Prayer as a Way of Walking in Love - a Personal Journey — Francis Chan

Okay, it's my job now to really make you be quiet and to gather your attention because in 60 seconds Francis Chan is going to be out here, and it would be good for you to be ready to listen to him. Francis Chan was the founding pastor, is the founding pastor, is the founding founder of Cornerstone Church.

For 16 years he was there and founded Eternity Bible College. He stepped back from that ministry last April and is moving into partly an unknown and partly a known dream of ministering and discipleship and mentoring in an urban center.

Maybe he'll tell you more. Traveled with his family overseas to be exposed to God's work in the lives of people in other places. He's now in San Francisco, and most of you perhaps know him in large measure because of the book Crazy Love, which has been, of course, crazy successful and which probably has made him crazy frightened because success of that nature is a dangerous thing.

He's married to Lisa and has four children, and you can pray about an adoption that's in the offing. I'm sure he would appreciate, and the reason he's here is because, at least from my side, it's because last fall at our Desiring God National Conference in his talk, which may be one of the most listened to, watched talks Desiring God has ever put up.

He alluded to and gave some expression of his own personal prayer, walk, meaning walking daily in a helpless cry to God. And just gave an experience or two, and I wrote him and I said, you just want to flesh that out for us?

Want to finish that talk? And so whatever he wants to do with that will be okay with me as long as God is in it, and I'm sure he will be. So welcome, Francis Chan, to speak to us. Thank you, John. Thank you.

Have a good talk.

Prayer as a Way of Walking in Love

Thank you. Pastor John gave me the topic of prayer as a way of walking in love, a personal journey, and I love that topic. Prayer as a way of walking in love. I love it because prayer rivals, I want to be careful how I say this, in my life, prayer has even rivaled the scriptures in stirring my affections toward God, the way God answers my prayers.

You know, as a kid, I sang that song, Jesus loves me, this I know, because the Bible tells me so, and still, absolutely, does that happen? Yeah, there are days I'll read something, and I'll just go, God, I can't believe that.

You like me that much, you love me that much, are you kidding me? And I'll get that, and I know Jesus loves me because the Bible tells me so. But I gotta say, at this point in my life, I could also sing Jesus loves me because the way he answers my prayers, it shows me so.

I've seen it, there's so many times when I'll just break down and cry, I mean, just five minutes ago, I'm just back there as I'm getting ready to talk to you guys, I'm going, God, is there any way I can communicate what we've had for these 40 years that I've been alive?

I feel like ever since I was a kid, the way you listen to me, the way you hear me, it's unreal, I love you so much, and I just want these guys, I want anyone who doesn't experience that or know that, I want them to have that, but how can I share this personal journey, how can I share everything that God and I have been through together for all of these years?

I mean, there are times I really question and I look, I go, God, do you love everyone this much? I mean, the way you answer my prayers, this is unbelievable, I love you, I love you, I love you, I don't know what more you could do to show me your love, I see it in the scriptures, but I've also seen it in the way you answer my prayers.

I mean, silly things, little things, the tiny things, you know, times when my wife and I will just look at each other and we'll just start crying because we're going, God, how can you care about even that?

I understand the big things, I understand the spiritual things, but sometimes it's even little silly things, I remember one time just driving and just talking to the Lord, you know, just suddenly in my mind I'm going, God, I'm struggling with something right now, I go, there's no answer to it, I'm just telling you my struggle, I said every time we have money in the bank I want to just give it to someone who's in greater need than we are and I go, I'm struggling because I kind of want to take my family on vacation, but every time I think about that I think, I can't spend it on a vacation, you know, there are people who are in need, I give it to them and I go, God, I'm not complaining, I'm not even asking for anything, you're just telling me to tell you my desires, that's just what I'm feeling right now.

A few days later my wife calls me, you know, I'm in the office and she just says, hey, honey, we got this weird check in the mail and I go, really, why? She goes, it's a cashier's check, a cashier's check has been sent to us and for $2 ,000.

I'm like, really? Yeah, that's a lot of money, $2 ,000, you don't know who it came from? I go, there's no letter with it, there's no explanation? She goes, yeah, there's a sticky note and it's taped to it and it just says, Francis, spend this on your family.

And I go, honey, you know, I'm in my office, just beside myself, I go, honey, you don't even know what I prayed a few days ago. I go, honey, I just prayed, I go, God, there's no answer to this one, because there was no physical answer, like, no, no, if you give me money I'm going to spend it on someone else, but no, God said, no, I'm going to give you a check and you'll feel guilty if you don't spend it on your family, because that's what this note will say.

And I just go, honey, why does he even care about that? Just the little things, the silly things. I shared at the Desiring God conference about the time I was just bothered because I was playing golf with my friends and they were out driving me because they all got new drivers, those big ones.

And I hated that. I had this little tiny thing and even my friends that were terrible were out driving me, and I thought, I'm going to buy a driver, I'm going to, I've got to buy one, I've got to save up money, or I've got to ask for it for Christmas, I can't do that.

No, Lord, you know, that's a waste. Not that if you did that, that was wrong of you, but, you know, I was just like, Lord, I don't feel good about that, you know, oh man, but, oh well. The next morning I'm speaking at a church, this little church plant, and they said, you know, we heard that, you know, a lot of times you won't take an honorarium, you know, if it's a little church.

I mean, I'll take one from this, but, you know, and, but, so he said, so this is what the guy says. He goes, so we didn't get you an honorarium, we bought you this driver. The very next morning, I mean, I'm driving home, I still remember that, that ride home, just laughing, like, God, this is, this is silliness, this is ridiculous.

You don't get a driver for an honorarium the day after, the day after you just struggled with all of these thoughts. I mean, it's just, everything in our lives, just, just this crazy, supernatural, I don't know, I mean, my life just does not make any, any sense.

And even a few years ago, my wife looked at me, she goes, honey, you know, I love my life. She goes, I love being married to you, I love the simplicity of our lives. She goes, I'm happy living off of whatever God gives me, gives us, you know, I'm happy to live humbly, I'm happy to have nothing.

She goes, the one thing I always wish, though, she goes, I always wish we were generous. I always wish we could be generous. Ever since I was a kid, I thought, gosh, I would love to be the person that could just write checks, you know, like, oh, you're in need, here, let me write you something.

I go, well, that's, that's awesome, honey, but that'll never be us, you know, but that's a, that's a great desire, you know, but that's, that's gonna be for other people. I mean, I'm a pastor, you know, and this is the way we're gonna live, and that's just awesome that you think that way.

Answered Prayer and the Listening God

And then even a couple years ago, I prayed, and I was praying for the wealthy. And I said, Lord, you know, I got a lot of wealthy people in the church, I have wealthy friends, and God, I pray that somehow, like, I see them give, but I think, man, they got a lot, and, and, you know, they're 10%, I don't know, just in my mind, I go, God, could you just raise up some new wealthy people, you know, people that really don't care about their stuff, you know, I mean, it's like, it's one thing to have a little and say, I'll give it all to the Lord, but God, raise up people who have a lot and go, I really don't care, I just love Jesus.

And so the stuff here, just have it all. And God, I said, God, and if you're not gonna do that, make me rich. Make me rich, seriously, you know, make my friends rich that don't care about stuff. Having no clue what God was gonna do, as Master John said, yeah, crazy love has been crazy successful, and I had no idea, no desire to make money off of it.

And so even said, you know what, I don't even wanna touch the money, if it comes in, it goes straight into a charitable gift fund, and I don't want that temptation in my life, and so if it comes in, then I can write checks to charities, but I can't touch it myself, and man, just last year, we made about $2 million off the thing.

And I'm just looking at my wife going, are you kidding me? This is what you always wanted to do, wasn't it? Just to be able to write checks, and oh, you're in need here, this ministry's in need here. I go, God, this is ridiculous, my life is ridiculous.

The way you answer these prayers, God, my life makes no sense, I'm coming on the stage, and I'm just thinking through my childhood, I'm thinking about everything in my life, I go, none of this makes sense, why am I walking on this stage, why are people listening to me, why are you just showering me with all of this stuff, and all of these opportunities, and just your presence, the way you answer my prayers, and so prayer is a way of walking in love.

Man, I love God so much more because of these prayers, answered prayers, some prayers he didn't answer, like Joel said last night, how God will give us exactly what we pray for, exactly what we should have prayed for, at the times when we pray the wrong thing.

In fact, my wife, we recently moved to San Francisco, and so we pack everything up, and we're cleaning up these boxes, and she finds this old journal of mine from when I was in high school, and she's bursting in laughter in the other room, it was a prayer journal, my youth pastor taught me, you know, just write down your prayers on one side, and then write down when he answers them, and then you have something to look back on, and go, no way, because you'll forget, you just forget, you know, I'm just throwing out a few things I remember, but you just do forget, but my wife was just laughing hysterically, she even calls my oldest daughter, come in here, look at what dad prayed when he was your age, and I am kind of embarrassed to even share what some of that was, but we do, we thank God, right, we thank God he didn't answer some of those prayers, or a lot of us would have married Farrah Fawcett, we just, it's that growing, though, as a child, like, oh, okay, that's not really what you asked for, you know, different things, but isn't, when you look at scripture, isn't prayer the thing that differentiates us from the rest of the world, right, our God listens to us, right, wasn't that the story of Elijah, where he could just mock the prophets of Baal, go ahead, cut yourselves, scream out, no one's listening, no one answers, now watch what happens when I pray, let me show you what happens when I pray, it's always so, look, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, he's the one that listens, he's the living God, he's not a block of wood that you made up that's not gonna answer you, my God answers me, he listens to me, I was telling you about that prayer journal, but actually my very first prayer, you know, was for this, you know, I told the Lord I was gonna start going to church early, I was like 15 years old, I go, there's a park across the street, and I just wanna tell these people about Jesus, and so, you know, let me share with some people, you know, as I go out there and play basketball, and just hang out with them, and you know, and then I wrote down, I met this guy named Squeaky, you know, that's the name he went by, you know, I'm praying for Squeaky, you know, save him, Lord, save him, Lord, use me, you know, and then I look on the answered prayer, and on the answered prayer, it talks about how, yeah, weird thing, I was walking up to the youth group today, and I heard a bunch of screaming and swearing downstairs, so I look over the edge, and there's Squeaky, and he's surrounded by these guys, and they're about to get into this, you know, big old gang fight thing, and I go running down the stairs, and I just, you know, just this kid going, Squeaky, what are you doing, man?

He goes, man, this guy said this about my brother, I'm gonna tear him up, you know, and all these people around, I'm like, just, just, let's just leave all of this, forget all this, come upstairs with me, we're having a Bible study, we're having a youth group, you know, let's go, and he literally does, he walks up the steps with me, goes to this Bible study, youth pastor speaking, gives his life to the Lord, and I just write that down on my prayer list, you know, and just, just, just thinking through the prayers as I prayed for people in ministry, I remember one time just praying for this gal, because I was leading a college ministry, and we had this gathering on a Friday night, and there was this one gal that wasn't there, and I just thought, oh, man, I think she's drifting away from you, God, and I just remember leaving the gathering and just walking around the block to pray for her, I go, God, you know, I, I just lift her up to you, I lift up Jen to you right now, would you, would you just get her attention somehow right now, right now, God, right now get her attention, because I want her to love you, I get a phone call the next morning, Jen's in the hospital, she goes, Francis, you'll never guess what happened, she goes, I've been praying all night, she goes, I was driving, I was driving last night, you know, and, and suddenly my gas pedal got stuck, I don't know why, it just, the accelerator got stuck, and I ended up running into a house, into the living room of a house, and, and I, and I, I lived, but all night I kept thinking, I kept thinking, God, man, I heard these messages, and I, I just don't know if I had died, I don't know if I would have gone to heaven, I don't know if you really, I've never really followed you as the Lord of my life, she goes, I was so scared, I've just been praying all night, all night, all night, I don't even know what happened, how could my gas pedal get stuck, I go, Jen, um, man, I prayed for you last night right then, and she goes, she goes, well, it works, she goes, all I've been doing is praying all night long here in the hospital bed, I go, man, that's awesome, then her mom called me and yelled at me, she did, she got so mad, how do you pray that, and I was just learning my theology, I go, I don't think he would do it unless it was right, I mean, you know, I mean, he's sovereign, he's in control, but it was, it was that same thing you were talking about last night, it's almost like, wow, this, this is, this is, this is a serious power we have here, a serious, serious power here, I mean, times I, I remember being in Colorado, and I had to rent a car, I was at a, you know, at a friend's house, and so I'm looking through the phone book, and, and there, I don't know if it was Enterprise or someone, that they send a guy out, and, and I said, oh, great, could you send him over to my house, I put the phone down, I said, Lord, I just got on my knees, I go, I don't know who this guy is, coming to pick me up to take me to the car lot, would you just amaze him with your grace, would you just show him your power, would you just give me an opportunity to tell him how great you are, comes, picks me up at this house, I, no exaggeration, I would say within one minute, this man was bawling his eyes out, just weeping, just looked at him and said, how are you doing, he just started crying and telling about his life falling apart, and I go, let's sit down, let's forget about the car, and I'm going to coffee the next day, hanging out with him, talking about a relationship with God, took him to a church service the very next day, just some local church that I found out there, I said, God, see, this is, this is the stuff that's got to happen, I remember cleaning out my garage one day and going, Lord, this is not eternal, there's nothing eternal about cleaning my garage, I hate that, I'm going to be spending like two hours doing something that has no eternal value, but I feel like I've got to do it, otherwise I'm a bad testimony or something, you know, I just got to, just, just, but I want to do something eternal, I don't want to just sweep and clean and move boxes, and as I'm doing it, my neighbor across the street comes over with tears in his eyes, just going, a guy that I've been wanting to talk to for so long, and he just says, will you pray for me?

I'm going, God, this is, this is ridiculous, it's ridiculous, just, this is the ministry opportunities, everything I, I ask for, just, just, can I, can I be a part of something that you're doing? Maybe the craziest one, there's all so many, but there's this one time, you ever, you ever dream about someone, and you have a bad dream, like you got in a fight with them, or, and then you see them in the morning, and you're like angry with them, and you're not even sure why, and then it occurs to you, see, it happened to me at my church one time with, with one of my staff, I, I, I saw him one morning walk by the office, and I just had these negative feelings toward him, and I was like, Lord, what was that?

Why am I bothered? What, what, what happened yesterday? What did we do? Then I realized, oh, it was just a dream, and, and so I go over to him, you know, I go, wow, weirdest thing just happened, you know, when you walk by my office, I was like totally angry at you, and I'm thinking, God, why, why am I angry at him?

And I go, I realize, I go, I had a dream about you last night, I dreamt that you were a homosexual, and that you were arguing for it, and you were fighting against me, and you're trying to persuade people to go that direction, I mean, that's the stupidest thing, and so when I saw your face, I was just mad, that was so weird, and he just kind of, and he just walks away.

He comes back the next week, and he goes, you remember that dream you had? That was from God. I said, what do you mean? I said, no. He goes, Francis, you scared me so bad when you, when you said those words to me.

I knew at that moment, okay, God, you're trying to say something to me. He says, you had no, I had no clue whatsoever, it would be like me coming up to any one of you, I mean, it was the farthest thing from truth, that's why I could joke about it, and, and bring it before you, and he goes, that is the struggle of my life, and I feel like I'm gonna head the other direction, and I was just about to enter into this, he goes, that was a prophecy, and I remember just walking, you know, just, just, just stunned by what he said in the office, and going home, and just looking at my wife, going, honey, you'll never believe what just happened.

You know those moments where you just go, God, I thought, I know, I know you're a powerful God, but every time I experience that answered prayer, it just makes me in awe of you again. I just go, God, what is, why do I do anything other than pray?

You know, I just, just in awe, going, God, what are you doing, these, these supernatural things, and then I, then after a while, I'm like, you know, because my wife is stunned, I'm stunned, and then I go, gosh, what, what is that verse, it says the old men will dream dreams, the young men will have visions, I go, wait, which one is it, does the old men have visions, and, wait, is it, was that a dream or a vision then?

You know, we got all off track, but, but it's, it's still, it's just this, see, when I, when I share with someone, every time I share with someone, and, and, you know, a stranger on the plane, or whatever, I just, I say to God, I go, God, the only thing that's going to differentiate me from the Jehovah's Witness, or the Mormon, or the Unitarian, or the, you know, the, the Muslim, or whoever it is, it's, it's, it's this time right now, man, I, I gotta pray, you gotta do something, otherwise, I'm gonna sound like just some other, some religious freak, some, some fanatic, some cult leader, like you've gotta make it known to them, that, that, that, that my God is you, are the real God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, Paul, Jesus, that Jesus is Lord, somehow you've gotta do that in their lives, and so I depend on this, for every time I talk, I go, God, you gotta speak to them, or they're gonna walk away and go, ah, sounds like that guy, or that guy, or that guy, no, God, when I speak, there better be a power, it's not my job to convince them, it's, it's not, I, I can't change their heart, it's, it's like going to a, going to a, a cemetery and say, come on, get up, get up, get up, it's just, it's just pointless, no speech is gonna do that, God, you have to do something, you gotta show them your power, you know, as I, as I present the gospel to them, there needs to be a power in that, where they hear that message and go, wow, that's like nothing I've ever heard, I mean, think about this, when unbelievers come to your service, picture someone, try to put yourself in the, in this, in the shoes of a, of an unbeliever, who's, who's maybe seeking or something, and he comes to one of your services, what, what, what's he looking for?

What do you think he wants to see up there on the stage? Does he wanna see a, a, a, you know, a polished speech, maybe, you know, that's helpful, you know, a, a, a brainiac that just can, can just, you know, show him that you're more intelligent than him, you know, a comedian to show him, man, look, look, I got a great personality, I mean, what, what does that person want to see?

Don't, don't, don't they wanna walk in and, and hear a guy and go, man, that, that, that, that person's connected to God, he has something I don't have, it's, it's like God listens to him, God doesn't listen to me like that, there's something about that guy, I can't explain it, but he had a connection with God, and I want that, he, he knows this God that I don't know, I know there's something there, but man, when I heard that guy speak, I was convinced, he knows this God, and I want that, I mean, isn't that what they're after?

And, and when they hear you teaching up there, is that what they see? Is there this jealousness of, oh, man, see, that guy, I want what he has. I've been attending different services on Sunday mornings, and I, I, or just throughout the week, just going to different churches, different services, and, and sometimes I sit there and just try to imagine myself as an unbeliever, and I try to think, okay, if I was searching for God, would I find him here?

You know, what would be my impression here? When I, when I look up there, I go, oh, my gosh, that guy, that guy knows him, I, I got to get with him, ooh, these people here in this room, they know this God, they have something that I don't have.

And I understand the gospel is powerful, and God could use an unbeliever to preach the gospel, because there's power in the gospel itself, I understand that, and I understand God is a sovereign God, and he is going to draw people to himself.

But I also see in scripture, we have a responsibility, and it's not even necessarily just a responsibility, isn't it a desire? I mean, don't you want to be that guy? Right? Don't you want to be that guy that people go, wow, you've got a connection with him.

You, your God listens to you. He doesn't listen to me like that. Do you still believe? That was the final point of Joel's message last night. You know, still believing that God answers prayer, and I love the childlike faith that Paul was talking about.

Is that still you? I mean, how many of you guys grew up in church, grew up going to Sunday school, church? Wow, wow. Okay, when you were a kid in Sunday school, what was your favorite story? Jonah. Okay, that's because it was every other week, but what, what else?

What, what other, you got to get to cut out the whale, and what, what, what else? What were some of the, try to think back, David and Goliath, right? What, what else? Mount Carmel, Elijah, I know, I love that one.

What else? Daniel and the lion's den. Yeah, you can still see the pictures on the felt. What, what else? What else? Jericho. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, marching around, blowing the trumpets. What, what else?

The exodus. Fiery furnace. David's mighty man, yeah, just killing everyone. Okay, but think about this. Don't you remember, man, as kids, remember when you would walk out of Sunday school, it's like, my God could do anything, and we're just so amazed by the power, we see it in our kids now, right?

When they walk out of church, it's going, yeah, my God can do anything, and you just love hearing that, and somehow it changes. Somehow, I don't know, there's this weirdness that sometimes I've felt awkward preaching some of those Old Testament passages and stories as though it was too childish.

Like, well, that's what we did when we were kids, you know, and we used to walk around as kids amazed by these stories, amazed by the miracles of this almighty God. But then as we get older, we're no longer amazed by those stories.

We're amazed when someone up front, you know, says, hapax legomena. Like, whoa, did you hear that? You know, did you hear it, the way he parts, you know, and it's just like, it changes, and we're amazed by intellect, we're amazed by a communication style, we're amazed by these different things, and it's like, what happened to those days when we were just stunned by God himself?

Like, man, God, maybe we need to start preaching David and Goliath more often. Maybe we do have to preach Jonah every other week. Maybe we got to get back to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and just look at our people and go, man, our God is a mighty God.

It's always been about this. It's always about him answering our prayers and how that's real today, and to give everyday illustrations, going, man, that's still my God. That's still my God. My God can do anything.

Childlike Faith and Confidence in Prayer

That childlike faith to believe like children. Do you still believe? I mean, we know, right? James 1 says you doubt. That's why you don't receive it. You're not going to receive anything. You're a double-minded man, unstable in all that you do.

If we lost the faith in our God that can do anything, you know, James 5 was mentioned last night, too. That's my favorite verse, is James 5 .17. I never really even knew, never even understood it, but it was my favorite.

You know, I didn't realize that. I never saw that, the praying, the way you mentioned, I can't even explain it now, but that idea, I just always loved that thought that Elijah was a man just like us. Elijah was a man with a nature just like us.

See, as a kid, I lifted up David. I lifted up Elijah. I lifted up Moses as these superheroes, and that's why I fell in love with that verse. I go, wait, he's a man just like me. I love that. That means Elijah has nothing on me, and I'm going to pray like that.

See, I believe if Elijah were in this room, some of you would just be in awe, like, wow, you know, you're the prophet Elijah. And for me to say, well, big deal, I'm Francis Chan, you know. He's just a man.

I'm just a man. We've got the exact same nature, but the way he prayed, he had this fervency about it, and I could pray like that. I've got a nature just like his. You could pray like that. Let's quit putting these guys up on a pedestal.

That's why that verse is there. He prayed fervently. That's why it didn't rain. I had a friend call me in tears one time because he prayed for rain in Southern California in the middle of August, and it rained.

And he's on the phone as the water's hitting. I didn't know what was wrong with him. He's just, you know, just he couldn't even talk, amazed by the grace of God. He goes, you never believe what I prayed last night because of this fire and everything that's going on.

He goes, I've got to tell you the whole story later. I just can't even believe it. The water that's hitting my windshield. It's not in the forecast. This isn't supposed to happen. Why did he hear this?

I'm just amazed. Wow, even now, he's just a man just like us. Do you believe that? I mean, honestly, you got to really look in your soul and go, okay, do I really believe that I could pray? And if need be, if I were in that situation, I could just call down fire from heaven.

Could I have that type of confidence, God, that if David was here, it's like, no big deal. He's just a man with a nature just like mine. In fact, I could maybe even argue that I have one up on him with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

I mean, when we say we believe, you know, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life, but do we also believe that when he says, you know, whoever believes in me will do the things that I do and even greater things than these?

Because it comes back down to that belief. Is it still there when you pray? I mean, there are times now when I'll pray for someone who's sick and I'm just blown away because I go, God, I don't get it.

Why didn't you heal them? Wait, how come you didn't hear that one? I think I, I think I confessed everything. I think he confessed everything. I think we're now I'm just so I'm getting more and more just used to him answering prayer that when something doesn't get answered, I go, that is really weird.

I'm going to really have to think about that one. Lord, do you believe, believe in the prayers? I mean, it's true. The Bible says there are times when, you know, maybe it's doubt. Other times, you know, like James four, you know, that was mentioned earlier today, how maybe I'm praying with the wrong motives.

And it's there's a selfishness there. I'm praying in the wrong way. You know, maybe it's a first Peter three thing that I'm not honoring my wife as a fellow heir of the grace of life. So, so, so that my prayers may not be hindered.

And I go, Gosh, have I been treating Lisa? Okay, you know, I'll call her. Hey, I love you. You know, let me go pray again. Let me, let me I want to, I want to think these things through. But I want to I want to point something out to you.

Fasting, Obedience, and Unhindered Prayer

I know you're familiar with Isaiah 58, where we're God, you know, because the Bible says sometimes your prayer and fasting is a waste of time, right? He just said, I'm not listening to that. Your motives are wrong, whatever else, you're not treating your wife the right way.

You're doubting Isaiah 58. It's like you're not caring for the poor, you know, you have there in Isaiah 58. Verse five is is such the fast that I chose. I choose a day for a person to humble himself. Is it a bow down his head like a reed and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?

Will you call this a fast? A day acceptable to the Lord is not this the fast that I choose to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke.

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see the naked to cover him and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring up speedily.

Your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. I love verse nine. This is what I want to point out. Then you shall call and the Lord will answer. You shall cry and he will say, here I am.

There were people who were pleading with God for certain things, but because of their disregard for his commands, to have this concern for the poor, God said, I'm not even listening to that. In fact, you're oppressing the poor.

Of course, I'm not going to listen to you. But then he says, you know, when you start doing these things, it's like he says, here I am, here I am. It's like this quick response. And I look at this passage and I got to say, there are times when I marvel at the Lord because I say, God, I don't pray as hard as some people.

I know people that will spend hours in prayer and God, I almost feel bad, but it's like I'll just throw something up there or I'll just say something in passing or sometimes I don't even have to pray it and you just answer.

You just do. And I feel spoiled. And then I look at this passage and then I look back, I go, wow, it is the times when it's like when we just pour ourselves out and just obedience and go, gosh, I see this in your word, I'm going to go after this.

And God says, gosh, when I see you doing that, you just say the word and I'll say, here I am. Here I am. What did you want? You just cry out to me. I'll take care of it. It's very similar to John, John 15, verse five, when he says, I am the vine, you are the branches.

If a man abides in me, he will bear much fruit. You just abide in me and you're going to bear a bunch of fruit. Verse seven, when he says, if you abide in me, I abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it'll be given to you.

It's again, it's this idea that it's not necessarily because I'm the one that prayed the hardest. It's because when you're abiding in Jesus, when you're just pouring yourself out for the poor, there's just this sense in which, what do you need?

What do you want? Because you're abiding in me. My words abide in you. And as a pastor, I will have to say that this has probably been my biggest failure. Times when I get so busy in ministry and those times when a million thoughts come into your mind at once and you have so many good ideas of what you can do for the Lord that immediately your prayer life goes to, okay, God, do this, God, do this, God, do this, God, do this.