Mercy, Faith, Fasting, Prayer

You'll take your Bibles, turn if you would to Mark chapter nine. Mark chapter nine. Moving quickly through the book of Mark. Some of you probably grand at that but compared to how I sometimes move, we're moving quickly through the book of Mark, okay? We're going to read verses 14 through 29 this morning.

Reading verses 14 through 29. We earlier, Jesus was transfigured on the Mount Of Transfiguration. We don't know what exactly the name of the mount was. Probably Hermon but Bible doesn't tell us. There his disciples faith particularly Peter, James, and John was strengthened once again.

God reveals himself more and more every day to those who know him, to those who put their faith in him, to those who serve him. The Lord reveals himself, his power, his presence in our life more. Each day, we draw close to him. As he did for his disciples, he didn't reveal himself in this way to his doubters and to his critics but to those who know knew him and to those who loved him. He desires to strengthen our faith day by day and in verse 14, we'll begin reading.

This isn't long after that. It says in verse 14, when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them and the scribes questioning them and stray away all the people when they beheld him, that is Jesus were greatly amazed and running to him, saluted him, or greeted him and he asked the scribes, what question you with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit, and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him, and he foameth, gnashes with his teeth, and pineteth away, and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not. He answered him and say it, oh faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?

Bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him and when he saw him straightway the spirit tear him and he fell on the ground and wallowed foaming and he asked his father, that is Jesus asked the boy's father, how long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, of a child. And oft times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us.

Jesus say it unto him, if thou can't believe, all things are possible to him that believe it. And straightway, the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit saying unto him, thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him and the spirit cried and rent him sore and came out of him and he was as one dead in so much that many said, he is dead but Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he arose and when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be here today to worship you, to preach your word, to sing songs and praise of the one who has given us life. I pray Lord indeed that you would strengthen our faith here today. Lord, that you would help us to see how vital faith is. And how important it is to go in prayer to the God who loves us in faith that he not only can hear our prayers but that he desires to do so and to answer them and to do great and mighty things in our life.

Beyond our wildest imaginations. Lord, help us today. To learn how to depend and believe and trust In Jesus name. Mercy, faith, prayer, and fasting. We went through this passage.

You see all of these. All of these evident in this story. All of them vitally necessary to this story. We start out in our story with a man in desperate need of mercy. A man in desperate need.

Of God's mercy. How did this man come to Jesus? Well, this man in this passage came to Jesus in desperation. He had tried everything to help his son. And it had failed.

And this man came to Jesus. He was at the end of his rope. He was desperate for his son. And so we see his desperation. We see his humility.

Matthew 17 which is the parallel passage in Matthew to this reads, and when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man kneeling down to him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son. This man came in humility. He didn't come demanding. He came pleading, pleading for God's help. He came humbly before the Lord.

He came in reverence. He called him Lord. The term translated Lord here means teacher. It's term of respect particularly in their society. So, he came in desperation.

He came in humility. He came in reverence to the Lord. I reminds me of the the sample prayer that Jesus gave in Matthew six when he taught his disciples how to pray. Our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. How are we to go to God?

We're to go in what? In reverence. He is our, he is our friend and our savior. But he is still our Lord and God of the universe. And so we ought to address God.

Come to him in a heart of reverence. This man came in desperation. He came to God in humility. He came with reverence and he came pleading desperately for God's mercy as we'll come back to in a minute. What was he requesting?

Well, he was requesting healing of his mute, lunatic, possessed son and and this very much describes this this poor young man. It says, the father's response that this had come upon him as a child. So, we're not talking about probably a little child at this point. He is probably a young man and he has been dealing with this for a while. He was mute, couldn't speak.

He was lunatic. He was crazy, out of his mind, uncontrollable, Not something that could be reasoned with. And the cause of it was he was possessed of an evil spirit. The disciples had even tried to help him and had what? Had faked.

This man was powerless to do anything to help his son. Helpless against the power of his true enemy. You know, there is an enemy. There is a real enemy. There is a true enemy.

There is an eternal enemy to mankind. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in high places. We have a very real enemy that we can't see but he is there and he is active and he is powerful. Here was a man with a son who was clearly possessed of a power from which no one could deliver him. That is no one, Jesus.

And that power was possessed and was the power of that true enemy. Satan. Says in first Peter five eight, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. He is real, he is active, and he wants to destroy who? He wants to destroy you.

He wants to keep you from coming to Christ if you have not yet to do so. He will do anything to try to keep you from. He will put any excuse in your mind and heart to try to keep you from coming to Christ. Will blind you. He will deceive you.

Because he is your what? He is your enemy. And child of God who is saved. And part of God's family and on God's team, Satan hates you even more because you embody everything that is destroying him. You embody the power of God.

You have a testimony that is dangerous to his cause and he is very much your enemy. We may not see one like this young man who was so clearly and distinctly being controlled and destroyed by the power of Satan but that does not mean that Satan is not in the business of doing so. In Job chapter one verse 12, going back to the Old Testament. The Lord said unto Satan, remember Satan came to God. He said, God, you know, whatever tempting, accusing others and and God said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job?

And Job said, Satan said to God, well, of course, Job serves you because look, all that you've given Job and all that you've done for Job and how you protect Job. You take that away and Job will curse you. What did God say? Well, it says here, Lord said to Satan, behold all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thy hands, so Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord and what did he do? He took away Job's possessions.

He took away most of his family. Eventually, his health and Job was powerless to protect himself. There was nothing Job could do to protect himself but thankfully, thankfully, there was one in heaven. Who was still in control? It may have appeared to Job at that point in his life that everything was out of control and it did and he cried out to God and he wondered and he pleaded.

But God was in control There is one who is greater than Satan. Praise the Lord. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. But Satan is out there and he is just as much our enemy as he was Job's. Luke chapter 22 verses thirty one and thirty two and the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Satan wanted to destroy Job. Satan set his target in his eyes on Peter. He wanted to destroy Peter. Jesus even told Peter, he has his sight set on you. Peter was not the rock upon what the church was built.

That rock is Jesus Christ but Peter was a great leader and a great testimony. In the founding of the church and in the salvation of many lost souls. Satan set out destroy him as well but God said, Jesus said, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. Peter was not a match for Satan but Satan is no match for who? Satan is no match for God and despite Peter's failure, in denying the Lord three times, God brought him back.

God enabled him by his spirit and Peter became a great the Lord of the savior giving his testimony of before a lost governor of his calling to the ministry by God. He said, he was called by God to open their eyes that is open the eyes of the Gentiles in particular. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of who? The power of Satan unto God. That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Paul said, God called me. He called me to go out to the hidden peoples, the pagans, the Gentiles, and to preach to them the same gospel as to the Jews that is able to save them when they put their faith. Jesus Christ who died for them on the cross. That they may receive forgiveness from sins and inheritance with God to be set apart by faith just as Paul was. To be delivered from the power of Satan into the hands of a loving God.

Satan is powerful. He desires to keep the hidden lost and blind and deceived. But the gospel is more power. For Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Yes, we have a very powerful enemy.

We have a very real enemy. He has minions of servants who act in his behalf and we have a human nature that sadly easily is tempted by them. But we have a greater power if we know Jesus Man has a bitter enemy who's always posing as man's best friend. Satan doesn't come in the front and say, I'm here, I'm your enemy. He comes in the back and he says, I'm here, I'm your what?

I'm your friend. Don't believe it and don't be deceived. Satan is not your friend. He does not have your best interest at heart just as he didn't have eaves in the Garden of Eden. We are God's creation and as such, we are Satan's enemies and he is ours.

If he could, he would destroy us all. Because we are the apple of God's eye. In the Garden of Eden, he managed to deceive Eve and compel Adam to sin against God and brought man into bondage and the bondage to sin from which he has no intention of letting you go. We are no match for him him and like this boy and his father, in our story today, he will destroy us if no one saves us. If no one delivers us but there is one His name is Jesus There is one.

He is God He came not only does he have the power to defeat Satan but he defeated him on a cross He defeated him in his death and suffering on our behalf. He defeated him when he rose again from the dead and he has the power to defeat him in your life also. Just as he did in the life of this young man and he is the only answer. For there is only one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. That is the name of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, since sin is our choice, we have nothing wherewith to bargain for God's help or deliverance. What are you going to give God? What do you have to bargain with? To say, hey, I'll give you this if you deliver me from that. You have nothing.

I have nothing. Everything we have is tainted by what? Is tainted by sin. It is not pleasing unto God. It is not desirable unto him.

It's like filthy rags. We have nothing to bargain with for God's deliverance but to fall before God in humility and faith and cast ourselves upon his wife. On his mercy. That's what this man did. That's what the Gentile mother did.

Couple chapters ago. That's what the public and the tax collector did in the temple. As he got down on his knees and his face on the ground before the Lord and cried out to God for mercy. Our hope is based alone in the unwavering faithfulness, love, and mercy of God. For his fallen Great is thy faithfulness.

Oh God, my father. For it weren't for the faithfulness of God, where would we be? It is upon his faithfulness, his love, his compassion, and his mercy that we who know Christ have come to his cross. And fallen down before him and placed our life in his hands. It is not until we realize that only Jesus has the answer to what ails us, sin.

That God will receive us and give us overcoming power in the battle with Satan. Only then can we win and only by what? Faith. The just shall live by faith. Hebrews eleven six, but without what?

Faith. It is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. This story is about faith. God can save.

God can keep and he will but we must respond. Faith. So, we see a man in desperate need of God's mercy and then we see in verse 15 in verse not in verse 15 but in a couple verses later, we see Christ's rebuke in verse 19. He answer him and say it, oh faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer?

You. He asked the father in verse 21, how long since this came unto him? He said, of a child. And in verse 22 and off times, it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that what?

Believe it. The problem's not with God's power. He is able. The problem is with our what? Our faith.

The problem is with our faith. We live in a faithless generation today. In a faithless society, in a faithless world, just as Jesus accused these people that were gathered around him, that were arguing with his disciples, that were casting doubt on God's power to deliver this man, Casting doubt upon the power of Jesus. These scribes were questioning. They were critics.

They were a faithless generation. World is full of critics today. World is far from God There are many things that ail our society and our nation there is primarily one thing that is the cause of the vast majority of it and that is we have turned our back on who We have turned our back on God. As a country, as a nation, as a society, we have lost our what? We have lost our faith.

And people all around are crying out. Why didn't God do this? Why doesn't God do that? Why does this happen to me? Why does that happen to me?

I know the answer. One of the answers probably the most common answer you need is where is your faith? We blame God for everything and we give him very little credit or even acknowledge his existence as a society today and you say, well, pastor, you're preaching to the church today. World isn't the only one that's lost its faith Christianity has lost its power And the problem is not with who? The problem is not with God.

The problem's with us If we have faith as a mustard seed, God said, in faith, you can move that mountain. I can move that mountain in response to your faith. The fact is we don't even have sometimes what? Mustard seeds. Herein lies the rebuke and the challenge to this man, to Christ's disciples, and to those gathered there that day as to those here this day and outside of these walls.

His rebuke, oh faithless generation. Just as the Gentile woman who came to Christ, Christ's response seemed at first to be harsh. However, if you keep reading, we'll see the compassion of Christ in everything he says and does. Christ has a purpose in be seeming harsh. Sometimes, he needs to get our what?

Our attention. This man, Christ's disciples, even the critics standing around needed to learn a lesson in faith and Christ's compassion manifested itself in taking the opportunity to teach them that most valuable lesson. Christ didn't have to say all of this. Christ could've just reached down, said two words to this boy and been done with it. But Jesus Christ took the opportunity to teach them.

Why? Because he had compassion on him. Because he loved them. Because he didn't want them to stay as they were because they needed to understand the need for faith. What Christ's disciples, this boy's father and other onlookers saw while they saw only one need, Christ saw another need, a greater need.

The need for faith. The need for faith for eternal deliverance from Satan and sin. It is the power of God under what? Under salvation to everyone that believeth. There is a power that can deliver every last person on earth who will come to Christ.

God's grace through what? Through faith. Faith for the eternal deliverance from Satan and sin. Faith for daily assistance in our with sin and Satan As a Christian, if you've trusted Christ, you've been delivered from the eternal condemnation of sin and you can put your head on your pillow at night and you can praise God that you know that you know that you know if you wake up where you're going to wake up if it didn't hear. But chances are you will wake up here and chances are you will have struggles in the day that's ahead of you and you're going to need God's assistance and God says, I'm here but you need to do what?

You need to trust me. You need to put your faith in me. You need to look to me. I can deliver you. First John five four, and whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our what?

Even our faith. Now, it's not our faith as such but it's our faith in who? It's our faith in God and the power of God who is greater than their enemy that is in the world and we can overcome and we will overcome as we learn day by day to trust him more, to put our faith in him. Faith for eternal deliverance from Satan and sin, faith for daily assistance in our struggles with sin and Satan, faith for growth and maturing in our relationship and service to God. It takes faith, not stagnant faith but growing faith, a living faith, and the power of Christ to save us not only from eternal condemnation but daily temptation and discouragement in our walk through life.

His power is there. The victory is ours. But where is your faith? So, Christ rebuked those gathered around who questioned his power to deliver this one Those who had no faith and yet demanded more proof. Christ rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith in God's power and their lack of dependence on God's power to deliver this boy from Satan's power.

Christ rebuked the man who came to him for help because the man didn't say, you can or since you can, the man said, if you can. And Jesus said, if you can, what? Believe. Of course, Jesus can. All things are possible to those who what?

Believe. We don't see victory. We don't succeed sometimes because we simply don't want We don't believe God is here. He lives inside of his children do we believe him Do we believe him Christ declared the issue was not with his ability but with their faith. So, Christ challenged them.

He didn't just rebuke them, he what? Challenge them. Rebukes no good without the challenge Christ challenged them to put their faith in his power A challenge which at least this man got and so spoke up as all of us should. Lord, I believe. But help thou my what?

My unbelief. Lord, I believe but I want to believe what? More. Please, help me. Paul said and we read in Sunday school, Philippians three thirteen.

He said, I haven't apprehended. What that means is Paul hadn't what? He hadn't arrived. He hadn't matured all the way. His faith wasn't the strongest it could be.

He hadn't yet apprehended that place where he wanted to be for his savior. So, he forgot, let go of those things which were behind and he looked forward and he followed the Lord and he pressed onward to be all that he could be. For Jesus Christ, his savior. If you think you've arrived then you're probably in trouble. The Christian life is a life of growth.

It's a process. It will end one day. It will end when I stand before him in heaven. And I am perfect. And I will see him as he is because I will be wise.

But the Christian life is a life of growth particularly in our faith. This man's cry should be the cry of every believer to grow in our faith and understanding of the power of God that works in us and through us each day. That works in us and through us to overcome the obstacles sin and Satan places in our path. Lead us not into what? Temptation but deliver us from evil.

God has the power to make you an overcomer. Those obstacles that are in your path, your your own selfish desires, the the people that that discourage you, the the circumstances that depress you. The offenses of others in your past and your own sin You can overcome them by his wife, by his power. If you will believe. His power to overcome obstacles of sin and Satan is our power to know God better and his power to use us in his service.

His power to overcome the baggage of the past and move onward in his grace. His power to trust God more each day, overcoming our doubts and our fears and submitting to the will of another. That being the will of God. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding.

All thy ways acknowledge him and he shall what? He shall direct your paths. He'll make your paths He will be there for you. But we near, we need to learn to trust him more Why do we hesitate? Why do we fear?

Because we don't want. Because we don't trust. We lack faith. Such faith is vital for the person battling addiction. There is a way of escape in Jesus.

And in the power of his spirit and of his word. You can't have victory but you must have what? You must have faith. Because that addiction may be stronger than you. But it isn't stronger than who?

It isn't stronger than God. It is vital for the person who is resisting the tugging of the Lord to lay it all on the line. To leave behind those old acquaintances. To let go of those worldly pleasures. To make more commitment to God's devotion and service.

To let go of the fear of confrontation and witness to that neighbor. Faith is the key. God will save them. He can save them. He will honor you.

If you'll trust him, if you'll step out, God will deliver you and raise you up if you will humbly come before him in faith and trust him. He will give you victory over that sinful habit that's become a stronghold. It doesn't have to hold it. It cannot hold you. If you will put your faith in God's power to overcome So, we see a man in desperate need of mercy He came to Jesus We see Jesus's rebuke and challenge in his response and after he rebuked and he challenged the man and he said, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.

Jesus didn't wait for the man to become perfect in his faith. Right then, Jesus did what? He healed his son. You're not going to become perfect in your faith overnight. God knows your frame.

He's a god of mercy. He is just looking for people who are willing to recognize his power, to recognize our frailty. And to grow in our faith. Are you growing? Are you looking to him he will help even you He's that kind of God And then number three, we see the disciples question.

Verse 28, when he was coming to the house, his disciples asked him privately, why could we not cast him out? Why couldn't we do it? Verse 29, he said unto them, this kind come, this kind can come forth by nothing but by what? By prayer and fasting. Now, Jesus was God.

Jesus simply commanded the thing that can't come out and it came out. Prayer and fasting is looking, grasping, seeking, reaching, knocking at the door of who? Of God to do that. For us. To do that for us.

His disciples believed but like this man, they needed to grow in their faith, did they not? Remember the storm on the boat? The waves, and they cried out, master, save us. He was asleep. He said, oh you of what?

Little faith. Remember Peter walking on the water? He got so far and all of a sudden, bloop. What was the problem? Problem was little faith.

Took his eyes off of who? He took his eyes off of Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples, this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting Their problem was not just a lack of confidence Their problem was that it was misplaced I can do all things through who Christ who strengthens me. I can't do all things but I can do all things through Christ's power who strengthens me. Christ had gifted his disciples with the power to heal and cast out demons.

That power was not their own but the power of God working through them as enabled by the holy spirit. We who know Christ have seen him do mighty things in the lives of others in response to our preaching and teaching, counseling, exhortation, and service but we must not forget who it is that change them. It wasn't you. And it wasn't me. Who was it?

It's Jesus. It's God. It's not me. I don't have that power. I don't have the power to change your heart and your life.

The one I am speaking about does. The God whose word I am preaching does. The one I can introduce you today to does and that is God. His disciples were trying to cast out the demon. His disciples couldn't do it.

What was the problem? Jesus said, you need to what? You need to pray. Because you can't do this Only God can do this. Sometimes, we hit a brick wall in our own lives and our attempt to help others.

We must remember that this power comes only from God and as so, comes in response to our earnest prayers and seeking God's power. Above other things Turn if you would to James chapter one. James chapter one. Look if you would. Sorry, James chapter five.

I'm in the right book. Chapter five. Verses 16 through 18. Five sixteen through 18. Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. It rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit. Elias or Elijah was one of the most powerful prophets who've ever lived But did Elijah have the power to stop rain and to start it again? No.

He didn't have that power. But he had the ear of the one who does. And when the rain needed to stop, he talked to God. When the rain needed to start, he prayed to God. He went to the source.

You may not have the power to defeat your demons so to speak. You may not have the power to change the life of that loved one. God does. If you believe and if you'll what? If you'll ask.

That's what prayer is. What is fasting? Fasting is just an extension of prayer we whereby we lay aside other things to seek God's help in prayer. Even to the point of putting off certain physical needs and desires to seek God's face in prayer before those other things. Though fasting often includes fasting or abstaining from food, I believe it can also be abstaining from watching television, abstaining from playing video games, abstaining from social outings, hobbies, other pursuits, sleep, work, relaxation, What is fasting?

It's taking time away from those other things to spend it where? On our knees in prayer. That's what fasting is. It's not biblical fasting if all you're doing is not eating. You don't impress God by just not eating.

What impresses the heart of God and what brings the power of God into our life and the lives of others. Is putting those needs before our own. Particularly, our once we don't even do that most of the time. Matthew seven, seven, and eight. Put that up here.

Yeah. Ask and it shall be given unto you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be open unto you. For everyone that ask it receiveth and to he that seeketh find it and to him that knocketh it shall be open.

We say there's three things that all talk about asking. Ask, seek, knock. But I think there's a little bit of progression there too. It starts with asking. It goes from asking to what?

To actively searching, seeking because it's important. I lost this diamond. I want to find it. I do what? I search for it because it is of value and it goes from seek from asking to seeking to knocking which is like knocking at the door saying, I need what?

I need help. What is praying and fasting? It's asking, it's seeking, it's knocking on God's door saying, God, there's something very important to me. I need help and doing it in faith and he that ask us receiveth to he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall what? Shall be opened.

If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God to give us to all men liberty and prayed it not but let him ask in one. Let him ask in faith. Is there any need that is so burden you as to interrupt your normal daily routine to call out to God for help? There are just some things, struggled, strongholds, trials, afflictions, needs of others which cannot and will not be conquered until we get serious with God. And in faith, reach out to him Are you willing to get serious and humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.

As this man was. Are you willing to get serious and cry out to God for mercy and help in time of need and to come boldly but reverently before his throne in faith and cast aside those doubts. Are you willing to get serious and lay aside other things to seek the face of God earnestly? Sincerely, and passionately for your own needs and needs of others. There is deliverance.

There is deliverance from Satan. There is deliverance from sin. There is help for your struggles. There is victory over your sin. There is help for your friend.

His name is Jesus. But are you willing to get down on your knees? It is important enough to you to let their needs and yours take first place. And do you believe that God can do it Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief.

Help me to take things and you seriously enough. To really pray in earnest. Not just before I eat. Not just a repetition. But really passionately faithfully going to God.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word today Lord It's difficult being rebuked by your word by your spirit none of us enjoy rebuke, none of us enjoy conviction but Lord, we know that if we are to grow if we are to see victory, if we are to be a testimony and a thorn in Satan's side, if we are to see souls saved, if we are to see friends helped, then we must learn to trust you more. And to depend upon you more. And to take this battle and this responsibility seriously Lord, thank you for the opportunity like these men to be a testimony for Christ. Thank you for the opportunity to preach the gospel what is the power of God unto salvation.

Thank you Lord for the deliverance you have given in our life. Lord, help us to grow in our faith. Help us Lord to lay aside those doubts and those other things. Help us Lord to trust you more and depend upon you and to come to you in faith so that we can see more of God in our lives and in the lives of others. In Jesus name, we pray.

Amen.