How do you get God to ACTUALLY help?

[Hazelelponi]

A) Pizza for lunch is not a bad thing. Candy would work better for your example.
B) I also don't stand idly by when they get sick and watch them suffer when I can easily act to remedy the situation.
C) I make sure they have MORE materially than they need. Not removing some when they are on the edge of having enough.

This life is temporary, we all must pass from life to life via death. For it is appointed to every man to die once, and after that the judgement.

I know you want to spare your wife undo suffering, and none of us can say with certainty why God made it all this way - but in His sovereignty declared it good, and so it was.

Death comes for us all, being Christ's love to the one who is suffering is all you can do. Christ came that we may have life more abundantly, and in Him it is abundant, it's just not always material in this life.

Hold her hand. Love her. Then you might consider letting her go... in love and peace, give her to God's capable Hand.

It is a sin to call good, evil.. the passing of life to life is good. God has His purpose for all things.

 

[RaymondG]

"25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

 

[Rachel Rachel]

When I say actually help, I mean materially improve the situation. I don’t mean ANY form of making me feel better about it. His grace, love, presence, patience, etc.=not actually helping. How do I get him to act rather than give me completely empty words?

Matthew 6 :33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Seek to know Jehovah and seek his righteousness.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I posted something earlier in another thread about an experience I had many years ago.

I believed in God. I went to church. But years ago I went through a very challenging situation in my life. I was in a very low paid job and found it very hard to pay the bills that came in every month. Halfway through the month I had hardly any food left on the shelf. I couldn't claim any benefits because technically I was in a job and was deemed to have an income.

God looked after me during that time. He didn't solve my problem by making me super rich, and neither did he take away from me my responsibility of paying my bills. But quite a few things happened to me which I didn't expect. I didn't go round telling people about my problems - perhaps I was too proud for that! But I did start getting invites to people's homes for lunch, for evening meals. A couple at the church who I hardly knew came up to me shortly before Christmas and gave me a hamper with some gifts. I received a surprise letter in the post enclosing a gift donation which I was able to use to buy food. With God's help, I managed to get through the situation.

Amidst all the uncertainty, I felt at peace. I remember sitting in a cafe drinking a cup of coffee. Having almost no money, buying a coffee was a luxury - and I savoured every mouthful. I remember feeling God comforting me as sat there watching the world go by. It was if He was telling me that even if I had nothing left in the world, I would still have Him.

Been there, done that as well. God saw me through it all.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Stop blaming him. He is in pain; be kind.

This is the advice forum not the debate forum - and I am being kind. I actually know what he's going through because I've been there, and I'll speak it how I see best...

I'd thank you for not responding to others as if this is a debate forum because it's not.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

When I say actually help, I mean materially improve the situation. I don’t mean ANY form of making me feel better about it. His grace, love, presence, patience, etc.=not actually helping. How do I get him to act rather than give me completely empty words?

Perhaps your brothers and sisters in Christ can help you find solutions to specific problems, if you care to share them.

 

[Bruce Leiter]

When I say actually help, I mean materially improve the situation. I don’t mean ANY form of making me feel better about it. His grace, love, presence, patience, etc.=not actually helping. How do I get him to act rather than give me completely empty words?

How do you pray to him? The only way to get his "ear" is to pray to the Father through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit as the one, only-true God--Creator, Rescuer, and Restorer of your life. Begin with praise for his greatness, continue with thanks for his blessings, confess your sins, pray for other people, and then for your needs. Finally, lament or share your genuine feelings with him.

God answers such prayers one of 4 ways: yes, no, not yet, and not as you expect. He may be trying to teach you patience. Approach him with submission to his divine will whatever it is. Remember, the prayer-tail does not wag the dog!

 

[faroukfarouk]

Walk in His Spirit.

Romans 8 is a great chapter about the indwelling Spirit in the born again believer - and about a great deal of other encouraging things besides.

 

[frederick943]

"His grace, love, presence, patience, etc.=not actually helping. How do I get him to act rather than give me completely empty words?"

I would not waste any time asking God for help. Too many good people have asked without success. I would rather depend on myself, family, friends, doctors, etc. If God did not "act" during our most terrible times (holocaust, inquisitions, etc.) he is not going to be concerned about an individual. The most you could reasonably hope for is to "feel better" after prayer, because you were told that God will answer "in his own way as he wills it" or some such cop-out.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

God is more likely to hear one's prayer if one is on God's street: "This is the way, walk ye in it."

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Troubles are like being in quicksand. Best to be extracted slowly so you come out in one piece.

 

[Kaon]

When I say actually help, I mean materially improve the situation. I don’t mean ANY form of making me feel better about it. His grace, love, presence, patience, etc.=not actually helping. How do I get him to act rather than give me completely empty words?

Stop asking.

 

[Strong in Him]

When I say actually help, I mean materially improve the situation. I don’t mean ANY form of making me feel better about it. His grace, love, presence, patience, etc.=not actually helping. How do I get him to act rather than give me completely empty words?

You don't GET God to do anything.
There is no way that we, finite, people can make the eternal, infinite God of creation bow to our will.

What do you mean by "completely empty words"?
Do you trust in God and his words, or are you treating God like a vending machine and complaining that your coin has got stuck?

 

[faroukfarouk]

You don't GET God to do anything.
There is no way that we, finite, people can make the eternal, infinite God of creation bow to our will.

What do you mean by "completely empty words"?
Do you trust in God and his words, or are you treating God like a vending machine and complaining that your coin has got stuck?

By God's grace instead we need to be able to say 'Thy will be done' from a humble heart and learn to trust His Word which reveals to us about the Person and Work of His beloved Son.

 

[Beanieboy]

I can relate to what he is saying.

Most of my life has been working hard at nonprofits that serve people, something I am really drawn to, and now, stuck in the most expensive place in the country (Bay Area) with the lowest paying profession (teaching.) I taught 8-3 to low income students to help them get jobs as med asst, then worked at Trader Joe's from 5-12, come home, get 4 hours of sleep, then repeat.

At some point, you think, "Hey, God..you told me to trust You, to throw my bread on the water and it would come back even more. Ironically, I teach in a school that trains med assts but doesn't offer me med insurance, and work in a grocery store, but sometimes, often, don't have enough to eat. And it's starting to literally kill me."

But I'm learning something. That I've been made aware of, just don't know what that lesson is.

I think it is ok to feel frustrated, to even pray openly about it. But you will get an answer, so be sure to listen or watch for it.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I can relate to what he is saying.

Most of my life has been working hard at nonprofits that serve people, something I am really drawn to, and now, stuck in the most expensive place in the country (Bay Area) with the lowest paying profession (teaching.) I taught 8-3 to low income students to help them get jobs as med asst, then worked at Trader Joe's from 5-12, come home, get 4 hours of sleep, then repeat.

At some point, you think, "Hey, God..you told me to trust You, to throw my bread on the water and it would come back even more. Ironically, I teach in a school that trains med assts but doesn't offer me med insurance, and work in a grocery store, but sometimes, often, don't have enough to eat. And it's starting to literally kill me."

But I'm learning something. That I've been made aware of, just don't know what that lesson is.

I think it is ok to feel frustrated, to even pray openly about it. But you will get an answer, so be sure to listen or watch for it.

Have you considered a different job, or moving out of SF?

 

[Beanieboy]

You don't GET God to do anything.
There is no way that we, finite, people can make the eternal, infinite God of creation bow to our will.

What do you mean by "completely empty words"?
Do you trust in God and his words, or are you treating God like a vending machine and complaining that your coin has got stuck?

I agree - God isn't a genie that grants wishes, but Christ said the birds of the air are fed, and God loves us more than the birds, and if a child asks for bread will not be given a stone. We also pray to "give us this day our daily bread."

Can you not understand, then when a person prays, trusts, but still have no food, and may feel betrayed or empty words?

The poverty in CA is out of control. I watched a youtube video where a woman has to live in her van. She works full time, but rent has become unaffordable, and technically she is homeless. I could understand someone asking why God doesn't help them.

Have you considered a different job, or moving out of SF?

Definitely, both, but you need money to move, and the only real jobs with affordable pay are finance and tech, meaning retraining, with the hopes the want to hire a recent coder in their mid50s.

Not sure what my next step is going to be, but like the OP, every time I think it is getting better (better paying job fell through, accident with Lyft, etc. something sets me back.

But honestly, everyone thinks of moving away.

 

[Neogaia777]

.

 

[JIMINZ]

I agree - God isn't a genie that grants wishes, but Christ said the birds of the air are fed, and God loves us more than the birds, and if a child asks for bread will not be given a stone. We also pray to "give us this day our daily bread."

Can you not understand, then when a person prays, trusts, but still have no food, and may feel betrayed or empty words?

The poverty in CA is out of control. I watched a youtube video where a woman has to live in her van. She works full time, but rent has become unaffordable, and technically she is homeless. I could understand someone asking why God doesn't help them.


Definitely, both, but you need money to move, and the only real jobs with affordable pay are finance and tech, meaning retraining, with the hopes the want to hire a recent coder in their mid50s.

Not sure what my next step is going to be, but like the OP, every time I think it is getting better (better paying job fell through, accident with Lyft, etc. something sets me back.

But honestly, everyone thinks of moving away.

California is a broken state, they should vote out every Democrat, and change to Republican, things would then get better for everyone.

California really isn't a Democrat State, it's a Socialist State and we can see that the experiment isn't working.

 

[GirdYourLoins]

I know how the OP feels. Ive been a Christian for over 20 years. Ive had health issues for over 20 years which affect my work life, my social life and for the last few years have meant I cant go to church. I just about to manage to keep on working but can do little else. Every time I think I am starting to get ahead something out of my control happens to drag me back down. When I am doing better at work and start moving up I keep getting moved to awful jobs In my working life I have been through 19 company restructures and similar, 18 of which have been detrimental to my career and 1 neutral. I have been moved to jobs working for really bad managers and bullies on numerous occasions, usually by people higher up who dont know the people involved. Several times its been to a lower paid job where I am allowed to stay on the same salary but have it frozen so I dont get any pay rises if I stay there. When I start feeling like I am getting back on my feet it just happens again, or something will happen that takes any money I have been able to save.I barely get by when I see most people around me going on holidays and having money for some luxuries. It never ends.

I've been through every emotion you could imagine with God through all this for decades. It feels that when I get in a place that is better with God, when I am most in love with Him, prepared to give everything for him I get a barrage of "bad luck" until I am totally beaten up by it.It seems that God does not want me in a position where I am even able to earn what I should be able to in the world. He wont protect me against attack. He wont respond to my love. He wont give me any blessing.

Over the years numerous people have said to me that they cant believe the amount of things that happen to me, whether it work, things like the car or home having problems that keep taking all my money to the point it feels like God wants my tithe and every other spare penny I have.

Im not after advice because Ive heard it all before, Ive done it all before and nothing helps, nothing makes it any better.