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Covenant Diaries| Season 1 Episode 7| Intimacy with God: Transparency, Accountability and Vulnerability
17 Plays1 year ago
In this episode, we discuss a few significant ingredients to maintaining intimacy with God.
Recommended
Transcript
Welcome and Gratitude
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Rebecca and welcome to our another episode with covenant diaries how are you guys doing how y'all doing it's us here again Becky and rachel With yet another episode for you.
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Well, to the real, the real OGs out here who have been here with us from the start. Thank you. God bless you. And if you're joining us for the first time, welcome, welcome, welcome.
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God bless you all for tuning in.
Episode Intentions and Faith Guide
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We're not going to...
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I wouldn't say, you know what, would rather not make that promise because every time that I say that we're going to keep it brief, we end up running an hour episode. but But we're just going to go with our itinerary and see where the Lord leads.
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But thank you again for tuning in with us. I hope you guys are doing well. I know it's been a lot going on. There's a lot going on in the world and Like really, I hope that you guys are hanging on to Jesus and you're you're staying strong.
Global Challenges and Faith
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It's a trying time and things are things are difficult, you know. Just checking in on you guys to know that you're doing well and everything is going well.
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without further ado, I'd love to introduce another special guest. my I ride or die? You you already told him I was joining you. so much Anyways. i mean This episode cannot start without me introducing my lovely
Introduction of Special Guest
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sister.
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Rebecca!
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you You know, you actually introduced me in the start because you said it's going to be me and my sister. Yeah, but that's the first part of the introduction. And the second part is an official introduction.
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Then my beloved sister is here with me. Oh, my gosh. Anyways. It's been a while. I feel like every time that we're recording in in bulk, like we take a little break and then we'll come back again. But it's it's good to be back recording again. Absolutely good to be back to recording.
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Today we're going to be talking about a very particular topic that is so, so close to my heart.
Intimacy with God
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It's something that has been transformational in my journey with God.
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It's something that I consider very significant in having a successful relationship, a productive relationship, and a fruitful relationship with God.
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i' I don't know that it's been emphasized enough, but I think that without these, there no how you can survive in your walk with God.
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Well, I don't know how everyone else are doing it. Well, if anyone else is doing, however, they're running their relationship with God and they're not growing, most likely it's because they're not applying these principles.
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You know, when God calls us and saves us from sin, God is a God of relationship. He's very and you're interested in relationship. When He created man, the first man, Adam in the Garden of Eden, He created man and imparted His spirit, His breath into man because He wanted man to be a living being that would communicate with Him that would talk with Him that He can bond with.
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Of course God can survive without human beings. Or we're not there to validate God's presence. Or like validate His personhood. But it's just like God has so much love to give out.
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And He cherishes that relationship with us as as our father and as our creator. And what we would like to share today with you guys is something that we found beneficial that has really helped our walk God significantly.
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i would say this real quick before we
Personal Faith Journeys
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start. When I give my life to Christ, right, I'm
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I had this initial phase. Well, when you do give your life to Christ, you you you're in that baby stage. You're developing. You're getting to know God. And you're getting to really reconcile with him. And you don't really know a lot.
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But eventually, as I grew... in my walk with God, I realized that I can't stay in the baby stage anymore.
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I felt like something was stagnant in my relationship with God. I felt like I was not progressing. I didn't feel any closeness to God and I didn't feel like there was something there in my relationship with God. Now, why is that?
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I felt like at some point, After I gave my life to Christ, I felt like I was doing things on autopilot, if that makes sense. You know, when you're driving and you know the location to where you're going, your brain automatically registers those locations that the first thing that you do when you go into that car, your brain just automatically switches into automatic gear to like just take you to that.
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constant or familiar location that you're used to.
Genuine Intimacy vs Routine Observance
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I've experienced that sometimes that I i drive to school. I drive to school or I drive to work a lot. And on a regular day when I'm not supposed to go to work, my brain automatically takes me to that route of work. I'm like, wait, I'm not going to work today. I'm going somewhere else.
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That's because my brain has been wired to constantly. of It's been so second nature nature to me to just go down that part to work. Now, I kind of was experiencing that in my relationship with God where was just doing things in a routine, not because I was really connected to God, but because, you know, I've been told that like a Christian life involves praying, involves worshiping, involves serving God and all of that. So I was kind of doing things from a place of
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trying to please God or religiously doing things. Let me use the word doing things religiously without having that connection or intimacy with God. And for a long time, I wondered why i felt something was missing. I was wondering why, i mean, I'm doing everything that I need to do as a Christian, right?
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I'm going to church, fellowshipping with God's people. I'm doing that in repeat 24 hours, 24 hours twenty four hours a day seven days a week or whatever, whatever time that we had weekly activities, I was there, I was doing everything that I needed to do as a Christian or someone who was, you know, found faith in God.
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But I still felt empty, like not empty in the sense that I didn't know God, but more like I didn't have that connection with God until one time I heard someone preached about intimacy with God.
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I was like, what does that even mean? how does how How does God want to be intimate with us? How does He like, what does that even entail?
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In my curious mind, I listen further and I'm going to share with you what I've heard and what has been backed up by scripture.
Transparency in Prayer
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And I'm praying and hoping that whatever we say today would be beneficial to you. So we're going to go down straight to what exactly heard that transformed my mind, that transformed my heart to take me deeper with God, that really shifted a whole new dimension in my walk with God, that brought me closer to God.
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Intimacy. involves transparency and vulnerability with God without being transparent without being vulnerable with God I don't I don't see i don't see that there is a way to be any more intimate with God than being open In human terms though or in human understanding, sometimes we view intimacy as being so connected with someone or to some of us or like for people who are married when they're naked before each other.
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And that's a type of intimacy because all their vulnerability and everything is out to the next partner. And part of it, they're feeling, well, to those who are newly married, they feel shy of exposing their nakedness to their their spouse because, I mean, they don't know what they
The Concept of a 'Naked Heart'
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would think about them. But over time, as the as married couples live with each other for a longer time, they become more comfortable and they become more...
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confident in their own skin because the other partner has over time appreciated them and they feel more comfortable around them because they don't feel judged or they don't feel criticized for what they look like. They felt that sense of acceptance in what they look like and what they are.
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For us as Christians, our intimacy or nakedness before God is having heart naked before him, open before him.
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Now, you may wonder, what does that really look like?
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Before God, having a naked heart means that you're open to God. You're constantly telling him what you're feeling in your heart.
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you're owning up to your mistakes. You're owning up to your sins that you've committed. Everything that yourre youre you're doing or the way you're feeling in every moment, you're constantly talking with him.
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And that part of talking with him is also so prayer. Because some of us think that we have to wait for a certain time or a certain part, a certain a certain place to be able to pray to God.
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But that constant communication that you're having with God is also a form of prayer. You telling God how you feel when someone says something that hurts your feeling.
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You telling Him that, Lord, I know that you said in your word that anyone who hates his brother or who hates his sister is a murderer. But right now, what my friend said to me, what my sibling said to me what my parents said to me, really hurt my feeling.
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And it's making me feel like hating them. But I can't do that because that's not in line with your word. But I'm praying that you would help me love them through their weaknesses and through however they make me feel.
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But showing them so much love just as you love me and being merciful. Help me to do that, Lord. You acknowledging that weakness. You acknowledging How you're feeling.
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It's not that God doesn't already know. He already knows. Right. God already knows who you are. And what you're feeling at the moment. But you accepting
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And taking responsibility and accountability to what you're feeling and asking Him for help in response to what you're feeling. That shows to God that you really value or you
Confession and Accountability
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you really recognize His place in your life and you're not trying to do things on your own you're trying to feel like oh I got this when you don't got nothing you're trying to feel like oh I don't want God to see this part of me because He wants me to be a perfect child but I'm not so I can't tell Him this because then He's gonna He's gonna be so disappointed at me He already knows what you're going through in your heart he already knows the wickedness and the sinful thoughts in your heart
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Nothing. There's no sin. there There's nothing that you've done. Or would do that would ever. Scare Him away. Or that would surprise Him Because He already knows you from the end from the beginning to the end.
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But you coming and. Being transparent with Him Is telling Him that.
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I'm leaving my ego out of this. And I really am submitting to your will. I don't want to take things under control. i don't want to have things under control, under my own control.
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When you've already controlled everything on the cross of Calvary. It's telling Him that you're recognizing the price that He's paid. You value what He's done for you. And you're reaching out to Him for help.
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is, is, is, it it feels different. It opens and unlocks a different level of openness and, and and transparency with him. Now, before I go into questions or concerns that people usually would have regarding intimacy and vulnerability. I wanted to ask if my sister Becky has anything to input on vulnerability and transparency with God.
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i mean, I literally feel like you've pretty much given an in-depth
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yeah you already gave like an in-depth of what that truly means. You know, you've given given a lot of, you've given a lot of details and you've actually explained it in a way that I would have.
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And to also add to that transparency, I also think is, you know, it's almost like,
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pretty much revealing hidden secrets. Coming to a place of transparency does not mean hiding things. It means being open, being accountable.
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You know, recognizing your character defects.
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It's not that God is not aware of them. God is definitely a aware of them, but He wants you to actually open your mouth and say something, you know, because when it comes from a place of willingness, it means that you truly want help.
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But if you come in acting like you don't have a problem, I mean, people always say, God already knows me. Why do I have to tell, Him you know, God? And it's it's like, okay, He already knows me. Like, well, why do I have to open my mouth to say something?
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yeah It simply means you don't really want help. So transparency is the willingness to want to be honest. I mean, it's a choice, right?
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It's an intentional thing that you have to do. Because the more open you are with God, you know the more deeper you get with Him in terms of a relationship. But the farther away you are from God, the farther away He will be from you.
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So transparency, yes, it is also an act of vulnerability.
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Right. Again, recognizing the defects that you have and letting him know that, hey, you know, I'm really struggling. I don't like what I'm seeing in me. Please help me. Change me.
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Even King David also recognizes his own character defects. You know, constantly. He's not perfect. He made a lot of mistakes. I mean, he really screwed up pretty bad.
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You know, he is a perfect example of what needs to be transparent and vulnerable with God. Yes. And he constantly, when he knows he did something wrong, he usually run back again to his altar and say, God, purge with hyssop
Transparency for Spiritual Growth
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yeah You know, he's constantly recognizing that's somebody who wants to grow with Christ. That's somebody who's consistently growing in Christ. When he recognizes faults, when recognizes mistakes, he ran back to God.
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Every time he did something, he ran back to God. I like that you mentioned the aspect of growth because and feel like without growth, without trans being transparent and vulnerable with God,
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you're going to still be stagnant as a Christian because you're not actively taking accountability for your weaknesses. You're not bringing them to God. I see it that every time that you bringing your weaknesses, owning up to your faults, mistakes to God and asking for help where your weaknesses and where your weaknesses are.
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I see it as you telling God to pour in water in your life and when we pour in water and add sunlight to a plant it grows and it blooms so you owning up to your fault is like you're telling God please water my life and make it beautiful So He's weeding out.
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You telling him that is making him weed out everything that is obstructing your growth as a Christian. Every thorns or every weeds.
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Weeds are unwanted plants, right? That does not allow the actual plants to grow. So what you're telling Him to do when you're being vulnerable to him is to weed out all those thorns and all those weeds that are not letting...
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your life that is like a plant to grow so He's weeding them out and he's pouring in water and He's adding his light the light of His glory and His countenance is shining on you and you're being revived and you're finding strength in Him because He's taking away those burdens and those obstacles and i'm right now i'm going to go into questions
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All right, so I'm going to start with the first question. So there's a question that that says, how do
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or what are the benefits of vulnerability in prayer and personal reflection? Hmm.
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Like I had mentioned initially, vulnerability in prayer, it opens up a doorway to closeness with God and a deeper understanding of our needs and desires.
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There's something I like to
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practice a lot in my walk with God, self-reflection. So that helps me in my self-reflection. I'm very... i i try by the grace of God to be very vulnerable with God where I'm at and where I want to go in line of his will for me.
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So it looks something like this. So there are times, for example, where you're is struggling with
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admitting your weaknesses because you feel that when you admit your weaknesses, you're It's going to make God love you less. If that makes sense.
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I would say
Vulnerability and God's Love
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that.
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When the enemy knows that you don't know who God is. Or you don't know the word of God. He capitalizes on that. To lie. impart a lot of. Like infuse a lot of lies to your mind.
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To make you not. To go deeper with God. So you can hear things in your mind that if you confess that weakness to God, it's going to make you feel like you're very dirty and God doesn't love dirty people.
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And you know, that's obviously a lie because God came to die for dirty people, sinful people. He didn't came for the righteous. He came for the sinners to die for them.
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to take the penalty for their sins so that when they believe in that sacrifice and that love, the act of love that He's shown to them, when they receive and believe him and acknowledge that they're sinners and they were died for, that acknowledgement and that believe in him
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would give them power to overcome their sins. And that lie that the enemy tells you that if you say too much about what you're struggling with or you tell God exactly how you feel, it's in it's it's going to push Him away from you. No.
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God loves you very much. And he knows what you are, who you are, and what you will become before He died for you.
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There's a scripture that I would like to read from. It's in Romans 8 verses 38. thirty eight I'm going to go straight to Romans 8.
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a
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Romans 8 verses 38.
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Sometimes I like to read from the New King James Version or the NLT, New Living Translation. But I'm going to read from the New King James today.
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Verses 38 it says, for I am persuaded that neither that nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Jesus our Lord.
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Now that gives us a clear picture that it doesn't matter how much dirty you are on the inside, how much of things or your sinful disposition that you've confessed to God.
Repentance and the Devil's Lies
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Those confessions you make to God rather draws you more closer to God. Because scripture says that God loves a contrite heart. I would get that scripture for us to see so you could also...
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look at it in your spare time
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so it's psalms 51 verses 17 we're gonna turn to psalms 51 verses 17 we're go to turn into psalms fifty one verse seventeen
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Just follow me, guys. and We're having a conversation here. I want to make sure that you understand and debunk all those lies that the enemy tells you that is inhibiting you from being intimate and close with God.
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In Psalms 51, verses 17, it says that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart.
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These, O God, you will not despise. Do you see that? Let me read that New Living Translation. Maybe that will be more clear.
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The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. So whenever you hear that lie from the devil that you're saying too much and your confession or account your you being accounting or accepting your faults and your weaknesses is going to push God away.
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Tell the devil or tell that voice, that demonic voice speaking to you that the sacrifice the Lord desire is a broken spirit and He will not reject a broken and repentant heart.
00:25:07
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Why the devil is telling you that is because the devil himself cannot repent.
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Yes, he believes that there is God. Obviously, he was there with God before he rebelled against God. But he cannot repent. And if it if it doesn't if he cannot repent and he's completely and forever doomed, guess what he's going to do?
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He's not going to want anyone to have that chance and opportunity that he had and he ruined himself. He knows what he saw in heaven and he knows what he missed in heaven.
00:25:43
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Do you think he's going to sit and fold his hands and let you take a step that he could not take because of his pride and because of his pompous nature?
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So what the devil is going to do is to make you belittle the intensity of the sin that you committed. Oh, it's nothing. Everyone does it.
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Why do you have to admit that that's your weakness? Why do you have to admit that to God? Everyone does that. You're not the first one who's done it.
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That's the lie the enemy is telling you because he does not want you to recognize your faults. And the more you keep listening to that voice, it would eventually sear your conscience.
Regular Confession's Benefits
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It would make you heart hardened that you don't recognize your faults.
00:26:32
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It's going to make your heart stronger and rebellious towards God. Because the moment that you do sin against God, no one can tell me that they don't know that what they're doing is wrong. Because your conscience always will tell you that what you're doing is wrong.
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Those who don't see anything wrong in what they're doing when they're sinning against God are those who have dead conscience.
00:26:59
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And having a dead conscience results from repeatedly repeatedly and consistently choosing not to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit or your conscience that is telling you that what you're doing is wrong.
00:27:17
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Everyone is born with that natural kind conscience that tells you, oh, even though you haven't heard the gospel, your conscience will tell you that, oh, what you did is wrong. But because you've trained and wired yourself and you've allowed your environment to control how you feel and how you act, that is why you're over time becoming more hard hearted towards God.
00:27:41
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So what vulnerability does is it would always, the more you're vulnerable and open to God, you're recognizing it's making your spirit, soul and body recognize that what you're labeling as wrong is wrong.
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And it's less likely that you'll be able to have the stamina to do it again because you've already confessed and told God that this is what you did and you're not happy with what you did.
00:28:07
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So you constantly being open to God and telling God that this is what I am. I would liken this to an example. I i would relate transparency to when you have a glass in front of you, a glass cup in front of you, and you can see through that glass, right?
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Because it's transparent.
00:28:28
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But if you have something inside of that glass cup let's say like a red a red a red drink or a red juice inside of it that cup is no longer transparent because something else is inside of it that is obstructing its transparency when you have sin in your life that is unconfessed it's not letting you be transparent before God The Lord is seeing that sin that is unconfessed. Every time that you come to Him He's seeing that unconfessed sin.
00:29:04
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So every time that you confess and acknowledge your weaknesses and repent of it, He cleanses away those debris, those things that is obstructing you from being transparent and clear before Him
00:29:17
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Because those who were who have that a clear heart, a clear conscience and a pure heart before God, those are the ones who would see God. Those are the ones, that's the church that the Lord Jesus is coming back for a holy church without spot or wrinkle who are cleansed and purified. That there is nothing in their spiritual life that is obstructing God or obstructing the presence of God.
00:29:45
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The more that you have things hidden inside of you and not confessing it to God, you're building up spiritual plague inside of you. You're building up spiritual dirt inside of you that would not allow the spirit of God to dwell in you.
00:29:59
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So confess those things to God, even if it's a weakness that you see yourself repeating over and over again and you do not have the power to overcome it.
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Let God know those weaknesses and Let God know I cannot overcome this. I have issues with this. I have issues with controlling my emotions, controlling my anger.
00:30:25
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Every littlest thing that gets under my skin, like I i explode. Let God know those things. And it's not just only telling God when.
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the deed has already been done. But when you're faced in that temptation, that immediacy of being accountable with that or Lord, I need your help for me to overcome this.
00:30:51
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For example, when you get triggers, when you're with someone who's constantly annoying you and is aggravating you, you actively comun communicate with communicating with God in that moment before you escalate.
00:31:05
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That is why it's good to have a constant open relationship with God where you're constantly talking to God. Because when you're getting those triggers, you can tell God, oh, look, father, I'm having these feelings. I'm having these thoughts. Like I know they're not in line with your will.
00:31:18
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If you don't help me now, I'm going to explode. I need your help to control this. I need your help to control these thoughts. I need your help to put all of this under subjection to your will. You're telling God ahead of time before you escalate into
00:31:33
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yielding to that sin you telling God ahead of time he would give you victory and He would intervene and empower you to overcome it so you do not fall into that temptation and then becca would you do you have an an and question and that you wanted to answer
00:31:56
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I do who is out to bring this thing close to my mouth. Cause the people want to hear you. You can't be far away from the mic. I'm trying to make sure that I don't unplug my phone. Sorry guys.
00:32:08
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The phone is charged. It's about to die. Okay. So is it possible to have accountability without complete transparency?
Divine Guidance for Self-Awareness
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I mean, before I even, and before i actually answered that question,
00:32:22
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Let's be real. Realistically speaking, most times we don't even know our weaknesses.
00:32:30
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Right. Sometimes we don't even know. Right. Only until we pray that God sheds light into those weaknesses that we can be able to come to him and confess about them.
00:32:44
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I'm so glad you brought that up. you know I didn't think about it that way. That's true because some of us, when we're coming from a background where we feel that something is so okay, we need a special lenses to see things differently.
00:32:57
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I'm so glad that you brought that up. That's why it's good to be in a good church that preaches the truth, that labels the sin as what it is and not belittle things and make it look like it's nothing before God.
00:33:10
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e sometimes yeah we might not even know that what we're doing is wrong i mean when when you know when i let me use myself as an example right so when i was living in sin right there were some some some behaviors right characteristics or character defect that i was you know i was demonstrating right because obviously when you're sin, you're in darkness. You cannot see anything, right? There is no reflection anywhere because everything about you is just dark, right? You can't even see anything.
00:33:44
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But, you know, when I gave my life to Christ, right, and then God shed light into my life, that's when you start having, you know, the sins of the spirit, right? That's what it's called, right? That's when you start recognizing, oh my goodness, I have to say that.
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I'm a gossip, right? I get so angry, right? Oh my gosh, I can't control my emotions because you've experienced light. And because God has brought that light, you are able to see that this is some of the things that you're struggling with.
00:34:17
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And then you can bring it to God and say, hey, daddy, Abba, right? So these are the things that I'm struggling with. I need help, right? Slay me, take this out from me.
00:34:30
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Right? So that these things will not impede my relationship with you. So yes, it's not every time that we know our weaknesses. It's not going to be every time that we but we recognize that we have weaknesses.
00:34:42
CODES
Right? Until God brings that clarity or bring that awareness, then we're like, oh my goodness, I am actually struggling with this. I didn't even know. Then we can bring it to God. Right?
00:34:53
CODES
And to answer the question, there is no way that you can be accountable without
Accountability and Transparency
00:34:57
CODES
being transparent. Right?
00:35:01
CODES
That's that's I'm speaking from my own perspective. You cannot be accountable without being transparent. I mean, think about couples who are about to get married, Christian couples, right?
00:35:13
CODES
They always emphasize that you need to have somebody that you're accountable to. right if you're not accountable to this person you can go ahead and do whatever you want but because you want to maintain you know a Godly relationship you want to please God in your relationship then you have to constantly let the pastor know hey this is what i did right how do i set boundaries right how do i do this how do i do that because you are transparent all right that's so true right So if you're not transparent, you will not be accountable to anybody. You can live your life anyhow. right
00:35:47
CODES
All Christians, right those who have an existing strong relationship with God, right have an accountability. We're accountable to God. That's so true. That's why we constantly always have to go to God for help. Always have to ask God, hey, what can I do? Please help me set boundaries. Please give me grace to do this. Please give me grace to do that.
00:36:08
CODES
We are definitely accountable to God. These are people who have a relationship with God. So there's no way that we, you know, part of our transparency is us being accountable, right? You cannot be accountable without being transparent with God.
00:36:26
CODES
And that goes into also, that's why I use that illustration as, you know, couples who are about to get married and, you know, you're courting or theyre in in a relationship. The emphasis is make sure that you are accountable to somebody, right?
00:36:40
CODES
And that's why they usually have a third party when they're going out on a date, have this person because you are accountable to somebody because you're trying to leave, you know, you're trying to make sure that your your relationship is still rooted on God and that you're doing the right thing.
00:36:55
CODES
which is why most times when you look at all these videos, they're like, you know, when we're actually courting, when we were in a relationship, we made sure that we had our friends, our friends were all around us. We're never alone.
00:37:07
CODES
We're never left alone in a room. We always had somebody in there. That's accountability.
00:37:13
CODES
So yes, there is not kind there is no accountability without transparency. Do you have anything to add?
00:37:24
CODES
Yeah, there's something that... How did you know that I had something to add? I mean, I see you moving your mouth anyways. Wow. But, you know, something that came to my mind while you were speaking, let's just take this a little bit deeper.
Judging Motives and Intentions
00:37:42
CODES
Because you're talking about transparency, right? And the need for accountability.
00:37:47
CODES
And you were mentioning being accountable for... observable behavior from what I understand the things that you're doing but let's take it deeper to non-observable behavior the thoughts in your heart the motives to which you're doing things are we being accountable to our motives we say something to someone or we do something for someone are you really telling God the reason why you're doing what you're doing
00:38:20
CODES
Or you're covering that up in a pretense or hypocrisy that, or you're just trying to do this, you're trying to do that. But really, what really is the motive behind what you do? Are you being accountable or you're being transparent about those motives to God?
00:38:36
CODES
Say, for example, I love to give examples because i we love to make these things real. we We love to be transparent here, right? We're keeping it real here. Let's say, for example, that you are...
00:38:49
CODES
you see you're out doing something or wherever you're going to and then you see youre your lady and you see the opposite says sex standing, like a guy standing next to you and in your mind you want to share the gospel with them And you want to reach out to them or give them some sort of gospel tract or to lead them to Christ.
00:39:20
CODES
Is that really your motive? Are you being transparent or what really led you to that person? Were you attracted by their physique? Were you attracted by their good looks?
00:39:32
CODES
Was it something selfish that led you to that person, but you just wanted to cover it up in the pretense of sharing the gospel with them? Not saying that it's wrong to share the gospel with them, but where it's wrong is thinking that God, the lies that you're feeding people,
00:39:54
CODES
God, in your mind, you're thinking that that's okay. Instead of coming out clean that, oh, Lord, I'm actually being led to this person because I find the person attractive, but I'm going to give them the track anyways.
00:40:09
CODES
Those are two different things. You covering up your initial motive under a pretense of something more appropriate or good just because you want to please God or just because you want God to see you as a righteous person you know that the Lord cannot be He cannot be mocked He sees through your inner inner motive it reminds me of when the Lord was talking to the the people when He was giving one of His sermons, He was saying that, like explaining the law of liberty, which judges more of the motive.
00:40:48
CODES
Of course, we're not under the ceremonial law and all of that, but we're under the law of liberty, which is way much more stronger than the law of the the the ceremonial laws or like the laws that we're kept in the Old Testament.
00:41:04
CODES
So this law of liberty makes us accountable to our motive. It judges our motive. That's why the Lord said that
00:41:13
CODES
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. Usually they will judge a murderer by someone who physically kills one, right? In the Old Testament, that's how we see a murderer.
00:41:25
CODES
We're very focused on the observable behavior, right? But the Lord judges inside our hearts, our motives. From the foundation of you hating someone, that's the beginning of murder. That's the seed of murder.
00:41:41
CODES
And He also goes further to say that anyone who lost who looks at a woman and lust after her sexually has already committed adultery. Human beings, we look at the physical manifestation of the heart intent.
00:41:55
CODES
The Lord already judges from the heart. So in as much as we're being transparent, accountable to our physical actions, are we also being accountable to it?
00:42:10
CODES
our heart, what our heart is saying, our motives. Are we bringing that to God? Lord, I'm doing this out of this. I know it's not in line with your will, but purify my heart.
00:42:22
CODES
Give me the right motive. Let me see this the right way to do it in line with your will. I don't want to pretend and act like I actually want to do the right thing because you love me to do the right thing. But I'm telling you as it is in my heart, my heart is not right, is not doing it the right way.
00:42:39
CODES
But I'm letting you know, Father, because I want you to change my heart. So I would have your heart and I'll have your mindset. let my mind be one with you i want to be like-minded as you so i can do things from a place of purity and holiness and not from my selfish ambitions that's a step deeper into accountability yeah i don't want to go too deep I think the two examples that actually popped into my head, right? So the first one about recognizing, not being able to recognize weakness.
00:43:16
CODES
I mean, look at King David, right? Where he took somebody else's wife, right? And... Who's that prophet that came and told him, give him an anythinghan yeah give gave him an example, you know, stealing somebody else's stuff.
Humility and Acknowledging Faults
00:43:29
CODES
And King David was like literally in a rush to say, kill that person. Why allow that person leave? And that's what happens we're not being transparent. We're very quick to judge other people.
00:43:40
CODES
Yeah. And we're being vulnerable to God. understanding people, other of people's weaknesses. Yeah. Confess that to God. Oh, I'm dealing with that. So i'm I'm more understanding to this person. Yeah. Struggle with that. We're not quick to judge.
00:43:51
CODES
But the thing is that even when, imp prove and Prophet Nathan said, you're the one I'm talking to.
00:44:00
CODES
And then he recognized what he had thought. You know, that's what distinguishes David from a lot of other people who would deflect that and like, who would like, say, start defending themselves and like rationalizing their sin and saying that, oh, I'm not the only one who does this. Like everyone else does that. But what makes David david's so special is that when he was confronted normal people would have their ego high as a wall like it was humble about it you tell me that like how do you know where i am i'm a king what do you mean i could get you arrested i can get you killed sent to the dungeon or whatever but no matter the position that david was he was able to still listen
00:44:47
CODES
to God and acknowledge his weaknesses. A lot of people, when they're high up there, it's so hard for them to acknowledge their weaknesses or be accountable to. their wrong.
00:44:59
CODES
You dare not tell them that they're they're wrong because they're they're a god by themselves. The Spirit of God cannot dwell in such kind of a heart. The Lord is attracted to a humble heart, a contrite heart, like I read in in Romans.
00:45:14
CODES
A broken heart, that sense of brokenness, very, very, very, very vulnerable to their weaknesses. That sense of accountability. I did this.
00:45:26
CODES
I was wrong. How many times have you heard people say i was wrong? Lord, I was wrong doing this. I'm sorry. I'm i'm really sorry. How many times have you heard someone tell you it was my fault? I take accountability for this. I was actually wrong.
00:45:43
CODES
And I'm sorry about my wrong. I'm sorry for what I did. It's not very often you you hear that. And then with the motive, right?
00:45:55
CODES
Think about when God told King Saul to kill all the people in a particular, from a particular a nation or particular tribe, you know, he killed some and left some.
00:46:09
CODES
And then when he got, yes, when he got confronted by the prophet, he said, the people made me. then it's saying that he wanted to do it to sacrifice to God really is that what god asked you to do right he might be thinking that he was doing something right right but in in the sight of god that's totally wrong right it's a complete complete obedience complete accountability but he didn't do that was doing a half obedience yeah and then my second question that follows through
00:46:41
CODES
What does transparency with, how does transparency with God impact one's testimony of faith? Interesting.
00:46:53
CODES
I think
00:46:57
CODES
being transparent with God actually deepens, like how impact of faith is that it deepens our trust in God.
Trust and Transparency with God
00:47:08
CODES
Hmm.
00:47:12
CODES
Yep, eight it deepens on trusting God. Because when you're honest with God, you build trust in His ability to love, to guide and provide even in difficult times. right It also so strengthens our relationship with God.
00:47:27
CODES
Because being transparent with God creates a space of genuine connection. right Being transparent with God creates that genuine a new connection where there's no hidden agenda, no secrets, just openness, right? And honesty.
00:47:49
CODES
and And being transparent with God moves way beyond the superficial relationship that and most people usually have. Because now it's based on a on a on a platform of openness in and vulnerability.
00:48:07
CODES
You know, and also the transparency with God. Right. It also allows for, you know, deeper relationship, deeper connection.
00:48:21
CODES
it It it almost encourages you to be your real self.
00:48:28
CODES
right Without having to fake something. Because you're faking too, God. Literally. It's so you know in and so true your The more transparent you are with God, you know the more transparentpar to how we god the more He opens your ears,
00:48:48
CODES
you know and the more you begin to see more of who he truly is student the authenticity of who God release is with the transparency, you know, and when you become more transparent with God, you know, he helps you forgive people easily, you know, because you talking out things that you're struggling with, your weaknesses, straight it creates that openness that even if somebody does something to you, you wouldn't, you wouldn't take it to heart. You wouldn't take it personal. or You just learn automatically just to forgive because you already have that consistent transparency with God.
00:49:28
CODES
I like that you mentioned, you brought up the need, the benefit in beauty and building trust, right? With God. I'm going to draw from that and say that it also increases your faith in God, right?
00:49:43
CODES
Because you being open and vulnerable to God and realizing that, oh, I've been vulnerable to this God and He's never condemned me. He's still showing me love. He's still pursuing me with his love.
00:49:59
CODES
He's still showing me in different ways that He is here for me. Guess what that's going to do your walk with Him? It's going to increase your faith in him. You'll believe him more, right?
00:50:11
CODES
Because He's seeing you for who you are and He still stands by you. Because he is a faithful God. You know that faith is very essential for trusting in God's grace and love.
00:50:26
CODES
Even when we're faced with difficult truth about ourself. when we when he When we pray to God to reveal ourself to us, that's a very significant prayer for you to pray.
00:50:41
CODES
If you haven't been praying that before, let God, tell God to reveal yourself to you so you see what you are and then you're taking those weaknesses to God.
00:50:52
CODES
Because what that's going to do for you is that it's going to open your eyes to see the content of your heart. You're going to be more aware of of your motives to doing things you're going to recognize the reason why you're doing things why did I feel that way why am I feeling the way I'm feeling when this person is around why am I reacting that way Is it because I have an issue with lust that I need to confess to God?
00:51:18
CODES
Is it because I have an issue of unforgiveness that I need to confess to God? It's going to really make you realize a lot of weaknesses that you never know that you had. And when you bring that to God,
00:51:31
CODES
You realizing and knowing that you're confessing your faults to God and He doesn't judge you. He doesn't condemn you. God is not man. There are some people that you disclose the real you to and you're going to hear it next time on CNN.
00:51:46
CODES
or you going to see it in a tweet on Instagram or on on Twitter or on threads. They're not going to disclose your name, but you're going to see your secrets out there. Or some of them who are building off, they're going to let the world know that my friend told me this about themselves. Can you believe this?
00:52:02
CODES
And then your whole story is going to be a talk of a current trend in threads. Did you guys get that? Current trend in threads. Really? But
God's Transformative Power
00:52:12
CODES
anyways... In all seriousness, it's it's going to increase your faith in God because you would realize that God is a good God. He's faithful. He stands by you.
00:52:24
CODES
When you're vulnerable and open to him, he would not forsake you. He would not desert you because because of the dirt that you've brought to him. He would take that dirt, cleanse it, and make you pure and make you whole.
00:52:39
CODES
Everywhere that you're unwhole all your insecurities, all your self-esteem issues. The reason why you're saying things around people that are inappropriate is that because you actually have a problem of self-esteem.
00:52:51
CODES
Is it because that you're lacking good social skills? Why did I say something like that before people like this?
00:53:02
CODES
That was so awkward. Lord, I think I said that because I'm lacking. I wanted a valid is some sort of validation from them. But Lord, can you please help me not to say things like that, but rather I want my validation to come from you and not from man.
00:53:17
CODES
So I wouldn't say things inappropriate just to get their acceptance.
00:53:22
CODES
You see where this is going? Those moments of you being transparent and open with every single thing that you're doing. It would really increase your faith in God.
00:53:34
CODES
Because when you're being vulnerable and sincere and saying it in all honesty and realness, believing that He will help you. when you When you confess all these things to to God, dungeys don't just say say it like that. But believe in your heart that God is going to do something about it.
00:53:54
CODES
Because He will. When you're reaching out to Him in all sincerity, He will do something and He will change you. And when you do see those changes, it's going to increase your faith in him. It's going to make you trust him more.
00:54:06
CODES
Because what he did with your confession is that he made you a better better person. Instead of spreading your whole news in CNN like man would. Or woman would.
00:54:17
CODES
He's not going to take your weaknesses on social media. He's not going to tell the whole world that this is what this person is doing. That's not God.
00:54:27
CODES
You share it with God, it stays there. And what He does with that is transformational in your life.
00:54:36
CODES
So we all say it this to say that we need to break that cycle of doing things from a place of for fulfilling religious activities.
Heart Condition over Actions
00:54:51
CODES
the more that you open yourself to God, God is not so concerned about what youre you're doing for Him as much as your heart posture towards him. He's more concerned about your heart because the state of your heart would determine the quality of what you're doing for him.
00:55:11
CODES
If your heart is shallow, if your heart is defiled, everything else that you're doing for God is going to be defiled. It's going to be coming from a place of impurity.
00:55:21
CODES
But when your heart is open and is in line with God's will, your heart is open to him. He has your heart and you know his heart.
00:55:32
CODES
Everything else that you're doing, it would carry so much power. It would carry so much significance because it's not coming from a place of self, but it's coming from the Lord's spirit living inside of you.
00:55:45
CODES
Because the Spirit have found your heart. A fertile soil to dwell in. A clean place to dwell in. You don't want your heart defiled. But you want your heart to be pure and clean for the Lord to do all dwell in.
00:56:00
CODES
And that's why you have to open up to all those baggages inside of you. All those dirty packages that you haven't opened up to God. Open them right now to God. So that He's going to clear them out.
00:56:12
CODES
So that his spirit can be able to reside in you. Okay. Alright. We've come to an end of this episode. I'm realizing that this is actually the seventh episode.
00:56:28
CODES
Really? And we know that seven is a number of perfection. So maybe you working into us perfection starts with you being transparent before God.
Perfect Love and Conclusion
00:56:38
CODES
Being accountable to your weaknesses.
00:56:43
CODES
And letting God
00:56:46
CODES
Open yourself up to you. See yourself for what you are and reveal that part of you to Him so that he can work on it. Because the Lord wants us to have perfect love for Him and perfect love for others.
00:57:01
CODES
But that perfect love has to start in your relationship with him. Because if you can't love God perfectly, you cannot love others.
00:57:10
CODES
So in this season of perfection, we're going to work on our transparency with God and our vulnerability with God so we can have a more deeper and intimate relationship with God. Thank you all once again for joining us in this seventh episode of Covenant Diaries.
00:57:27
CODES
We're going share a word of prayer with you all and believing that the Lord would do something different in your heart, would open up your heart to him.
00:57:41
CODES
Rebecca, would you please say a word of prayer for us? what
00:57:46
CODES
Thank you, perfect father, for
Concluding Prayer and Call to Action
00:57:53
CODES
such an opportunity to share with your people.
00:58:01
CODES
Thank you for the privilege to connect back with our listeners. Mm-hmm.
00:58:08
CODES
Lord, I'm asking that those who are listening and those who be listening, whatever it is that has been impeding them from having that transparency with you, having a deeper connection, deeper intimacy with you.
00:58:24
CODES
Holy Spirit, I ask that you flush it out of them. Amen. And that your fire will purify everything that have held them captive. Amen.
00:58:35
CODES
Things that they've been struggling with, things that have held them as a chain. Amen. Constantly pulling them backward instead of forward. Amen. Holy Spirit, I'm asking that you break those chains.
00:58:48
CODES
sport Whatever chains it is, you know, you see, you understand.
00:58:56
CODES
Lord, I'm asking that you stretch forth your hands of mercy and break them free from those shackles me so that they will be more prepared and aligned in your word that they will walk towards a lifestyle of purity and holiness. amen
00:59:17
CODES
Touch them. Touch those who are broken. Amen. Who are still struggling. Let them understand that it's not by power, not by might. That they cannot do it by themselves.
00:59:30
CODES
That as human beings who are limited, we need God. Let them come to a full place of surrender. Amen. Let them come to understand that they are at the end of themselves. That they cannot do anything without you.
00:59:48
CODES
Holy Spirit, touch them. Amen. Give them an encounter. Speak to them. Amen. Let this world be a witness with them. Amen.
01:00:00
CODES
Lay your hands upon them. Amen. And show them the things that they struggle. We shed more light into their lives that they will come to understand and recognize that, wow, this is truly what I'm struggling with. Holy Spirit, help me because I cannot help myself. Amen.
01:00:17
CODES
Help them, Holy Spirit. Even those who are sick, Lord, touch them. Touch them. Heal them. Restore them back to the first love.
01:00:32
CODES
Transform their life. Let it be a radical transformation. Those who's been asking for fire, Lord, release your fire upon them. That their soul will be burning for you without looking back.
01:00:43
CODES
Increase your grace, your power, your fire upon them. Thank you again for today. Thank you for giving us the grace to share.
01:00:56
CODES
i knew it was a struggle, but Father, thank you for your presence. Amen. Yes, Lord. Thank you because I know that you were with you you have always been with us and you were actually with us even before we even began.
01:01:09
CODES
Let your name be glorified. Perfect, Father. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you all once again for joining us. And if you have enjoyed this episode, please like, share, comment.
01:01:26
CODES
It's going to just help the algorithm so that whatever platform that you're listening to this from YouTube or Spotify, I would likely recommend it to others. Just see it as you indirectly helping us to share the gospel to pastors, kids, and other people in ministry.
01:01:42
CODES
Please subscribe. We love you. Please subscribe. Yes. he done When you also subscribe, hit the notification button so that that way when we release new episodes, you would be able to be notified and be able to watch and catch up with it.
01:02:00
CODES
Again, don't forget to subscribe. God bless you as you do. and share Double money in your account. Amen. How about I get that double money when I get a comment?
01:02:11
CODES
But again, thank you all so much. Have a wonderful rest of your day. Bye. e