Saturday, 01 May 2010 12:00 AM EDT
If it seems as if God isn’t listening, maybe you’re trying too hard
Listen to a child pray and
you’ll hear something like: “God, I really want that doll with the blue
dress”; or “I will work really hard, but can You help me get picked for
the baseball team?”; or “God, will You heal my mom [or dad]?”
Stated in plain, common language,
that’s all prayer is: God’s people talking to their God. There is no
need for special words or to say things in a certain order or way. When
we talk with our friends or co-workers we don’t talk differently than
we normally do. Why do we do that when we talk to God?
This month’s key reading is about
Elijah, God’s prophet, praying on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 18). God,
through Elijah, had sent a great drought over Israel, and now it was
time to end it.
Elijah prayed. In fact he prayed seven
times, sending his servant after each prayer to look toward the sea for
approaching rain. The seventh time his servant reported he saw “a cloud
as small as a man’s hand” (v. 44). Elijah knew God was going to end the
drought, but he remained persistent in his prayers until he saw the
answer.
The article “Effective Praying” in the Fire Bible: Global Study Edition lists characteristics of prayers like those Elijah prayed:
- 1. Have faith in God. Believe that God does hear you and that He has the ability to answer your prayer.
- 2.
Pray in Jesus’ name. It is because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the
cross that we have the privilege to come to God at all. Without Jesus
we would be totally cut off by sin from access to God.
- 3.
Pray according to God’s will. Prayer is most effective when it follows
God’s perfect will and when the things we ask for are directed by His
Word and His Spirit.
- 4.
Live according to God’s will. For your prayers to be answered you
should be living your life as God wants you to. If we only draw near to
God to get the things we want, we can’t expect God to answer us.
- 5.
Pray persistently. Yes, He hears us the first time, and the Bible tells
us He knows our innermost thoughts; so He knows what we will pray
before we pray it. However, He wants to know we are serious about our
need. He wants us to persist. He instructs us to “Ask ... seek ...
knock” (Matt. 7:7).
This doesn’t mean God can’t or won’t answer prayer if we don’t meet all the conditions of these steps.
God often answers us before we even
ask; however, it is important as you grow in your relationship with God
that you also mature in your praying.
This month look at your prayer life.
Have you fallen into a routine of ritual rather than relationship? Do
you believe that God hears and is ready to answer you with your best
interest in mind?
God wants us to come to Him as children
(see Matt. 18:3). Talk with God in a new and intimate way, persist in
asking, and rejoice in His goodness and grace.
Adapted from Principles 4Life (Life Publishers International), available free at lifepublishers.org.
Thursday, 01 April 2010 12:00 AM EDT
Read Mark 10:46-52
True
fulfillment in a relationship with Jesus comes not from a miracle
encounter but in walking with Him, no matter which road He takes.
This
month’s reading brings us to the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar.
There truly is a great deal we can learn from this short passage from
the Gospel of Mark.
First,
Bartimaeus knew about Jesus. “When he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth he
began to shout” (Mark 10:47). Second, Bartimaeus knew that is was
Jesus’ character to “have mercy” on the people with whom He interacted
(vv. 47-48).
Third, Bartimaeus did not
hesitate when Jesus called him. He threw off his cloak (quite possibly
his only possession), jumped to his feet and went to Jesus. Last,
Bartimaeus knew exactly what he wanted from Jesus. “I want to see,” he
said.
Reflect now on your own life. Do you really
know and understand God’s character? Are you assured that it is God’s
character to give His creation (you) good things, to show you mercy?
And then do you actively seek Him? (Shouting in a crowd as Bartimaeus
did is very active.)
The first two steps are
easy. But they are where we often stop. We may seek God, but do we
listen for His answer (His call)? Do we throw off what holds us back
(our safety nets) and go to Him?
Finally,
consider your requests. What are you praying for? Do you ask God to
give you a vision of His purpose and will for your life? After Jesus
healed Bartimaeus we find that “he followed Jesus along the road” (v.
52).
Consider the testimony of “Sally,” who found
Christ in a country closed to Christianity. She made two Christian
friends who invited her to church.
“From
the very beginning my heart was touched by worship and songs. Later on
... I asked the pastor to pray for my very important exam. He said: ‘I
hope you will pray with your own faith.’ So I simply prayed and I asked
Him to meet me or somehow prove to me that this is the right way!
“And
He did. I found there were no more doubts about Jesus as my Lord and
Savior. I gave my heart to Him and I started to serve Him right after
that. Now Jesus is the first priority in my life, and knowing
and doing His will is much more important than even my job and my
dreams.”
To truly “see” is to understand that
life is fulfilling only when we are following Jesus down the road. It
is important to realize that physical healing or financial stability or
whatever you are seeking is only the starting point on the road, the
beginning of a lifelong journey.
Adapted from Principles 4Life (Life Publishers International), available free of charge at lifepublishers.org.
Monday, 01 March 2010 12:00 AM EST
Read Deuteronomy 13
This month’s reading from Deuteronomy 13 challenges us to believe God’s promises when situations appear to contradict His Word. God gave Moses a promise that the Jews
would be released from Egyptian captivity and given a land that was
“good and spacious” (see Ex. 3:8, NIV). In Deuteronomy 13, you will
note that the people began to doubt what God had promised. So the Lord
directed Moses to send 12 spies into the land that God planned to give
Israel (see Num. 13:1-2).
What 10 spies saw frightened them. They
reported: “‘The people who live there are powerful,’” and “‘They are
stronger than we are’” (Num. 13:28, 31).
God has given you a promise as well. He
said in Jeremiah 29:11 He has plans “‘to prosper you, not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.’” Are you letting things you
believe are more powerful than you hold you back from accepting God’s
promise for you?
Or are you like Caleb, one of the two
spies who weren’t afraid? He too saw the strong men in the land and
their fortified cities. But he trusted God. His report to Moses and all
Israel was, “‘We can certainly do it’” (v. 30). The Fire Bible: Global Study Edition states it this way in the note for Numbers 14:6: “Faithful believers must be willing to stand on God’s Word.”
This steadfast belief that what God says He will do is
illustrated in the story of the Rev. Joe Combs. Combs was born in 1921
and grew up during the Great Depression. In 1939 he was called to
preach, but World War II was just beginning, and he could not attend
Bible school until after his military service.
In his book, The Gentle Call, Combs writes: “The
very next morning [after he got out of the service] I was standing at
the registrar’s office. ... I was a sorry sight. I stood there with all
the earthly goods I owned in my dirty sea bag. ... They laughed at me
and told me school started two weeks ago and I was too late.”
He goes on to say, “I was reading at a
fifth grade level trying to do college work.” But his lack of wealth,
reading skills, social standing (all powerful enemies of what God had
said) did not hold Combs back. He worked hard, pushed forward and went on to plant and pastor churches throughout the Midwest.
This month consider the strong opposition in your life not as a roadblock to God’s call but as the enemy God has already overcome by the promises in His Word. Make your report the same as Caleb’s: “We [God and you] can certainly do it.”
Adapted from Principles 4Life (Life Publishers International), available free of charge at lifepublishers.org.
Monday, 01 February 2010 12:00 AM EST
Read Acts 10
This month’s reading is the story
of two very different men who had something in common: Cornelius the
Roman centurion and Peter the apostle each were listening to hear the
voice of God speaking through His Spirit.
As you read Acts 10, look for a few key aspects of the
Holy Spirit’s work in the events of this ancient narrative that are
present in our lives today as well. We can count on God’s being the
same yesterday, today and tomorrow (see Heb. 13:8).
The first aspect is, the Holy Spirit
spoke to both Cornelius (10:3) and Peter (10:13). All that was required
for this to happen was for both men to put themselves in a place where
they could hear God’s voice and to be willing to listen for Him.
Friday, 01 January 2010 12:00 AM EST
Read Genesis 13
In Genesis 13, Lot chose selfishly and moved his family
to the choicest land—near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, whose
inhabitants sinned greatly. Abram, Lot’s uncle, generously let him go;
and for his generosity, God blessed Abram and allowed him to settle his
family in a safe area.
Later, God used Abram to rescue Lot
from the evil cities before He destroyed them. Abram learned the
blessings of being generous and following God’s plan.
Monday, 01 December 2008 12:00 PM EST
"Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord." —Hebrews 12:14, NLT.
What comes to mind when you hear the word "holiness"? For most of us, it conjures up all kinds of negative associations related to legalistic rules and behavior.
Saturday, 01 November 2008 12:00 PM EDT
Now the Lord said to Samuel, ‘You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem.’ ” —1 Samuel 16:1, NLT
This passage from the Bible indicates that Samuel had reached a place in his life from which he needed to move on. Ever been there? Like it or not, we all hit this type of place periodically in our journey of faith.
Wednesday, 01 October 2008 12:00 PM EDT
"When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him—in his very image. He named his son Seth.” —Genesis 5:3, NLT
Here is a sobering thought: Whatever you are during your lifetime lives on in your sons and daughters after you die. It’s a question not of whether you will leave a legacy but of what kind.
Monday, 01 September 2008 12:00 PM EDT
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be outnumbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! —Psalm 139:17-18, NLT
God delights in sharing His innermost thoughts with His people. The Scripture passage quoted above seems to imply that His thoughts are constantly directed toward us—it says “they outnumber the grains of sand.”
Friday, 01 August 2008 12:00 PM EDT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." —Genesis 5:3, NLT2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT
Have you ever received a timely letter from someone who cared for you? The Scripture above is from just such a letter, addressed to a young evangelist named Timothy. It is from his spiritual father, the apostle Paul.
Tuesday, 01 July 2008 12:00 PM EDT
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” —Romans 8:28, NLT
One of the greatest challenges we all face in life is discovering our God-given purpose and identity. For most, it’s a lifelong journey that can be both daunting and intriguing. The search usually begins somewhere around adolescence and continues up to the day we die.
Sunday, 01 June 2008 12:00 PM EDT
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. —1 Corinthians 9:26-27, NLT
What’s up with Paul and the struggle with his flesh? Shouldn’t this spiritual giant have been beyond such a struggle? Why would he need to take drastic measures to control his body?
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