What Pleases God & What He Wants - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) April 14, 2023
Have you ever taken a moment to wonder what you could do to please God? Have you ever sought to understand what He wants from you and for you? Considered the advice given by Apostle Paul to the Church at Ephesus:
Ephesians 5:10 - and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:17 - Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
So many of us have read books to figure out the 'love language' of our partners, our children, our bosses and others. Yet, we haven't given sufficient thought to understanding what God's love language is. And we surely haven't taken the time to put such information to use on a regular basis. This is usually because we imagine it to be hard and close to impossible. And as a result, many of us are experiencing extended delays and an absence of miracles in our lives. This should not be as Believers.
We equally haven't considered what God's will is for us, choosing instead to be tossed about by the waves of life. This has caused a lot of dissatisfaction and discontent for countless numbers of people. These sentiments lead many to doubt, disbelieve and then disobey God, be it knowingly or unknowingly. Yet, we have a responsibility to pick up our Bibles, to pray, to search out the things of God so we get to know Him better. For when we are more familiar with Him, His desires and expectations, we start to make choices that align with Him instead of the devil. Also, He makes sure we hear His voice so we know what steps to take or avoid.
This lack of knowledge of the Lord is killing people before their time. It is crippling families and frankly, entire nations. Satan, the accuser, is taking advantage of this fact to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). All of us need to put Ephesians 5:10 & 17 into effect. None should feel exempt. Not even if we were born into Christian families or regularly attend church. God's caution in Proverbs 3:5-6 is for everyone - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. We are further warned in 1 Corinthians 10:12 - So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! And to accomplish this, we must take Ephesians 5:10 and 17 seriously and make it a priority to know what pleases God and understand what He wants.
Many people feel this is impossible but that's not true. With God, even a little goes a long way because He does not expect any human being to be perfect. This is why in our imperfections, we still experience His blessings and grace. Remember Cornelius? All he did was help the poor and pray regularly. This resulted in a visit from an angel and blessings for family, friends and himself.
God wants us to desire to know Him more. He promised to reward all who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Additionally, He has said that He will give good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:9). Thus, if we truly want to know more and have a richer relationship with Him, all we need to do is ask and watch Him show us how.
May we all turn our attention even more to the Lord, seeking to understand the things we can do each day to make Him smile and give Him what He wants. That we may learn and put that knowledge to practice, so we can hear Him say, "this is my child, in whom I am well pleased." IJMN, Amen.
For more:
Today we learned of the need to understand what pleases the Lord and what He wants. One thing He wants is for us to become born again in Jesus Christ. Indeed, the only way any of us will make it to heaven is to be born again. These aren't my words they are from the Lamb of God Himself in John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Good deeds, kindness and the hallmarks of a well-lived life aren't enough. You have to realize that you can't do life without Him. You need Him to get you out of the messy entanglements you're in.…