Often we pray, and we don’t receive an obvious answer. What then? Should we just make our own decision? Should we wait until we have clear direction?
Jesus. The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Often we pray, and we don’t receive an obvious answer. What then? Should we just make our own decision? Should we wait until we have clear direction?
I have to respectfully disagree with your reply. I know that it seems that when we don’t get an answer to our prayers that God is being silent, but that is NEVER the case. The truth is that we cannot hear Him because our own voices, fears, desires, and ideas are crowding into the space where God speaks. God always answers us just as He always answered Christ. Christ NEVER did anything of His own will. He never thought He knew what was best, never acted on His own accord, but He always did the will of the Father, that means that He always ASKED what to do. If CHIRST did it that way then we can too. We can ask and receive. Not ask and not receive. We must cleanse the inner vessel enough to hear His voice. Do we believe God? It’s His promise!
Do you think, Karen, that Christ’s relationship with the Father differs somewhat from our own? Do you for instance, hear the Holy Spirit direct you to use navy beans as opposed to kidney beans?
Chris, great question. God’s ways are so much higher than ours it is hard if not impossible to describe exactly how He works and how His direction interacts with our own choices, etc. However I wanted to take a moment to respond and say that there have been times when I’ve felt a clear direction to do one thing over another (things as mundane as stopping in the grocery store today rather than tomorrow, waiting to make a phone call, doing one task before another, etc). Sometimes I’ve heeded, sometimes not, but with retrospect I can see how the “prompting” if followed affected things. The book of Acts I think describes times when the Holy Spirit prompts believers, not speaking of Christ Himself.
I believe Christ came as our example in all things. He came to show the way, to help us see and understand how to live and what to do and how to do it. Yes, I believe that Christ can and does want us to ask in all things. The commandment to “ask and ye shall receive” is a commandment not just a nice saying. If you cut him out in the simple things you will cut him out of the big things. It is as much a habit as anything else to ask in all things that we are trying to learn. Personally I know he is willing and able to answer all our questions, big and llittle. Do you want an intimate, bridegroom/bride relationship or a servant/master one? An intimate relationship requires more than just asking about the big stiff. Navy beans is about intimacy
TWO SCRIPTURES HELPED ME WHEN I FIRST TURN TO THE LORD IN 1971, THANKS TO MY BEST FRIEND KATHY SHE PRAYER WITH ME FIRST THAN I STARTS SUCH ING THE KING JAME SCRIPTURES MY SELF ,IT WAS HARD ,BUT I BELIEVED THE LORD SHOWER ME TWO SCRIPTURES THAT PUT ME ON THE
STRAIGHT AND NARROW ROAD! ACKNOLEDGE THE LORD FIRST IN ALL YOUR WAYS AND HE WILL LEAD YOU PATH.
PRAY FOR EARS TO HEAR! YOU CAN ONLY PLEASE GOD BY FAITH, SO WHEN YOU PRAY BELIEVE HE HEARS YOU ,AND YOU WILL RECEIVE. ! THANK YOU FOR READING THIS.