Dharius Daniels - I Didn't Know This Could Do That

I want to talk about this subject: family. I didn’t know this could do that! Clap your hands if you’re ready for God’s word, everybody! I didn’t know this could do that on the day. I want to continue our series of sermons that we’ve entitled «Cheat Code, » and for the purpose of today’s preaching presentation, I want to give you a working definition of what I mean when I say «cheat code.» A cheat code, ladies and gentlemen, can be defined as a practice that you engage in privately. It’s not going to be on the screens; I just got this on my way to church today. Here it is: it is a practice you engage in privately that improves your results publicly. Come on! It is a practice you engage in privately that improves your results publicly. It’s something you do that people can’t see that creates the outcomes they can see. It’s something you do, listen to me, that people don’t know about that produces and creates the things that they do know about. It’s a cheat code. And the cheat code, ladies and gentlemen, for the Christian, we told you this last week, is prayer. We gave you a working definition of prayer; we said prayer is oral, mental, or written communication with God the Father in the name of Jesus the Son, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. I’m directing my prayers to the person Jesus directed his prayers to—the Father—but I am bringing my prayers in the name of my high priest, who is Jesus. Because when I use his name, when I name-drop his name, it is the equivalent of Jesus going to the Father saying, «Do it for me.» Did you hear what I just said? But I do it with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and this is not just the Holy Spirit praying through us with an unintelligible tongue (glossolalia); that’s not all it is. It is also the Holy Spirit prompting us in terms of what we need to pray for in our understanding. It is the Holy Spirit saying, «You know not how to pray as you ought.» There are some things, He said, come on, there are some things you don’t know to ask for because you don’t know they need to be asked for. So I’m going to put certain things and certain people on your heart, and I’m going to prompt you to ask me for this. And God never asks you to ask Him for something He doesn’t want to do. I’m going to say that again, 11:30. I said, God never asks you to ask Him for something He doesn’t want to do. And I want to know, am I talking to anybody that is audacious enough to say, «God, you don’t have to tell me twice. If you tell me to ask, I’m— as a matter of fact, you have to tell me to stop asking, because you told me asking, and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened.» You told me I have not because I asked not, so my asking is my business; your will is your business. So I’m going to ask you for whatever I want, and I’m going to let you determine whether or not it’s in your will, because if I don’t have it, it will not be because I didn’t ask for it. If I don’t have it, it will be because it was not your will for me. I’m asking because I not only come here, I not only trust your yeses—where’s my 11:30? I’m asking because I’m trusting your noes, because your no is never rejection. Your no is protection, and your no is redirection. I know we’ve learned how to praise God for the yeses; I’m looking for a remnant in the 11:30 today that will look back over your life and say, «Let me praise Him for the noes. Let me praise Him for the stuff that I thought I wanted, and now I look back at it and say, 'I’m so glad you did not answer that prayer.' I’m so glad! Thank you for the noes. I cried about it, but thank you for it. I was upset about it, but thank you for it. I doubted some things, but thank you for it. I was agitated, but thank you for it. I didn’t understand it then, but oh, I thank you for it. I thought it was a breakdown; now I see it was a breakthrough. I thought it was a breakup; now I see it was a come-up. Somebody thank Him for the noes! It’s the cheat code.» It’s based on the revelation that God—that there will not be some intervention without an invitation—that God is the ultimate expression of a gentleman. He’s a shepherd; He will not force Himself where He is uninvited. He won’t even force salvation on people. He said, «I died to give it to you, but I will not force it on you.» This is why eternal life—you know, people talk about eternal life and eternal differentiation, meaning there’s life after this life, and then people have two different eternal experiences. That’s eternal differentiation. God’s like, «Why would I force somebody to be with me eternally when they don’t want to be with me temporarily?» You see, I’m just giving them what they want. I gave you the right to choose. So He says, «There are some areas I won’t come into unless I’m invited. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man open, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me.» So prayer is an invitation for God’s intervention in your situation. Prayer is an acknowledgment of your own limitations…