{"id":303634,"date":"2015-08-27T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-27T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/overcoming-prayerlessness\/"},"modified":"2015-08-27T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-08-27T15:00:00","slug":"overcoming-prayerlessness","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/overcoming-prayerlessness\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Prayerlessness"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pastor and filmmaker Alex Kendrick sees a trend among Christian men toward compartmentalizing their lives.  This leaves Christian men prayerless and ineffective before the onslaught of Satan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2015-08-27.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"29.52M","filesize_raw":"30954403","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2848],"tags":[2210],"podcast_series":[],"cwp_profile":[8818],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303634","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultural-issues","tag-prayer","cwp_profile-alex-kendrick","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/303634\/overcoming-prayerlessness","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303634\/overcoming-prayerlessness","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Wvxhu1CHKr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/overcoming-prayerlessness\/\">Overcoming Prayerlessness<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/overcoming-prayerlessness\/embed\/#?secret=Wvxhu1CHKr\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Overcoming Prayerlessness&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"Wvxhu1CHKr\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Pastor and filmmaker Alex Kendrick sees a trend among Christian men toward compartmentalizing their lives. This leaves Christian men prayerless and ineffective before the onslaught of Satan.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2015-08-27.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>As Christians, we face a very real enemy\u2014someone who wants to render us ineffective in our service for Christ. Here\u2019s author and speaker Alex Kendrick.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Satan will lie to you and he\u2019ll say: \u201cYou know what? This private sin you\u2019ve got going on over here\u201d\u2014alcohol, drugs, pornography, an affair, whatever it is\u2014\u201cthis is not affecting anybody else but you. You keep it to yourself\u2014shh!\u201d He\u2019s first compartmentalizing\u2014he distracts you and deceives you into compartmentalizing your life: \u201cThis belongs over here. This is not affecting anything else,\u201d\u2014it\u2019s affecting <em>everything<\/em>!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>for Thursday, August 27<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. We are engaged in a spiritual battle. The question is: \u201cDo we know how to fight?\u201d We\u2019re going to hear from Alex Kendrick about that today. Stay tuned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us on the Thursday edition. I don\u2019t know how many of us stop to think, day to day, that when we are engaged in the discipline of prayer, we\u2019re actually in the middle of spiritual battle as we talk with God; aren\u2019t we?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We are. We\u2019re actually engaging in a battlefield. In fact, today, we\u2019re going to hear about three battlefields, specifically, that men face as they pray. We\u2019re going to hear from Alex Kendrick, who is the producer and director of <em>War Room<\/em>\u2014also produced <em>Courageous<\/em> and <em>Fireproof<\/em>\u2014a great film producer and pioneer in the Christian film industry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> <em>War Room <\/em>is the movie that opens tomorrow night in theaters all across the country. By the way, Alex is going to be joining us in October for our one-day simulcast\u2014the <em>I Still D<\/em>o<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> simulcast on Saturday, October 17<sup>th<\/sup>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe\u2019s going to be one of the speakers talking about the importance of prayer in a marriage relationship. That\u2019s what the movie is really all about.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> It really is. If you haven\u2019t heard about <em>War Room, <\/em>it really is an entertaining, funny, but very spiritually-powerful movie, that\u2014I promise you\u2014you won\u2019t think about prayer in the same way after attending this movie.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob, this is really helping us introduce the 30-Day Oneness Prayer Challenge, which is husbands and wives engaging in prayer, every day, over a 30-day period. Barbara and I have prayed together for all 43 years of our marriage, and it\u2019s really one of the most important spiritual disciplines that we can engage in, as a couple.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, let\u2019s spend some time thinking about doing battle in prayer as we listen to Alex Kendrick talking about the battlefields that we find ourselves on when we are in prayer with God.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Previously Recorded Message]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Today, I\u2019m going to talk about three battlefields that I would say, before this, I was not as aware of.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe first battlefield I\u2019m going to talk about today is the personal battlefield. This is where I am, <em>individually<\/em>, with the Lord, with my wife, with the level of integrity in my job\u2014how I treat others\u2014as a father, as a brother, as a Christian. This is the <em>individual<\/em> battlefield\u2014the issues I fight and struggle with <em>myself<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe second battlefield I\u2019m going to talk about is the corporate battlefield. The corporate battlefield is where we, as a church, locally\u2014even a community, or you can get as big as a city\u2014the corporate battlefield. The people in my immediate arena: \u201cHow do we work together? How do we pray together? How do we fight battles and serve together the issues in our immediate arena?\u201d\u2014the corporate battlefield.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe third battlefield I\u2019m going to talk about is the Kingdom battlefield. When I say, \u201cKingdom battlefield,\u201d I\u2019m more or less talking about the <em>heart <\/em>of a nation. Now, if you say, \u201cAlex, where are you getting these three battlefields?\u201d First: Scripture says we\u2019re <em>judged <\/em>on <em>all three levels<\/em>. Think about this\u2014we already know we stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment\u2014<em>individually<\/em> Scripture says\u2014we have to give an account for <em>our lives<\/em> to the Lord. But isn\u2019t it interesting how many times the Lord judges churches or cities? He judges Jerusalem, Nineveh, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc., etc. He judges cities, and He also judges nations\u2014He judges Israel and Judah, He judged Moab and Edom, etc., etc. If you read Revelation, He goes through and judges the types of churches. We are <em>judged<\/em> on all three levels.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tKing David fought the lion and the bear, individually, by himself. He fought the lion and the bear as a shepherd boy <em>before<\/em> he fought Goliath in a corporate setting, with the armies of the Philistines and Israel. He defeated Goliath <em>before<\/em> he became king and led the nation of Israel to seek the Lord and defend the land\u2014personal, corporate, Kingdom.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m traveling, and I\u2019m speaking at all these different places, and I\u2019m realizing that we\u2014the church in America, who follow Jesus Christ\u2014are losing influence and losing ground in the Kingdom battlefield. I\u2019m thinking: \u201cWhat is going on, Lord? What is going on? Help me understand what is going on! What does the church need to be doing?\u201d because there are influences sweeping across our country that are changing our laws, changing our perception of morality, redefining things that the Lord defines in Scripture. Where are the men?! Where is the church?!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI began to realize how the enemy works\u2014Satan distracts, deceives, and divides. He wants to divide us. He wants to divide, not only our marriages, he wants to divide our effectiveness, as parents\u2014divide us from winning the hearts of our children. He wants to divide our churches to keep us always looking in at our own problems\u2014we can\u2019t look out at the ministry God calls us to do. Divide, divide, divide, divide! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you want to defeat your enemy, you have to distract them and, if you can, deceive them: \u201cWe\u2019ll attack over here, but we\u2019re really going to attack over here!\u201d And then you divide them\u2014divide them and they start losing effectiveness. <em>That<\/em> is what\u2019s going on in the church in America.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo I thought, \u201cLord, what do we need to do?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt starts, here, in the individual battlefield \/ the personal battlefield. If I buy Satan\u2019s lies, he keeps me distracted. I buy his lies, and I can\u2019t win the personal battle. I am then ineligible to fight in the corporate battle or, more importantly, the Kingdom battle. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe have to fight the lion and the bear in our own life <em>first<\/em> before fighting the Goliaths together or standing corporately before we defend the land. You can\u2019t skip one. \u201cOh, Alex, I hear what you\u2019re saying, but I\u2019ve got this private stuff over here. I\u2019ve got this stuff that I\u2019m struggling with over here; but I sure would like to be over there \u2018Rah-rahing\u2019 you and helping other people fight the Kingdom battle.\u201d You can\u2019t do that!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere\u2019s the issue\u2014Satan will lie to you and he\u2019ll say: \u201cYou know what? This private sin you\u2019ve got going on over here\u201d\u2014alcohol, drugs, pornography, an affair, whatever it is\u2014\u201cthis is not affecting anybody else but you. You keep it to yourself\u2014shh! You can be a good man every other\u2026\u201d He distracts you and deceives you into compartmentalizing your life: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cThis belongs over here. This is not affecting anything else,\u201d\u2014it\u2019s affecting <em>everything<\/em>! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhy would the Lord pour His favor and blessing over you if you\u2019ve got private sin that you refuse to get right? He is not going to bless you and help you in fighting these other battlefields. In other words, if Satan can keep you stuck right here, he takes over that battlefield. You need the hand of God on your life. Acts 3:19: \u201c\u2019Repent and return to Me\u2019\u2014the Lord says\u2014\u2018that your sin may be wiped away and you may experience refreshing times in the presence of the Lord.\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn my individual life, I have to say: \u201cLord, search my whole heart. Lord, don\u2019t let me be disqualified from fighting where You want me to fight\u2014to stand with others the way you want me to stand with them, to be a unifying factor in my church, to be the prayer warrior You\u2019ve called me to be, to love my wife, to love my children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u201c<\/strong>Lord, help me get the rust off my sword again and my armor. You fill me with power. You fill me with influence.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen we get right with the Lord in our personal battlefield, we\u2019re then eligible to lock shields with our brothers and sisters, starting in our local church. You need to become a <em>unifying<\/em> factor\u2014a prayer warrior in <em>your<\/em> church. If there\u2019s division in your church, you help the leadership to root out anybody that\u2019s divisive for the wrong reasons\u2014that puts the focus on secondary issues. There will <em>always<\/em> be secondary issues\u2014<em>always<\/em>! You\u2019ve got to be unified!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I get right, personally\u2014in my personal battlefield\u2014and I engage in the corporate battlefield. I say to pastors and leaders\u2014other Christian business leaders: \u201cHow can we lock shields \/ pray together?\u2014keep each other accountable?\u201d I will fall without accountability\u2014I will! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo we lock shields; and we say, \u201cLord, help us, corporately \/ our church, to do what You have called us to do.\u201d Then, when we start operating in unity, we start locking shields with other churches; and we start reaching our community. One church is not meant to reach your entire city\u2014it takes the body of Christ! When we do this, we then start impacting our culture. It starts individually, then corporately; and you start impacting the Kingdom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt boils down to this, guys: \u201cWhen you think about this generation and the next generation, whoever wants the next generation the most will get them.\u201d MTV wants them. The gay agenda wants them\u2014wants their loyalty \/ wants their hearts, their mindset, their perspectives. Business wants them. Does the church want them? Do you want them?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think, \u201cLord, You\u2019ve allowed me to just taste a little bit of what it\u2019s like to get right with You here.\u201d And I\u2019m not always right with Him. I have to continually go back and win battles in the personal battlefield\u2014I get right. My brother and I, and our staff, and our fellow Christians, and pastor pray together and keep each other accountable. We start building that synergy here, and then we do something for the Kingdom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor me, it has been the books and the movies. It\u2019s not going to be that way for everybody. But, see, I don\u2019t even deserve to be here\u2014I didn\u2019t go to film school \/ I didn\u2019t take acting classes. Some of you are saying, \u201cI know that!\u201d [Laughter] There\u2019s some <em>cheese<\/em> in our films\u2014I hate it, but we\u2019re working on it. We\u2019re growing! My point is that the Lord has let me taste a little bit of what it\u2019s like to <em>fight<\/em> in the Kingdom battlefield. It\u2019s seeping into 75\u2014our films are in 75 countries. So I think, \u201cLord, only You could do this!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe need this influence in the education world, in the business world, continuing in the ministry world\u2014I mean, in the political world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn every facet, we need to be sending out warriors for Christ\u2014warriors for Christ to win back the heart of our nation because we\u2019re leading other nations. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhere are you, men? \u201c\u2019Repent and return to Me,\u2019\u2014says the Lord\u2014\u2018that your sins are forgiven.\u2019\u201d They\u2019re wiped away and you can experience refreshing times in the presence of the Lord. Then we come together corporately. One of my favorite verses is \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJeremiah 29:13. Jeremiah 29:13\u2014the Lord says, \u201cIf you seek Me, you will find Me if you seek Me with all of your heart.\u201d Guys, you can\u2019t be half-hearted \/ you can\u2019t be hypocritical\u2014because we\u2019ve got stuff we\u2019re still hiding, over here, in the personal battlefield. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen you get right, you step in to face the Goliaths. We\u2019ve got to do it together. It would have been <em>phenomenal <\/em>if Israel had claimed what David claimed: \u201cThere is one God; and my God can help me defeat you, Goliath.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd then, when we get together corporately, we\u2019re not perfect; but we seek to walk with the Lord. Scripture says, \u201cA righteous man falls seven times and gets right back up.\u201d All of us will fall, from time to time. You get right back up and you repent here. You get refreshed with the Lord and get right with Him. You reengage\u2014reengage. It\u2019s like a football game, guys! You fumble. You pick it right back up and try to get that first down again. If you lose the ball, you get it back. You just keep on\u2014it\u2019s back and forth \/ back and forth. But <em>figh<\/em>t for unity so that we can win ground here.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhere is America\u2019s heart? It\u2019s not where it needs to be. The church has got to be unified. If you call Jesus, \u201cLord, the Son of God,\u201d and you acknowledge who He is, and that it\u2019s by His blood\u2014He died on the cross \/ He rose three days later from the grave\u2014and we agree on <em>that<\/em>\u2014that\u2019s the primary point of unity. Everything else is secondary. Keep secondary things secondary.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat divides you from other believers? Do you really think you totally have the interpretation of Scripture correct? No! I don\u2019t! No denomination is completely correct. Jesus is completely correct! [Applause] So that\u2019s our point of unity. [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you\u2019re a pastor in this room, I beg you, sir, please partner with others in your community to pray with them. We\u2019ve got to be in unity. Second Chronicles 7:14 is my verse for the Kingdom battlefield: \u201c\u2019If My people, who are called by My Name,\u2019\u201d\u2014I\u2019m a follower of Jesus Christ\u2014\u201c\u2019will humble themselves and pray\u2019\u201d\u2014we\u2019re locking shields\u2014\u00a0 we\u2019re humbling ourselves \/\u00a0 we\u2019re getting right\u2014we\u2019re locking shields and we\u2019re praying\u2014\u201c\u2019will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face\u2019\u201d\u2014He hears from heaven, He forgives our sin, and He <em>heals<\/em> our land.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tPersonal battle, corporate battle, Kingdom battle. Where are you in the personal battle?\u2014because we need you, men\u2014we need you, we need you, we need you! The world needs to see the influence of the church that believes that Jesus is Lord in America. We lead by influence\u2014and they don\u2019t see just disunity, disunity, disunity\u2014while Satan\u2019s forces and the culture, that are unified, start taking over the hearts of this next generation. Do you want the next generation? Whoever wants them the most are going to get them. We\u2019ve got to want them!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Would you guys thank Alex Kendrick? [Applause] Go ahead and have a seat for just a minute. As you were talking, I was thinking about the last book in the Old Testament\u2014about the book of Malachi, where the nation of Israel comes before the Lord\u2014and they say, \u201cWhy have we lost Your favor?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cWhere\u2019s the blessing?\u201d God reveals to them: \u201cIn some cases, you\u2019ve lost the blessing because you\u2019ve lost the personal battlefield.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So the <em>nation<\/em> can be judged if men are not winning on the personal battlefield.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Yes! And we are. As a matter of fact, Malachi ends with what?\u2014turning the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the children back to the fathers\u2014which is a picture of <em>unity<\/em>, starting in the home.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Starting in the home: \u201cLord, turn my heart back to the first thing You have called me to be\u2014husband and father\u2014and obeying You.\u201d When you do, there\u2019s a picture of unity; and you can go to the next field.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I was thinking about where men today are losing the personal battle. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It seems to me, as I\u2019ve talked to men, that the issue of lust\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014is the stronghold in a lot of guys\u2019 lives. What do we do?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Well, first note\u2014and we\u2019ve talked about how the enemy distracts, deceives, and divides. What does he have our culture doing?\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014<em>feeding<\/em> your lusts, <em>feeding<\/em> your lusts, <em>feeding<\/em> your lusts. If you and I are not disciplined, and we don\u2019t guard our eyes\u2014set evil things before our eyes\u2014guys, you\u2019re going to struggle, and struggle, and struggle. What does the enemy want? He wants to keep you mired in this battlefield because it prevents you from fighting in the others. It prevents unity. All of us struggle with this!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Some of you, <em>right now<\/em>, are struggling with pornography. If we truly ask and you truly responded, half or more of the hands in this room would go up. That\u2019s where we are. So you\u2019ve got to fight. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called \u201cwar.\u201d Fight! You have to fight, and you use the Word of God to do that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You\u2019ve met guys who say, \u201cI\u2019ve gone before the Lord a dozen times, repenting of that sin, and I keep getting pulled back.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Well, first, thank you for acknowledging it is what it is; but get accountability. What I had to do was break access to it\u2014if it means getting rid of cable TV \/ if it means <em>cancelling<\/em> internet in your home, do it! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou say, \u201cOh, it\u2019s going to hurt my business.\u201d Better that your business fails than <em>everything<\/em> else!!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> So get accountability. I have three different guys who can say: \u201cWhat have you looked at this week \/ this month? How are you supporting your marriage? How are you fighting for your ministry? Have you lied to me?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> You\u2019ve got to have somebody that you trust enough to ask you those hard questions.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Take the computer out to the curb. Even if our neighbors think you\u2019re crazy,\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> <em>Fireproof!<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014you still do it; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> Whatever it is!\u2014high accountability and break access. Remember\u2014for me, I know\u2014<em>I know<\/em> I have a target on my head by the enemy\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> \u2014because it would <em>please<\/em> Satan if, \u201cOh, here\u2019s the guy who made <em>Fireproof<\/em>,\u201dand \u201cHere\u2019s the guy who made <em>Courageous<\/em>; but look what happened to him!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> So I have personally\u2014and it took me years to get to this point\u2014I have asked God, \u201cLord, before I fall to an affair or temptation, <em>kill me<\/em>. Let ministry expand after I die than to fall and to shame the name of the Lord.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat puts the fear of God in me. [Applause] Yes; but, Bob, I admit this\u2014when that prayer was introduced to me years ago\u2014initially, I could not pray that prayer. I could not ask the God of the universe to kill me before I fell because I wasn\u2019t ready to pray it. But today, I understand that what I do for the Lord and my influence is too important. So I ask for God\u2019s blessing here. I want to fight in this battlefield\u2014the Kingdom battlefield\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Alex:<\/strong> \u2014which means you\u2019re accountable for it. So I\u2019ve said, \u201cLord, before I fall, just take me home.\u201d If you find out something bad happened to me and I go home, <em>praise God<\/em>! [Laughter] Just say, \u201cPraise God!\u201d [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Studio]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, we\u2019ve been listening to Alex Kendrick, the co-producer, and director, and one of the stars in the movie, <em>War Room<\/em>\u2014that is opening in theaters across the country this weekend\u2014talking about what the movie\u2019s talking about\u2014talking about prayer.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You know, Ephesians, Chapter 6, talks about the spiritual battle all of us engage in. It has all these weapons that we have, but one of the things that it says is that we are to pray at all times. I just want to encourage you, as a listener, if you and your spouse have not decided to begin to pray together every day, I want you to begin to prepare yourselves for what we\u2019re going to feature, beginning next week, as we take this theme that <em>War Room <\/em>has introduced all across the country\u2014of praying\u2014having a private place where you pray, and you take things before the Lord God Almighty. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re going to encourage people, Bob, over a 30-day period\u2014husbands and wives\u2014to engage in prayer regularly and to bring matters that are on your hearts before God, together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt will solidify your oneness, and it will make a difference because God does hear and God does answer prayer. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> We\u2019re hoping that folks who go see the movie are motivated and say, \u201cWe ought to be praying together more regularly, as a couple.\u201d We\u2019re trying to make it as easy as possible for you to <em>begin<\/em> this practice in your marriage. What we\u2019re asking you to do is go to FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link in the upper left-hand corner of the screen that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d You can sign up to receive a daily prayer prompt. It will give you a script to follow \/ a plan to follow each day as you come together and pray. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, go to FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d Sign up for the 30-Day Oneness Prayer Challenge, which kicks off Tuesday, September 1,and will continue for 30 days. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got lots of couples who have already signed up. We\u2019re hoping that there will be thousands of couples joining us in this prayer challenge, all across the country, praying every day together during the month of September.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way, while you\u2019re on our website, at FamilyLifeToday.com, look for the book written by Stephen and Alex Kendrick called <em>The Battle Plan for Prayer: From Basic Training to Targeted Strategies. <\/em>This is a book that will take your prayer life from being impulsive to being deliberate, intentional, [and] strategic. Again, the title of the book is <em>The Battle Plan for Prayer<\/em>. You can order it from us, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd, quickly, as we wrap things up today, we want to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to those of you who make the ministry of <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>possible with your financial support. In fact, this is a significant week for us as we are about to wrap up our fiscal year. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe start a new fiscal year in September. We are grateful for how we have seen God at work in this ministry over the last year\u2014grateful to those of you who have contributed to help support the work of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. And we\u2019re praying that we will finish this year in a good, healthy, strong position. So, \u201cThanks, again, for your support throughout the year.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you\u2019re able to help with a fiscal yearend donation, today\u2019s a good day to do that. You can do that, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link in the upper right-hand corner of the screen that says, \u201cI care,\u201d to make an online donation; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make your donation over the phone. Or you can mail your donation to us at <em>FamilyLife Today, <\/em>PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR. The zip code is 72223.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way, when you make a donation today, we\u2019d like to send you, as a thank-you gift, Dennis and Barbara Rainey\u2019s book, <em>Two Hearts Praying as One. <\/em>It\u2019s our way of saying, \u201cThank you for your support of this ministry,\u201d and our way of helping you get ready for the 30-day Oneness Prayer Challenge as we launch it next week. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we are going to hear from Alex Kendrick again, along with his brother, Stephen, and from T.C. Stallings, who is the star of the new movie, <em>War Room, <\/em>that\u2019s opening in theaters tomorrow night. Michael Jr. will also join us\u2014he has a role in the movie as well. I hope you can tune in as we talk about the theme of the movie and talk about prayer.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2015 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/303634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303634"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=303634"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=303634"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=303634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}