Dr. Tim Clinton: Welcome back to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Dr. Tim Clinton, co-host here at Family Talk. I also serve as president of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Thank you for joining us. I hope you joined us for yesterday's conversation about the National Day of Prayer. What a conversation we had. If you missed it, you can visit drjamesdobson.org/familytalk to hear it in full. I'm so glad you've joined us today and we're delighted to have back Kathy Branzell and Samuel Rodriguez again today. Kathy is the president and board member of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. She's been leading our nation in prayer since 2019. Sam is senior pastor alongside his wife Eva at New Season Church in Sacramento. He is also president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and executive producer of two major films. We're going to talk more about that on today's broadcast.
Kathy, Sam, welcome back. Such a delight to have both of you. What a day. Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer. Amazing speakers, by the way. Pastor Tony Evans, U.S. House Chaplain Margaret Kibben, and the two of you led us in prayer too, didn't you? What are you guys thinking about what's happening right now in the hearts of people all over this land? That kind of a day of prayer breeds hope. It speaks life into the hearts of people.
Kathy Branzell: Amen. I pray that people are still rejoicing and certainly still praying. We know lives were change. Sammy gave such a powerful presentation of the gospel on the broadcast last night. People responded. The trajectory of their life, their abundant life on earth and the eternal life with God in Heaven was changed. And I can still hear the celebration going on in Heaven and on earth.
Dr. Tim Clinton: And Sam, your take on what all happened yesterday?
Sammy Rodriguez: It's the beginning of something amazing. Again, I'm being an optimist, Dr. Clinton. But listen, every time in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation where you have prayer, spiritual hunger and repentance, there's only one inevitable outcome. Revival, spiritual awakening indeed.
Dr. Tim Clinton: God put the two of you together for such a time as this. I believe that. I believe God has knitted your hearts in a unique way and God's using that energy, that synergy, that passion for prayer, to encourage and mobilize people over this land. This is where we're going to win. We're going to win the battle on our knees. Kathy, I want to come back to you for a moment because I know God put you at this place, not just because you're a great organizer, not because you have passion about this, but this is personal for you. There was a time when you were on your knees crying out to Jesus and He heard the cries of your heart.
Kathy Branzell: Amen. There have been many times that I was on my knees crying out to God, but particularly in my journey, Ms. Dobson was part of this journey, as I struggled and fought a brain tumor for 14 and a half years and to have this miraculous healing in 2008 as we prayed. And then one year later, back on our knees for my son, a junior in high school diagnosed with a very rare blood cancer. I just know that we serve a God who hears our prayers, who answers our prayers at the moment, even as our prayers still hang in the air, God is activating Heaven's army.
He is putting things into place. His answer, His yes is best and His timing is perfect. You wouldn't know that in a 14-year battle. You'd think, what am I not saying? People were quick to say, "You don't have enough faith. There's unresolved sin in your life," whatever there is. But you know what God's taught me that in the wait, there's beauty in the building of the character. And God said to me once, "I want your endurance. I want your endurance." And so I am so grateful for that discipline that He's given us in prayer.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Sam, as a pastor, I know that you encourage people every day to be on their knees, to seek out, and that they can believe and trust God. Those who come to God, the Hebrew writer said, must first believe that He is and that He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Sam, what about prayer in your heart?
Sammy Rodriguez: Tim, prayer is my oxygen. It really is. Every single day I wake up, the first thing I do is talk to God. My conversations with God sustain me. And some of the conversations have been difficult throughout the course of my lifetime. A little bit like Jacob wrestling with God, a little bit like Job with a number of queries in moments that my logical mind couldn't comprehend and explain why God would permit or God would somehow accommodate or at least tolerate. And then many of the conversations of course have been redemptive, reconciliatory, more than therapeutic, transformative and healing. And I share that with my congregation. Kathy's testimony, not just in her life but with her son, so powerful. It speaks to a God who still listens to our prayers.
And my daughter during COVID almost passed away. You know the story. She was aiming towards the other side. Literally the doctor said, if she doesn't fight for her life, she will pass. Her white blood cell count crashed when she gave birth to Mila, my granddaughter during COVID, and it was the darkest day in our family's history. And what did we do? We didn't go on social media posts. We prayed and by the grace of God, she's still with us and thriving in her life as a walking testimony of a God who saves and delivers and heals. Prayer literally changed our lives and saved her life.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Think it was E.M. Bounds who said little prayer, little power, more prayer, more power, much prayer, much power.
Sammy Rodriguez: Indeed.
Dr. Tim Clinton: We claim that, Lord, we do. Kathy, what's happening that maybe at the National Day of Prayer, what's in your heart about training the next generation to pray?
Kathy Branzell: Well, we have just in this last couple of years, we started having children come on our Pray for America calls. We're actually learning to pray listening to children pray. When you have a children's pastor, when you have a family that's raising children up in prayer, and it starts with "God is great, God is good and we thank Him for our food." Okay? Let's start there because that is a powerful prayer if during the dinner conversation you will talk to your children about how God is great and you listen to them talk about how God is good and other things they're thankful for besides just the food that night. That is bringing a child up. In the Seven Centers of Influence, we encourage people to talk about the people. We're not praying for places, we're praying for people in the Seven Centers of Influence.
Who do you know in the military? Who do we know at church? Who do we know at school? And then we pray for them. On and on it goes. And so we've had a blast listening to children pray. We've brought them into many of the tens of thousands of prayer gatherings that took place yesterday, there were children there praying. And Asbury, in case you've been writing off our younger brothers and sisters in Christ, I don't call them next, I call them now, the now generation. They're alive now. They said yes to Jesus now. We had to be careful as the old folks showing up at Asbury that we didn't disturb the Spirit that that generation had so cried out for that He came to visit. And so we are grateful for this next generation, now generation, younger brothers and sisters who can out pray us.
Dr. Tim Clinton: When I was a boy, I remember getting on the big yellow bus on the main roads and we would drive toward our school and we drove past the place called Hunter's Garage. And at Hunter's Garage there was an old Jeep Wagoneer that was parked there and in the driver's seat was my dad. My dad was a pastor, a rural country pastor, like a circuit riding preacher. He would pick the kids up on the dirt roads to bring them to the main paved roads to meet the bus. But at Hunter's Garage, I saw him always as we went by on the bus with a book, a Bible, in the steering wheel. And I asked my dad one day, I said, "Dad, what do you do there at Hunter's Garage?" He said, "Well, I read the Bible." And then he says, "I pray." And he looked at me and said, "I pray for every one of you by name every day."
Let me tell you something. That so impressed me because I saw him every day and in my mind as we drove by, I thought about he's praying for me. And what do you think I began to do with all of my children? Praying for each one of them every day by name. We learn to pray by the way, by praying. That God calls us and we have an invitation to our Heavenly Father. That's the beauty here. And the two of you again are leading the way with National Day of Prayer. You're on that task force, you guys. God has moved and is moving in our nation, but this again, is deeply personal and the challenge is to let this be a part of your life every day because it isn't about the day, it's about every day, right, Kathy? That's what NDP, National Day of Prayer, is all about.
Kathy Branzell: Yes, but we are National Daily Prayer. We launched NDP 365 last night on the broadcast with asking people if they would join us every day if they wanted to know more about what we do every day. Prayer is not a one and done. It is a continual, constant conversation with our Lord. And so we pray that yesterday was a launching in your prayer life. Not just a quiet time. That's a great starting place. Just like Sammy said, the first thing he does every morning is talk to God. But then I also know about my brother that he carries that throughout the day that he's in continual conversation with the Lord. And that's what we're praying for everyone who were our prayer partners last night to continue to be our prayer partners.
Dr. Tim Clinton: A lot of people think that our nation is lost, that there isn't really a reprieve going on, and I know, Sam, you are a man of deep hope. In the midst of it, you're not afraid to call out darkness. You're courageous. God's given you a voice. I sometimes marvel at how bold you are in the midst of it all, but Sam, that's because you have hope. Hope in who God is, and you say, it's not the donkey or the elephant that's going to "save us". Ultimately, it's about God at work in and through His people in this moment and we need to rise to the occasion together.
Sammy Rodriguez: It's not the donkey or the elephant, it's the agenda of the Lamb. The same Lamb who is likewise in the book of Revelation, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Tim, we are about to see a holy remnant rise up carrying the glory according to Romans 8:30, 2nd Corinthians 3:18, the glorious church rising up. The apostle Paul writes about the church and said, Jesus is coming back for a glorious church. What does that mean? He's not coming back for a defeated church, a whining church, a church sucking her thumb in a fetal position, in perpetual trauma mode. "Oh, woe is me. They're picking on us." He's coming back for a glorious church, a triumphant, doing the Greek exigent of the passage.
A victorious, triumphant, glorious, amazing church. Let that church rise up. We are seeing this. The National Day of Prayer, prayer ignites it, discipleship, evangelism, fulfilling the Great Commission and Dr. Clinton, what's the word? In and out of season, my friend. This may not be culturally and politically speaking the right season. They would love you and I and Kathy to stop talking about Jesus being the only way. They would love us, meaning the forces of darkness, the architects of chaos, would love us to stop talking about a biblical model for the family, for holy sexuality, for gender already ordained and defined by God. God defines us.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Kathy, years ago, I think it was Richard Foster's yellow book on prayer. There was a statement in there I believe that went along this line that one of the greatest deterrents to an effective prayer life is the belief that everything has to be right in my life in order to go to God. Kathy, what do you say to people who feel like their prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, that they haven't heard from God or they're confused about who He is and that He really loves them and cares and wants the cry of their heart to come to Him?
Kathy Branzell: Well, we are told to come as a child. And you know my children, maybe it was just mine, didn't come into this world knowing everything. They didn't come into this world perfect. What our heavenly Father wants to hear first and foremost is for us just to say, "Lord, I don't know it all, but you do. Lord, I sinned today, not just I made some horrible mistakes. I sinned today. I didn't treat somebody in the love that you called me to." Whatever it is, you just come to Him in that humbleness as a child and He's inclined his ear. He loves you more than you could ever understand. His loving thoughts towards you are more than could ever be counted. The Scripture says more than the grains of sand on earth. That is a God who calls us. That is a God who loved you so much that He sent His one and only beloved Son to come and to live here as a model of what life looks like in the Father.
And then paid your sin debt in full. Sacrificed on the cross having all of your sin nailed to Him on the cross and paying that sin debt and rising Him up out of the grave. That is not a God who would send His Son and then shut you out. That is a God who loves you more than you'll ever understand, who listens to your prayer, who answers your prayer. And it is Satan's lie to get you isolated, to get you quiet, to make you think that your prayers aren't passing through the ceiling. They are going straight into God's ears and straight into His heart. And so keep praying. Just pour your heart out. Not perfectly, not eloquently. You're not writing a speech. You are pouring your heart out in a conversation with the person who loves you most.
Dr. Tim Clinton: I love what James wrote. He said, "If any of you lack wisdom, ask God who by the way, giveth to all men and upholdeth not." In other words, God responds to that heart. He does.
Kathy Branzell: Yes.
Dr. Tim Clinton: He does. Sam, you've come out with a new book I think that fits right here. Your Mess, God's Miracle: The Process Is Temporary, the Promise Is Permanent. Sam, what do you say to people who are living in brokenness and they're confused and angry and frustrated and they feel disconnected and lost?
Sammy Rodriguez: There's a powerful passage in John chapter 9 where Jesus took a blind man who was born blind and He incorporated a very unorthodox facilitative methodology, not highly recommended. Jesus spit. How about that? And He combined it with dirt from the ground, made a mud ball, spread it on a blind man's eyes. By the way in Scripture that is arguably, Dr. Clinton, and you'll like this. That's the first ever double-blind study. Now, with that being said, what's the beauty behind it? In His spit was His DNA, literally speaking, His DNA. The DNA of the creator of the universe, of the word made flesh, of the Son of Man and the Son of God. His DNA, the DNA of God Almighty in the flesh. He combined it with dirt from the ground. Genesis 2:7. What did God make man out of? The dirt from the ground.
In essence, He took his DNA, united that with the original blueprint, the original blueprint, placed it on a blind man's eyes. Parenthetically speaking, here's the message. Sir, with your DNA, you can't see anything. With my DNA and my original plan, you will see my glory. We are about to see messes become miracles in your family, in your home, in your marriage, in your health, in your finances, in your generation. What if I tell you in America, in Chicago, LA, Dallas, all over this nation, the mess will become a miracle. What do we need? An infusion of God's Spirit and going back to God's original plan for each and every one of us, including this nation. That's how messes become miracles.
Dr. Tim Clinton: I love that. Sam, you're quite busy. You got a little movie coming out this summer too. I think it's called Flamin' Hot.
Sammy Rodriguez: It is.
Dr. Tim Clinton: It's a story. It's about a Frito-Lay janitor who utilizes Mexican-American culture to create flaming hot Cheetos.
Sammy Rodriguez: Yeah, but it happened through a conversion experience. This man was not a believer. He comes to Jesus as Lord and Savior. He's living in abject poverty, and his wife goes to a prayer group. Prayer group. Here it is, prayer group. And she says, "What should we pray for, honey?" He says, "We need an idea to get us out of poverty." Bingo. That's how it happened. He got the idea and the rest is history. Here's news. Are you ready, Dr. Clinton and Kathy, are you ready? Disney picked up the film. Disney will be streaming this film on the 9th of June. You heard me correctly. A Faith & Family film will be on the Disney platform. Disney and Hulu, simultaneously streaming beginning the 9th of June. Can you believe that? Prayer changes everything.
Dr. Tim Clinton: That's unbelievable. It really is. God again is at work. While these are unprecedented times, these are difficult times. There are a lot of people filled with fear and frustration and anger and so much more confusion, but God is at work. He's stirring, He's moving in the midst of his people. And God, we cry out to that end. Now, I want to close this way. We have such a divided country. There's so much going on. There's so much hostility and anger. Do you see something in your spirit beginning to reconcile this? What is needed? What has to happen for such a time as this? Kathy, you first.
Kathy Branzell: Well, before National Day of Prayer, I was quoted many times as saying that there's this great anticipation across the nation. We talked about it yesterday. God got His Church's attention at Asbury, right? And so there's this great anticipation across the nation. And now yesterday, millions of fervent prayers lifted up in righteousness and people are watching the word, hope, in the original, the word, the definition of hope is joyful, confident, expectancy in Christ. And I hear this swell of hope, this swell of joy coming. Not fear, but this. God is doing something. The Lion of Judah is on the move and people are excited. I don't want to think about what desperate or horrible thing would have to happen to bring us back to Christ. I am praying.
He did it in a beautiful way at Asbury this year and that we are running to Him. That desperate souls that have been fearful and scared and quarrelsome and rebellious, God's doing a work in their heart and making the soil soft, and in the things that were said yesterday and the things that go forth here, God is doing something great and glorious. I see it coming.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Sam, your closing thoughts?
Sammy Rodriguez: Four words, my friend. Four words. Watch God show up. The most powerful spirit in America is not deconstructionism, is not moral relativism, is not hedonism. The most powerful spirit in America is still the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. Watch God show up.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Kathy, I don't think we could leave these two days without asking you to lead us in prayer. Would you do that?
Kathy Branzell: Lord Jesus, we love you so much and we thank you that you loved us first and you love us most. Lord, thank you for the National Day of Prayer. Thank you for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Thank you that we live in a nation where on the law books the President must call the nation to pray for the nation. But Lord, we thank you even more you called us to the beautiful assignment of praying for neighbor and nation every day, to be in this continual conversation with you, with a God who loves us and listens, with a God who knows us best and loves us most. And so Father, we continue to pour our heart out to you that you would bring back, just as Sammy was describing, that you would take your DNA. We were made in your image, that you would take your divine destiny for this nation and bring us back first and foremost to you, and bring us back on the path of righteousness for your namesake. In Jesus name.
Dr. Tim Clinton: What a delight to have you both here on Family Talk. I am moved in my heart and I'm earnestly praying that God would do something that only He could get the glory for. Kathy Branzell, Sammy Rodriguez, again, what a delight. On behalf of Dr. Dobson, his wife, Shirley, our entire team at Family Talk, we salute you. Pray that God will continue to speak into and through you for such a time as this. Thank you for joining us.
Kathy Branzell: Thank you.
Roger Marsh: There truly is real tangible power in prayer. Watch God move in your life when you take your petitions before the Throne of Grace. Friend, you're listening to Family Talk and the interview we heard today was the conclusion of a two-part conversation with Kathy Branzell, Pastor Sammy Rodriguez and our own Dr. Tim Clinton. By the way, if you'd like to go back and listen to either or both of those programs, you'll find them in their entirety when you go to drjamesdobson.org/familytalk. Now, if you are a mom listening to the program right now, you know that motherhood at any stage is an amazing privilege and it's also the toughest job on the planet. And so just for moms, we have created a new 5-minute Empowering Moms series to provide practical parenting advice packed with timeless Scriptural truths. It also includes a prayer to encourage, renew, and inspire you and your family each and every day.
To sign up for your Empowering Moms series, all you have to do is go to drjamesdobson.org/empoweringmoms. That's drjamesdobson.org/empoweringmoms. I'm Roger Marsh, and on behalf of Dr. Dobson and the entire staff here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, thank you for listening and sharing a part of your day with us. As you know, we are a listener-supported Christian radio outreach and it's because of you and your faithful prayers and financial support that we are able to bring quality content to you and your family each and every day. If you would like more information on how to stand with us financially and support the JDFI, visit drjamesdobson.org. That's drjamesdobson.org.
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