ANSWERED PRAYER

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is about prayer and some of our strange ideas!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 30 May 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	ANSWERED PRAYER
Being a Christian is a blast! I’ve never had so much fun in all my life. Sure there are enormous difficulties and problems confronting us. But getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ and walking with Him is more exciting than riding a roller coaster in the amusement park. One of the first things we learn as Christians is that prayer is the “life blood” of the relationship with Him. Any personal relationship is two-sided. You cannot have a relationship with a rock – except for the Rock of Ages. Each and every relationship is at least two-sided. You can have a relationship with a person. Inanimate objects fail to qualify. So if you are trying to relate with a cast idol, forget it. All you will hear is the sound of your blood pumping round your body. Prayer must be two sided! You may ask, “But how does that work? I can’t hear God speaking?” Actually, you can hear Him perfectly well. Dig into His Word and you will know what He is saying to you. Refining your hearing may take a period of time. But we can all do it. Jeremiah said, 13 If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. Jeremiah 29:13 NLT If you look at this passage of Scripture you will find that you are not excluded. So now we have briefly dealt with hearing from Him. The Lord wants to speak to you far more than you realise. Your part is to seek Him. If you don’t seek Him you won’t find or hear Him. The fact is, He has said this to everyone in every generation. We are included! The other part is to speak to Him. Speak the same way as you would speak to someone you respect. If you speak to the President you are respectful. Similarly, you speak respectfully to your father. I didn’t have much choice. Being rude to my dad was a “No-No”. It’s much the same when speaking to God. Yes, He is our Heavenly Father so we needn’t shake with fear. But He is God. Don’t mess with Him and you won’t have a problem. This is important. Prayer is, or should be a dialog. Speaking and answering is normal. If I spoke to you and you never replied, I would be making a speech. Don’t make speeches to God. He’s heard them all! Listen carefully to what He says. You may even ask Him for things. This is where we need to be careful. Find out what He would like. He will tell you. Then ask Him for that! The psalmist puts it this way. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4 ESV. Read this “un-religiously”. He will put in your heart His desires. In other words, when you ask Him for what He wants He will give you what you ask. It’s a sure-fire guarantee. Ask Him to give you what He wants and He will do it! Is that difficult? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." John 11:41-42 ESV 28 Father, bring glory to your name!" Then a voice came from heaven. It said, "I have brought glory to my name. I will bring glory to it again." John 12:28 NIrV 7 Then I said, 'Look, I have come to do Your will, O God--as is written about Me in the Scriptures.'" Hebrews 10:7 NLT 42 saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." Luke 22:42 ESV 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:17 ESV 14 There is one thing we can be sure of when we come to God in prayer. If we ask anything in keeping with what he wants, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 NIrV 22 And he will give us anything we ask. That's because we obey his commands. We do what pleases him. 1 John 3:22 NIrV 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NLT 25 Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. Hebrews 7:25 NLT 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 ESV	I asked Him for an aeroplane, I got a little toy. I asked Him for a race horse; He said, “What for My boy”?” I asked for an apartment which overlooked the sea. “That isn’t what I have in mind My son to give to thee”. I asked Him for a camel. I got a big green frog. I asked Him for a buffalo. I got a sausage dog. I asked Him for a Jumbo jet for the Olympic games. “I’m sorry that is not My will. You’ll use it chasing dames!” This sort of made me shudder. Why didn’t He agree? I had been taught that I could ask whatever pleases me! It seems I was mistaken. I have to do His will Before He will consider me and all my dreams fulfil. There has to be a reason. I thought I understood, That He would give me anything provided I was good. They taught me to demand it. He cannot break His Word. But when I checked it out with Him, I found that I’d misheard. It isn’t “faith” He honours! It’s “faithfulness” it seems. The substance of things hoped for in all my wildest dreams. The evidence of things unseen would only manifest, If I was doing what He said and giving Him my best! “But Lord, that isn’t Scriptural”, I had the cheek to say “But I’m the One Who makes the rules and must give My OK”. “Look carefully at Jesus”, the Master said to me. He asked Me to excuse Him from a trip to Calvary. I’m sorry I won’t do it. I know You are My Son But there are things outstanding and by You they must be done. For sure He had an answer. There was no other way. He had to die upon that cross; to perfectly obey, The sacrifice demanded. No substitute would do. And what I said to Jesus, My son I say to you. I’ve put in place requirements for Me to answer prayer. These are the preconditions applying everywhere. I know you do not like them. No Christian ever did. But I am not an auctioneer Who’s waiting for a bid. I’m also not a slot machine who comes up with a prize For getting all the numbers right in everybody’s eyes. My son, I want to bless you. But if you would receive, Then everything within My book My son, you must believe. So if you want an answer to any prayer request, Do what I have told you and give your very best. Then something strange will happen. Your selfish prayers will end, And you’ll find you are praying for that which I intend! It won’t be what you’re wanting, but that which is My will. Then you will find that what you ask is what I will fulfil. For you will not be asking with any selfish aim. But for the things I’m planning in Jesus’ Precious Name!” Jim Strickland – Written, 30th May 2012