Praying for an answer
Here are some additional thoughts pertaining to prayer..
“For Your kingdom come, Your will be done…” It’s not: “For my kingdom come, my will be done…” Our will is easily recognized – It’s self-centered and usually focused on selfish desires/selfish gain..
Here’s some personal experiences with prayer –
I have placed God’s answer to prayer in a box. i.e. Pre-conceived ideas and selfish desires that direct an answer.. The prayer appears to go unanswered because I’m being selfish.. and the motive of my heart is not pure..
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Answers to prayers are always missed when I’m looking for an answer that is molded by selfish gain and/or molded by the ideals from friends, family, society, etc. What I have found is that He is more interested in my character than my circumstances. The circumstances help mold my character.. As in, the circumstances are not the end-all, be-all.. they are what we see in the physical.. the answer to prayer is spiritual.
When I’m watchful for an answer (with expectancy) and my eyes are on the molding of my character into the image of Christ.. that’s when I see His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The results of being molded into the image of Christ will also be used for the benefit of others too.. but we have to remember, the benefit for others is not so that I may spend it on selfish gain or to feel selfish emotions. It’s always for the glory of God… always. For instance, it’s God’s will that all men are saved.. that’s a good place to be watchful for answers to prayer.
In order to know God’s will further, I must know who He is.. His will is revealed in His Word. I.e. without knowledge of what it’s like to be molded into the image of Christ, I’ll never see answered prayer because I’m focused on the circumstances and the physical surroundings. Then, I may think He doesn’t hear or act on the behalf of His children.. but in reality, He hears and acts 100% of the time on the behalf of His children.. If we’re not a child of God, the only prayer He hears is the sinner’s prayer of repentance – the acceptance of Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth ‘as it is’ in heaven…” – ‘As it is in heaven’: How is it in heaven? It’s found in the bible.. If I don’t know who God is.. I’ll miss answered prayers that may be right in front of me because all that remains is my own understandings..
Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
The most constructive verses I’ve found pertaining to this is Dan. 3:15-18. The trio of God were about to be thrown in the furnace. I’d like to quote and expand upon them, if I may:
3:15 Now when you hear the sounds of life, represented by the horn (rhymes with thorn) and flute (the beautiful things of life we may be tempted by) and harp (spiritual music or themes or doctrines that may be true or at least sound wonderful and true) and all kinds of the music of life, fall down and worship the idols which everyone else also worships. If you do not worship these idols, but rather worship the one true God, you may be thrown into a blazing furnace of life (which is intended to bring forth from the furnace gold from your spirit and soul).
3:16 Shad, Mesh and Abed replied to the king (giving honor to the persecutor, or the trial of life intended to mold you) “Oh Nebby, we see no problem here for us, God is our defense”.
3:17 “If we are thrown into the furnace of life, God is able to deliver and will deliver us in all that which life may throw at us.”
I especially like the next verse as the daring trio vow to serve God whether they are delivered or not, leaving the matter completely in God’s hands:
3:18 “But even if God does not rescue us as we please, know, life, that everything is going according to God’s plan in our life as we live the life of God pleasing to Him.”
The trio had complete faith in God to rescue them, but left the outcome to God. Can’t improve upon that attitude. Mark
awesome Mark.. I posted the following verses on FB this morning –
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was amazed, rose up in haste, and said to his counsellers, “Did not we cast 3 men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said unto the king, “True, O king.”
“Behold, I see 4 men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, they have no hurt; and the form of the 4th is like the Son of God.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel, delivered His servants that trusted in Him, have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.”
I like the last part.. He delivered His servants to trusted and yielded to Him alone.