Give God What He Wants To Get What You Want - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 21, 2023

When it comes to Praise & Pray messages, the Lord typically lets me know what they'll be three to four weeks out from the actual date. In many cases, He'll even have me write several messages in advance with His guidance. However, there was this one day when I needed to prepare a message for something other than Praise & Pray and it was the most difficult time ever. The Lord kept telling me I was ready to write the message, which meant He'd taught me on the issue. Feeling assured, I sat down at my computer and prayed to receive what He wanted me to write.

Thirty minutes went by and ... nothing. I told myself not to worry, though I'd been waiting for this message all day. Another hour zoomed by and I hadn't heard anything more from God. I sat there spinning in my seat, constantly testing the spirit as directed in 1 John 4:1 to make sure I'd heard correctly from the Lord. Each time, the answer was the same - I heard right and was ready to write. Yet, the Lord was completely silent on the additional and very necessary details needed to start and complete the message. With 15 minutes to go until I needed to publish, my phone rang. I didn't want to pick up. I had 15 minutes to write, proofread and spell check a message, after all.

The Lord wasn't having any of my excuses. He reminded me that I was to speak to this person earlier in the day but didn't. Truth is, I'd called and they didn't pick up. Clearly, I thought that was enough and my obligation had been fulfilled. God didn't feel the same and instructed me to pick up my phone. I looked at the time, thinking of the message and its fast-approaching deadline.

I picked up my phone and moved away from the laptop to speak to the caller. We spoke about the issues they were facing from a Biblical perspective, sharing scripture, and building expectations that God would solve the challenge. About 45 minutes later, we prayed and ended the call.

Would you believe it, as I thanked God for guiding me through the conversation, He immediately gave me the details of the message I was supposed to write. A message that was 45 minutes late at that point. I didn't complain. Frankly, I was just grateful to get what I'd been waiting for!

What is the moral of this story? Simple - Give God what He wants to get what you want.

I'd wanted to finish a task by a certain time but God had other plans. He wanted me to put my deadline to the side. If I was to get what I needed - a word granted by Him - then I needed to do what He wanted. And until I obeyed, no amount of praising or praying would cause Him to budge. None of that could twist the arm of the King of the Universe in my favor. Mind you, I wasn't looking for something to satisfy my desires per se. I needed Him to give me a message to share for His purposes. And yet, I couldn't get that without submitting to His will that I speak to someone and pray with them.

So, what more when we are waiting on Him to fulfil our personal expectations? The same rules apply to everyone who claims to be a child of God Almighty. You might have a laundry list of things you want for yourself, for others, and even for the glory of God. None of that matters if He has something He needs you to do first. If you fail to give Him what He wants, then you're limiting the chance that your desires will be fulfilled. And if you choose to move as Jonah did, which is to be disobedient, then please beware. God might keep you in an uncomfortable holding pattern as He did with Jonah and it might not just be uncomfortable for you but others as well. It is best to obey the Lord, no matter how hard it seems. Put His objectives before your own just as we are instructed in Matthew 6:33 - But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well (CEV). Obviously, I needed a reminder to submit to God in order to get what I want as well. Hallelujah!

I pray you will keep this lesson in mind as the days go by. That you will seek to keep God's work first in line in your life so that you will get what your heart expects, IJMN, Amen. See you at Noon EST when we gather for fellowship.

To read more

1. Don't Delay To Obey - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 15, 2020

2. Jonah - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 15, 2021

3. Hear, Accept, Obey - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 22, 2021

4. God is Responsible for you: Leashed vs Unleashed? - Tuesday P & P (for others) April 19, 2022

5. Listen, Obey, Trust - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 12, 2022

6. God's Best is for His Children - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) January 3, 2023

7. Obedience - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 2, 2023

The Love of God - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 18, 2023

Do you know that God loves you? It's so easy to forget this in the hustle and bustle of everyday existence. And yet, God has made His affection very clear across the Bible. Consider Isaiah 43:4 - I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor (GNT). Not to mention He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on our behalf so we'd be set free from the consequence of sin.

Yet, so many of us can't grasp that we are loved by God because we don't know what true love truly is. We haven't slowed down enough to enjoy the experience of His love. Sure, we think we know what love is. We've all watched shows and think love means someone buys us things or spends quality time with us. Then there are the R&B love songs, with crooners singing about 'love' and declaring their adoration. However, God has written poems and extensive love letters to us in the Bible about how He feels about us. He even helped us understand love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails...

Let's unpack this shall we?

According to 1 John 4:8, God is love. Therefore, and as 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us, He - God/Love - is patient with us and kind. He won't dishonor us, isn't easily upset by us, and doesn't hold onto our sins. He rejoices in the truth about us and doesn't believe the lies, He protects us and even trusts us. He has great expectations and hopes for us. He will also persevere for and with us, and will never fail us. This is how we are to understand love and it is how we are to see God. Far too many of us see Him as a grumpy old man in the sky who doesn't want to be bothered and who does mean things to people for no reason. That is not who He was, who He is or who He ever will be.

This is not to say that God will not discipline. In fact, He made it clear that He disciplines those He loves in Revelation 6:19 - Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. He wouldn't be a good Father if He didn't. Nor does it change the fact that love is a two way street. While God surely loves us, we can't ignore that we must express our love through our obedience to the Lord. The scripture makes this clear in John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commands. There is also 1 John 5:3 - In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

Never forget God loves us unconditionally, even when we are at your lowest. And, He yearns for each of us to genuinely love Him too - not just for what we can get from Him. We in turn must remember to live as lovers of the Lord and His Son, Jesus Christ. Plus, live as lovers of the people He created as we've been instructed in the Royal Law.

Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

May we all remember that God loves us and we are the apple of His eye. May we in turn express our love for Him in the obedience of HIs words as well as be vessels of His love to others, IJMN, Amen.

See you at Noon EST for fellowship. God bless you!

To read more on this topic:

1. GOD Loves You - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) March 30, 2021

2. Abounding in Love - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) October 15, 2021

3. Love One Another - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 19, 2021

4. Love (P&P 100) - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) November 9, 2021

5. Don't Forget God's Love - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) December 24, 2021

6. Fear of the Lord: Love & Generational Blessings - Praise & Pray (for others) Friday March 11, 2022

7. God's Love Trumps Fear - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 3, 2022

8. How do you love? - Praise & Pray (for others) October 4, 2022

On Grief & Freedom - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 14, 2023

Every single human has experienced grief and trauma of some sort. Even innocent babies have it rough during childbirth. Imagine what it's like for them having enjoyed the cocoon of their mother's womb only to be forced out and rough handled during delivery? Why do you think they cry so hard when they're born? Be rest assured, those aren't tears of joy.

Now, think of yourself and the rough moments you've been through. The months and possibly years of not having enough money to pay bills or even eat well? What about that thing you needed and trusted for but it didn't show up? These sorts of disappointments have happened, likely multiple times, in your life, and it's hard to see how they were a form of God's mercy, grace or even blessings.

Let me speak for myself and an upsetting experience. Someone close to me died some time ago despite my pleas and intercessions. I prayed with zeal for this person and yet they passed away. I'll never forget crying in public like an infant when I heard the news.

However, God helped me understand that there was no need to cry for that person. They'd given their life to Christ not long before their passing and no longer endured the pain they'd dealt with because of disease. All I could do was worship the Lord for the person's life and rejoice that God had welcomed them to heaven. It hurt to not have them around anymore but I understood it would be selfish of me to prefer they live with disease than enjoy the pleasures of eternity with their Maker. It took a while but over time, I got to a point where I now smile when I see their picture and remember some of their antics. I thank God for bringing them into my life as well as the other people who entered my life because of them.

Perspective matters when dealing with disappointment and we can't afford to apply our human lenses. We wont get good enough insight. This is why we are told in Proverbs 3:5 that we must not rely upon our own understanding. We need God to reveal His perspective on things because our understanding is grossly limited while His is infinite (Psalm 147:5).

As you consider the experiences in your life that have brought you grief and pain, call on the Lord to help you understand not only the why but the what of the incident. The why provides insight into how the incident came to be (i.e. the contributing factors) and the what focuses on the points God wanted you to learn.

You need to allow God to take you through the process of understanding and receiving the insight that will not only heal you in the now but also protect you in the future. If you let God show you, you'll also be well-equipped to help others going through a similar situation. And when that happens, the words of Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:13 will be fulfilled - And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, and for your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else (GNT).

None of this is to suggest that visiting therapists is wrong. This is to say, however, that even with that approach, God must play the chief role in bringing about the healing needed to truly enjoy the fullness of life He has available for those of us who believe and live in Him.

May the Lord help us in our journeys toward a deeper and complete healing from the disappointments, the grief and pain we've experienced, IJMN, Amen. God bless you and see you at Noon EST for fellowship. While we wait, please feel free to share how God has given you perspective on things from your past that hurt. You can share as little or as much as you want. Was there scripture you found helpful? Did someone speak a word of godly wisdom to you? Let us share and learn from each other before we gather to praise the Lord, pray for others, then pray for ourselves to receive God's loving guidance out of the pain from our past or even our present.