1 John 5:14-15 ESV
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
See, that's the kicker, discerning if my request is according to His will.
A lot of things seem "good" and "fair" and "just" and they well may be but that does not mean, at least in my experience, that they are according to His will. They may be outside His will or even contrary to His will. It depends on the circumstances and, well, His will.
Ephesians 5:10 ESV
and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, 17-18 ESV
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. [15] See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
We always pray, "Your will be done." But all too often, for me at least, it's my way of confessing that I am absolutely clueless as to whether or not my request is in His will.
Then there is the kicker:
James 4:3 ESV
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
There's the. I assume that many of my personal prayers are not answered in the way I hope because somewhere underneath all the solumn prayer words there lurks some selfish motive that thwarts, not His answer, but my asking. I ask wrongly.
That's a tough nut to crack! I can well understand why the Puritains were so determined concerning the need for self-examination. We really do have to accept that our hearts are deceitful and that we are the ones we deceive most often. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we are being selfless and submissive in our prayer and that they are according to His will.
Right now I have a very specific prayer request before Him. I've kept it simple, short and sweet. I don't believe is it greedy or self-serving but rather fair, good and reasonable. BUT there is a lurking doubt in the back of my mind because I will benefit from a "Yes It is a prayer about me, for me. It is a prayer and also a test. I have asked for X which is a fair request and consider a "Yes" as an answer to another request/query. In short I have figured if He grants X then Y is in His will. Make sense?
But then that old....ask wrongly and don't test God thing comes up in my mind and I doubt not His goodness but the rightness of my prayer.
So I come to:
Philippians 4:5-7 ESV
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This does not promise a "Yes," to my prayer. What it does promise is His peace in His answer which will in turn guard my heart and my mind. And isn't that better than a "Yes"?
Showing posts with label answers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label answers. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Where is your God?
Psalm 42:3 ESV
My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"
This is not jut a questions we are asked but if we are honest, we ask it ourselves - and often.
The question was put to David when he was sore oppressed and cast down (see verse 11). It was meant cruely and tauntingly - an attempt to make his travail even worse than it was.
And how do we answer this? When the unbeliever looks at our distress and concern and snidely asks the question how are we to respond?
Tha mistake we often make in answering this question (even for ourselves) is that we want an answer that will satisfy the flesh - will satisfy the taunters. We have to accept that there is no answer that will be acceptable to them, no answer even for our own flesh either.
The truth is that God is with us regardless of our condition and circumstances. The truth is that God, in His gracious and merciful providence is always working for our good. But apart from His assuraance of this we rarely have "proofs." We have no demonstration apart from the sustinance of the Spirit and the faith He gives us with which to respond.
Psalm 22:7-8 ESV
All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; [8] "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"
Mockingly the world, the flesh and the devil wil seek to drive us to question the promises of God and the goodness of God. They will seek to get us into an arguement we can not win on their terms. But that is what they want. They want me, a believer, to prove to them, a God-hating unbeliever, that God is real and good. What a waste of time that is!
Even when the mocker is my own flesh - there is no arguement I can gve that will satisfy. Oh, I can roam all over scripture pointing out the great examples of God's goodness and care for those who are His but the flesh - the world - the devil will never agree to these evidences - never admit I have won.
"Where is your God?" Is a cruel hoax of a question seeking to draw us into their realm on their terms. All we can say will never be enough. And that being so we tend to get frustrated and anxious ans doubt seems to grow in our hearts. We feel the weight of that fear of man that so pervades our hearts and minds. We feel small and insignificant and useless.
The only response we can make to these cruel and useless taunts is that which David makes, prayer. Prayer for those who taunt and prayer for our own strength and faithfulness. The world, the flesh and the devil simpy want to engage us in a useless arguement to distract us from the duties and graces of the faith. They don;t want an answer and there is no answer they will accept.
Brothers and sisters let us not allow "them" to distract us with their taunts and silly questions. Let us give a kind answer but a true one. That our God is always with us and has promised to be so forever. Let us also be wise and serpents and innocent as doves as we engage the enemy - with a kind word and love. You can't pursuade a blind man that blue is blue or a dead man that the sun is up.
My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"
This is not jut a questions we are asked but if we are honest, we ask it ourselves - and often.
The question was put to David when he was sore oppressed and cast down (see verse 11). It was meant cruely and tauntingly - an attempt to make his travail even worse than it was.
And how do we answer this? When the unbeliever looks at our distress and concern and snidely asks the question how are we to respond?
Tha mistake we often make in answering this question (even for ourselves) is that we want an answer that will satisfy the flesh - will satisfy the taunters. We have to accept that there is no answer that will be acceptable to them, no answer even for our own flesh either.
The truth is that God is with us regardless of our condition and circumstances. The truth is that God, in His gracious and merciful providence is always working for our good. But apart from His assuraance of this we rarely have "proofs." We have no demonstration apart from the sustinance of the Spirit and the faith He gives us with which to respond.
Psalm 22:7-8 ESV
All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; [8] "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"
Mockingly the world, the flesh and the devil wil seek to drive us to question the promises of God and the goodness of God. They will seek to get us into an arguement we can not win on their terms. But that is what they want. They want me, a believer, to prove to them, a God-hating unbeliever, that God is real and good. What a waste of time that is!
Even when the mocker is my own flesh - there is no arguement I can gve that will satisfy. Oh, I can roam all over scripture pointing out the great examples of God's goodness and care for those who are His but the flesh - the world - the devil will never agree to these evidences - never admit I have won.
"Where is your God?" Is a cruel hoax of a question seeking to draw us into their realm on their terms. All we can say will never be enough. And that being so we tend to get frustrated and anxious ans doubt seems to grow in our hearts. We feel the weight of that fear of man that so pervades our hearts and minds. We feel small and insignificant and useless.
The only response we can make to these cruel and useless taunts is that which David makes, prayer. Prayer for those who taunt and prayer for our own strength and faithfulness. The world, the flesh and the devil simpy want to engage us in a useless arguement to distract us from the duties and graces of the faith. They don;t want an answer and there is no answer they will accept.
Brothers and sisters let us not allow "them" to distract us with their taunts and silly questions. Let us give a kind answer but a true one. That our God is always with us and has promised to be so forever. Let us also be wise and serpents and innocent as doves as we engage the enemy - with a kind word and love. You can't pursuade a blind man that blue is blue or a dead man that the sun is up.
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