"Passiveness... A Dangerous Detour"

Habakkuk 2:3 "Write the vision make it plain on tablets so that they that run may see it. For the vision is for an appointed time."

I can't seem to get this word, "passive" out of my head....I'm sure God has a word for someone reading this devotional. Not only has this been a word for me, but sometimes it helps and is extremely encouraging to have someone say, "Hey God has a word for YOU!" To define the word "Passive" it simply means....lacking in energy or will. I was reading a book a couple of days ago and came across that word.

Immediately I heard in my spirit, "Don't allow passiveness to overtake you in waiting!" A couple of weeks ago I shared a devotional on prayer. Is God really listening to us? What about an unanswered prayer? So if you are waiting on God for something, then this devotional is for you.......

When we are waiting for God to come through for us, the enemy really works on our weariness! Waiting is difficult and while we are waiting there are many detours that we will be tempted to take. Suddenly I thought about being passive and then I realized that, that was one thing that I most definitely did not want to engulf me.

Are You Living With Unanswered Prayer?

 by Debi Walter

Today we want to talk about those who are waiting on God to answer specific prayers regarding their spouse and marriage. It’s like your unanswered prayer takes on a life of its own and seems to haunt you each and every day.

It’s hard to wait. Especially when we see no evidence of the changes for which we’re praying. How do we continue on when our prayers seem to be “on hold” from God? How do we motivate ourselves to do the right things when our spouse continues to do the wrong things? How do we keep the faith when our unanswered prayers walk by us everyday and seem to mock our hope?

Why Doesn’t God Answer my Prayer?

“Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong.” (Paul in 2 Cor 12:8-10, CEV)

Have you ever earnestly prayed for something, only to have your prayer seemingly go unnoticed? We can understand why God won’t answer prayers for things that are selfish or immoral. But it’s often hard to understand why it seems like our heartfelt, well-intentioned, biblical prayer has gone unanswered.

Waiting

by Matt Slick

How many of us have wondered why God doesn't answer some prayers? You know, the ones about getting that new home, or curing a sickness, or saving a person, or getting a job, or whatever it is. I have sometimes found myself bewildered that God doesn't open the eyes of someone lost in a cult, especially when all the evidence and truth are right there in front of him. 

Then there is the time when we have a sick loved one and we ask the Lord to heal and the healing either comes or doesn't come quickly. Sometimes, medicine is needed and much time. In each situation we have to wait to see what happens, to learn how the Lord has worked it out, to find out the method of His answer.

Noah had to wait 120 years while building the ark before the word of the Lord would be fulfilled. Abraham had to wait until old age before Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The Israelites had to wait hundreds of years to be delivered from Egypt. Ruth had to wait patiently for the Lord to provide Boaz to marry her. David had to wait until after Saul had died and the Lord had placed Him as king. 

Why God Might Not Be Answering Your Prayers

Written by Jonathan Kroeker

Take today’s next step: Do you write? Send in your devos for consideration.

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (1 Peter 3:7)

The easiest way for a married man to make his prayers ineffective is to be inconsiderate or disrespectful to his wife. How many of my own prayers have been scuttled simply because I haven’t been nice to my wife? Just to think about it makes me shudder.

God cares deeply about the state of your marriage because it is meant to be a reflection of Christ’s relationship with His church (Ephesians 5:32). God intends for your neighbor, co-worker, family member, and friend to get a glimpse of the gospel through the way you treat your wife. 

Thanking God for Unanswered Prayers

March 26, 2013

Dear Reader: Happy Passover! For the next eight days, we celebrate Pesach (Passover), offering you devotional reflection tied to this very special observance as well as Torah readings for each day. Since no work is done on the holiest of these days, these devotions were prepared in advance for you.
"His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him." —Exodus 2:4

Today is Day 1 of the eight-day Passover celebration. The Torah reading for today is from Exodus 12:21–51 and the Haftorah is from Joshua 3:5–7; 5:2–6:1; 6:27.

What if God answered every prayer with a resounding "YES"? Would the world be a better and happier place or a worse one? For example, what if God had answered Miriam's prayer as she stood among the reeds next to the Nile River where her baby brother, Moses, floated in a basket designed to protect him as he drifted in the water?

As you remember the story, Miriam and her mother had placed Moses in the basket as a last resort. The Egyptians had resolved to kill every single Hebrew baby boy. Miriam and her mother hoped that a non-Egyptian would find the infant and have mercy on him.

Practicing Patience When God Has You Waiting

Written by Barbara Erochina

Why won’t God answer my prayer?

Some days, it is a lot harder to be patient. When we’re bringing our concerns to the Lord again and again, we grow tired of waiting. It soon begins to feel like our prayers are falling on deaf ears. Often our desire is to take control and just “do the best we can”; it is our fleshly reaction to the silence. We know Galatians 5 lists patience as a fruit of the Holy Spirit so we confess our desire to rule our own lives. We ask the Spirit to fill us, empowering and directing us even as we continue to wait on the Lord.

This doesn’t mean our circumstances change.

Our only child remains sick in the hospital, the thread our marriage hangs on continues to splinter, and the hope we’ve held on to for years fades with increasing speed. Having prayed fervently about whatever issue you are facing too many times to count, it’s easy to feel your bank of patience depleting once again. On these days, let these reminders on the nature of patience be an encouragement to you as you continue to wait.
You are not alone in the waiting.

About Right From The Knees

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. - Colossians 4:2

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What is the value of prayer?

Watchman Nee said, "Our prayers lay the track down which Gods power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails."

We too believe that prayer makes a difference for the one being prayed for, but also for the one doing the praying. We believe that prayer is communication with God. We believe that God is mighty, but that He is also mysterious. We don't always understand why He answers some prayers but is silent at other times. We believe prayer is the glue sticks your heart to God's...and to the hearts of the people you pray for.

When God Doesn't Make Sense

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore He heard that he was sick, He stayed then two days longer in the place where He was.  John 11:5-6

The urgent message came to Jesus.  His good friend Lazarus was very sick and needed Him ASAP.  Surely Jesus, the One who would drop everything to go heal complete strangers, would come running to Lazarus’ town of Bethany to save the day, right?  Wrong!  When Jesus heard Lazarus was deathly ill, He purposely waited two more days before making the twenty mile journey to Bethany.  By the time He finally arrived, Lazarus was stinking dead and in the tomb four days.  

Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, both said the same thing when Jesus showed up, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32).  

Undoubtedly, they were wondering WHY He didn’t come in time.  Undoubtedly, they were shell-shocked at the message He sent, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4).  What in the world could that possibly mean given the fact that Lazarus died the very day Jesus uttered those words?  Is this some cruel joke?