Shadowing Practice: Life Changing Advice From Steve Harvey: Ask God For Big Things - Learn English Speaking with Video
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You know the biggest scripture that changed my life is the smallest scripture?
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It's in James 4 and 2.
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You have not because you ask not.
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Uh-oh, listen to me.
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I can't even tell you how big that is.
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Look at me.
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This is the coldest thing I'm going to tell you today.
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You have not because you ask not.
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It's that simple.
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Most people don't have the life of their dreams because you ain't never asked God could you have it.
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You've been trying to do it yourself.
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You've been trying to figure it out for yourself how that's been working out for you.
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Kind of crazy, ain't it?
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I just told you earlier, you can't figure it out.
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Ain't no scripture nowhere tell you to figure it out.
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What you trying to figure your life out for?
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It ain't yours.
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You ain't make it.
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You ain't the creator.
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You ain't got nothing to do with tomorrow.
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You can't change the past.
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So what you tripping with your life for?
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You have not because you ask not.
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Y'all ain't never asked God, could you be rich?
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Most people ain't rich today because you ain't never asked God, could you be rich?
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I asked God every day when I was homeless.
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At the lowest point of my life, I asked God every day, could I be rich?
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You know why?
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Because I had had it up to here with being poor.
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I lived in a car, dog.
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I ain't got no backyard.
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I ain't got no TV.
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I ain't got no phone.
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I ain't got no bathroom.
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I ain't got no sink.
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I asked God every day, could I be rich?
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So I cut a deal with it.
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I told God, if you let me make it, when I get there, every chance I get, I'm going to tell everybody it was you.
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Here I am.
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And it was him.
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It was him.
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Now you got another route you want to take, go ahead.
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See, the thing about having faith is you don't need nobody's permission.
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You don't have to take out a loan.
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You don't have to get accepted into the course.
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You can start your faith today.
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You can start your walk with God today.
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You ain't got to clear it with nobody.
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There's plenty of openings.
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He's available.
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All you got to do is go.
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If you would only ask, well, Steve, what do I ask for?
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Everything.
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You want a relationship with God where God is not only your king, he's your companion, he's your guide, he's your friend.
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You know how you can tell your friend anything?
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That's the relationship he's looking for You gotta have that man
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Listen to me When you ask God for something It's a very simple thing
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You know how I acquired a lot of stuff Was
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because of a second scripture I'm gonna tell you about See
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you have not cause you ask not You gotta start asking
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God for big stuff Stop wasting God's time with all this little stuff Lord, help me make my rent.
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Don't he always?
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You keep coming up with the rent.
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Lord, help me make my rent.
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You keep coming up with it.
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Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you should ask God for a mortgage?
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You ever thought of that?
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I mean, look, man, if God don't give you the money for rent, and he rewards you according to your faith, if you quit asking for rent and ask for mortgage,
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you don't think God got mortgage money?
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But you know why you don't ask God for the mortgage?
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Because you keep getting in the way.
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It says you have not because you ask not.
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But you say, well, I don't have a job that dictates I would afford a mortgage.
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I don't make enough money.
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I got bad credit.
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You think God don't know that?
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He said ask.
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You have not because you ask not.
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So you rule yourself out of the mortgage simply because you won't ask.
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Just go ahead and ask God for the house You think God don't know you need a better job?
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You block your own blessing Because you get in the way of the answer God don't need you in the way,
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man I'm telling you real Just ask God for big stuff Lord Jesus, help me get out of debt in seven years What?
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You told God to get you out of debt in seven years
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because you was watching TV and they got a DVD for $39.95.
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Get out of debt in seven years.
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Why would you ask God to get you out of debt in seven years?
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Who do you think you're talking to?
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Ain't this the same God that made heaven and earth in six days?
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Why would it take him seven years to get you out of debt? Who you owe?
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Hey man, have you ever thought about it like this?
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I use humor to get people to trip.
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He made heaven and earth for six days.
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You need seven years from God to get you out of debt.
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You're crazy.
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God do big stuff.
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Ask God.
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If it wasn't for my heavenly father, the Lord God Almighty, I would be nothing.
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I was telling God this morning, I had to do these interviews.
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Before I left the house, I had a film crew, had to film something at my house before I left.
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Guy was sitting in my backyard, he said, Mr. Harvey, you work so hard, you deserve all of this.
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I said, no, not really, man.
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I don't really think I...
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I said, I work hard, but I just don't...
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I ain't work that hard.
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I don't think I should...
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I said, life God done gave me is way past what I thought I was going to ever get.
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I said, and I've worked hard.
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I just never saw this coming.
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He said, but you got to know you deserve it.
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I said, no, I can't say that, man.
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I really don't.
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I don't think I deserve it.
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I work hard, but I don't think I deserve everything he done gave me.
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A lot of this is favor, man.
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A lot of this is just, a lot of it's just grace.
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And you know what man, you got to be alright with grace.
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You ain't gotta get mad, you just got to know what it is.
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My father worked harder than me.
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He never had any of this.
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So as hard as I work, what I got is a lot of grace, man.
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God, God done me a lot of favors, man.
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It just, that's really what it is, man.
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So the guy said, Mr. Harvey, I got all that, but I'm looking for a really sharp soundbite right here.
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I said, that's as sharp a soundbite as I can give you.
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If it wasn't for my heavenly father, the Lord God Almighty, I would be nothing.
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I said, why don't you make that the soundbite?
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Well, I was looking for something people can sink their teeth into.
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I said, man, you missing it.
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That's what everybody can sink their teeth into.
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Everybody got a shot at God.
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You ain't got a shot at my lawyer.
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You ain't got a shot at my gift.
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You ain't got a shot at none of my TV shows.
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But you got a shot at God.
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That's available right now.
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That's what you got to give people.
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You got to give people the real way they can make it.
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You know, hey, all of you, you do really well with your life.
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Get yourself a TV show.
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What?
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It's hard man.
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It's crazy.
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Get yourself some God and go about your business man.
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What I have learned about the continent of Africa, it is a very spiritual place.
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The Africa is far more spiritual than America.
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I'm telling you that right now.
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You all are very strong with your faiths.
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Whether you're Muslim, Christian, Jewish, you are very strong in your faith.
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Stronger than America, I will tell you that.
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So since you're a spiritual person, let me tell you something that will help you understand that scripture.
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Albert Einstein said imagination is everything, it's the preview to life's coming attraction.
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He took that from the Bible.
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That's actually a scripture that you have all heard, but it was never explained to you.
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So here's the explanation.
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First part of the scripture that you've all heard is faith, is faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
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Why is faith so important?
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Because it's the substance of things hoped for.
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See, faith really is just hard hoping.
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If you hope hard enough, that's really faith.
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Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
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If you can just keep hope alive, you can make it.
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Because if you keep hoping, it is really faith.
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You just gotta transpose it into, I hope this happens, to I believe this can happen.
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Now, here's the second half of that scripture.
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Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.
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Listen to me.
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This is the part you have to get.
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The evidence of things not seen.
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Your imagination is the evidence of things not seen.
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You know why they say it's not seen?
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Because your imagination, you are the only one who can see it.
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So what does that mean?
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Your imagination is God showing you a preview of a coming attraction he has for you.
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See, boy let me tell you something.
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This is a real good thing if you can grab this now.
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So you know what that means?
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All that stuff you've ever imagined,
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it's just been God showing you a preview of a coming attraction he has for you.
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All this stuff.
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Your imagination ain't no hocus pocus.
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This ain't just you coming up with these wild and random thoughts?
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Nah, man.
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Where do you think your imagination come from?
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God shows you a preview of something he has for you.
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The problem with your imagination is you tell it to the wrong people.
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Steve Harvey’s Advice: A Real-Life Talk About Faith and Asking for More
In this video, Steve Harvey shares a powerful, personal story about how a simple Bible verse transformed his life. He speaks like he’s chatting with friends—casual, passionate, and full of energy. It’s the kind of real-world dialogue that’s perfect for IELTS speaking practice because it uses everyday language with a punch, making it easy to connect with and learn from. Whether you’re learning English with YouTube or practicing conversational skills, this clip is a goldmine for natural speech patterns.
Useful Chunks & Collocations to Memorize
- "You have not because you ask not" – A memorable phrase from the Bible, used here to stress the importance of asking for what you want.
- "Had it up to here with" – A common way to say you’re completely fed up (e.g., "I had it up to here with being late").
- "Cut a deal with" – To make an agreement (e.g., "I cut a deal with my friend to split the cost").
- "Start your walk with" – To begin a journey or relationship (e.g., "I started my walk with yoga last year").
- "Ain’t got nothing to do with" – Informal for "has no connection to" (e.g., "My mood ain’t got nothing to do with you").
Your Shadowing Challenge: Practice "Shadowspeak" Like a Pro
Shadowing—repeating speech out loud as you hear it—is one of the best ways to improve pronunciation and fluency. Here’s your task: Watch the video again, pause after each 5-second chunk, and repeat Steve’s words exactly as he says them. Focus on his rhythm, stress, and the way he emphasizes phrases like "It was him." For extra practice, use a shadowing app to record yourself and compare it to the original. This isn’t just about learning words—it’s about mastering the "shadow speak" style that makes English sound natural. Do this daily, and you’ll notice your speaking confidence soar, whether you’re prepping for IELTS or just chatting with friends.
Remember, the goal is to mimic not just the words, but the emotion. Steve’s passion comes through in his tone—let that guide you. You’ve got this!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | You've been trying |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Has it ever occurred · I've worked · have learned |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.