When you pray are you really expecting God to answer? When you ask for a miracle do you really think one could possible happen?
This past week I have been praying with a friend for a certain prayer request. A pretty specific request. This friend text this morning and said my prayer may have been answered. She also said and if it is answered this way, it would be a miracle.
After reading that text I began to think about whether or not I had really expected God to answer that prayer. I wanted him to answer this request and I wanted him to answer it in a way that my friend would know it was truly God. That's what I wanted, that was what I was praying, but was I really believing it would happen? Or did I just assume my friend would figure a way to work this out? (She is quite resourceful, hence the reason I was praying let her know it could only be God.) Hmmmmm!!
What about your prayers? What prevents us from praying this way?
For me it is the same thing as putting my heart out there and really being open and loving someone. If you open your heart to love someone you take the chance that they won't love you back, or they will let you down and disappoint you. Which is probably going to happen at some point, we are all human beings full of self and sin.
Believing in prayer is the same way. If you pray and really believe God is going to answer then what if he doesn't? Then where are you? Then you have been disappointed, and FEEL like you have been let down by God. It is much easier to put the request out there and say here's my request God if you want to answer it that would be nice. Kind of like putting it out there and if God answers it, it is a bonus.
But what if we prayed, and truly believed our prayers made a difference, changed out comes (not that we change God's mind, but what if He is just waiting on us to ask?). Now, don't misunderstand me. I do not believe God is some Genie in a bottle waiting to give us what we want. I am not a believer in the "name it and claim it" philosophy. But maybe my prayers need some work in the believing, and trusting area.
After contemplating this this morning I picked up my bible and read John 1:43-51. Jesus calls the disciples Philip and Nathanael. Verse 50 says "Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."
I think God is saying look at Nathanael. He had enough faith and trust to believe who I was just because I said I knew who he was standing under the fig tree before I met him. Because of the faith he showed believing in this small area Nathanael got to see many great things.
How are your prayers? Are you saying God here is my request if you want to answer it that would be great. Or are you praying God here are the burdens of my heart and I trust them with you?
Friday, August 8, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
WHAT IF?
I haven't blogged in awhile. I have a list of things to blog about just haven't taken the time. This post is going to be a little different from what I normally do. We will see how well it goes over.
When Chris was growing up I used to call him my "what if child". Because he was constantly full of questions. And many times they would start with, "I know this could never happen in a million years, but just WHAT IF?" As a young Mom it was exhausting, but when I see him analyze things now I see how God was molding and shaping him. As I read the bible, I see where maybe he got some of that from me. When I read I am constantly thinking, how did that happen, what were they thinking, what was in their thoughts, what if I had been in that situation?
Sometimes I feel sacrilegious because I know in the grand scheme of God's plan my simple questions and observations really have nothing to do with salvation, or the big picture God has in store. So, I usually keep my thoughts to myself. I think I must be the only one who has these weird questions pop up when I am reading. But maybe I am not the only one and you have them too just everyone is afraid to ask them.
For example, tonight I was reading in John 1 (the testimony of John the Baptist) and in verse 31 and 33 it says, "I myself did not know him". I don't think he is meaning here that he didn't know Jesus. They were some how related. Luke 1:36 the angel says to Mary, "behold your relative Elizabeth (John the Baptist Mom), in her old age has also conceived a son (John). So, Jesus and John were somehow related, maybe second cousins. Wouldn't it seem logically that at some point they had played together as little boys?
So, I think he knew who Jesus the man was, but he didn't know He was the Savior, the one he was waiting for. But I believe that Elizabeth knew who he was so why didn't John? Luke 1:42 tells us that John leaped in Elizabeth's womb when Mary greeted her right after finding out she was pregnant. And Elizabeth said "blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Verse 43 says, "and why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
So, Elizabeth knew but John didn't. So, it must not have been talked about in the family circles. Did they go up to the Feast of the Passover together when Jesus stayed behind to teach in the temple? Were they all helping look for him in the caravan? Did they not talk about his responds. Luke 2:49, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
Yet, it clearly tells us that John didn't know Jesus was Lord until he baptized him and the dove descended. Was John waiting in anticipation every time he baptized someone? Was he wondering is this the one, the messiah? Was he shocked to find out it was Jesus? This one he maybe grew up playing together with? Did he chuckle and say really Lord? I should have known he was always good, and never got into trouble. Luke 1:34 John says, "and I have seen and have borne witness that this (Jesus) is the Son of God."
Why didn't he know, WHAT IF he had? I think the answer to that, was that it was all in God's timing. Jesus' response to Mary his mother, at the wedding of Cana might give us some insight. When she asked him to turn water into wine his response in John 2:4, "woman what does this have to do with me?, My hour has not yet come". God knew the hour that Jesus ministry was to begin. Maybe that's why it doesn't seem to appear to have been talked about at family gatherings or why John didn't know. Maybe the answer to most of our WHAT IF questions, is simple God's Timing.
When Chris was growing up I used to call him my "what if child". Because he was constantly full of questions. And many times they would start with, "I know this could never happen in a million years, but just WHAT IF?" As a young Mom it was exhausting, but when I see him analyze things now I see how God was molding and shaping him. As I read the bible, I see where maybe he got some of that from me. When I read I am constantly thinking, how did that happen, what were they thinking, what was in their thoughts, what if I had been in that situation?
Sometimes I feel sacrilegious because I know in the grand scheme of God's plan my simple questions and observations really have nothing to do with salvation, or the big picture God has in store. So, I usually keep my thoughts to myself. I think I must be the only one who has these weird questions pop up when I am reading. But maybe I am not the only one and you have them too just everyone is afraid to ask them.
For example, tonight I was reading in John 1 (the testimony of John the Baptist) and in verse 31 and 33 it says, "I myself did not know him". I don't think he is meaning here that he didn't know Jesus. They were some how related. Luke 1:36 the angel says to Mary, "behold your relative Elizabeth (John the Baptist Mom), in her old age has also conceived a son (John). So, Jesus and John were somehow related, maybe second cousins. Wouldn't it seem logically that at some point they had played together as little boys?
So, I think he knew who Jesus the man was, but he didn't know He was the Savior, the one he was waiting for. But I believe that Elizabeth knew who he was so why didn't John? Luke 1:42 tells us that John leaped in Elizabeth's womb when Mary greeted her right after finding out she was pregnant. And Elizabeth said "blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Verse 43 says, "and why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
So, Elizabeth knew but John didn't. So, it must not have been talked about in the family circles. Did they go up to the Feast of the Passover together when Jesus stayed behind to teach in the temple? Were they all helping look for him in the caravan? Did they not talk about his responds. Luke 2:49, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
Yet, it clearly tells us that John didn't know Jesus was Lord until he baptized him and the dove descended. Was John waiting in anticipation every time he baptized someone? Was he wondering is this the one, the messiah? Was he shocked to find out it was Jesus? This one he maybe grew up playing together with? Did he chuckle and say really Lord? I should have known he was always good, and never got into trouble. Luke 1:34 John says, "and I have seen and have borne witness that this (Jesus) is the Son of God."
Why didn't he know, WHAT IF he had? I think the answer to that, was that it was all in God's timing. Jesus' response to Mary his mother, at the wedding of Cana might give us some insight. When she asked him to turn water into wine his response in John 2:4, "woman what does this have to do with me?, My hour has not yet come". God knew the hour that Jesus ministry was to begin. Maybe that's why it doesn't seem to appear to have been talked about at family gatherings or why John didn't know. Maybe the answer to most of our WHAT IF questions, is simple God's Timing.
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