“I don’t know if the Lord hears my prayers.” We hear that pretty often and rather than just offer an empty platitude of, “There, there. Of course He hears your prayers”, let us actually consider what scripture says on the subject. It is not just a question of whether or not the Lord knows that we are praying. He does. What we need to know is whether the Lord is moved by our prayers and petitions, whether our prayers are working. Consider.
Does Sin Persist In Your Life? “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Pet. 3:12). If you are choosing sin in your life over God, then your prayers are falling on deaf ears. What you need to do is to repent and then pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:22). That is the only prayer that the Lord wants to hear. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jam. 5:16). Are you unsure if the Lord hears you when you speak to Him? Ask yourself if you are listening when He speaks to you. Perhaps that is the first think to consider.
Do you only think about yourself? “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (Jam. 4:3). Are you more concerned with earthly things rather than spiritual things? Does your selfishness come through in your prayers? We need to make sure we are learning from the Lord how to pray (Lk. 11:1). There are things we should pray for. There are things we should not pray for (1 Jn. 5:16). If we do not let the Lord teach us how to pray, we are most certainly asking amiss in our prayers, and the Lord may just turn away.
Are you doubting God in your prayers? “Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…” (Jam. 1: 6,7). Prayer, and any aspect of religion, is not just “in case there is something to this God thing.” Anything not in faith is sin.
Are you persistent? Is there fervency in your prayers (Jam. 5:16) or are you quick to quit. We would encourage you to read Luke 18: 1-8. The surest way for the Lord not to hear your prayers is for you to give up on prayer. Strive to walk the straight and narrow. Learn and grow as you pray. Have faith and do not give up. The Lord is at hand. Things can interfere with our prayers, but it need not be so. The Lord is waiting.
Woodland Church of Christ
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“Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou are the Potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still.”
Sarah. We do not often consider Sarah to be a hero of faith, but she certainly is. In Hebrews 11 we read that “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (vs. 11). The Lord had come to Abraham and Sarah on that hot day in Gen. 18 and had made a promise, “Sarah your wife shall have a son”. Sarah was within earshot and what was her reaction? “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself.” The Lord’s response? “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” That is the lesson that all heroes of faith learn and live by.
Sarah had laughed inwardly and the Lord would recognize it. “Why did Sarah laugh?” he would ask Abraham. “But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh’”. Understand what was happening and how it led to the Hebrews passage that she was faithful. The Lord told her that He knew what she was thinking. How convincing is that, when someone can read your mind? When someone reveals that they know what you say in private? Consider the account of Nathanael in John 1: 46,47 and his reaction to being convicted the same way; “You are the Son of God!”. Sarah was similarly convicted. God is a discerner of hearts and she knew it and therefore “judged Him faithful who had promised.”
As Abram would become Abraham, the “father of many nations” so Sarai would become Sarah, the mother of the same (Gen. 17:5,16). Imagine the picture, a 100 year old man with his 90 year old wife welcoming a new bouncing baby boy! Is anything impossible with the Lord? Abraham and Sarah found out as laughter came forth!
There are different kinds of laughter. At first Sarah laughed not believing. As Isaac would be born she would laugh out of joy, and all her friends would laugh with her (Gen. 21:6). As Isaac would grow his half brother would laugh for a very different reason, out of mockery (21:9). All are the same Hebrew word for laughter, for Isaac. How do you treat the Seed who would come? Do you secretly laugh unbelievingly? Be convinced! Nothing is too hard for the Lord. When we finally see Him will we laugh? The faithful will (Lk. 6:21). Have Thine own way Lord. Make us laugh with joy!
RULES TO WORK BY
This writer started working, for someone other than mom and dad, when he was fifteen years old. It was kind of exciting and somewhat unnerving, being interviewed for the first time, waiting to find out if I was hired, being given a handbook of expectations, and having responsibilities. It was a good experience though as it was a learning experience. Most young folks spend too much time playing games, and while there is certainly a time to relax and have fun, there is also a time to get to work and put away childish things.
When we look at scripture we realize that there are very good lessons to learn for all aspects of our lives. Look at a few verses and think about a simple applications that might help, for example young people, to have rules to work by.
o Show Up Early – Consider the parable of the virgins in Matt. 25: 1-10. Tardy does not fly, in this world or the next. Walking in at the last minute is late. Be early. Showing up late tells people something, namely that you do not want to be there.
o Show Up Prepared – Look at Matthew 25 again. The foolish virgins were there early, the first time, but they were not prepared. Show up ready to work. When it is time to start working it is time to start working. It is not the time to be finishing getting ready.
o No Distractions – “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 9:62). Do you want to have straight rows? Do you want to avoid trouble? Do you want to do a good job? Then no distractions. Put your phone away. Talk to your friends after work. You have a job to do. Do it.
o No Backtalk – “Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back…” (Titus 2:9). There is nothing wrong with a conversation, but keep the lip to yourself.
o Work Hard Without Supervision – “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers…” (Eph. 6:5,6). The word “eyeservice” means “sight labor, that is, needs watching” (Strong’s). Do not be that kind of worker, for the Lord or anyone else.
o Work Hard For Bad Bosses – “Servants, be submissive to your master will all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh” (1 Pet 2:18). If you need to, seek employment elsewhere, but do it honorably. Wherever you are employed, work, and work hard.
o No Shortcuts and No Half-Done Jobs – “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…” (Col. 3:23). Things are either good or bad. “Good enough” says an enormous amount about your character to others.
o Put In The Extra Effort – It is the lesson of going the second mile (Matt. 5:41). Some will do exactly what is asked of them but the exceptional will do even more. Learn when it is ok to add to what the boss has told you.
Are there other things you would add to our list? Consider this lesson as well; The Lord never called the lazy to work for Him. When He called those who would be the Apostles, what were they doing? They were busy working. Laziness is contagious to all parts of our lives. Work hard, in this world, and as we prepare for the next, understand that these rules also have a spiritual application.