| Author | Message | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 551 Registered: 3-2004 |
God answers prayer in a way that is best for us and in His time and not ours. When I prayed about a job, it did not come right away. I had to wait 8 months, to a point when I almost had no work and no income. Only then did God get me a job. The way I see it, now, is that He wanted me to learn to really trust Him at all times and to be thankful and joyful when things were not going my way. He is truly awesome. Diana | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 555 Registered: 3-2004 |
Jer. 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and reveal to you great and mighty things which you do not know. That is what we are asking God to do, great and mighty things, with our weekly prayers on Friday at sundown and Saturday at 1 PM Pacific time. God is working miracles which we cannot see at this time. When His time is right we will see what God has done. Praise Him for being such an awesome God. Diana | ||
| Tealeaves Registered user Username: Tealeaves Post Number: 178 Registered: 5-2004 |
Praying today! I am also praying this week for the 9/11 widows, widowers, and families. The tragedy still seems like yesterday to me, and I am sure even moreso to those who lost close friends and families. | ||
| Cindy Registered user Username: Cindy Post Number: 667 Registered: 7-2000 |
I love these quotes on prayer from Oswald Chambers: "It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished." "If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts, we think rightly." "The key to the misssionary problem is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer.... Naturally, prayer is not practical, it is absurd; we have to realize that prayer is stupid from the ordinary common-sense point of view." "Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common-sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God's work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God." grace always, cindy | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 692 Registered: 12-2003 |
Cindy, I love those quotes, too. I have loved especially the last one: "Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work." I remember reading once in the book "Spiritual Warfare" by Tim Warner the idea that when we've exhausted our resources for a particualr problem, we often say, "Well, I guess all I can do now is pray." He said that is like setting off some hand grenades and using some small weapons against an enemy and, when those fail to work, saying in despair as a last resort, "Well, I guess all I can do now is set off an intercontinental balistic missile." Praise God that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us even when we don't know what to pray! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 564 Registered: 3-2004 |
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! I agree with you whole heartedly Colleen about the Holy Spirit interceding for us when we don't know what to pray. I also like the quote Cindy posted. I have so much reading to catch up on. I have 3-4 Christian books I have bought and started reading. Sometimes I inundate myself with reading. Diana | ||
| Dd Registered user Username: Dd Post Number: 136 Registered: 7-2004 |
Colleen, where is that verse found that tells us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us? I believe it is something about our own "groanings"...? I am so "pumped" about my BSF study for the coming years on the book of Acts. I am beginning to understand the most under-rated "Miracle" in the SDA church(and I am sure other Christian denominations are included)is the gift of the Holy Spirit. I thought of all of you when I read the notes I received after "class" today: "The Holy Spirit is the key to living a powerful, fruitful Christian life. any other talk of sound doctrine but yet denying the power of the Holy Spirit is just mere talk but not reality - hypocrisy, not honesty... What Jesus began to do on earth, He continues to do through the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to all believers to empower them...Like the disciple, until we are possessed by the Holy spirit, we have no power to meet the challenges and oppositions of this world." The BSF notes stated that the name of the book, Acts of the Apostles, should really be named Acts of the Holy Spirit because by knowing and understanding this book in the Bible we can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in every-day living. See why I am excited? | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 42 Registered: 7-2004 |
That text is in Romans 8:26 and 27. (Sorry, I'm not Colleen, but I just read that text a couple days ago!) It says, "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." And then the very next verse is the oft-memorized one, Romans 8:28, that God causes all things to work together for good. I'm sure that must be connected with the Holy Spirit interceding our prayers and helping our weakness. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 573 Registered: 3-2004 |
Ps 34:1 - 4 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; let the humble hear it and be glad. MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH ME AND LET US EXALT HIS NAME TOGETHER. I SOUGHT THE LORD AND HE ANSWERED ME, AND FREED ME FROM ALL MY FEARS. Friday evening at sundown in our time zones and Saturday afternoon at 1 PM PT we will magnify the Lord together and exalt His name as we pray for our SDA friends, family, leaders from the GC on down, all unchurched formers and any one I cannot remember. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us. God is answering our prayers and when we finally see what He has done we will see He is more awesome than we ever thought. Diana | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 576 Registered: 3-2004 |
Susan_2, my brother in Montana used to think that God did not answer his prayers. I asked him if he thought God should answer his prayers in the way he, my brother wanted them answered and my brother said yes. I asked him if he knew better then God what he needed and he said yes. That is when I told him, again, what I have learned. And I do not know it all. God answers prayers in a way that is good for the person and will give Him the glory. I tell God what I want, then I say, "God, I really want this. It may not be your will for me and if it isn't, I do not like that. So however you answer this prayer, help me to accept it." I like to say that God has agreed with me twice. Once when praying about my son and the other time was when I moved to Las Vegas. Maybe it was not so much of God agreeing with me, but me being in God's will. At any rate He answered the prayers the way I wanted them answered. My brother is changing, Praise God, and is learning that God answers prayers, even when it is not exactly how he wants it answered. So, talk to God about your wants and needs and ask God to show you how to pray and how to recognize when He has answered your prayers even if it is not like you wanted it done. God does answer your prayers. He says no, yes and not at this time. At least that is how I have experienced answer to prayer. Every time I recognize that God has answered a prayer I realize how awesome He is. Diana | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 933 Registered: 11-2002 |
Diana, and others, The minister at the Lutheran church gave a sermon on prayer and faith one week. Apparently when he was around nine years old he was fully convinced he would get a new bicycle for Christmas. He had prayed about it and he had total faith that he would get the bicycle. Then on Christmas morning he went to the living room fully believing there would be a beautiful new bicycle waiting for him. It wasn't there. He was broken hearted. He asked his parents how come God didn't see to it that he would get the bicycle, that he'd been taught to pray and to have faith, both that he did. His dad told him because he needed to pray that God's will will be done and that all his prayers are to lead to the glory and honor or our Saviour. It was a very profound sermon. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 584 Registered: 3-2004 |
JUST A REMINDER, AS I AM SURE YOU WILL NOT FORGET TO PRAY TOMORROW AT SUNDOWN IN EACH TIME ZONE. THEN ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT 1 PM PT, 4 PM ECT AND ALL THE OTHER APPROPRIATE TIME ZONES LET US RAISE OUR PRAYERS TO GOD AS A GROUP TO PRAY FOR ALL SDAS FROM THE GC ON DOWN TO THE SMALLEST CHURCH AND ALL UNCHURCHED FORMERS AND ANYONE ELSE I HAVE NOT MENTIONED. GOD IS HEARING AND ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS AND DRAWING HIS CHILDREN TO HIM. HE IS AWESOME AND SOME DAY WE WILL SEE HOW REALLY AWESOME HE IS. DIANA | ||
| Praisegod Registered user Username: Praisegod Post Number: 122 Registered: 3-2004 |
At our special prayer time today and tomorrow, could I please solicit special prayers for ìDavidî and his wife? He is an SDA pastor who has been preaching the Gospel and now totally understands the New Covenant. He has been praying for the Holy Spirit to release him from his position. I sense that there has been lots of warfare with the spirit of Adventism trying to cling to them, convince them they can do good from within etc. Praise GodÖ | ||
| Sabra Registered user Username: Sabra Post Number: 193 Registered: 10-2001 |
Amen, I will pray for David! Glory! It's working. God is working! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 731 Registered: 12-2003 |
I will also pray for David. God IS working! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 589 Registered: 3-2004 |
GOD IS WORKING AND IS AWESOME IN THAT WORK. I will pray for David and his wife also. I want to jump up and down for joy when I hear/read things like this. God is truly awesome. Diana | ||
| Sabra Registered user Username: Sabra Post Number: 198 Registered: 10-2001 |
Praisegod, What area is he from? Curious, as my cousin's pastor is named David, I'm pretty sure. Mt. Dora SDA church | ||
| Praisegod Registered user Username: Praisegod Post Number: 123 Registered: 3-2004 |
David was in quotes as that's not his real name. I can't divulge what area he's from at this point as he's on higher up committees for both his conference and the national conference and I don't want to do anything to create a crisis ahead of God's time. No, it's not the Mt Dora Church. | ||
| Sabra Registered user Username: Sabra Post Number: 199 Registered: 10-2001 |
oops, sorry! | ||
| Praisegod Registered user Username: Praisegod Post Number: 129 Registered: 3-2004 |
Could I please solicit more prayers over the next few days? You remember that I had asked last Friday for special prayer for an SDA pastoróDavid and his wife Marie. Your prayers are starting to move some mountains. Yesterday God really had me interceding in prayer for them in a strong way, even well into the night. I really sensed a mighty battle going on and the Holy Spirit was asking me to pray and claim some real specific things. Then late last night David called me and was relaying some concerns and prayer requests and they lined up exactly with what I had known through the Holy Spirit. (I wouldnít even have been awake if I hadnít been up praying at the time.) Today Iíve taken David and Marie to the airport as they are going to a nondenominational conference. Thatís the first thing I would ask for you to pray over. You know how unusual it is for an SDA pastor to get into the flow of being with normal Christians. Also, yesterday afternoon my book came by Greg Taylor. Since itís so short I had read it before David ever called last night. On the way to the airport I relayed some of the agonizing that Greg had gone through that he mentions at the end of the book. I knew David could relate to that. Since I had the book with me, he asked to look at it. Then he hinted he would like to take it with him. So as I type this itís in the plane with them. So pray for breakthrough and breakout for another SDA pastor who understands the gospel and the New Covenant!! Praise GodÖ |
