Oh, thanks for that. So I'm curious after reading that, what of Hindus for example? They have very similar and just as potent accounts of their encounters with their deities, saints and prophets, could it be that your God isn't the only God after all? I gave a few of these Hindu accounts in a conversation with _-iconoclast-_ here in the thread
Wherein I catch a profession YEC in a lie 2.0 - perhaps you could give me your point of view on it?
I don't know about the Hindus and so forth, but I see what you're getting at. I thought the same thing about the (American) Indians...no Bible, just the great Spirit and all that, and I don't know how God deals with that sort of situation, but He sure does, He has to, those are His children too. I have a sneaking feeling that He does deal with other races in His own way, I just don't know how. These different races and religions may have different names for their God, but, they all lead to the same throne and the same judge and the same God.
I will read the other thread and give you my take on it, sure why not? It might take a day or two because I want to address it since you asked.
Why? Why would God want you to pray for your friends? Seems a little unusual for God to tell you to pray for your friends to let him know you cared for them... doesn't that seem weird to you? Why not just ask you while he was there? does he need a powerup that only prayers can give? Are you sure it wasn't an Angel, or some ventriliquist prankster who cares about your friend too?
If you believe in Satan, how do you know he doesn't tell people to pray for whatever reason? Perhaps by getting you to pray, he stops you doing another good thing you would otherwise have done that has a far better outcome...?
You ask a good question there. Yes, it seemed unusual and weird to me. God certainly does not need my help to help someone, and yet that is what He did. I have speculated on the why of it for quite awhile now, and what I have come up with...might make sense?
Now we do know that after Jesus's resurrection that, the debt was paid in full. I *think* that, it is all there and paid for, and the only thing missing is for us to receive it and accept it. Scripture says, Ye have not because ye ask not...So perhaps God doesn't move on something...until it is prayed for. We ask for it. So even though our miracle is available and waiting for us to receive it...it wont be released unto us, until someone prays and asks for His help?
Am I sure it wasn't an Angel, or a prankster friend? Yes, I'm sure it was not any human being. It was weird too, scripture says my sheep know my voice...Now then, I have never heard the audible voice of the Lord before this...and surprisingly enough, I did know His voice. I knew it down to the core of my being. I can not exactly explain how I knew, I just knew. It was so obvious who it was that it was never a question of who is that. When the tangible presence of God came into that room, it was a thick tangible presence that can't be ignored or missed.
God is really always in the room. He sees and knows everything about everyone. There is no such thing as privacy of thoughts or actions. None of us have been alone at any time in our entire lives. Unseen spiritual beings, however, He mostly keeps Himself hidden from us. We don't see Him or feel His presence as a rule, but when He chooses to reveal Himself somewhat to us for whatever purpose He has...There's no mistaking it brother. When God walks into the room you know it. And yet, He was still mostly hidden when He visited and spoke to me. I did not see anything. I felt His presence and I heard Him. We had a short conversation. No one else was there. I lived alone at the time.
That was not satan man. No way. I have felt the presence of both evil and good and there's a big difference. That was no...distraction from doing some other good deed. I'm no super expert on supernatural beings or anything, but I've been paying attention for a long time, and praying for wisdom and understanding and for discerning of Spirits too, and God has taught me some things. It is written in scripture to always test the Spirits too see if they are of God or not, and I do this, but I actually did not test this Spirit which spoke to me, because I knew who it was. That prolly sounds a little contradictory, but...in effort to explain the gravity of the situation, the presence of God manifested in the room with me...was very intense. It was not just a feeling I had, it was a a tangible and thick presence in that room. Oh yes, it was very real. It might be a little hard to grasp what I'm saying, but I guarantee you that when Jesus walks into the room with you one day...then you will know what I mean.
Satan doesn't tell people to pray for others. That is not how he rolls. Those type of stupid thoughts do come though, because satan wants to cast doubt on everything to do with God. So the evil spirits will whisper that type of crap to you and put those thoughts in your head. But we're to shake that crap off and trust that God is not a liar and hold onto our faith in Him. That's what it is all about. Having faith in God. He wants us to trust Him. and when we do, He is delighted and will stand up to His word, and gives us the desires of our heart. First thing, trust God. To consciously put our faith and trust in an unseen God, and then He will be with us and never leave us or forsake us. I read that and said ok. I choose to do this. I trust God and whatever happens happens, and then a funny thing happened...He started helping me almost daily. I have so many testimonies of things that the Lord has done for me...That it boggles my mind. This been going on for me since 2009. I've been paying attention to how things work out and the Lord has begun to show a pattern with me, in how He helps me. It seems to be...always at the last minute, but never late.
The less that you trust God, the less sense any of this will make. Only after you choose to begin to trust God, that is when He will help you