Wednesday, January 10, 2007

 

Pray for Change

I have a friend who I love very much who has many troubles. She prays and asks God for help. Then she wonders why He doesn't change everything the way she expects .
She will pray about changing her life several times a day and wonder why nothing happens.

Why doesn't a change happen? First we must look at the rest of her life. What does she do between prayers? She continues her life as before. She does everything the same way she always has. Nothing she does in her life changes.
Oh, she may make some small changes, but she doesn't really grab the bull by the horns and say"what I've been doing for years hasn't worked, I'm going to approach everything from a different direction in a different way." She doesn't even ask God for direction.
Instead of doing everything the same and waiting for God to change her life she needs to make a big effort herself.

There are two absolute truths I have learned about praying for God's help:
1. If you don't ask him he won't help you. 2. If you don't make a real try to to reach your goal or fill your needs yourself he won't help you.
If you sincerely ask God for help every day and mean it He will listen. The more you ask the more he will listen. God may move things for you somewhat as a part of his major plan, but if you don't try to change things on your own not much is going to happen.
If you have an obstacle to overcome you must really try to do it on your own.

If you sit on one side of the mountain and say to yourself"Gee, I've heard its great over there. There are streams of milk and honey and the streets are paved with gold. I hope God will move me there."
What's God's reaction? He says "No you don't, if you wanted to go over there you'd start climbing."
God rewards effort. He will help those who first help themselves. If you expect God to do everything for you then then you are in for a disappointment.

If you are doing a lot of good work for God, helping His master plan then he may reward you. But, He may reward you with more things you can do to bring Him Glory.( That is your real purpose in life anyway. You were created to bring God glory.)
If you want more than that you must get up and get to work.

You know, I started this post because of a recent dialy devotional post my pastor sends out on the net every day.
I read his message and thought, "You know, there is a lot in this message
that might help several people I know."

I started writing this with that in mind. About halfway through however It began to soak in to me that this message may have been planted in my mind by God, I have had a lot of real major problems in my life for the
last year and I have prayed repeatedly for God's help.

I have alos prayed something that I started praying a few years ago based on the Prayer Of Jabez. I asked the Lord to expand my territory so that I may do more to serve him. ( Check out the popular book "The Prayer Of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkinson, it can be a real blessing in your life)
I have prayed this for a long time and it has always worked.
I asked Him to let me serve Him and he has done it in so many ways that I am amazed! The best moments in my life have been spent in service to God.

I have to ask myself now, "Why has he answered those prayers and not the others for calling His help in my own struggles?"
Could it be that he is still waiting for me to do more to try to change thngs on my own so that he may help me? Or am I still living according to His plan for my life. Am I destined to be changed in some way by the obsticales I am fighting so that I might better fit into His plan?" They are dragging me down in some ways, but is this His plan for me?
I guess I will be doing a lot more praying for awhile
And maybe a lot more trying too.

God Bless. Deacon Harry

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