I decided to start this blog (2010) because my son, John-Robert gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas, the New Living Translation... reading it has changed my life... I post a daily Bible verse on my Facebook page every day and it has been well received... I thought that this would be a wonderful way to share part of what I read each day!... I hope that you enjoy it.



This Year 2012 I am going to do things a little different... not much...just a little. I am again reading through my One Year Bible (for the 3rd time). But I am also using "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" by Joyce Meyer. This book is divided by putting scriptures under different categories so they can be used to speak over our life situations. Each day I will read a category of scripture and pick a scripture in that category to write about.



Hugs

Jeannie







Wednesday, December 5, 2012

12.5.12

1 John 5:13-15 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.  And since we know He hears us when we make our request, we also know that He will give us what we ask for. 
 
My Thoughts
I have an uncle that doesn't believe in God because God didn't answer this one prayer that he prayed over and over.  If you knew my uncle and knew his prayer you would know that he would have never survived if this prayer had been answered. If God had answered this prayer just so that my uncle would have believed... my uncle would still not have believed... at least now he thinks on God and God not answering that prayer. Maybe one day he will make the connection... I pray that he does.
 
From the outside looking in that is easy to see, if you knew my uncle.  So often we only see what we think our need is... sometimes that need or that want feels so great that we can't see beyond it...not only can we not see beyond it we are standing so close to it we can't see it clearly.  It would be much like standing with your nose glued to the base of a bridge... you could see only the spot in front of your nose... you could not see the height or width of that bridge or where it really came from or reaches to.  So often our prayer come from the place our nose is glued to.  God sees the whole picture... God sees where the need/want originated from and where it is going.  We see only the spot. 
 
And then there is this part of the verse... God hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. The prayer my uncle prayed was not a want that started with God, or that had God in the middle... and if my uncle had reached what he wanted the prayer would not have ended with even a thank you to God.  The only part that included God in this prayer was getting my uncle just what he wanted more than anything... more than He wanted the presence of God.  There was no thought to what pleases God in his prayer.
 
Mind you I am not trying to pick on my dear uncle at all... he is this odd but sweet man that is hard to love but you can't help loving, all rolled up into one. I have discussed God with him almost pleading with him to believe.. pointing out that he must believe in God, he prayed!!  I pray that God puts somebody in his path that he hears. His prayer is just a prayer that I can see clearly.
 
I know that I have prayed prayers that were not answered. I know too that those prayers were such selfish prayers.. prayers where my nose was attached to only my wants...and the limited knowledge of the phrase "God answers prayers." James 5:16 tells us that the prayers of a person right with God have great power and wonderful results.   Here in 1 John it tells us that God hears us when we ask for anything that pleases Him.  We also have to keep in mind that God sees the whole picture... God knew us before we were born and He knows what our lives hold. God knows what is best for us!!  So often when I have prayed I did not take the time to get right with God... so often when I prayed I prayed only selfish prayers. For so, so long when I prayed I did not know God enough to even begin to pray a prayer that might please Him.  And sometimes when I pray for others, I often forget that God gives each of us free will to choose Him.. it is not that God is not answering my prayers for others.. it is that they are not open to the gifts that God has waiting to poor down on them. 
 
What I am learning is that God is always there for me and if I don't think my prayer has been answered then  I need to first examine my life and see if I am right with God and with man.  I have to know God's word so that I know if my prayers will be pleasing to God. And when my prayers are for others I do my best to remember that God has heard my prayers when I have my life in order and when  my prayers are in agreement with His word. I believe that He is storing up those prayers to be answered for the people I know and love. And when they are ready to receive all that God has planned for them God will answer those prayers too. 

God always, always has my best interest at heart, always!!!  The only thing that gets in the way of me and God is me!!  And I have the power to fix that! God has the power to make everything else in my life good.  When I know His word... it can change my life. But I can't just hear the bits and pieces from others... I have to learn God word for me so that I will not leave anything out that is important ...where I won't put anything in that is wrong... so that I can be completely connected to God and His amazing love!!
 
My unanswered prayers were never about God...they were because I didn't step back and look up to God... by looking into His word. 

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