Prayer Works Bible Study: April 13, 2025

"Patience And Longsuffering"

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Nadia is leading us tonight. Zee would you like to open with some prayer? Yes, let us pray. Father, bless my lovely sister Nadia as she brings the words to all of us. We are so grateful for the woman that she is and for the person that she has chosen to be in Christ.  

I thank you for her spirit and I thank you for her family and I thank you for the joy that she brings to all of us. And we're just grateful to have there amongst us to call our family and we are so appreciative that she has made our lives richer, more blessed and we thank you for Nadia.  

And we thank you for all of us coming together on Palm Sunday as we get ready for the greatest day for of humanity, where you rescued all of us and brought us back into salvation. So, Father, as we start this day, be with us all week in Jesus name, Amen. 

Amen, Amen, ok my topic I choose was patience and long-suffering. So I want to start off with explaining long-suffering is having or showing patients in spite of troubles, especially with those caused by other people.  

And so that is an adjective. So long-suffering 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. But that passage right there. 

You know, the hardest thing is to come to repentance for either things that have been done to us or things that we have done to others and we have to be patient, just like God is patient with us in all things.  

Exodus 34:6 the Lord, the God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundance and loving and loving and faithfulness. God is the same today and yesterday he will never change.  

Romans 5: 3-4, not only that but we rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope. So with hope and faith and with patience, we grow our trials and tribulations, help us to grow, and to understand what God has taken us.  

The roadless travel is very hard and we always try to remember to stay focused on God and his word, through our trials and tribulations and long-suffering. Long-suffering the fruits of long-suffering. Are we cultivate, we pray.  

We study God's word. We seek God's guidance in all things. Practice forgiveness because we want God to forgive us. Manifest, patience, mercy, forgiveness.

The ability to endure trials and with courage and characters are godly characters, building relationships and spiritual relationships with others  

Because I know with me, I like to isolate myself and that's the hardest thing for me to. Do is reach out when I'm going through. I try to sit alone and try to remember God wherever sometime it the word don't come to me like I wanted to come for me to heal.  

So I try to stay focused and reach out to Mom and Papa. Pastor Z, Nina some time and Sarge. And I thank y'all for being my earthly rock in times of hard troubles. Patience, patience is a noun.  

The ability to wait to continue doing something diligently to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed. So patience, Romans 12:12 rejoice and hope and hope, patience and trials and tribulations by continuous prayer.  

Galatians 6:9 let us not grow weary of doing good for in doing due season we will reap. And we will do good and do not give up. Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. 

 Just this week, Friday, I had to talk to Mama and she was giving me what I need to do when it comes to time of how it's birth date, which is my husband and his death date and she gave me stuff to focus on and work on with these times instead of keep bothering and how it over and over again.  

Wanting to heal from that, but also knowing that you can't heal if you still sit in pain. And I told her I have to be patient with myself because I'm rushing myself to try to do better and not be in that place of hurting pain when those dates come around.  

Proverbs 15:18. A hot tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger, quick to continue that was something that I'm working on. I'm working on not to anger easily and to understand each person is different. 

And you never know when you're talking to somebody if or what they're going through. So patience. Just like God is patient with us when we don't have a great attitude and we're not doing right, we have to apply the same with everyone else. And let me see Romans 5:4 endurance produces character and character produces hope.  

Revelations 2:3, I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my namesake and you have not grown weary. Revelations 2: 9, I know your words, your work and your faith and your service, patience, endurance and the that and that your later works exceed.  

The fruits of patience are character, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and I can't read my writing sorry.  

My favorite out of all of these scriptures is going to be patience is a virtue. And with patience, you know, the old saying goes, you can wait patiently or you can wait impatiently for other.  

Either way, you got to wait and God's timing is always perfect and we're going to rejoice in God's timing because he is the better planner and with that better plan, it works out for our good because when we try to handle things ourself, we rush it, we make mistakes.  

And he still has to step in, and he tells us my child lay that burden on me. I got it and I got you. So that's my conclusion on patience and long-suffering. I hope it touched somebody and I want to also say that this was hard.  

I don't like talking in front of people. But I love you all, and your encouragement helps me to grow. And without you guys, I wouldn't be where I am.

And I want to say I love you all. We are so proud of you. I got to say, you know, with the old saying, you've come a long way, baby. 

You’ve come a long way. So yes, we are proud of you. Don't start me crying. But I enjoyed your message because like you said when we're impatient, basically, and we rush, we get out of the will of God.  

You know what I'm saying? We get out of his will because he his timing is perfect. And so I'm glad you brought that up. Because right now I need it patience. Bless you, Mary. Nadia I just you know. 

I always tell you, you know, Zee introduced us, I thought it was to help you, but you have helped us. Oh, my Lord I thought I knew. I didn't know what long-suffering meant at all. 

Just to see you, blesses me, to see you blesses me and every time we speak, just blesses my heart. So I'm so thankful to the example that that you are of what long-suffering, perseverance and the hand of God when we allow it to work in our hearts. Jesus can too. 

Thank you for blessing me. Let me know about this and I didn't know that though. I didn't know that Nadia was with us. You know. Your camera is down, mother Ware. Yeah, I didn't know that, but I was blessed by everything that was said today too, but and it really blessed me. It really did. 

Can't hear you. Oh, you can't hear me? We can. Yeah camera down, are you on your computer downstairs or you got to pull up, pull up. The video was supposed to be on. Let me see something. 

Well, Miss Carrie is finding out her issue I want to just say to Nadia that the July the 28th, 2005. I also my husband transitioned so you know it's a different kind of life when you talk to different people. 

So what you have to do is really in these situations, you learn how to trust in God in a way that it's different for each person. So I will be really praying with you on this, that God just gives you grace day by day because we learn as we go through things.  

How to give things over to God because it's as you know, people can say. Well, I kind of sympathize with you, but that's not, that's not also a good thing to say because you it's where you are, what happened, how situations was done and just really being you have to go in it, you have to go through it yourself, I'll say. 

But we are praying with you and you know if you ever need me to just be there for you because with these last 20 years it's been when I look over you know, I'm like, ok God, you brought me a long, long way and I thank him for it. 

And because my husband's birthday was the 3rd of this month, but he departed in July, so from July to June, from April to July, it's those days when it comes and I'm like, ok, and you just look at the calendar sometimes and things will hit you, you know, but we all grow together.  

We're there with you and you know. We are family, so we're going through it. We're making it together. So hey, 20 years is a long time and then it's really not but you know, we're praying with you. 

Thank you. Yeah, that was good. That was good. That was touching. You touching my heart with it. Yes, yes. As you kept going, I've probably been crying too. You did a good job and we meet at church. We have a short conversation. We hug and we talk a while. 

But I'm going to do more, I'm going to get closer to you. Yes, ma'am. Thank you know that I should. Yes, ma'am. You know I have a soft spot for Nadia and the kids and the family, you know you know, for I'm sure everybody here probably knows Nadia story and I don't. 

So, do you mind, Nadia? You could tell it Pastor Zee, all right. A few years ago when I met Nadia at the worship center. Her husband had just passed away in a very tragic shooting that happened at their parents home.  

And it was Nadia's brother who was kind of involved in you know and it was an argument that came from him arguing with mom. And then Mom calls naughty and says, hey, your brother is at it again.  

So Nadia and his husband goes to rescue Mum. And when they get over there this tragic shooting happens. And husband passes away right there on the floor. Everything that done. 

Oh my God and baby girl was there too. And so you can imagine, you know, your brother your husband and you're caught in the middle. Then you of the family of husband. Kind of pointing fingers at you, that it's your family and you're like I'm mourning the loss of my husband.  

And then your mom's worried about her son's going to prison. And you have a sister who's like, that's my brother but I've just lost a husband, so it's like being caught between two rocks, not even a hard place, two rocks. Where you look left to the right, you don't know which way to go.  

You hope you get support from parents. But Mom is worried about what's going to happen here. Then the in-laws are worried, you know, pretty much they want to talk to you because it's your family who got our son killed. 

And then you have kids you know that witnessed this whole thing. And then of course, in a situation like this, you're like, ok, you want justice but what is justice?

You know, how do you define justice in this situation? So you know, when I met Nadia at the worship center, she it was just right after that that it just happened. I think it was the Sunday after that, my God. 

So you know, just kind of had Nadia and I said hey, you need a few days with baby girl, you know, send her over. Just give you a few you know. But nonetheless, to say that in these past few years.  

When Nadia was where she is I mean that in itself is a miracle. Because having to go to court, you can imagine having to go to court and dealing with this.

Then getting and one of the things I said to Nadia earlier owners that be careful what you're going to hear during this process because it's going to probably more hurtful than the event itself. 

Yeah, exactly. Then you hear the judge says no , you guys came into your home, into his home, so it was self-defense and you're like and then you're like, wait a minute. How do you even? And you're caught in this. 

You're pretty much like, you're in a washing machine. Being tossed right around and you have nowhere to go. So of course you know she's been part of our family, introduced her to Calvin and Veronica. We just took her in and she is a blessing to all of us.  

Her kids are our kids. And you know, with family and I'm proud of you. And you know as hard as you you have it. It is hard for all of us to see you go through this, you know. And all I can say, Nadia is believing keep believing.  

You'll see Gods glory. You understand all this at some point when we watch the kids grow, become who they're supposed to become and everything you know, just you know, it's just one day at a time.

And for all of us, maybe we can just go this route because at some point we all have experienced tragic events.  

Grief Nadia is not a sickness. Grief is a measurement of how you love somebody. And we don't get healed from grief. We get relief. You know, these days when we see you, we hug you, you get relief.  

These days we say, hey, send baby girl for the weekend and hang out here. You get relief. But you don't you know, Mother Jones is talking about 20 years now, so it's not a disease. It is an expression of love.  

That's what grief God has given us grief as a coping mechanism to help us to express love to somebody who's no longer here. What complicates grief is what's in your situation. Where it is coupled with other things. 

You know where you're like, like God, it didn't have to be this way. You know but all in all, right, God's wisdom is designed in a way that everything will eventually just work out. I don't know how, but I just know that our job and our responsibility is to love him. 

And I'm grateful you talk about patience because the hallmark of patience, think about God having to have patience with humanity. God had to have patience with humanity until salvation was on offer. Otherwise, Genesis 4, he would have said I'm done.  

In Genesis 6, he regretted creating human beings. But here, to his long-suffering with humanity until the appointed line of Jesus to show up.

Even though when Adam needed a savior that day he could not come because he was placed in time until there was the fullness of time.  

Only then could Jesus be sent and now he has one of the most remarkable things that you've just read here of the fruits of the spirit. The only way you get fruit is you have to cultivate the tree.  

And you have to be patient enough to allow the tree to grow, to get to get nutrients, water, whatever the tree needs to do.

Until you see the fruit, so fruit is not an object of our own doing. We can't manufacture fruit. We can cultivate, but we can't manufacture, we can cultivate the tree.  

Only then, after we have cultivated the tree, will we be able to get to fruit. But the tree gets to decide when it wants to give fruit and how many. You know mangoes needs to be on this tree, but that whole entire process that's for the Holy Spirit to do and to know.  

But our responsibility, that's why it says, count it all joy is to count joy in the suffering. Because if we persevere something gets built in us.

I mean, Nadia could barely say a word three years ago. Even hi now you can talk. You can, you know, sometimes you call in like, hey, boss, what's going on? And I'm you know. 

So that in itself is a testament of the Holy Spirit doing something in you and we can only hope to see what happens in the future and it's coming and this is how I know it's coming, cause we have developed faith for your journey and we are seeing it.  

You coming out of it. Baby girl is growing. Baby boy is doing whatever he's doing and you are marching on your way. And what a remarkable testament of the relationship that you have with Calvin and Veronica.  

That in itself is unbelievably timing. You can't design it if you want. We can't design this relationship. We cannot.

Now a couple from New York finds the worship center says, you know, and then saying we want to listen to this African. And then not knowing, you know, there's all this, you know what I'm saying?  

You can't just you can't design this. But that in itself is evidence of God's love on all of us. Like I say, I know all of you stories. I'm privileged to know all of your stories, and when I hear it and then I look at the faces here and I'm just like, man, God, how would you collectively figure out the Sarge.  

I mean, you hear Sergeant story? You like how is he in his 70s, he would have died when he was 6. Then he had to survive that. You hear Dorothy story.

She had to survive that, you hear Mary story, Calvin story, my story, Mother Kerry story, Vee’s story, Danielle story.  

And then you look at it collectively, you're like man how remarkable is Jesus? That his spirit could do work in all of us in this incredible phenomenon of vast world that we find ourselves sitting here today.

Encouraging one another, weeping together laughing together, encouraging one another just to make this life much simpler.  

And brothers and sisters I'm sure the older we get we then realize how incredibly powerful we have to the Holy Spirit is and how much we have to lean on the Holy Spirit almost in everything that we do.  

Remember when I said a few days a few weeks ago that this life that we are all living? That's not how God intended it to be. This is the crime of Genesis 3. Genesis 2 is what God wanted us to be like with him.  

Genesis 3 is a punishment of our sinful nature. Pseudo life now this is how you live now, so there was never a template of how to live this life that we are living now. This is why we hear words like patient.  

There was no patience in Genesis 2. Why? Why? Why would God need patience? He was just human, Adam and the perfect relationship. There was no long-suffering because it was not needed.  

All these new terminals came after Genesis 3 says ok, now that this has happened or we're going to have to guide you through all this entire existence until you come on home. Where you have to experience the same very thing that we lost in Genesis 2.  

So now when you look at your story and look at what you are going through, you then realize that nobody knows this solution because it was not intended to be this way. But the only way we survive is to lean on the Holy Spirit.  

And then you watch that tree grow and the fruit starts sprouting out of you. From patience to joy, you name it starts coming, love and all this stuff just sprouting out of you. You don't know when it happens, but somebody will be able to just eat it from you.  

I mean, then you hear Veronica say and Calvin say, man, you are such a blessing to us. And thinking how is she such a blessing to us? Unless the Holy Spirit is doing work in you that they too can test the fruit that's coming out of you. And that's what we're all right now just bubbling around.  

The fact that these three cardinality has produced fruit now that we are all eating and enjoying. That's a testament of your endurance, your perseverance. So you know, I'm grateful for you. Should have been this way. No but I'm sure at some point we'll look back and say, Lord, I don't know if we would have changed anything.  

Because this is such a joy to see. So I can't just wait to see what happens in the future. I'm more excited to watch baby girl grow become your own little person with long legs and just doing your own little thing, you know.  

So you know thank you for teaching us patience. We need it. Why do we need patience? Because God has so many things to do with us. And we need to exercise that quality of patience.  

As we wait upon him to do what he needs to do. That's what keeps the count all joy. Right, so whatever you do, whatever you do, do not faint.

Don't faint cause if you faint you ain't getting nothing, so no fainting, just endurance, perseverance and strengthen one another when you get an opportunity. 

And for all of us guys, the longer we are in this work, the sweeter we should become, the more encouraging we should be, the more loving we should be, the more caring we should be. 

The more eye open we should be to see God do things. Say hey, say something here. Do something over here. The longer we are saved, the more sweeter we should become. And be more patient with one another we should be.  

And the more patients we should have for ourselves knowing that you and me we don't have the answers. Because this life was never meant for us to be this way, we just have to wait on the Lord to give us answers to the test. There's nothing to fix, Nadia. 

There is absolutely nothing to fix. You just have to wait on the Lord and the Holy Spirit to give you the answers to the tests and so far He's been giving you answers girl. Giving you answers.  

You know, sometimes when I see you, you know when you come drop baby girl, hang out for the weekend and I see you get in your car leave. You could never tell. Could never tell that you went through all that.  

So I'm grateful Mother Jones. I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for all of us. I'm grateful for what God has done through every single one of you.

You all have remarkable stories, and you should do whatever you can to share as much as you can share with others.  

Because I'm telling you if you know what people have been through, you realize only God only God. Only God can do this. So thank you for starting our week well, as we get into Holy Week, right.  

This is the week. This is the week we give our salvation. This is the week God decides you have to die, right. So let's stay astute. And let's say listening to the Holy Spirit cause he speaks all the time, not sometimes all the time.  

And I've been sharing with the kids today I was like you better. Listen to the Holy Spirit more than you listen to me.

Because I will not be at the school when he says, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. You better listen to that voice and for all of us, we better listen because he's always speaking.  

And then the other thing too, guys. Let me share this because I think it's important. Have you ever had a conversation with yourself where you say something and then you kind of catch yourself later. 

Like you know, God if I wanted a car, this is what I would want you know those conversations. Like if I was to eat a meal this is what I want it to be like you know, those conversations that you have been passing.  

Let me tell you this God is listening. Those conversations, I'll give you a good example. Nadia, you buy Christmas gifts for baby girl, right? How do you know what to buy. Or how do you know how to surprise her with something that she wants. 

I'll give you a good example, alright. Veronica always does this. You know she'll either hear me say something then she'll like.

Oh, we're driving down from New York and then when she comes, she's like, oh, I brought you this. And I'm like, how did you know? I need this because she was listening, right?  

So now the things we say to the Lord accidentally on purpose, those he listens and as a parent, if I want to surprise the kids, if he says, man, if I go somewhere, he goes, man, I would love to. I would love that this would be so cool.  

And I'm like, yeah, we didn't come here to buy that. We came here to do this. We're not doing that. By Christmas time, I'm like, oh, I remember when I took him over there. He wanted that, you know, it would be so cool to do to surprise.  

Then you go buy come Christmas, he opens up and like oh. How did you know? Well, I heard you. Now I'm sharing this with you because I want us to learn to verbalize the things that we want to see. Because God listens, he hears and sometimes it scares you when you say it and you just like.  

Really I was passing somewhere over there a few years. I was like literally I was when are you going to change here. I'm like, huh? Oh this is crazy, right.  

But you just say Lord according to your will. So as we go through this Holy Week I mean, what Jesus did for us is remarkable. I don't know if we would ever understand it. I don't know if we would ever understand it.  

So this was for us, I want us to enjoy this week knowing that man somebody died for this week to be what it is and for me and you to have full enjoyment on the fact that we were exonerated, we were on our way to hell. Born on the way to hell and Jesus back, Jesus.  

So this week I want you to celebrate it. I want you to enjoy it. I want you to think about what he has done for you, what he is doing for you, what he is going to do for you. The things that he has man guarded you from. 

The times you were belligerent. You're like, yeah, I'm doing it anyway. And it's like you don't know what you're talking about. The times where you thought you were right and you only to realize that you were wrong. But somehow he protected you.  

The mistakes we have made. Oh my God so I want us to have an incredible phenomenon which of just celebrating what was given to us. Access to an invisible Kingdom. Where we now work every day. 

In a company with the Holy Spirit, with his counsel. You know expecting patience, long-suffering to go through it, knowing that if I don't faint at the end of this. Yeah it's coming, Amen. It's good to see everybody. 

Nadia, this. Sunday is just for you, girl. We appreciate you. I really do appreciate you. I love you so much and I love, I love my kids. And thank you for what you have done.  

You're an incredible, phenomenal mother. You are doing it. You're figuring it out, and you have our support. And you know, if you need anything, just call text. If I don't text back, you know I always take some point. It's coming or I'll call.  

We have a conversation, whatever it is. But just know you are in our prayers. Mother Jones, you're in our prayers. Kathy, Danielle, Dorothy, Mary, mother Carrie, Sarge. I think I need to see you this week. Because I bought some puzzles for you up here. Sarge, I got you some puzzles. 

So I need you to start putting some stuff together. Yeah, maybe you should come over and eat salad. When last did you eat salad? Last time I was over there. All right, you got it, you guys going to the gym this week? 

Are we sure that? When? What day you went to gym honey? Probably tomorrow. You want to you want to do lunch tomorrow after gym, what time you got down the gym? Somewhere around 11:00 in the morning. 

All right, so let's do 12 at the house. Ok, I'll make a salad right problem solved, all right. May the Lord bless all of us. May the Lord equip us. May the Lord give us grace, continued grace. All the different types of grace.  

As we do what we are doing as we are excelling in the things that has caused us to excel in. May we continue to be the Standard That he raises for others to see.

Many people drink from us because we are digging well so deep that generations will come and taste of this water out of us will flow rivers of living water. 

May the things that we are being pushed to do bless others, touch somebody's soul, and transform them. The books Danielle you're writing the things that Mother Mary is teaching children at school.  

Whatever it is that we're putting our hands in, ,may it bless other people so they can ask the question what must I do to be saved? And then we can explain only through Jesus. Dorothy, we I love you. Because, you know, I just saw what just yesterday, you know. So thank you, Amen. 

Deborah Warren love you, sis. You need to come visit. Love you too, Pastor, I will. Of course, my sister, Veronica. She's in North Carolina now. So we bless you. God will bless you, Nina. The mother of the group will bless you so much, Ma.  

Thank you everybody for just togetherness. Encouraging one another and strengthening one another. And one day, when we are gathered in heaven, we'll look into each other's eye and say, man, what a journey it was. What a journey it was, and I'm glad we made it because we were there for one another.  

We're encouraging one another, strengthening one another. In this life that we were not meant to live that we are doing through the aid of the Holy Spirit, so may the Lord bless every single one of us, have a wonderful night.  

Looking forward to this week as we look at scriptures in the morning and just encourage one another. Kathy, I love you. Good to see you.

Hug that little girl for me and Mother Jones. All right, may the Lord bless all of us. Let's all go in peace. Let's love the Lord. Let's love one another is 6:50. 

Nadia, thank you for the word today, welcome. All right, who's praying us out? I’ll pray is up. Heavenly Father, we come to you tonight. Thanking you for these people on this call. 

We come to you this week to reflect on your ultimate sacrifice of your child for us so many generations ago. We thank you for the blessings that this go round. That it touches us different, we feel something different and see and hear something different this week.  

We ask for protection of everyone here and that's not here. Everyone that's connected to each person that is here, and so on and so forth. We thank you for the love that flows through us, to us, to others and to bring each and every person that we possibly can to you, Lord God.  

The word that was given to me to you this year was togetherness. Compassion for others. That can be anyone you see, sometime it doesn't have to be a physical donation, but it could be a physical word.  

And we asked that there were continues to feed and grow so that that sparked that light and that person grows and becomes something great. So that we can say we started that conversation through you, Lord God.  

You never fail us Lord God, you're there in the darkest hour. Even when we're in the wilderness and we feel like we're alone, we know that you are there. You make no mistakes. A lot of times the things that happen to us, it's not for us, it's for someone else.  

The tests and the trials and the tribulations is not for us but the testimony is to give you glory in all things and to honor you, Lord God and we thank you for that.  

We thank you for our youth that's coming up behind us and the words that we put in them and to try to do it different from the generations and the curses that have been brought down through generations and generation that starts here as of today.  

Our feet are planted on the ground because we trust you. And as long as we stay focused on you and the greatest outcome that you can possibly give us.

And we try to achieve the greatness that you told us and gave us to do. And when it's our time to leave and separate from this earthly vessel, Lord God, that you say my child, child well done.  

We thank you, Lord God, for holding our minds and never letting us break. We might get real low but we just say thank you. Thank you, Elaine for being here for these last four years. When the devil was riding me to take me out. 

Telling me that the world would be a better place without you. But you put Pastor Zee in my life and everybody else on this call and I thank you, not to be a cry baby Lord God, but your grace and your mercy is sufficient. 

Jesus and I thank you for all that you have done and doing for the people that I love and care for.

And this week let us just love each other and continues to pray and to tell us just to understand as you rule of the universe with the word anything can change, and these blessings we ask in your son's name Yahushua, we say Amen, Amen.