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God does things for us?

returntosender

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I am very confused about this.
A very popular minister said this recently, my words. Since i am still confused about it after hearing this sermon twice i still need to hear it again.
He said don't expect God to do things you ask him to do. I've waited 50 years and it hasn't happened. I'm thinking he's talking about things like, help me not to eat to much,. Help me to make this green light. Help me make it to the bathroom,etc. Daily things? I ask God daily so many times for all my needs. This is a shock to me. What do you think?
 

Blade

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Since He found me been over 55y now I have heard "if it's Gods will". Well at first that seems clear God says yes then maybe no yet the more you read His word I found His WORD IS His will. If GOD said it He has to will do it. He said His word can not come back to Him void. It has to do what He said.

So if this helps I prayed for something .. I always prayed for and He answered it but it was 15 years later. NO mostly is not like that. It was to see people through His eyes. His word says if you know God hears you then you Know you have the petitions/prayers you asked for. Its faith. See all we know is this world where you always take get receive but its a nightmare. But God is not man where He is He always I mean always gives. See that is the reward. Its just twisted here. Think were more blessed to give then receive. The Father LOVES to give and give till is over flowing. But here no no we must be poor and have little that's the Christian walk. The world oh they are to bath in riches and wealth not us no no.

Start thinking.. but we won't be walking on pavement or concert or dirt nope we walk and gold so clear looks like glass thats what GOD paved the streets with. Sorry got lost there haha. So you hold on to what you asked prayed for. Find what His word says and remind Him what He said. Like if you get scared you say "no God has not given me the spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind and I have the JOY of the lord and I am strong in power of HIs might". Not just words.. GOD spoke them and what HE said HAS to happen. We don't walk by sight of feelings and we don't put GOD on some time clock.

So hold on stand strong tell the enemy to take a hick you will not doubt in JESUS name
 
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Strong in Him

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I am very confused about this.
A very popular minister said this recently, my words. Since i am still confused about it after hearing this sermon twice i still need to hear it again.
He said don't expect God to do things you ask him to do.
He's right.
We are told to pray according to his will. We are told that God provides and that we can trust him to meet our needs. This is correct; God keeps his promises.
But sometimes we, or others, ask for things that WE, or they, want. We ask for possessions, for a slightly easier life etc, add "in Jesus' name" onto the end and expect that God will do that because that is what he wants for us. But we don't always know what God wants for us. "Help me make that green light" - why? Because you want to get through it, are in a hurry or are late? How do you know God isn't teaching you patience, or to be better organised? How do you know that he doesn't want you to spend the few minutes waiting at a red light to pray for someone? Sorry, but that is not an example of a need, so why would God provide for it?

I've waited 50 years and it hasn't happened.
What hasn't happened?
God does keep his promises, but not always in our timing. Hebrews 11 speaks who people who died before they received what God had promised, or saw the fulfilment of that promise. Abraham had two sons when he died - Ishmael and Isaac. His family was not as great as the stars in the sky - yet he still believed God had promised that.

I'm thinking he's talking about things like, help me not to eat to much,. Help me to make this green light. Help me make it to the bathroom,etc. Daily things? I ask God daily so many times for all my needs. This is a shock to me. What do you think?
I know that God keeps his promises, meets our needs and gives us strength for the things that he wants us to do. Even if, humanly speaking, they look impossible.
Sometimes, in his grace, he will give us things that we want, or think that we need. But we have no right to expect him to do this. That, to me, is like demanding something of God. We are here to serve him, not the other way around.
 
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Strong in Him

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The Minister said he has waited 50 years. Bad wording on my part. What i think he meant was he has asked for God to do things and in 50 years God never has.
Ok.
Obviously I don't know the Minister and I have no idea what he has been asking God for, or what he has been expecting.
If he had been expecting new possessions, a new job, a nice life etc etc or asking for things outside of God's will, that might explain why.
If he was saying that he has been a Christian for 50 years and not seen God do anything, or at work anywhere, I would dispute that and want to ask where he has been looking. I'm assuming and hoping that the Minister is a Christian. So God has saved him, given him eternal life, forgiveness, assurance and EVERY spiritual blessing, through Christ, Ephesians 1:3. He has given him his Spirit as a deposit which guarantees his future inheritance, 2 Corinthians 5:5, and he is a child of God, Romans 8:16. He has also called him to his role as a Minister in Christ's church. That doesn't sound like nothing to me.

Or maybe his point was that God hasn't given me anything I wanted, but everything I needed?
There's a poem about that somewhere. The author is saying that he asked God for good health, strength, money etc so that he could do great things, achieve much and so on, but was given weakness, ill health etc so that he would trust God, rely on others, learn obedience etc.
I don't agree with the idea that God sends ill health, disability or hard times as punishment. But the poet finishes by saying that God gave him nothing that he wanted, but everything that he needed - and he felt truly blessed.
In Romans 8 Paul lists the hardships he has known and says "IN all these things, we are more than conquerors".
 
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IoanC

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I don't have any proof God ever did anything for any human. I don't believe God operates within religion either. However, I am not saying that asking God for something and religion are wrong. What I think is that God is closer to us than we think. God's silence empowers us to be free and seek our own good ourselves. Religion is rather allegorical and sometimes contradictory; it may be better to remain realistic and normal.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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I am very confused about this.
A very popular minister said this recently, my words. Since i am still confused about it after hearing this sermon twice i still need to hear it again.
He said don't expect God to do things you ask him to do. I've waited 50 years and it hasn't happened. I'm thinking he's talking about things like, help me not to eat to much,. Help me to make this green light. Help me make it to the bathroom,etc. Daily things? I ask God daily so many times for all my needs. This is a shock to me. What do you think?
He sounds angry and resentful. Keep on praying but be aware that it may not be in His will. This avoids bitterness. Blessings.
 
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timothyu

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The whole idea is to continually seek God... for life. Don't expect God to cater to you. It is about Him, not us. For example, Jesus came to give us the good news God would return to take away governance of man from man and assume the role Himself. This should be good news especially to those who have come to realize that after thousands of years we have never gotten it right. People instead turned it around to be about going to heaven, putting themselves first, which of course was the reason man got kicked out of the Garden in the first place.
 
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eleos1954

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I am very confused about this.
A very popular minister said this recently, my words. Since i am still confused about it after hearing this sermon twice i still need to hear it again.
He said don't expect God to do things you ask him to do. I've waited 50 years and it hasn't happened. I'm thinking he's talking about things like, help me not to eat to much,. Help me to make this green light. Help me make it to the bathroom,etc. Daily things? I ask God daily so many times for all my needs. This is a shock to me. What do you think?
God isn't controlling every aspect of our lives ..... we aren't a bunch of robots ..... God is concerned about sin not our daily hygiene activities and other things that are not sinful. What is sin? Transgression of the law. We are called to be overcomers .... and Jesus will help us overcome sin through the work of the Holy Spirit. He does know every aspect of our life .... but does not control everything we think and do. We are daily in the position of choice .... sin or not to sin.

“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7.
 
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returntosender

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I disagree with some of what you said. It's more then overcoming sin. Overcoming pain, or handicaps or illnesses. It's not always sins,. Not to mention bad habits, chores that are too much to handle.death of love ones.
He sounds angry and resentful. Keep on praying but be aware that it may not be in His will. This avoids bitterness. Blessings.
It's my own wording. I am sorry i am not remembering his words correctly. I think he was saying we can't expect God to do things we ask him to such as trivial things or things we can do ourselves. I thought of going back to his sight and quoting him correctly and i probably will. It's a case of half listening. And then catching the end of s sermon.
 
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Strong in Him

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I am sorry i am not remembering his words correctly. I think he was saying we can't expect God to do things we ask him to such as trivial things or things we can do ourselves.
I would agree with that.
 
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I have soime major life shifting issues going on at the moment. Worse, there are several impacting me at once . It's moments like these, for all the years I have prayed; that one hopes that God will answer. What choice does one have but to keep trying to reach out?
 
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studentinprayer

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To listen is to hear the words of the heart not just what is spoken.
Prayer isn't about what you say.
Prayer is an act of love.

In this way, when you ask 'God, help me get this job'.

You not really asking for the job.
You're asking for the security that job brings. Or responsibility. Or the ability to make a difference. etc etc

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If, the advice was "don't expect God to do things you ask him to do" I'd then expect that what is being emphasized is the need for contemplation in our prayers rather then looking at them as a worth game where you are bond to be disappointed. The person, with what you desire isn't more worthy, isn't more self-aware, isn't more destined. They needed what you did not.

In not getting what you prayed, you are given opportunity to look deeper down down.
What you really want has never been closer.
 
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Strong in Him

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In this way, when you ask 'God, help me get this job'.

You not really asking for the job.
You might be - but it might not be the right job. Or you might be asking the wrong question - i.e. "is there a job that you want me to have?" Rather than saying, "I need this job so help me get it."
One is praying according to God's will, and one is asking for what the pray-er wants.
 
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returntosender

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It was turning point with David Jeremiah. They won't let you watch previous shows without signing in ,etc. But there are lots of repeats so maybe i will see it again and i will repeat it right.
Thanks all for responding.:)
 
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biblelesson

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I am very confused about this.
A very popular minister said this recently, my words. Since i am still confused about it after hearing this sermon twice i still need to hear it again.
He said don't expect God to do things you ask him to do. I've waited 50 years and it hasn't happened. I'm thinking he's talking about things like, help me not to eat to much,. Help me to make this green light. Help me make it to the bathroom,etc. Daily things? I ask God daily so many times for all my needs. This is a shock to me. What do you think?
Here is truth,

1 John 5:15 KJV
“And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

1 John 3:20-23 KJV
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.


TO KNOW, AND TO HAVE CONFIDENCE - This is faith!
If we know He hears us, we have our petition, and if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence toward God and we have what we ask for.

Same thing Jesus said, if we believe and don’t doubt, we have whatever we ask, Mark 11:24 KJV, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Believe the scriptures. It’s a matter of asking God for increased faith.

Ask Him each day in prayer, then right after you ask Him, thank Him for blessing you with increased faith. Say, praise you God for your Goodness and Mercy, praise you for answering my prayer.

Instead of begging like we always do, just thank Him for each thing you have asked for.
 
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