Daily Thought for Tuesday, October 4th

October 4, 2011

Accepting God’s Answers to Our Prayers

Today’s Thought:

“We cannot ask in behalf of Christ what Christ would not ask Himself if He were praying.”  – A. B. Simpson

Today’s Quote:

“Our prayers run along one road and God’s answers by another, and by and by they meet.”  – Adoniran Judson

Today’s Question:

Have you ever stopped to consider that; “Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us?” – Socrates

Today’s Bible Verses:            James 5:12-16, James 4:3 & Romans 1:1 & 5-8

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“The firmament of the Bible is ablaze with answers to prayer."  –  T. L. Cuyler

Prayer is vital to living a healthy spiritual life.  However, sometimes we have a misconception of the purpose of prayer.  Often we tend to think prayer is means by which we tell God what we want Him to do and then we labor under the notion that He is then obliged to do it.

“We, ignorant of ourselves, beg often our own harms, which the wise powers deny us for our good.” – William Shakespeare

“God alone fully understands what each one of us needs; we make mistakes continually and pray for things which would be harmful to us if we received them.  Afterwards we see our mistakes and realize that God is good and wise in not giving us these things, even though we plead ever so earnestly for them.” – O. Hallesby

We need to sometimes refresh our memory on just exactly how Jesus taught the disciples to pray.  He said when you pray, pray thus:  “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” – The Bible (Matthew 6:9-13)

We are not always willing to surrender to the will of God.  There is no harm in expressing our desires or thoughts to Him, but we should always be willing to leave the choosing up to Him as to the best answer that He can give us.

Don’t forget that all prayers are answered.  Oswald Chambers said, “Our Lord never referred to unanswered prayer; he taught that prayers are always answered.  He ever implied that prayers were answered rightly because of the Heavenly Father’s wisdom.”

We like to remind God that He has promised to provide us the desires of our heart.  But He qualifies that in order to receive this promise we must be walking uprightly before him after the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh.  If we are doing this then should not our desires begin to fall in line with His?

“God does not exist to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God.” – Oswald Chambers

As Christians, especially in these times in which we live, we need to be diligent and faithful to pray – but we also need to be willing and ready to receive and accept God’s answers.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” – The Bible (Psalms 37:4)

Are you ready for His will to be done and His kingdom to come?

Today’s Prayer:

Father, I know I can come to you and say anything and everything that is on my mind and in my heart: but when all is said and done, before I say amen, may I never fail to say your will be what is done.