HOME. SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN LIED TOO LONG ENOUGH. YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE LIE OF THE ENEMY TRYING TO TELL YOU MEN THAT YOU'RE A NOBODY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER. I DECLARE THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD SAYS THAT'S NOT TRUE. IF YOU'RE A PRAYING MAN, JUMP ON YOUR FEET AND SAY, "I GO TO WAR FOR MY FAMILY. I GO TO WAR FOR THE CHURCH. I BELIEVE THAT GOD ANSWERS PRAYER. I BELIEVE THAT GOD MOVES ON MY BEHALF. I BELIEVE THAT GOD ANSWERS MY PRAYER. I BELIEVE GOD IS IN CONTROL. I'M NOT GOING TO STOP PRAYING, BUT I'M GOING TO PRAY THE MORE. WHY? BECAUSE I WILL PRAY AND GOD WILL HEAR ME. Y'ALL, y'all don't mess one. You clock watchers, we're on time.

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:17. Y'ALL READY? This is the hardest verse you'll ever read in your life. Pray >> without >> Caesar. No, >> ceasing. >> PRAY without ceasing. Three words might as well be 3,000 sometimes because we can be so challenged sometimes to pray and use our faith. We can be so challenged sometimes to wonder if God is listening. >> Now, I'm just going to say it, okay? We we we've just come through a week this past week where every single one of us were reminded of some events that happened 25 years. It's just hard to believe. 25 years ago. Is there anybody that was around during 911 2001? Some of y'all youngans don't even know. I just so happened to be, we were in Uruguay at the time. My wife and my daughter were actually here in the States in the air flying on 911. I found out about it going to the cash a check at the exchange house. It's a shame what happened in New York. I said, "Yeah, what happened?" He turned on his TV behind him and I watched the second plane hit, Brother Rob. And I said, "Oh my." He said, "Yeah, here's your money." And I'm like all of y'all who were around at that time, mesmerized by the the sheer audacity. So my first line of defense, I'm worried about my wife and my daughter. Lord, they're in the air right now. So, I jump in my truck with my money. I drive home as quick as I can. I I don't have the computer's not working. The internet's down. You know, remember all that stuff that was shut down? Yeah. >> I I don't have TV. I have a monitor that my children used for homeschool. So, I drag it out of the closet, Brother Jeff. And I set it up on my kitchen table and I took some rabbit ears made out of a coat hanger, attached it to the top where the little port is because it had been broken off. Huh? Y'all ready for it? And then I put a potato on the end of it. That's what my grandpa used to do. I don't know if that mattered or not, but it was just big old heavy thing. And I started moving them around. And this black and white gray fuzzy image came on from world news and it was showing it in the thousands when I saw people falling out of that building. Anybody? Now I'm trying to get my wife. She aunt no I mean there's no communicate. It was like two days before I finally got a call from my mother said I just want you to know Michelle's okay. She flew and they landed them in Memphis. She had to wait. Brother Trice went and got them and took them on their journey because you couldn't get in the air at the time. 911. I I got I I I'm not I'm not trying to wax ignorant or dumb at this point. I just there's a video that I want to show the media room. They've got it t I want I want y'all to I want y'all to watch this and then I'm going to explain something to you. Sis, if you've got that, will you hit play all to know that America today, >> America today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here. for the families to mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York City and New Jersey and Connecticut >> as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens. >> I can hear you. >> I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. >> Thank you, media suite. Anybody remember this moment? The guy in the back of the crowd simply yells, "Brother Rob, we can't hear you." He said, "But I can hear you." I watched this the other day, Sister Pam, and I thought, man, this is a reminder of how God moves. And then in my mind, I began to say, Lord, is there ever a time when I'm looking AT YOU SAY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU, GOD. I CAN'T HEAR YOU, GOD. AND THE LORD GOD RISES TO THE MOMENT AND SAY, BUT I HEAR YOU. AND I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. I KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE. I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. I'VE NOT LEFT YOU. I'VE NOT WALKED AWAY FROM YOU. I'M NOT IGNORING YOU. IT MIGHT BE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU WONDER WHERE I AM, BUT ASSUREDLY STAND THERE AND KNOW I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. AND I HEAR YOUR PRAYER. I HEAR YOU WHEN YOU CRY. I HEAR YOU WHEN YOU WHAIL. I HEAR YOU WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING. I HEAR YOU WHEN YOU'RE TRYING. GOD'S LETTING US KNOW IN THIS HOUR THAT HE HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. >>

Mark 11:22 Jesus answering saith unto them, "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, be thou cast into the sea, and it shall and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore 24 says, I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you re receive them. and I'll think about it. I'll consider it. You pray and you shall have them. When you stand praying, forgive. If you have ought against any, THAT YOUR FATHER ALSO WHICH IS IN HEAVEN MAY FORGIVE you of your trespass. But if you DO NOT FORGIVE, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN FORGIVE your trespasses. I rise to this desk again today to simply declare to you that if you pray and believe it will be done. But the question here in the point that Jesus makes in the book of Mark is simply this. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE to forgive >> I CAN'T HEAR YOU. >> I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. I'VE WATCHED YOU AND PUT YOU PUT YOU IN THAT PLACE. BUT THERE'S UNFORGIVENESS IN YOUR HEART. THEREFORE, AS YOU'RE ASKING, AS YOU'RE PLEADING, AS YOU'RE CRYING, AS YOU'RE WEEPING, AND AS YOU'RE WONDERING, HOLDING THIS UNFORGIVENESS IN YOUR HEART, THE LORD GOD SAY, "I CANNOT UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO RECEIVE WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU." LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY. WE ARE ALL HUMANS. IF YOU'RE NOT HUMAN, SAY, "AMEN." WE UNDERSTAND THEN THAT THE WAY THAT GOD WORKS IS SIMPLY THIS. IF YOU WERE MESSED UP, HAD UNFORGIVENESS IN YOUR HEART, HAD ALL THE JUNK GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE, AND GOD WERE TO SHOW UP AND MOVE IN YOUR LIFE, GUESS WHAT WOULD BE YOUR EXCUSE NOW? GOD bless me. Although I'm hateful, >> I'm mean and I know it and I put my hand on my hip to show it. And the Lord said, "No, no, no, no, no. I'm looking for somebody." And listen, I'm looking for true worshippers that'll worship me in spirit and truth. And the truth of the matter is this is my name is more powerful than any word ever come out of your mouth. But if you can't believe and if you can't forgive and YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF YOUR PRAYER, THEN THERE'S SOMETHING in your life that is GOING TO HOLD YOU BACK FROM ME BEING FAITHFUL TO YOU. I'VE COME TO DECLARE TO SOMEBODY ON THIS SUNDAY WHEN YOU PRAY. UH WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED CAC we are filled with prayer warriors, people that BELIEVE IN PRAYER. BUT I'VE COME TO TELL SOMEBODY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN YOUR HEART, IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE UH THAT YOU WON'T LET GO OF AND LET GOD HAVE, THEN YOU HAVE NEGATED THE POWER AND THE VALUE OF AN ALTAR. >> BUT ANYTHING YOU HAVE UH THAT WOULD KEEP YOU FROM THE BLESSING OF GOD, UH I SUBMIT TO YOU TODAY UH IT'S WORTH DRAGGING THAT THING, KICKING AND SCREAMING, SQUANDERING AND FLOPPING AND MOVING. YOU'RE GOING TO THE ALTAR TODAY. UH, I'M NOT ABOUT TO DRAG THIS AROUND ANYMORE. THIS UNFORGIVENESS IS GOING TO KILL ME. UH, THIS LIFE IS GOING TO KILL. BUT NO, YOU'RE GOING TO GO DOWN RIGHT NOW. NOW, LORD JESUS, I BRING IT ONCE AGAIN TO AN ALTAR. I PUT MY HAND ON ITS HEAD. I PULL THE BLOOD OUT OF IT. I PUT IT THERE, LORD, AND I STAND WITH HANDS CLEAN BEFORE YOU. NOW, I BELIEVE, LORD, THAT YOU ARE A PRAYER ANSWERING GOD. BUT FIRST, I HAD TO GET MYSELF INTO POSITION >> TO PRAY. >> HALLELUJAH. >> NOW, NOW, now listen, church, you need to know something. It's 111 for us clock watchers. I I believe I believe that things in our lives come situations unfold and I dare say that a lot of the times we don't really know why. Now, now there's some things that's very very clear. I I can't believe I ran out of gas today. Yeah, I can because you didn't look at the gauge. Who you going to blame? >> Who, George, did you say? No. >> Or or something goes on at work and you can't believe that they said something about you and it makes you angry and mad and all the while you can't even defend yourself because the attitude was true. Come on. >> I think what I'm trying to say today is simply this, that the question about being able to pray is not the point. But the question about how we pray and how God moves is the point. And when you pray, you can ask and he will. But if you can't forgive before you pray, there's a wall there because you put it there. Here's the fact today. Prayer works. >> Some of you are sitting here today because your grandmother prayed for you. >> Some of you are here today because your parents went to the gates of hell, stormed through there, went into the fire, snatched you up by the nap of your neck, and dragged you out of hell and brought you to the house of the Lord, kicking and screaming. But once you got here, you figured out that the hand of the Lord was powerful and more stronger than you, and you yielded to it. >> Some of you today wish beyond all things that the power and the spirit of God would work in your life, but the fact is is you won't forgive things that you've gone through and the Lord is simply saying, do you think for listen to me, do you think for one moment that you were in that situation and I wasn't there? You know how many times as a pastor that I've had to look people in the eye and say, "Are you kidding me? Do you think that highly of yourself that you're the only one that's ever been through this?" >> Crying out loud. There's been thousand generations before you. You think you're the only one that struggled on a job or struggled with a habit or struggled with a hangup and now all of a sudden you're like, "God ain't never hit this one before." And God saying, You know, there's something about grace, brother Jeff, in the Bible. There's a lot of things in there about mercy, a lot of things. Come on. Ain't no none of us would have picked David. >> You tell me the life of David. Oh, come on. >> David was a man that sang songs and did them really good. Yeah, he did. Cuz he was a harp player. Anybody Anybody here know how to play harp? Me neither. So, I guess we're all lost. No, listen. That's not the point. The point is this. David was considered and even told he is looking for a heart. He was after God's own heart. We got any tweeters in here today? Because David knew his own heart. I got to have a change heart. >> I need that heart. >> A man after God's heart. He wasn't doing that for foolish gain. He wasn't doing that to get anything. He was simply saying, "I'm so messed up. I got to have a better heart. God, your heart's the one I want." We understand that. And I'm only using him as one example. Man, I could go through so many other things. Abram, Cain, Abel. I blame mom and dad for that. But mom and dad were the ones standing there by the tree saying, "I don't know." What do you say? I don't know. Okay. And here we are, 2026. Should we think any more of ourselves? I will say this. 116. Brother Herb, would you come give him some false hope, man? That God is blessing. God has been good to see AC yesterday. Yesterday, Brother Vandy, I drove over to Igo Gap. I do that once in a while because traffic's terrible on gun barrel. So, y'all thought it's because I was spiritual. What? No. I'm just trying to get off road. So I go by I go Gap and first thing that always hits my mind when I drive by I go Gap is I wonder if that Bible is still out there. I never found the red Bible that Sister Mandy that we planted underneath the P. I never found it though it I do hope and pray it ended up in a dump somewhere and the garbage man is with no teeth in his head is walking out there saying here's a Bible. I don't know. That's my mind. And then then then I went by there and then I made a ride on the gray. I go up there and there's all these mountains of dirt and stuff and that that could have been that could have been. And then in my mind, I cannot help but remember the seven or eight of us that met in the house church, y'all called it, when we first came and how the glory of the Lord would descend into that place. And your sister Austin would stand and worship the Lord with hands lifted up. I tried my best to remember the old lady that used to come every once in a while. What was her name? Who? Georgia. that. But you're right. I should have asked you earlier. She was like 703 or something like that. And she'd walk into church, got her little gloves on. Anybody remember the day of the gloves? Now you he walk in here with baseball. It's not the same. Um Georgia coming to church all frail. Brother Austin without fail. Sister George standing testify. You could hear She'd stand up and dust would go. That's what was in my mind. Y'all are laughing because you can see the image. And she'd say, she'd say, "The Lord's been so good to me." Brother Sam, that little old lady standing there priming proper. Brother Austin standing at the I can still see this. Yes, he has, sis. But you know what, brother Austin? I've got a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. You're right, sis. He brought me out of darkness. He gave me hope. And then she'd make a move to the left a little bit out from behind the chair. Woo. I'd look over at Stephen and go like this cuz Stephen knew what was about to happen. She wouldn't turn loose chest of the chair. She'd move a little closer, holding on to the chair. And she said, "Let me tell y'all what the Lord's done in my life. I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in. I prayed and the Lord answered and he moved in my life." And I watched her holding on to that chair at that old age. And I'd watch my dear pastor up there in the front worshiping the Lord. And I'd stand at the side and watch Stephen gone with his mouth open watching this lady as the spirit of the Lord begin to work. And I was reminded of my childhood watching those old-timers that would stand to their feet. And they would look the devil in the eye. And the devil knew them by name, knew their address, knew where they were from, and was scared to death of them. I remember vividly watching my pastor look the devil in the eye, saying, "You're not about to do that in this church. You better get up and move right now." And then I watched the hand of the Lord work. Uh I was raised in the church pews watching demons cast out of PEOPLE AS THEY SLITHER ON THE GROUND LIKE A SNAKE AND VOMIT THINGS OUT ON THE CARPET. I WAS RAISED IN THAT ATMOSPHERE. YOU COME TOO LATE TO TELL ME THAT GOD DOESN'T ANSWER PRAYER. I'VE WATCHED DEVILS RUN. I'VE WATCHED THEM THROW PEOPLE TO THE GROUND AND THEN I'VE GENTLY WATCHED THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD COME IN AND put them IN THEIR RIGHT MIND AND STAND THEM UP. I'VE SEEN CANCERS DISAPPEAR. I'VE SEEN THINGS HAPPEN IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. YOU'VE COME TOO LATE TO TELL ME. UH I'VE SEEN EYEBALLS GROW IN SOMEBODY'S FACE UH ON THE MISSION FIELD. YOU'VE COME TOO LATE TO TELL ME. UH I'M STANDING HERE SIMPLY TO DECLARE TO YOU UH IF YOU WILL PRAY UH IF YOU WILL FORGIVE UH IF YOU WILL ALLOW GOD TO MOVE UH THEN YOU CAN STAND TOO UH IN YOUR RIPE OLD AGE AND SAY UH LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE. UH LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE. UH LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE. UH LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE. UH LOOK WHAT GOD DID IN ME. UH LOOK WHO I AM TODAY. UH BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS. UH LOOK WHAT HE'S DONE IN MY LIFE. UH LOOK HOW I'M STANDING IN MY RIGHT MIND. UH I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT. UH BUT WHAT I HAVE CAME FROM THE HAND OF THE LORD GOD. IF YOU WILL PRAY, IF YOU WILL PRAY, GOD WILL MOVE.

Stand with me. You already are. Stay there. In your mind and in your heart, we gather in this room week after week and we pray and we sing and we talk about the things of God. This is a praying church, y'all. >> I said this is a praying church, y'all. >> Wharton and Chessy over there, they don't even know what to do with themselves. They may not have enough prayers to go in the jails, but this church is praying. >> See how that works? >> Amen. >> You understand that? >> Yes. When we pray for you and you go to work, when we pray and believe and God just shows up, do you think that I'm surprised? I I know I say this often, but you think I'm surprised when you say, "Hey, pastor, God provided this." I'm like, "Well, what did you think would happen? >> What was you expecting?" >> Yeah. you. What did you think would transpire? Were you convinced that God was ignoring you? Did the enemy lied to you so much to say you're always going to walk around in this mess? Or when you prayed, did you actually believe? I need help in my mind today, Lord. Thank you. I need help my family situation today, Lord. Thank you. Come on. He's not a magician. >> He's God. >> That's right. And he says to the church, "If my people, >> we just got close to him, >> which are called by >> my name. Now we're next to him with his name >> will humble themselves turn from their wicked and seek his face pray ask then he will what? >> He will Man that don't make sense at all. I thought he was in heaven. I don't want to mess with nobody's theology, nor your theology, if that's a word. But I'm convinced that what the writer back in Chronicles was declaring was simply this. If you'll pray, if you'll seek his face, if you'll turn from your wicked ways, if you'll drop all the junk, if you will, going through and you'll just call on his name and seek after him, you know what? Then he will hear from heaven. In other words, heaven's standing there taking note. >> They're praying. Okay, they're believing. All right, we got it noted. Okay, are they ready? >> No. There's still some hatefulness. There's still some unforgiveness. Let me know. Amen. >> I wonder sometimes if Bubba's up there and got our book out >> now, man. They were almost there. They don't even know the revival's coming. >> Their phones are starting to ring. And some of the weirdest phone calls. >> I told y'all earlier about the one I got yesterday. The weirdest stuff, man. if they could just simply believe and actually trust what I've told them. There's been so many prophetic words spoken over this church. What are we waiting for? Come on. Are we waiting on the band to strike it up and we're waiting on everybody to get in place and the baton twirlers to have all their practice down or we just simply going to say, "You know what, Lord? They can have all that. I'm just coming to you. I'm just praying. I'm just coming to you. I I don't know how this going to turn out, God. I don't know how this is going to unfold. But one thing I do know this is that if I pray, you will listen. And if you listen, God, you're on my side. And if you're on my side, anything is possible.

This altar is called the carpet up here. I call it that because it's carpet. If you want to pray, I want to invite you. I want to invite you to come on pray right now. It's 126. If you're in if you're on a time clock and you got to go, I understand. But it's 126 on a Sunday afternoon. I'm wondering if there's somebody that would say, "Lord, I I believe in prayer." Oh, come on. I wonder if there's somebody today that will say, "Lord, I I believe in prayer and I believe, Lord, with lifted hands that I can talk to you." Come on. I I believe, Lord, that that that this is your church. And I believe THAT WE ARE YOUR SHEEP. And I believe, Lord, that that we are looking for a place whose builder and maker is, not man, BUT YOU. I I BELIEVE GOD THAT IF WE CONTINUE to pray and if we will forgive those things going on around us. OH COME ON SOMEBODY. I believe Lord that you will move. I believe Jesus that you are the answer. Oh come on somebody. Anybody believe in prayer? Pray.