September 7 2020

Thinking This Morning…

It seems shocking to us that God should say no or deny our prayer request as we have been programmed to believe if we ask then He is bound to do it. If we get enough people to ask then He has to do it. If we get some “Godly” people to ask then He cannot but do it. If we call in the “prayer warriors” then God has no chance He has to give what is asked!

Yet consider…

*Paul asked for the “thorn’ to be removed, he was denied!

*Jesus asked if there was an alternative to the cross- He ended up on it.

* David prayed for his child. The child died.

* God said regarding two of His intercessors, Moses and Samuel, “Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!”- {Jer 15:1}. He would not be persuaded even if these two intercessors requested!

When God does not give us what we ask we often become offended WITH Him. We feel He let us down. He can’t be trusted {to do what we demand of Him}. In our minds and by our actions we are convinced He exists to serve us!

It is shocking to us because we falsely believe He MUST and SHOULD give us what we ask!

We must ask with understanding… that the goal and end of our prayers require we be in submission to Him and that HIS GLORY, Name, and Fame be our priority, His rule, and reign come in the matter. His will be accomplished and done as the highest aim and the desire of our hearts-{Read Matt 6:9-10}.

THE “SAFE” PLACE IN PRAYER?

“Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, “-{Matthew 6:9-10}

AND IF HE DENIES?

Know He has the grace to empower and sustain you. {Read 2 Cor 12:9}. “My grace is sufficient.” The way it is written grammatically is “Sufficient for you is the Grace of Me.” The Word “Sufficient” means “adequate, enough “and the implication to “satisfy.” His Grace sustains and satisfies… He SATISFIES with HIMSELF..in the hard place when God denies your request. Paul exemplified this best when he wrote from prison…”Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” -{Phil 1:20}

Let God be God and submit to Him as God. And the aim in Praying is His Fame and Name be known and honored, His Will be done in the matter… and in order for us to continually live this way we have to choose to “…And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”-{Rom 12:2}. Renew your thinking…Let His Word guide and Govern it…

God is not obligated to do what you want, but is gracious and always does what He wants, which is best, wisest, loving! We may not understand but we are called to trust Him as James 1:12 TEACHES THE ONE WHO PERSEVERES IN THEIR TRIALS HE CALLS “BLESSED,” WHATEVER ANYONE ELSE CALLS THEM OR YOU.

He calls you “Blessed.” Promises you ‘the crown of life.” To who does He promise this to? ” to those who LOVE HIM!” How did they express love to Him? They “persevered” in their trial! Trials are gigantic opportunities to express love to Him. While some followed Him for what He could do for them, “fishes and loaves” those in James 1:12 followed Him for Himself, and loved Him even though in the midst of trials {1:2}

When my children were little I tried to teach them a principle from Psalm 135:6 ” Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,n heaven and in earth, in the seas, and in all deeps.” When there are things that His Word does not speak of specifically to ask the LORD, “LORD if it pleases You… would You… ” And if it pleases Him, He will… and if not He won’t. So for example, if HE DOES NOT… then you go back to the Central purpose of the prayer, what would “PLEASE” Him!. What would give Him PLEASURE… and you are safe there. The Goal, His Pleasure been done in the matter!

God does answer prayers according to His will- “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” -{1 John 5:14-15}.

DOES GOD ALWAYS ANSWER PRAYERS THE WAY WE WANT BECAUSE WE PRAY…OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE PRAY OR SOME “GODLY”…”PRAYER WARRIORS” PRAY? What is the Testimony of Scripture?

God always does what is best and for His glory, and that which is “…According to His Will…” our privilege is to submit to Him and in the hard place, the difficult, at times tearful place. as Jesus exhibited, Not My Will YOUR WILL BE DONE… Father… GLORIFY Your NAME…

It is Shocking to us when God does not submit to our will and do as we command. When what is truly shocking is we believe God exists to serve us and not we exist to submit and serve Him and His goals! It is shocking that we have usurped our will over His. It is shocking that we think of God in this way, existing to do our bidding as we command!

It is shocking that we should be offended by God. And this we are by a wrong CONCEPT of Who He is and That we think He exists to do our will!

How do we rectify this? By renewing our thinking according to His Word-{Read Rom 12:2} In order to think right we need the Word of God to realign our thinking so we think as He says, not think as we falsely “believe” He should behave!

Am I following Him because of what He can give me or for who He is?

OUR PRIVILEGE IS TO SUBMIT OURSELVES AND ALL REQUESTS UNDER HIS AUTHORITY… AND ACCEPT HIS ANSWER

REMEMBER…

GOD… IS… GOD

LET GOD BE GOD…BECAUSE HE IS