First things first. If you don't understand this, the 5 ways God answers prayer won't make any difference:
God answers every prayer.
Take a moment and let that sink in. Jeremiah 33:3 tells us, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
There’s not a single prayer that has ever been prayed that God hasn’t answered. You and I may not return a phone call right away or we may not reply to a letter right away, but God never procrastinates, He never has to "think about it", He doesn’t have to consult His calendar and have His people get with our people, He answers prayer.
God loves to answer our prayers, He just doesn’t always answer in the manner we want. But He does answer in one of 5 ways:
1. "No, I love you too much."
The Apostle Paul asked God 3 times to remove the thorn in his flesh, and God’s answer? 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’"
Something we have to understand here is that whenever God says no to us it is in our best interest. He’s not in heaven saying, "You know, that Melody really wants this, and it would be great for her if I were to grant her request, but I’m just not in the mood today." No. He only says "No" when it’s in our best interest. Parents know that it is often better for their child to say no than it is to say yes. Hard? Yes, but necessary.
2. "Yes, but you'll have to wait."
Immediate answers to prayer: You want them. I want them. But God simply does not always work that way. And to get His best, we must be patient. In some cases, we must wait until the stroke of midnight for His answer to come.
Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
3. "Yes, but not what you expected."
Sometimes God works in ways that baffle us. Nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that we're going to understand absolutely everything that ever happens. But we still have to trust God. He'll never let us down.
Proverbs 3:5 & 6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
4. "Yes, and here's more!"
Ever wonder if the Lord really knows what you want and need? Of course you have. And so have I. But He does know and what's more, He wants to provide for all of our needs - and often beyond that!
Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of God’s thoughts. It says, "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
5. "Yes, I thought you'd never ask."
Many people think prayer is complicated. Actually, the simplest prayer can bring you the miracle you need, when you need it. When my family and I moved to Washington we had to find housing. The market was high and it looked like we were going to have to locate in Redmond instead of Bellevue, meaning a minimum commute of one hour each way. I was not crazy about that, so I began to pray for a house closer. I didn't care what it was, I just wanted a closer house.
My wife, on the other hand, began praying for a closer house, with three bedrooms and a family room, a fenced in yard for the kids and the list went on. Within a week we had exactly what she had prayed for!
James 5:16 reminds us, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
So friends, never cease praying. God will answer, at the right time and in the right way!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Stop Looking for "Greener Pastures"
Why is it that we're always looking for "greener pastures"? Are there really greener pastures out there? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I'm just wondering what ever happened to working hard right where we are.
Suleyman Guresci, of Izmir, Turkey divorced his wife of 21 years after a bitter six-year court battle. It was ugly from the word "go" and got uglier until it was final. Now "free", Guresci began looking for the ideal marriage partner. His search took him to a computer dating service--the kind that evaluates your written profile and suggests matches for you.
Over the course of the next couple of months the dating service found some 2,000 prospective brides. And at the top of the list? The service selected his former wife, who (unbeknownst to Guresci) had signed up for the same service. What did Guresci do? Just nine months after their divorce, he and his wife remarried. He said, "I did not know that my ex-wife had been the ideal counterpart for a marriage. I decided to give it another try by being more tolerant toward her." Your ideal mate might just be the one you've already married.
The principle Guresci learned applies to so many areas of life. We tend to give up far too quickly. Why? Because we want things to be easy; to be handed to us on a silver platter. I'm honestly concerned about today's generation of youth and their "entitlement" attitude. No one ever said life was supposed to be easy. Honestly, it isn't. But walking away and looking for "greener pastures" is not the answer.
I know there are times when we think, "Wow! There has to be something better than this!" Or, "This is far more challenging than I thought.......I'm getting out of here." I want to encourage you today, stick with it. Really, you have two options: 1) Look and look and look for the "perfect" situation (HINT: It doesn't exist.) 2) Make the place you are the "perfect" situation. (HINT: Perfection may be a stretch, but anything can be made better with some effort.)
Time after time I've talked with people and heard stories about indivuduals who thought they wanted "greener pastures". So they left their job, their home, their family, their circumstance to pursue it. What did they find? For the vast majority, they found sorrow, regret and disappointment.
So I encourage you today: Stick with it! Don't give up! Bloom right where God has planted you. I'm not saying it's never right to move on, but have a long talk with God about it before you do. Just like Guresci learned about his marriage, your ideal situation might be the one you're in right now.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Blessings to you this week, dear friends!!!
Suleyman Guresci, of Izmir, Turkey divorced his wife of 21 years after a bitter six-year court battle. It was ugly from the word "go" and got uglier until it was final. Now "free", Guresci began looking for the ideal marriage partner. His search took him to a computer dating service--the kind that evaluates your written profile and suggests matches for you.
Over the course of the next couple of months the dating service found some 2,000 prospective brides. And at the top of the list? The service selected his former wife, who (unbeknownst to Guresci) had signed up for the same service. What did Guresci do? Just nine months after their divorce, he and his wife remarried. He said, "I did not know that my ex-wife had been the ideal counterpart for a marriage. I decided to give it another try by being more tolerant toward her." Your ideal mate might just be the one you've already married.
The principle Guresci learned applies to so many areas of life. We tend to give up far too quickly. Why? Because we want things to be easy; to be handed to us on a silver platter. I'm honestly concerned about today's generation of youth and their "entitlement" attitude. No one ever said life was supposed to be easy. Honestly, it isn't. But walking away and looking for "greener pastures" is not the answer.
I know there are times when we think, "Wow! There has to be something better than this!" Or, "This is far more challenging than I thought.......I'm getting out of here." I want to encourage you today, stick with it. Really, you have two options: 1) Look and look and look for the "perfect" situation (HINT: It doesn't exist.) 2) Make the place you are the "perfect" situation. (HINT: Perfection may be a stretch, but anything can be made better with some effort.)
Time after time I've talked with people and heard stories about indivuduals who thought they wanted "greener pastures". So they left their job, their home, their family, their circumstance to pursue it. What did they find? For the vast majority, they found sorrow, regret and disappointment.
So I encourage you today: Stick with it! Don't give up! Bloom right where God has planted you. I'm not saying it's never right to move on, but have a long talk with God about it before you do. Just like Guresci learned about his marriage, your ideal situation might be the one you're in right now.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Blessings to you this week, dear friends!!!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
How You're Like a Pencil
I received this from a friend and it is so good I have to share it with you. I have a great relationship with many educators here in the Clarke Community Schools, as well as in several other districts. One of the things I remember growing up in Iowa schools was whenever it came to taking a test I was to bring a......remember? A No. 2 Pencil. Never a pen, never a harder or softer pencil, only a No. 2 Pencil.
In 5th grade I didn't even realize they made anything other than a No. 2 Pencil, but they do. There are all different types of pencils; different hardnesses, different sizes, mechanical pencils, carpenter's pencils and the list could go on. The point is, each one is different and serves it's unique purpose. So, that being said.........
Did you know that you are like a pencil? Here's how:
1. Like a pencil, you can correct your mistakes. You can't change the past, but you can rectify it. And though you can't erase history, you can erase guilt and anger with forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)
2. Like a pencil, painful sharpening can serve to make you better. Your difficult times can actually sharpen your skills or shape you into the person you were meant to be. (Proverbs 3:12)
3. Like a pencil, you can do great things when you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand. (Proverbs 3:5 & 6)
4. Like a pencil, you can leave your mark whenever possible. That is what you're here for -- to leave your mark. It may be in small ways, it may be in the lives of people you have touched or nurtured, but you must leave something good behind whenever you can. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
5. Like a pencil, it is what is on the inside that matters.Whether it is understanding or intolerance, love orbitterness, peace or unrest, kindness or self- centeredness, hope or despair, courage or fear, what is on the inside matters most. (1 Samuel 16:7)
So, what kind of mark are leaving on people's lives and in this world?
In 5th grade I didn't even realize they made anything other than a No. 2 Pencil, but they do. There are all different types of pencils; different hardnesses, different sizes, mechanical pencils, carpenter's pencils and the list could go on. The point is, each one is different and serves it's unique purpose. So, that being said.........
Did you know that you are like a pencil? Here's how:
1. Like a pencil, you can correct your mistakes. You can't change the past, but you can rectify it. And though you can't erase history, you can erase guilt and anger with forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)
2. Like a pencil, painful sharpening can serve to make you better. Your difficult times can actually sharpen your skills or shape you into the person you were meant to be. (Proverbs 3:12)
3. Like a pencil, you can do great things when you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand. (Proverbs 3:5 & 6)
4. Like a pencil, you can leave your mark whenever possible. That is what you're here for -- to leave your mark. It may be in small ways, it may be in the lives of people you have touched or nurtured, but you must leave something good behind whenever you can. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
5. Like a pencil, it is what is on the inside that matters.Whether it is understanding or intolerance, love orbitterness, peace or unrest, kindness or self- centeredness, hope or despair, courage or fear, what is on the inside matters most. (1 Samuel 16:7)
So, what kind of mark are leaving on people's lives and in this world?
Saturday, January 20, 2007
NEVER Give Up!!!
We have no control over most outcomes in life. We do our best to influence them: eat right to stay healthy; drive carefully to avoid an accident; invest wisely to accumulate a net worth -- we try to influence outcomes, but we can't control them. Sometimes we get sick anyway, sometimes the car wreck isn't our fault, sometimes seemingly good investments go south.
While you can't control outcomes, there is one thing that is biblically guaranteed to work in your favor every time. What is it?
Perseverance.
Stick-to-it-iveness.
The habit of getting back up and trying one more time. I can't control results, but I can control whether or not I quit. No one else can make that decision for me. It's mine alone.
The story is told that Andrew Jackson's boyhood friends just couldn't understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson's friends said, "Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now."
Another friend responded, "How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn't they usually say three times and out?" "Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat -- he would never stay 'throwed.' Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner."
Picking up on that idea, someone has said, "The thing that counts is not how many times you are 'throwed,' but whether you are willing to stay 'throwed'." We may face setbacks, but we must take courage and go forward in faith. Then, with God's help, we can be the eventual victor. Persevering is something anyone can do. The longer you do it, the stronger you get, and the more likely you are to succeed.
A great friend of mine has submitted data annually for over 15 years in anticipation of being selected to perform before a gathering of his peers. In over 15 years he hasn't been chosen. But he's submitting data again this year, in just a few days. Why? Isn't 15 rejections enough to make him quit. Nope. He's determined to keep at it until he gets the call to come and perform.
My encouragement to you today is simple: PERSEVERE!! Don't give up. I have a picture of a large bird with a frog in it's beak. The frog is using it's front legs to squeeze the throat of the bird, making it impossible to swallow him. The title of the picture is "Never Give Up" (See it here: http://www.logobrand.com/images/bandw_never_give_up.jpg) You'll always have the chance to quit or give up. Don't take it! Quitting may seem easier, but perseverance pays off.
The Bible says it this way in Galatians 6:9, "So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Begin this week determined to keep doing good. Let it not make us weary. There's a harvest waiting if we don't give up.
PC
While you can't control outcomes, there is one thing that is biblically guaranteed to work in your favor every time. What is it?
Perseverance.
Stick-to-it-iveness.
The habit of getting back up and trying one more time. I can't control results, but I can control whether or not I quit. No one else can make that decision for me. It's mine alone.
The story is told that Andrew Jackson's boyhood friends just couldn't understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States. They knew of other men who had greater talent but who never succeeded. One of Jackson's friends said, "Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now."
Another friend responded, "How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn't they usually say three times and out?" "Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat -- he would never stay 'throwed.' Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andrew Jackson would throw him and be the winner."
Picking up on that idea, someone has said, "The thing that counts is not how many times you are 'throwed,' but whether you are willing to stay 'throwed'." We may face setbacks, but we must take courage and go forward in faith. Then, with God's help, we can be the eventual victor. Persevering is something anyone can do. The longer you do it, the stronger you get, and the more likely you are to succeed.
A great friend of mine has submitted data annually for over 15 years in anticipation of being selected to perform before a gathering of his peers. In over 15 years he hasn't been chosen. But he's submitting data again this year, in just a few days. Why? Isn't 15 rejections enough to make him quit. Nope. He's determined to keep at it until he gets the call to come and perform.
My encouragement to you today is simple: PERSEVERE!! Don't give up. I have a picture of a large bird with a frog in it's beak. The frog is using it's front legs to squeeze the throat of the bird, making it impossible to swallow him. The title of the picture is "Never Give Up" (See it here: http://www.logobrand.com/images/bandw_never_give_up.jpg) You'll always have the chance to quit or give up. Don't take it! Quitting may seem easier, but perseverance pays off.
The Bible says it this way in Galatians 6:9, "So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Begin this week determined to keep doing good. Let it not make us weary. There's a harvest waiting if we don't give up.
PC
Friday, January 19, 2007
I'm Back!
Good day, friends!
I'm back in Blogosphere and ready to go again. I look forward to sharing thoughts and words of encouragement with you!
God bless!!
PC
I'm back in Blogosphere and ready to go again. I look forward to sharing thoughts and words of encouragement with you!
God bless!!
PC
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