I woke at 540 this morning and I had no idea why. Bladder? Ambient noise around me?
But then I could not get back to sleep, so like Eli told Samuel I started asking God why I was awake in case He had woke me. Generally I am a heavy sleeper, my usual time of getting up is 6 when I go to bed at 11. However, last night I didn't get to bed till after 12 and was awake at 540. That's why this was unusual.
So I started asking God why I was awake. Had He woke me? Was there a purpose?
I have 2 things weighing on my heart these last couple of days. So I started asking Him for answers to those 2 things in case He was going to answer those prayers today.
Then of course my mind started wandering, thoughts went every which way, diversions, and distractions from every angle so I knew I must be on the right track for only when I am trying to focus on God do these diversions and distractions come at me so fast and furious.
Frankly I find it strange that satan comes after me when there are so many doing so much for God out there, the fact that he thinks I can do anything for God is quite invigorating. Because if satan thinks I can do something for God then I must have that ability. The devil won't attack someone who is doing nothing. He generally goes after those he is trying to stop from finding God, working for God etc. So when looked at it from that angle it is quite invigorating and encouraging.
I find that I am eternally optimistic, when I get news I pray and I believe that God will fix it no matter how dire no matter what the prognosis, because I asked it of God. A friend was dying , there was no hope according to the doctors, yet I held hope and never even considered he might actually die because we prayed for his life. I was thoroughly shocked when I found out he died. I was more disbelieving of his death than I was of God's ability to heal.
Now you might say that I am naive, you might say I should prepare for the worse, and you might be right.
But I prefer to believe that God will act and answer my prayers until He doesn't, than to live in a perpetual state of despair.
For my God is able to do that which I ask, which I hope, and which I believe. This Doesn't mean He always will, but I will not stop believing until He says no.
2Ki 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
When did we lose our faith? When did we stop believing in the supernatural responses from God?
I am not talking about the phony baloney faith healers who charge money for the people to come to them, for if they truly were faith healers they should be at every children's hospital in this world healing free of charge, donating their time and resources to heal.
I am talking about the faith that freed Peter from prison, the faith that led Paul to Rome despite the certainty of his death there, the faith of the centurion, the faith of the woman with the issue of blood?
Maybe it is too accessible today for us that we have so much of the Word, so much of the "religion"? Too much technology, Too much knowledge and not enough of the wisdom of God.
We have stopped expecting that God will answer as we have asked. James tells us about that
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jas 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Do we have the faith we need for the prayer to be answered? Do we have the faith to ask?
God has promised He will hear, He will answer.
If we pray in His Will, in His Way He will hear and answer.
We have placed so many conditions and boundaries on it that we no longer even raise the prospect of asking Him for the hard things.
We do not ask anymore for the supernatural.
We have not because we ask not!
We have prayers unanswered because we have unbelief!
WE have no power because we don't want it if we can not reason it out, logic it out, wrap our minds around it.
God has power, His ways are not our ways.
My God is able, is yours?
My faith needs work but my God is THE God.
The World no longer seeks God because they don't see Him in His people anymore.
They don't see Him because we do it in our power, we are too quick to give up, to decide that God doesn't want us to do that because it is too hard.
We have failed God by not asking, He has not failed us.
Paul prayed three times that he told us of because of the thorn in his flesh, He didn't stop until God answered Him.
The God in the Bible is no respecter of persons so why do we not have the power of God?
My God is Abraham's God, is David's God, is Elijah's God, is Moses God.
He is constant, He is the same.
So that means we have changed as He has not.
God can and will answer when we ask it in His Will. What is His Will? That all might come to repentance. That all the World might be saved.
When we pray and we keep that fully in mind that what we are asking for is for His Glory, His Honour that it might bring those who need Him to Him.
When we get God centric, then we will have power in our prayers.
When we start believing and expecting Him to Work, HE WILL WORK.
We are to quick to stop praying, to stop believing. We are too quick to limit Him.
I have said God won't do that, and then have not prayed for it. I have limited Him.
Bring it before Him let Him tell you yes or no.
Do not limit Him.
The Bible does say do not tempt God, but it also says try Him.
There is a difference between putting Him in a bad position and making Him refuse us, and trying Him to see His Power, His Work, His Glory and His Majesty.
Do we try the Lord and see that He is Good? Or are we too quick to determine He won't answer that so why bother asking?
Elisha asked God, and when Elijah was taken up, Elisha went back to the Jordan River and immediately asked God where He was.
2Ki 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
Elisha asked and He received.
Then he questioned to see if his request was honored.
Where is the God of Elisha?
Where is the God of Moses?
Where are the men with the faith of Moses?
Where are the men and women of God praying at midnight to free Peter?
Where is the faith of the people?
Where is the God that we need? He is still there He hasn't moved.
That means we must have.
But then I could not get back to sleep, so like Eli told Samuel I started asking God why I was awake in case He had woke me. Generally I am a heavy sleeper, my usual time of getting up is 6 when I go to bed at 11. However, last night I didn't get to bed till after 12 and was awake at 540. That's why this was unusual.
So I started asking God why I was awake. Had He woke me? Was there a purpose?
I have 2 things weighing on my heart these last couple of days. So I started asking Him for answers to those 2 things in case He was going to answer those prayers today.
Then of course my mind started wandering, thoughts went every which way, diversions, and distractions from every angle so I knew I must be on the right track for only when I am trying to focus on God do these diversions and distractions come at me so fast and furious.
Frankly I find it strange that satan comes after me when there are so many doing so much for God out there, the fact that he thinks I can do anything for God is quite invigorating. Because if satan thinks I can do something for God then I must have that ability. The devil won't attack someone who is doing nothing. He generally goes after those he is trying to stop from finding God, working for God etc. So when looked at it from that angle it is quite invigorating and encouraging.
I find that I am eternally optimistic, when I get news I pray and I believe that God will fix it no matter how dire no matter what the prognosis, because I asked it of God. A friend was dying , there was no hope according to the doctors, yet I held hope and never even considered he might actually die because we prayed for his life. I was thoroughly shocked when I found out he died. I was more disbelieving of his death than I was of God's ability to heal.
Now you might say that I am naive, you might say I should prepare for the worse, and you might be right.
But I prefer to believe that God will act and answer my prayers until He doesn't, than to live in a perpetual state of despair.
For my God is able to do that which I ask, which I hope, and which I believe. This Doesn't mean He always will, but I will not stop believing until He says no.
2Ki 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
When did we lose our faith? When did we stop believing in the supernatural responses from God?
I am not talking about the phony baloney faith healers who charge money for the people to come to them, for if they truly were faith healers they should be at every children's hospital in this world healing free of charge, donating their time and resources to heal.
I am talking about the faith that freed Peter from prison, the faith that led Paul to Rome despite the certainty of his death there, the faith of the centurion, the faith of the woman with the issue of blood?
Maybe it is too accessible today for us that we have so much of the Word, so much of the "religion"? Too much technology, Too much knowledge and not enough of the wisdom of God.
We have stopped expecting that God will answer as we have asked. James tells us about that
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jas 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Do we have the faith we need for the prayer to be answered? Do we have the faith to ask?
God has promised He will hear, He will answer.
If we pray in His Will, in His Way He will hear and answer.
We have placed so many conditions and boundaries on it that we no longer even raise the prospect of asking Him for the hard things.
We do not ask anymore for the supernatural.
We have not because we ask not!
We have prayers unanswered because we have unbelief!
WE have no power because we don't want it if we can not reason it out, logic it out, wrap our minds around it.
God has power, His ways are not our ways.
My God is able, is yours?
My faith needs work but my God is THE God.
The World no longer seeks God because they don't see Him in His people anymore.
They don't see Him because we do it in our power, we are too quick to give up, to decide that God doesn't want us to do that because it is too hard.
We have failed God by not asking, He has not failed us.
Paul prayed three times that he told us of because of the thorn in his flesh, He didn't stop until God answered Him.
The God in the Bible is no respecter of persons so why do we not have the power of God?
My God is Abraham's God, is David's God, is Elijah's God, is Moses God.
He is constant, He is the same.
So that means we have changed as He has not.
God can and will answer when we ask it in His Will. What is His Will? That all might come to repentance. That all the World might be saved.
When we pray and we keep that fully in mind that what we are asking for is for His Glory, His Honour that it might bring those who need Him to Him.
When we get God centric, then we will have power in our prayers.
When we start believing and expecting Him to Work, HE WILL WORK.
We are to quick to stop praying, to stop believing. We are too quick to limit Him.
I have said God won't do that, and then have not prayed for it. I have limited Him.
Bring it before Him let Him tell you yes or no.
Do not limit Him.
The Bible does say do not tempt God, but it also says try Him.
There is a difference between putting Him in a bad position and making Him refuse us, and trying Him to see His Power, His Work, His Glory and His Majesty.
Do we try the Lord and see that He is Good? Or are we too quick to determine He won't answer that so why bother asking?
Elisha asked God, and when Elijah was taken up, Elisha went back to the Jordan River and immediately asked God where He was.
2Ki 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
Elisha asked and He received.
Then he questioned to see if his request was honored.
Where is the God of Elisha?
Where is the God of Moses?
Where are the men with the faith of Moses?
Where are the men and women of God praying at midnight to free Peter?
Where is the faith of the people?
Where is the God that we need? He is still there He hasn't moved.
That means we must have.
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