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[00:00]
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Foreign.
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Good morning. Good morning, Sower Nation. It is Monday, August 10th, in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm John David Walt. This is your wake up call. So great to be back. Appreciated Luann and Bethany from last week for a wonderful week in James. Wow. We're ready to dive into a new miniseries this week. And then I got two special guests coming over the next two weeks in August after this one, Lo Oliman and Matt Leroy. You'll be hearing more about them. And then we're back with the marathon, the super marathon of Romans starting August 31st, I think all the way through 1st of December. We got a big fall ahead. Start praying, start inviting people. You might want to grab that Romans book. We'll put the link. We'll put the links. We got a meeting with Jesus today. It's Monday. We got to win the week by winning today, by winning this morning. So wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. And we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today's entry is entitled Right here, right now, thanks to the name of the little book I wrote on prayer that it's called Moving from a Prayer Life to a Life of Prayer. I'm pulling five of the early entries of this book. It's one of my favorite books, maybe my favorite, but it's just what the Lord's been teaching me on prayer. So our text Today, Acts, chapter one, verses four through 11. We're still in these days of Pentecost, of course. This is the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. Hear now the word of the Lord. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift, the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked him, lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before Their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus who's been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. The word of the Lord. Wow. All right, we're diving in. This is big stuff. This is what I consider to be the stage setting text for New Testament prayer. Now consider this. As I begin this series on prayer, I want you, the reader, the listener, to know I wrote this on a Thursday, exactly 40 days after the day of the of Resurrection. In other words, I wrote it on the day of the ascension of Jesus Christ. Whenever it is that you're happened to be. Starting today, of course, it's August 10th. It bears noting that the major concerted movement of prayer in the New Testament began on this day, the day of Ascension. On this day following Jesus Ascension, the disciples there were 120 of them at least on this occasion. They joined together in the upper room and they met constantly in prayer until the day of Pentecost would have been 10 days later, the 50th day after Easter. On the day of Pentecost, we received the Holy Spirit, who would become the inspiration and source of our praying. The secret of prayer, however, takes us back to the Ascension, which may be the most overlooked event in the history of history. As we say in the great Creed of the Apostles, he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. I love how my friend Timothy Tennant puts it. He said Jesus did not just ascend from here to there because he ascended into the heavens. He ascended from here to everywhere. This is perhaps the first and most important teaching on prayer. We aren't sending our prayers somewhere up there. We're speaking directly and immediately to the risen Son of God. Though unseen to the naked eye, he is right here, right now. Jesus is not with us in the sense that someone who can't come to our birthday party says they'll be with us in spirit. No, that's not how he's with us. He's not with us in spirit, but in person, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The great commission Jesus gave his disciples ends with these words, and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. That's Matthew 28:20. By this he did not mean I'll be pulling for you in heaven. No, he meant with you. In fact, this is the very meaning of his name, Emmanuel. God with us. The ascension of Jesus mysteriously means two completely different things all at the same time. Number one, he is high and lifted up. Number two, he is nearer than our breath. This makes prayer in the name of Jesus far more than the expression of human longing. Jesus raises prayer to the level of participation in the unfolding of the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. The ascension of Jesus Christ makes Christian prayer possible. To pray as a Christian does not mean I'll be thinking about you as well. Meaning people are prone to say when our life goes off the rails, it does not mean we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. As the anchor person on the evening news casually repeats in the wake of unthinkable tragedy. To pray as a Christian means immediacy of access to Jesus, who is right here, right now. I want you to deeply ponder these four words right here, right now. They are the foundation on which everything else we'll discuss concerning prayer stands right here, right now. Most people wait until the end of their life to finally discover this ultimate reality. I want you to discover it now. Say it with me right here, right now, Jesus. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, you are right here, right now. Even as I pray these words, I am aware. I believe it more than I know it. I'm ready to confess that I don't know what I don't know. Would you open the eyes of my heart that I might know you all at once, high and exalted, yet nearer than my breath? Right here, Jesus. Right now, Jesus. Amen. Our journal prompts today. In your prayer life, do you tend to think of God as being somewhere out there or as being immediately present? Do you find it easy or difficult to live in the awareness of Jesus real presence with you right here and right now? Last question. If Jesus really is right here, right now, wouldn't you want to grow more and more aware and attuned to this fact? And what might that require on your part? Well, we're going to sing here in a minute. Dad's here. It's going to be so good. And I love having him here as a part of this. I'm starting to think I'm the one who's really a part of it, that he's the real. He's the real main thing. I learned something from you. Every time we sit together here at this table, I just want to go back and, and just to. To. To say this word. To pray as a Christian means immediacy. Of access to Jesus, who is right here, right now. I can't say that clear enough. This is, this is what it means to wake up. Okay? I mean, it's taken, it's taken me too long to wake up, guys, but I'm starting to wake up. You know, I often say the greatest impediment to my own awakening is I'm pretty sure I'm already awake. Like, I. I don't know what, I don't know. And I'm Jesus. I just, I can say. A lot of time in my past, I've believed in him, but he's kind of been out there or over there or up there. And I'm just learning. When I say he's right here and right now, I don't mean like right standing beside me. I mean core. This is Paul's, Paul's message over and over. Christ in you. That's the secret. I gotta stop. I can go on. And we will. We're gonna have a whole week this week together on prayer. This is the beginning. I'm going to hand it over to dad right now and we're going to sing. All right, everybody. I know we've, we've given them a week off and we sure appreciated Luann and Bethany leading us last week, but now we're bringing back. I mean, I'm probably the B team, but this is the A team. Okay.
[14:39]
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He really wants me to sing, doesn't he?
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We're going to sing today. We're. We're doing this little dad. We're in the midst of a five day miniseries on prayer. And I thought, you know, today would be a great day. Last week, you and I, I just remember us, I was asking you, I said, dad, you know, how can people pray for you? And you said, well, pray for me last, which was amazing. And, and then at the end you came back around and said, you know, I just pray for me to be a better Christian.
[15:24]
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Amen.
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And I thought, same, same here. And do you know the way to be a better Christian is first of all to want it. To want it, to want it and to let Jesus know that you want it because he can handle it. He will make us a better Christian because we're going to let go of ourself and we're going to take hold of him.
[15:55]
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Amen.
[15:55]
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And that's what prayer leads us into that place of, let's call it exchange, where we let go of ourself and we take hold of our life, who is Jesus himself.
[16:09]
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Amen.
[16:10]
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So there's a great Song. Tell them what we're going to sing today.
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We're going to sing Lord, I Want to be a Christian. And it's on page 611 in the book.
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I got six, one, one.
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But that's an old song yet. I mean, this. In every hymn book that's ever been written.
[16:29]
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It's kind of a spiritual song. And we're going to sing all four verses and the chorus. This is a song that's filled with longing, and you're. You're just singing out to Jesus. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart yeah I want to be more loving.
[16:50]
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Right.
[16:51]
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I want to be more holy. I want to be like Jesus.
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Amen.
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And I just want to encourage you to. As you join us today, this is one you can even just pick up without even a book. And I want you to let your heart sing this song to God. Okay? You want to do that?
[17:17]
A
And he would. He would really appreciate that.
[17:20]
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I feel like the Lord searches to and fro. He's just looking for people who actually aren't going through the motions. They're not just singing songs. They're lifting the longings of their heart to him. He's like, there. I see that. I see them. And that's what I'm looking for. All right, you ready?
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Yeah.
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Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart in my heart Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart in my heart, in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more Christian in my heart Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart Last verse. Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart in my heart, in my heart in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more Jesus in my heart Amen.
[20:09]
B
You know, the secret to being more like Jesus isn't trying harder, is trusting more. It's saying, well, Colossians 1, I believe 27 puts it like this. The secret is simply this. I learned this from Maxi. Christ in you. It's Jesus in you that makes you more like him. And so, you know, that's a different way of thinking about it. There's another way of thinking about it that's just striving and constantly being down on yourself and thinking you should do more and just kind of self shaming
[20:58]
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and we don't need that.
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B
That doesn't work. It doesn't work. You, you you want to get Jesus in your heart
[21:09]
A
and you will change
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100% just by virtue of him being there. You, you're the lights will turn on.
[21:18]
A
Yeah. Things will come to to you to say and they'll come to you in things not to say.
[21:27]
B
You just know. Well everybody, it's time to this is Monday and we got to get out on the fields and sow the love of Jesus everywhere we go with everyone we meet today.
[21:39]
C
That's right.
[21:40]
B
So get your seeds, you're ready because Jesus is ready and it's going to be another day of following him. So for The Awakening, I'm J.D. walt.
[21:53]
C
And I'm David Walt. We'll see you on the field.

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: The Wake-Up Call

Episode: Right Here. Right Now.
Host: John David Walt (and guest: David Walt)
Date: August 10, 2026

Overview

This episode kicks off a five-day miniseries on prayer, focusing on the profound reality of Jesus’s presence: “right here, right now.” John David Walt invites listeners to move from having a “prayer life” to living a “life of prayer,” grounding this transformation in the scriptural event of Jesus’s Ascension (Acts 1:4–11). The episode explores the direct, immediate access believers have to Christ through prayer—not a distant hope, but a present, vibrant relationship. The session concludes with communal singing and practical reflection questions, encouraging listeners to embrace Jesus’s continual presence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Series Introduction

Host transitions from previous week’s guests to his own teaching
- Expresses gratitude for Luann and Bethany and previews upcoming guests and the "super marathon" on Romans in the fall.
Prayerful call to start the week intentionally with Christ
- “We got to win the week by winning today, by winning this morning.”
- (01:13 – 01:30)

2. Foundation in Scripture: The Ascension and Prayer

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:4-11
- Jesus commands his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the “gift” (the Holy Spirit).
- Emphasizes how the ascension is the overlooked turning point for New Testament prayer.
Crucial Context
- The episode was written on the day that marks Jesus’s ascension (40 days after Resurrection).
- “The major concerted movement of prayer in the New Testament began on this day, the day of Ascension.”
- (04:56 – 06:11)

3. The Presence of Jesus: ‘Right Here, Right Now’

Core Teaching: Jesus’s Immediacy
- Praying is not sending words to a distant God, but connecting directly and immediately to the risen Christ.
- Memorable Quote:
  
  “We aren’t sending our prayers somewhere up there. We're speaking directly and immediately to the risen Son of God. Though unseen to the naked eye, he is right here, right now.”
  (07:57 – 08:20, J.D. Walt)
Distinction:
- Jesus isn’t just “with us in spirit” as a kind of consolation; he’s present in person by the Holy Spirit.
- Reference to Matthew 28:20: “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”
Quote from Timothy Tennant:
- “Jesus did not just ascend from here to there because he ascended into the heavens. He ascended from here to everywhere.”
  (06:50 – 07:00)

4. Theological Implications: High and Lifted Up, Yet Intimately Near

Dual Reality:
- The Ascension means Jesus is both exalted (“high and lifted up”) and “nearer than our breath.”
- “The ascension of Jesus mysteriously means two completely different things… #1, he is high and lifted up. #2, he is nearer than our breath.”
  (09:20 – 09:40)
Impact on Prayer:
- Christian prayer isn’t mere wishful thinking or positive sentiment—it’s participation in the will of God on earth.
- “To pray as a Christian means immediacy of access to Jesus, who is right here, right now.”
  (10:50, J.D. Walt)

5. The Transforming Awareness: Awakening to Jesus’s Presence

Personal Confession:
- “I often say the greatest impediment to my own awakening is I’m pretty sure I’m already awake.”
  (12:40, J.D. Walt)
Invitation:
- “Most people wait until the end of their life to finally discover this ultimate reality. I want you to discover it now.”
  (10:20 – 10:30)
Summary Quote:
- “When I say He’s right here and right now, I don’t mean like right standing beside me. I mean core… Christ in you. That’s the secret.”
  (13:40 – 13:50, J.D. Walt)

6. Reflection and Prayer Prompts

Practical questions for listeners:
- Is God “out there” to you, or immediately present?
- Is it easy or difficult to live with awareness of Jesus’s presence?
- If Jesus really is right here, right now, what might it require to become more aware of it? (11:52 – 12:30)

7. Song and Worship: “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”

Transition to singing with David Walt (“Dad”)
- Discussion about longing to truly become a better Christian—not by trying harder, but by wanting it and trusting Jesus to transform.
- “The way to be a better Christian is first of all to want it…Let go of ourself and take hold of him. That’s what prayer leads us into—let go of ourself and take hold of our life, who is Jesus.”
  (15:25 – 15:55, J.D. Walt)
Song Lyrics Emphasize:
- Wanting to be a Christian, more loving, more holy, more like Jesus—in the heart.

8. Final Reflections: Secret of Christlikeness

Notable Quote:
- “The secret to being more like Jesus isn’t trying harder, it’s trusting more…Christ in you. It’s Jesus in you that makes you more like him.”
  (20:08 – 20:40, J.D. Walt)
Contrast:
- Striving and self-shaming doesn’t work; “you want to get Jesus in your heart and you will change 100%, just by virtue of him being there. Your lights will turn on.” (21:00 – 21:18, J.D. Walt and David Walt)

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

“We aren’t sending our prayers somewhere up there. We’re speaking directly and immediately to the risen Son of God. Though unseen to the naked eye, he is right here, right now.”
– J.D. Walt (07:57)
“To pray as a Christian means immediacy of access to Jesus, who is right here, right now.”
– J.D. Walt (10:50)
“The ascension of Jesus mysteriously means two completely different things…He is high and lifted up. He is nearer than our breath.”
– J.D. Walt (09:20 – 09:40)
“The secret to being more like Jesus isn’t trying harder, it’s trusting more...Christ in you. It’s Jesus in you that makes you more like him.”
– J.D. Walt (20:08 – 20:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:04 – Opening, series preview, prayer to begin the week
02:45 – Acts 1:4-11 reading
06:11 – Theological reflection on the Ascension’s link to prayer
07:57 – Direct access to Jesus explained
09:20 – The paradox of the Ascension (exalted yet near)
10:50 – On immediacy in Christian prayer
11:52 – Reflection questions for listeners
14:39 – Introduction of David Walt, transition to singing
16:13 – Singing “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”
20:08 – Reflection on being like Jesus: not by effort but trust
21:39 – Final encouragement to “sow the love of Jesus”

Tone and Language

The episode is warm, pastoral, and candid—blending deep theological insights with practical, heartfelt invitation. The language is plain and encouraging, with thoughtful reflection, gentle exhortation, and authentic vulnerability.

Summary

This foundational episode of The Wake-Up Call’s prayer mini-series centers on the astonishing nearness of Jesus, made possible by his ascension: Christ is “right here, right now.” By moving from a distant notion of God to an immediate, participatory relationship, believers are awakened to the transforming presence of Christ in daily life. The hosts reinforce that Christian growth comes not from harder striving, but from deeper trust and openness to Christ within. Through reflection, prayer, song, and practical prompts, listeners are invited to freshly reorient their lives around the loving presence of Jesus—beginning today.

Loading summary

Transcript32 lines

[00:00]
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Foreign.
[00:05]
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Good morning. Good morning, Sower Nation. It is Monday, August 10th, in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm John David Walt. This is your wake up call. So great to be back. Appreciated Luann and Bethany from last week for a wonderful week in James. Wow. We're ready to dive into a new miniseries this week. And then I got two special guests coming over the next two weeks in August after this one, Lo Oliman and Matt Leroy. You'll be hearing more about them. And then we're back with the marathon, the super marathon of Romans starting August 31st, I think all the way through 1st of December. We got a big fall ahead. Start praying, start inviting people. You might want to grab that Romans book. We'll put the link. We'll put the links. We got a meeting with Jesus today. It's Monday. We got to win the week by winning today, by winning this morning. So wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. And we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today's entry is entitled Right here, right now, thanks to the name of the little book I wrote on prayer that it's called Moving from a Prayer Life to a Life of Prayer. I'm pulling five of the early entries of this book. It's one of my favorite books, maybe my favorite, but it's just what the Lord's been teaching me on prayer. So our text Today, Acts, chapter one, verses four through 11. We're still in these days of Pentecost, of course. This is the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. Hear now the word of the Lord. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift, the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked him, lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before Their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus who's been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. The word of the Lord. Wow. All right, we're diving in. This is big stuff. This is what I consider to be the stage setting text for New Testament prayer. Now consider this. As I begin this series on prayer, I want you, the reader, the listener, to know I wrote this on a Thursday, exactly 40 days after the day of the of Resurrection. In other words, I wrote it on the day of the ascension of Jesus Christ. Whenever it is that you're happened to be. Starting today, of course, it's August 10th. It bears noting that the major concerted movement of prayer in the New Testament began on this day, the day of Ascension. On this day following Jesus Ascension, the disciples there were 120 of them at least on this occasion. They joined together in the upper room and they met constantly in prayer until the day of Pentecost would have been 10 days later, the 50th day after Easter. On the day of Pentecost, we received the Holy Spirit, who would become the inspiration and source of our praying. The secret of prayer, however, takes us back to the Ascension, which may be the most overlooked event in the history of history. As we say in the great Creed of the Apostles, he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. I love how my friend Timothy Tennant puts it. He said Jesus did not just ascend from here to there because he ascended into the heavens. He ascended from here to everywhere. This is perhaps the first and most important teaching on prayer. We aren't sending our prayers somewhere up there. We're speaking directly and immediately to the risen Son of God. Though unseen to the naked eye, he is right here, right now. Jesus is not with us in the sense that someone who can't come to our birthday party says they'll be with us in spirit. No, that's not how he's with us. He's not with us in spirit, but in person, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The great commission Jesus gave his disciples ends with these words, and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. That's Matthew 28:20. By this he did not mean I'll be pulling for you in heaven. No, he meant with you. In fact, this is the very meaning of his name, Emmanuel. God with us. The ascension of Jesus mysteriously means two completely different things all at the same time. Number one, he is high and lifted up. Number two, he is nearer than our breath. This makes prayer in the name of Jesus far more than the expression of human longing. Jesus raises prayer to the level of participation in the unfolding of the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. The ascension of Jesus Christ makes Christian prayer possible. To pray as a Christian does not mean I'll be thinking about you as well. Meaning people are prone to say when our life goes off the rails, it does not mean we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. As the anchor person on the evening news casually repeats in the wake of unthinkable tragedy. To pray as a Christian means immediacy of access to Jesus, who is right here, right now. I want you to deeply ponder these four words right here, right now. They are the foundation on which everything else we'll discuss concerning prayer stands right here, right now. Most people wait until the end of their life to finally discover this ultimate reality. I want you to discover it now. Say it with me right here, right now, Jesus. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, you are right here, right now. Even as I pray these words, I am aware. I believe it more than I know it. I'm ready to confess that I don't know what I don't know. Would you open the eyes of my heart that I might know you all at once, high and exalted, yet nearer than my breath? Right here, Jesus. Right now, Jesus. Amen. Our journal prompts today. In your prayer life, do you tend to think of God as being somewhere out there or as being immediately present? Do you find it easy or difficult to live in the awareness of Jesus real presence with you right here and right now? Last question. If Jesus really is right here, right now, wouldn't you want to grow more and more aware and attuned to this fact? And what might that require on your part? Well, we're going to sing here in a minute. Dad's here. It's going to be so good. And I love having him here as a part of this. I'm starting to think I'm the one who's really a part of it, that he's the real. He's the real main thing. I learned something from you. Every time we sit together here at this table, I just want to go back and, and just to. To. To say this word. To pray as a Christian means immediacy. Of access to Jesus, who is right here, right now. I can't say that clear enough. This is, this is what it means to wake up. Okay? I mean, it's taken, it's taken me too long to wake up, guys, but I'm starting to wake up. You know, I often say the greatest impediment to my own awakening is I'm pretty sure I'm already awake. Like, I. I don't know what, I don't know. And I'm Jesus. I just, I can say. A lot of time in my past, I've believed in him, but he's kind of been out there or over there or up there. And I'm just learning. When I say he's right here and right now, I don't mean like right standing beside me. I mean core. This is Paul's, Paul's message over and over. Christ in you. That's the secret. I gotta stop. I can go on. And we will. We're gonna have a whole week this week together on prayer. This is the beginning. I'm going to hand it over to dad right now and we're going to sing. All right, everybody. I know we've, we've given them a week off and we sure appreciated Luann and Bethany leading us last week, but now we're bringing back. I mean, I'm probably the B team, but this is the A team. Okay.
[14:39]
A
He really wants me to sing, doesn't he?
[14:42]
B
We're going to sing today. We're. We're doing this little dad. We're in the midst of a five day miniseries on prayer. And I thought, you know, today would be a great day. Last week, you and I, I just remember us, I was asking you, I said, dad, you know, how can people pray for you? And you said, well, pray for me last, which was amazing. And, and then at the end you came back around and said, you know, I just pray for me to be a better Christian.
[15:24]
A
Amen.
[15:25]
B
And I thought, same, same here. And do you know the way to be a better Christian is first of all to want it. To want it, to want it and to let Jesus know that you want it because he can handle it. He will make us a better Christian because we're going to let go of ourself and we're going to take hold of him.
[15:55]
A
Amen.
[15:55]
B
And that's what prayer leads us into that place of, let's call it exchange, where we let go of ourself and we take hold of our life, who is Jesus himself.
[16:09]
A
Amen.
[16:10]
B
So there's a great Song. Tell them what we're going to sing today.
[16:14]
A
We're going to sing Lord, I Want to be a Christian. And it's on page 611 in the book.
[16:21]
B
I got six, one, one.
[16:24]
A
But that's an old song yet. I mean, this. In every hymn book that's ever been written.
[16:29]
B
It's kind of a spiritual song. And we're going to sing all four verses and the chorus. This is a song that's filled with longing, and you're. You're just singing out to Jesus. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart yeah I want to be more loving.
[16:50]
A
Right.
[16:51]
B
I want to be more holy. I want to be like Jesus.
[16:58]
A
Amen.
[17:00]
B
And I just want to encourage you to. As you join us today, this is one you can even just pick up without even a book. And I want you to let your heart sing this song to God. Okay? You want to do that?
[17:17]
A
And he would. He would really appreciate that.
[17:20]
B
I feel like the Lord searches to and fro. He's just looking for people who actually aren't going through the motions. They're not just singing songs. They're lifting the longings of their heart to him. He's like, there. I see that. I see them. And that's what I'm looking for. All right, you ready?
[17:40]
A
Yeah.
[17:41]
C
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart in my heart Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart in my heart, in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more Christian in my heart Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart Last verse. Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart in my heart, in my heart in my heart, in my heart Lord, I want to be more Jesus in my heart Amen.
[20:09]
B
You know, the secret to being more like Jesus isn't trying harder, is trusting more. It's saying, well, Colossians 1, I believe 27 puts it like this. The secret is simply this. I learned this from Maxi. Christ in you. It's Jesus in you that makes you more like him. And so, you know, that's a different way of thinking about it. There's another way of thinking about it that's just striving and constantly being down on yourself and thinking you should do more and just kind of self shaming
[20:58]
A
and we don't need that.
[21:00]
B
That doesn't work. It doesn't work. You, you you want to get Jesus in your heart
[21:09]
A
and you will change
[21:12]
B
100% just by virtue of him being there. You, you're the lights will turn on.
[21:18]
A
Yeah. Things will come to to you to say and they'll come to you in things not to say.
[21:27]
B
You just know. Well everybody, it's time to this is Monday and we got to get out on the fields and sow the love of Jesus everywhere we go with everyone we meet today.
[21:39]
C
That's right.
[21:40]
B
So get your seeds, you're ready because Jesus is ready and it's going to be another day of following him. So for The Awakening, I'm J.D. walt.
[21:53]
C
And I'm David Walt. We'll see you on the field.