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But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! John 15:7
“Prayer Doesn’t Work! I prayed for my grandma and she died anyway.”
“I prayed about that job but didn’t get it”
“I prayed that relationship would work but it didn’t.”
One of the reasons many leave the faith, doubt God, or fail to believe in the power of prayer in their lives is because of “unanswered prayer” and God’s seeming inability to fulfill his promises.
John 15:7 is often quoted, or should I say MISquoted, as proof. However, if you read the whole verse in its context you’ll see that the emphasis isn’t on getting what we want at all! The emphasis is on abiding.
Charles Spurgeon writes, “If you want that splendid power in prayer, you must remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
When we are one in heart and mind with Jesus our desires become his desires. Our ‘wants’ become His wants. Our focus is on the Kingdom not on earthly passions.
Does that mean that God is not interested in providing us with good relationships, good jobs, and a happy life? Of course not! Jeremiah tells us he has a wonderful plan for our life. But it’s a matter of priorities. Jesus says “seek first, the kingdom of God, and then all these things will be added to us.”
I dare say many if not all of our “unanswered prayers” are self-focused prayers, not abiding prayers.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess to you that often my prayers are for my own good, and not for the good of the kingdom. I don’t see things as you see them. My ways are not your ways. Help me to learn to abide in you so that when I pray, my prayers are kingdom-focused and not self-focused. In your name I pray, amen.
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. John 15:9
“If God is a God of love, then why did my mom get cancer?”
“If God is a God of love, why is there evil in the world?’
“If God is a God of love, why did that natural disaster happen?”
“If God is a God of love…”
We hear it all the time. It’s one of the arguments athiests, agnostics and non-believers love to use to prove that if God does exist, he isn’t the type of God one would want to have faith in.
But love is proven more powerfully in bad times than the good. When life is easy, we tend to love everyone and everything. But true love? You see that in the picture of an elderly man helping his nearly crippled wife walk down the street.
You see true love in the husband or wife who patiently and faithfully helps their spouse through addiction.
You see true love in the mom and dad who faithfully sit by the hospital bed of a sick child.
And God? You see His true love in through the life and death of His Son, Jesus. God loved Jesus as His only son yet he allowed him to go experience the rejection of the very people he created.
He allowed Jesus to feel the sorrow of watching friends die, people being mistreated and parents following the casket of sons and daughters.
He watched, and eventually looked away, when Jesus endured the ultimate pain of the cross.
In all this tragedy, God’s love is the defining factor. Jesus endured all He endured to show us that true love flourishes in the painful times of life.
The very purpose God has for giving each of us life is so that He can show us love. A love that values us when others reject us. A love that empowers us as we endure hardship and rejection. A love that assures us that even though things may look dark now, a better day is coming.
The rejection of his people and the pain of the cross led to new life, eternal life, through the resurrection.
The same is true for us. We may never understand fully the ‘why’, of God allowing us to go through struggles, hardship and rejection, but one day like Jesus, we will be resurrected into a new life with him forever if we follow Him as Lord and Savior.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”” Luke 17:17-18
One day, as Jesus was near the border of Samaria, ten men with leprosy called out to him and asked for healing. We read the story in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17. Jesus told them to go show the priests they were healed. Lepers were not allowed into society without this blessing.
From what we can determine, the men were healed as they left for the temple. Only one of them, a hated Samaritan, returned to Jesus to thank him for being healed. Only one practiced Active Appreciation.
Active Appreciation is part of worship. We don’t know if the other men suddenly got leprosy again, but we do know that this hated Samaritan, the one who showed Active Appreciation, not only received his physical health, but his spiritual health as well.
Active Appreciation is powerful. When King Jehoshaphat was going into battle and the nation of Israel was in trouble, he went before God and prayed. God promised deliverance but instructed the king to have singers go ahead of the army singing praises for God’s power and deliverance.
Their Active Appreciation proved powerful! “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” 2 Chronicles 20:22
Active Appreciation changes our focus. When we begin with praise to God we are turning our minds towards the Father’s power and promises and away from the enemies of fear, doubt, anger and worry. Like the old adage says, “Big problems, Small God; Big God, Small problems.”
Active Appreciation begins with God. When we learn to appreciate God because of his undeserved, unconditional love and it spreads to others because when we learn to appreciate God we see others differently. Not because of their actions, but because we see them as God’s creation, just as we are. Our appreciation isn’t based on others, it’s based on God.
Who can you practice Active Appreciation on? Begin with your Heavenly Father, then turn your Active Appreciation towards his creation, the people you rub shoulders with every day. It can be as simple as opening a door for someone, or saying thank you. It can be praying with and/or for someone you don’t even know.
Active Appreciation is, well ACTIVE! The more you learn to appreciate the Father, the more you will be able to appreciate others. Live in Active Appreciation.
The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.” Psalms 132:11
A friend of mine was promised an important position in the business he worked for by its owner once he retired. Unfortunately, the owner died unexpectedly leaving the business to family members. When he told them of the promise the owner had made, none of them knew about it or believed him. In fact, upon mentioning the promised position, his position was terminated and he was sent packing.
There’s an old saying, “A promise is only as good as the person making the promise.” There tends to be a lot of truth to that statement. It’s easy to make promises, but making good on those promises? That’s another story. We see that every election season. Promises made to get a vote don’t often result in fulfillment.
The promises of man are fickle, but the promises God gives us can be counted on to be true. The number of promises God gives us is up for conjecture. Suffice it to say there are many.
Psalm 132, is one example of a promise God gave to King David. God promises that David’s throne would last forever and that there would be one to sit on it that would be an eternal King. We know this promise is fulfilled through Jesus Christ. God’s promises are something we can count on for eternity.
But let’s take a closer look at that promise. David was called a man after God’s own heart and it’s because of this that he was promised his throne would be eternal.
The real beauty doesn’t lie in the promise itself, but in what happens after this promise was made. Although David was considered a ‘man after God’s own heart’ he certainly wasn’t perfect. In fact, in many areas he failed miserably. He was a lousy husband, a distant father, a murderer, a bad friend, and the list goes on.
Following David to the throne throughout history, we see a line of Kings guilty of murder, incest, rape, violence, idolatry and rebellion.
But God’s promise, inspite of man’s rebellion held true. He promised messiah would come from David’s lineage and that’s exactly what happened, in spite of the failure of men.
The beauty of God’s promises is that they are not dependent on our performance or character. They are dependent on his power to forgive, love and extend mercy to us knowing full well that we will fail. The struggles we go through now won’t change our destiny. Our problems don’t affect God’s promises. We can count on him!
Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27
Our dog, Oakley, is terrified of loud noises. Fourth of July, thunderstorms, hunting season and any other loud noises he hears will send him cowering to the floor and looking helplessly at us, almost as if to say, ‘Can’t you do something about this?’ Nothing we can do will comfort him. Fear conquers reality in his life. He is in no danger, but fear conquers facts!
All of us are famliar with fear. Sociologists have found that up to 90% of the things we fear never happen, and the remaining 10% were easier to get through than first thought. Fear conquers facts!
Yet, doesn’t the Bible say we should ‘fear the Lord?’ The answer is yes…and no. To fear the Lord isn’t to be afraid of the Lord. God isn’t some angry old man in the heavens with lightning bolts in his hands, ready to zap you with cancer, divorce, financial ruin, lay-offs and political unrest.
Fearing the Lord means we are in awe of His power. Where do you see His power manifest most often? I see God’s power most often in the person of His son, Jesus Christ. The power of Jesus was love, understanding, grace and mercy shown to those who rejected Him. Yet in all this he didn’t stray for the holiness of the Father.
The more we see God for who He is, the more we will revere, honor, serve and emulate him in our lives. To believe God is angry with you for past choices is a lie from Satan himself. Perfect love (God’s love) casts out all fear!
The more we learn about God through His Holy Spirit, the more He will show us the wisdom we need for each and every day. He becomes a life-giving fountain that refreshes us in the droughts, wildernesses and storms of life.
The difficulties we face in life are the consequences of sin not the revenge of an angry God. He promises to forgive our sins but may allow the consequences to help us grow stronger.
Don’t let FEAR keep you from the FACTS!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 