Praying and prayer of Jabez Part 2

[Outspoken]

"Christ came to give life abundant, not suffering and death. "

yes, christ gave us abundant life, when we were dead, he gave us life, though this is a spiritual statement.

God does cause death sometimes to further his plan. Again I say read Phil chapter 1.

 

[Andrew]

blindfaith,

I will only respond to your responses (since you have addressed it to me) as I do not really read or bother abt Outspoken's responses for certain reasons

 

[SUNSTONE]

Originally posted by Outspoken
"But what I am talking about it just asking for things, in the form of praying to God."

okay, I disagree i don't think prayer is just ment for asking for things from God. It is a intimate communication that, to me, transends words or thoughts. Its my way of being with God and having him change me. For that's what the result of prayer is, not the world changing to suit me, but me changing to better impact the world.

Prayer is asking for things, but talking to God should not consist of always asking for things. So you and I agree on that, and we can put that topic to the side.

God wants to change us from the inside out, I agree with that, and it is one of the most important things, so we can set that aside.

Now as far as God changing things on the outside of us, this too is very important. Paul prayed for different churchs, and he asked thme to pray for him as well. So fellow believers are outside of you and I, who we should pray for, this is very important.

"Be anxoius for nothing, but in "all" things let your requests be made known to God, and the peace that surpasses all understanding will rule in your hearts and your minds"

Paul had a request of the thorn to be taken away, God explained to him why it was there. Now Paul asked 3 times, or as I like to look at it, he kept on asking until he got an answer.

I did the same thing with my knee, and after a few weeks of praying, it was healed.

A lady in my bible study got saved at a hospitol, when her brother was on his death bed with cancer. He also was a church man very well loved. They prayed and prayed, but he still died. God spoke to her mind and heart, and said "Miracles do happen, but not in this case, it is his time to die."

My relationship with God is mostly Him talking, teaching, loving, joking, and just being a great Father, and has very little to do with prayer and asking things. In fact God wants me to pray(ask for things, changes, etc) much, much, much more than I am doing now. I talk to God, but alot of times I don't know what to say, to a "know it all" . I joke with God like that, and worship him with tears of joy. God is changing me from the inside out.

 

[SUNSTONE]

The devil will also talk to you, alot, a whole lot.

He says, "Don't even bother praying, its not going to work"
"Don't bother God, if He wants you healed, he will do it HImself"

When I goto church I have to wrestle with the devil in my thoughts.
"People don't like you, your strange"
"You have sin in your life and they know it, so there going to try and avoid you"
" Your a weak Christian, why should they be unequeally yoked with you?" (notice on that one there is a bible verse, which is what he tryed to use on Jesus)

"There is no God, your just crazy"

The devil will try many different ways to talk to you.
"That person is too, young, old, fat, skinny, dumb, ugly, beautiful, weird, sinful, (take your pick) you don't want to hang around with them, you have to gaurd your heart" (another miss used quote, taken out of context)

"I don't feel like going to church, I think I will just sleep in" (He sends most of his thoughts at you, to try and trick you into thinking those thoughts are your own.

"I don't want to read, pray, fellowsip, (take your pick) right now, maybe later."
"I can't shake my many sins, I am not saved, it seems so hopeless, I should just quit and start over somewhere else"

If your single.
"I can't ask that girl out, she is too pretty for me, she will never say yes"
"I am never going to get married, I am always going to be alone"
"Look at them they have it all, whats wrong with me? I must be weird,

If your married
"They never do what I want to do!"
" I married the wrong person"
"I was happier being single"
"This marriage thing just isn't working at all, I feel like quiting"

Weak Christians
"If God wants it done, He will do it Himself"
"What if I pray for something, and it doesn't happen?"

Strong Ones
"Oh I don't feel like praying for that, its going to take to long, I will have to pray for ever and ever"
"What if I pray for something, and it doesn't happen?" (The devil likes this one, even with all my testimonies, this one is a common one)

Doing meaningless stuff like playing basketball.
"Don't shot it, if you miss the others are going to lose respect for you"
"Man you blew it on that play, you just looked like an idiot"


The devil, like God, will try to rule your mind and heart.
God uses verses to fill your mind, and He brings the peace that surpasses all understanding into your hearts.
The devil will try to use negotive thoughts, and verses out of context to fill your mind, and try to use fear to control your heart.

The battle is in the mind, whatsoever things are of good report, that edify, these things you should dwell upon.
I pray that when things get tough, God will fill your hearts and minds with a song of praise and joy. I pray that your eyes will be open as you watch other non beleivers run around in stress and fear, while the peace that surpasses all understanding, keeps you from doing things you should not be doing, like thinking on negotive thoughts. In Jesus name.

 

[Outspoken]

"He also was a church man very well loved. They prayed and prayed, but he still died. God spoke to her mind and heart, and said "Miracles do happen, but not in this case, it is his time to die." "

EXACTLY! God said no. It was time for him to come home and thus it had NOTHING to do with faith or anything else. It was the will of God that he die and come home.

 

[SUNSTONE]

Originally posted by Outspoken
"He also was a church man very well loved. They prayed and prayed, but he still died. God spoke to her mind and heart, and said "Miracles do happen, but not in this case, it is his time to die." "

EXACTLY! God said no. It was time for him to come home and thus it had NOTHING to do with faith or anything else. It was the will of God that he die and come home.

Now tell me where God has said yes to you in the answered prayers department. I'm looking for parting the Rea Sea kind of stuff

 

[Outspoken]

"Now tell me where God has said yes to you in the answered prayers department."

Well so far I've got a yes on his healing my back, but its taken me working at it.

 

[SUNSTONE]

Originally posted by Outspoken
"Now tell me where God has said yes to you in the answered prayers department."

Well so far I've got a yes on his healing my back, but its taken me working at it.

I have prayed for many backs, and four of them have received healings instantly. Glory to Jesus

So you see that is why I seem so dogmatic about the power of prayer. It works, its Gods will, just like it is His will for you to become wise, and strong. I have got so many scriptures with red ink to back it up.

 

[Outspoken]

"It works,"

Yes, it does, but that doesn't mean you always get a yes answer. It means God is listening, and yes I agree with that. I have prayed and gotten a no before too.

 

[SUNSTONE]

Originally posted by Outspoken
"It works,"

Yes, it does, but that doesn't mean you always get a yes answer. It means God is listening, and yes I agree with that. I have prayed and gotten a no before too.

But it does mean you get a yes answer, way way way more than no. If no comes then He says that the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind. In other words He will tell you why He said no, like He did with Paul.

Now people will get mad when they hear that it is because a lack of faith or doubt that counters there faith. But thats between them and Jesus, becuase Jesus is the one that said that. The bible says faith without works is dead. You can't expect someone to make hardly any freethrow shots without practice, but if he works at it he will have faith to make a huge majority of them. The bible also says, that this is the confidence that we, that whatsoever we ask for He gives to us according to His richs and glory(I still can't find my sword so this isn't perfect).  

Now there are some checks and balances to this, because even Jesus wasn't able to heal some people and he was amazed at there lack of faith(how often have you heard God was amazed?). Also Jesus prayed that He wouldn't have to goto the cross if there was another way, and you know what happened there. But the only thing we can do is stand on Gods word and pray about the many things there is to pray for and believe it is His will for it to be done, UNTILL He says no and explains why. 

 

[Outspoken]

"But it does mean you get a yes answer, way way way more than no. "

Not nessisarilly. It means you get a yes when God wants it and a no when he doesn't. that's all it means

"Now people will get mad when they hear that it is because a lack of faith or doubt that counters there faith."

In my experience and most of the people I know, this is never the issue.

 

[SUNSTONE]

Originally posted by Outspoken
"But it does mean you get a yes answer, way way way more than no. "

Not nessisarilly. It means you get a yes when God wants it and a no when he doesn't. that's all it means

"Now people will get mad when they hear that it is because a lack of faith or doubt that counters there faith."

In my experience and most of the people I know, this is never the issue.

So tell me why does God tells me yes so much more than you?

Why should anyone listen to you with your one answered prayer that you aren't even sure was answered?