Is it possible to twist God's arm?

[NewSong]

Example:

2 Kings 20:1-3 - In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." 2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3"Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

 

[riverpastor]

NO.

But maybe God was looking for a response from Hezekiah.

God didn't hide His own choice from Himself that He would give Hezekiah fifteen more years to live. The Lord knew that Hezekiah would turn to the wall and pray.

And, also, the Lord didn't say, "YOu are going to die tomorrow." He simply said, "You are going to die." Maybe he just didn't tell Hezekiah initially that it would be fifteen years later.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Is it possible to twist God's arm?

I dunno. He is pretty tough. Jacob "rassled" with God one time and got his hip dislocated. Besides I think arm twisting is illegal.

Thing is, we do not have to.
He has already given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. He has already said that all things are ours and that all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ.
What exactly is it that we think we have to beg, bribe, and "twist His arm" for?
WHY DO WE HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME TAKING YES FOR AN ANSWER?

 

[riverpastor]

[bible]2 Corinthians 1:20[/bible]

Amen Dids.

Does every promise belong to us? IN Him it's YES and AMEN!

 

[sweetrevival]

It's like when we're kids and we get an action doll, and we bend their arms and legs to fit into the game we are playing. We are 'god' to our toys because they obey our plan then.

Some people never quite get the drift that God isn't our toy to manipulate and contort and conform into our game.

 

[Trish1947]

Isn't it the other way around? He is trying to gently twist our arms, but we just keep resisting. LOL.

 

[riverpastor]

No, that's my two boys...

 

[NewSong]

What about this:

Genesis 18:23. And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24. "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? NKJV




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And this:

Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.”’ 6And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth



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Doesn't any of this indicate that our prayers will bring about the difference or the change we want? Does anyone else have a problem praying if they think it won't change things?

 

[Trish1947]

NewSong....Doesn't any of this indicate that our prayers will bring about the difference or the change we want? Does anyone else have a problem praying if they think it won't change things?

Good Scripture points, NewSong. Sounds like a bit of arm twisting to me. LOL.

Of coarse, from our view, we might consider it arm twisting, but God would probably call it faith and perseverance.

Trish.

 

[Sally Wren]

It says we are not to tempt God, that's what I think would be twisting His arm. How many people tempt Him, a lot do.

An evil and adulterous generation tempts Him when they want a sign that there really is a God.

That's a pet peeve for me, people who tempt God.

Sally

 

[aok_forJC]

the feed back I just read from you folks ministered to me, because I have been in a situation where I needed the hand of God to move,I am learning, that God doesn't always say yes, even when we really want/need him to.He will even say wait when we think we need him to move now.His ways are higher than ours and so is his thoughts. At times it seemed God was ignoring me. I had to come to a place where I said "you are the potter, I am the clay". I don't understand but I will trust you, even though you're not doing things the way I think you should.Did I want to twist his arm through this..YES, but knew better.Fight with the Almighty ..NO..I shall surrender

 

[Trish1947]

aok_forJC...... I don't understand but I will trust you, even though you're not doing things the way I think you should.Did I want to twist his arm through this..YES, but knew better.Fight with the Almighty ..NO..I shall surrender

You are right.. when God has given us His grace, there is no need to twist God's arm. He has the problem and even though we think God might be slow in answering, He's not. Thats where trust comes in.

Blessings,
Trish.

 

[JimB]

You don’t spit into the wind, you don’t step on Superman’s cape and you certainly don’t twist God’s arm.

\o/

 

[Johnny Be Good]

I think twisting Him arm and wrestling with Him can be considered prayer and petition. I don't see anything wrong with seeking Him with all that we are in search of answers. Our prayers will become refined as do this. IMO, all of our prayers ought to end with, "but YOUR will be done in all things, Father!" Who knows the mind of God? God's timing accounts for everyone's good--He is the Great Good Father! We must concede that He does know best and praise Him with our thankful hearts!! It is His will, of course, that we ultimately seek--whether we realize it or not.

 

[GaelSong]

I do believe God will be for us if we 'sit in sack cloth and ashes'. As for twisting His arm, well how do we know he wasn't going to do 'whatever' anyway?

 

[NewSong]

You don’t spit into the wind, you don’t step on Superman’s cape and you certainly don’t twist God’s arm.

\o/

Perhaps my wording about "twisting God's arm" was a little bit to forthright..or I didn't use the proper "terminology" but my intent was to find out if God will move when we pray.

Thank you Jim for you answer...I am not sure what Superman and spitting have to do with twisting God's arm but I am sure that some of the rest caught on. It's lost on me but I reckon I can try to figure it out with some effort

NewSong

 

[JimB]

Perhaps my wording about "twisting God's arm" was a little bit to forthright..or I didn't use the proper "terminology" but my intent was to find out if God will move when we pray.

Thank you Jim for you answer...I am not sure what Superman and spitting have to do with twisting God's arm but I am sure that some of the rest caught on. It's lost on me but I reckon I can try to figure it out with some effort

NewSong

Don’t bother NS. It’s really not worth any effort. But the point was, there are some things that’s just foolish to do (spitting into the wind and twisting Superman’s cape - it's from an old Croce pop song) but not nearly so risky as trying to twist the Almighty’s arm.

Jim\o/

 

[NewSong]

Don’t bother NS. It’s really not worth any effort. But the point was, there are some things that’s just foolish to do (spitting into the wind and twisting Superman’s cape - it's from an old Croce pop song) but not nearly so risky as trying to twist the Almighty’s arm.

Jim\o/

I thought perhaps but I just wanted to make sure that you were saying that... I guess using the words "twisting God's arm" was not quite how I meant it either but I didn't know how else to say it.

Thank you for your responses.

NewSong

 

[NewSong]

Ya know, I don't know whether it was the way I worded this or the answers or what but I think I wasn't prepared to hear different opinions. I am pretty devestated to think right now there isn't really much hope and I needed it....I needed to believe that things could be different if I prayed and God would answer prayer. I hope no one else is going through it. It is a pretty bleak way to be.... Just wanted to make sure everyone is okay.


NewSong