Praying even when I don't see the answer

http://youtu.be/du0il6d-DAk - Blessed be Your Name - Matt Redman

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “

I don't know about you, but my heart is so burdened by the suffering I see around me.  People I love are hurting, and there doesn't seem to be any relief.  The devotional that I've included below is from PrimeTime with God Daily Devotionals and it addresses some of my "whys".   I still don't like it when good people suffer but as a dear friend who is suffering herself says, "I don't have to understand.  I just have to trust."

What can I do?  How can I help my friends who are hurting?  I can pray.

But how do I pray, especially when I don't see an answer coming?

Confess sin and let the blood of Jesus cleanse. Prayer must flow from a cleansed vessel.
Psalm 66:18
“If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”

Pray fervently to be led by the Holy Spirit to the exact needs of the one for whom you are praying.  
Romans 8:26 NLT
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

Pray in agreement with others.
Matthew 18:19-20 NLT
“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”


Pray without ceasing.  Pray until God answers.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Always be joyful.  Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Luke 18:1-8 NLT
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,  but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”



Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.  Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Pray with the authority you have in Christ.  His Holy Spirit lives in you and gives His power.
Mark 3:27 NLT
Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.



Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Pray the prayer of faith and claim the victory.
1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray the Scriptures which are full of God's promises. 
Below are three prayers that Paul prayed. When you don't know how to pray, pray along with Paul.  Also, the Bible is full of God's promises.  He tells us to pray in accordance with His perfect will.  Praying the Scriptures is just that; it's lifting up God's promises to Him in prayer on behalf of others:

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.



I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.  God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.  And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

Ephesians 3:14-21
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,  the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.


Colossians 1:9-12
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Don't stop praying for your family and friends - or for yourself, just because you don't see God answering.
He's answering with the most perfect answer.  Like my friend says "we just have to trust Him."

 
Holy Father, I don't understand but I will trust You.  You've shown Yourself to be loving and compassionate time after time.  I know the love You have for us is immeasurable, greater than we could even begin to comprehend.  This world is full of suffering and struggles but You sent Your Son to save us, and He has overcome this world.  Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Redeemer.  We look forward to the day when there will be no more suffering or pain.  But until then, use us, LORD, for Your glory.  Help us to see each struggle as an opportunity to testify to Your faithfulness.  Help us to remember that You are our strength and deliverer.  You will not leave nor forsake us.  Any thing we face, LORD, we face with You by our side.  We give You all praise and honor.
Dear LORD, I pray today for all my friends who are suffering.  We continue to lift them up to You, LORD, but there doesn't seem to be any relief from their pain and struggles.  Please, LORD, hear our prayer for those who are hurting and feeling alone.  Help them to feel Your loving arms around them, help them to feel Your strength, protection and provision.  Father, help them to know You are with them and will not forsake them.  Help them to trust in Your love and promises, even in the midst of their adversities.
Please forgive us when we fail to trust Your perfect plan for our lives.  Your plan is for good and not evil, a plan to give us a hope and a future.  Our hope is in You, Holy God.  In the blessed Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

http://youtu.be/qs2TQRUnE60 - My Savior My God - Aaron Shust
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Seeing Backward

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman


"O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed" (Psalm 30:7).

It is often difficult to recognize the hand of God when we are in the midst of adversity. We often feel God has hidden His face from us. When the Lord takes us through deep valleys, there will be fruit from the deep valley that we cannot see. You must press into Him with all you have during this time.

God uses the deep valley to frame our lives to create a change in our nature, not just a change in habits. The depth and width of our valley is often an indicator of the level of calling and influence we will have on others in the future. Our adversity is not just for us, but others who will be in our future path of influence. This is not very comforting when you are in the middle of the valley, but know this is a truth in the Kingdom.

It is often years later when we discover the wisdom of God and why He intentionally led us through the dark valley. Life is often lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back at through valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life while we were there. "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). When you begin to realize this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.

Do you find yourself in the valley? Now is the time to fully trust Him to guide you to higher ground.


Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.

Keeping the Faith

http://youtu.be/e8HgAVenbUU- Bring the Rain - Mercy Me 


Why do good people suffer?

We know that Job was a good man.  God Himself called Job "blameless and upright, a man who fears God, and shuns evil."  Job 1:9   So why in the world did God throw Job under the bus?  This is a hard passage for me to read. 

Job 1
There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.  He had seven sons and three daughters.  He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.



Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

Job’s First Test

One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.


Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!  But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

“All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house,  a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them,  when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”


While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”


Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
 and I will be naked when I leave.
 The Lord gave me what I had,
 and the Lord has taken it away.
 Praise the name of the Lord!”

 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

 The first thing I noticed is that Job is rich.  In fact he is the wealthiest man in the entire area.  He had seven sons and three daughters.  It sounds like they were a close family because the sons would have feasts in each of their homes and invite the sisters to join in the festivals.  Job was the spiritual leader of his family because after his children had a time of celebrating, he would offer a burnt offering - just in case one of his children might have sinned.  God considered Job blameless and upright - full of integrity.  Not only did Job fear God, he shunned evil.  

Job lived a life that honored God.  He had every reason to think highly of himself.  He had success, riches, he was well respected in the community.  He had a good family.  When life is going well, it's easy to forget how much we need God.  But Job didn't forget.  And God blessed him greatly.

Obviously, God was very proud of Job.  He brags on Job:  “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”   Satan does he best to put Job down, to make him look less in God's eyes.  He immediately begins by saying "Of course he's good.  You give him everything a man could want.  You've put a hedge of protection around him, his family and his property!  Why wouldn't he honor you!  As long as you keep giving him everything he wants, of course he'll praise you! But you take that away, and Job will turn against you so quickly!"

I think Satan might have a memory problem.  Remember how God had blessed Satan before he fell?

Ezekiel 28:12-15
“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
 You were in Eden, the garden of God.


Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone— red carnelian, pale-green peridot,
white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—
 beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created.

I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian.
You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire.

“You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created
 until the day evil was found in you.

Satan was a beautiful angel.  Look at the way he was adorned with every precious stone.  He was appointed
to the very prestigious roll of mighty angelic guardian! A cheribim!  What honor God bestowed on Satan!  He had a very high ranking in God's heavenly hosts.  But unlike Job, Satan was selfish.  He craved more power and more authority.  He wanted to be like God in every way. 

• Job was humble.  Satan was puffed up!
• Job praised God through every test.  Satan wanted the praise for himself.

God had full authority over Satan and could have stripped him of all his power the moment Satan rebelled.  But instead He allowed Satan to roam about the earth.  He allowed Satan to test Job and He allows Satan to test us.   Why?  I think God is showing Satan that His children are stronger and that we are loyal - unlike Satan had been.  God is teaching the prince of this world that we humans are His special creation, and we have a very special relationship with God.  Because of His great love for us, He sent His own Son to save us from the Enemy. We humans who put our trust in Jesus have access to the Spirit of God which is stronger and more powerful than the spirit (Satan) of this world.  We humans fight - not by might nor strength, but by God's Holy Spirit!  We can stand tall against the Enemy as long as we lift high our sheild of faith!

This testing of Job's faithfulness seems to be for Satan's benefit.  I think God was showing Satan that even  human beings who were made a little lower than the angels, can be stronger and more worthy than Satan and the fallen angels that followed him in rebellion.  God was showed Satan that a lowly man who honors God is strong enough to stand firm against temptation.  Job was stronger than Satan because Job continually praised God regardless of his situation.  And when men honor God, God lifts them up!  Don't you just know Satan hated that God was proud of this mere human!  This lowly man!  He tried everything he knew to bring Job down - to shake his faith, but Job stayed firm.

My good friend, Cayce, has faced many struggles - many tests in her life.  I have always been amazed at her faith through every challenge.  She said her secret to facing those difficult times was to imagine God speaking of her as He spoke of Job:  "Have you considered my servant Cayce?  She is blameless, a woman of complete integrity. She fears God and stays away from evil.” 

When I grow up, I want to be just like Cayce.  And I want God to be proud of me, like He was proud of Job; like I know He is proud of Cayce, too. 

I don't have to know why God allows the suffering.  I just have to keep trusting in His amazing love.  The love that allowed His precious Son to come to earth, suffer every imaginable pain and anguish, so that I could be with God in Eternity. That's a love I know I can trust.  A love which desires good for me, not evil. 

Please note:

• Satan sent lightning (fire from the sky) and a tornado (winds from every direction blew down the son's house)
• Satan can cause men to rise up against one another - he obviously stirred up the Chaldeans.
• Eventually, Satan inflicts bodily harm on Job himself.

Satan is not without power.  But God is still in control.  I believe if God allows a temptation or a struggle in our lives, He will use that struggle to accomplish good.  I don't understand why bad things have to happen to good people, but I've seen inspiring faith among those who consistently turn to God during those temptations and trials that Satan sends their way.  My faith has grown stronger because of their testimony. And I know I'm not the only one who has experienced that increase in faith. 

Satan causes illness, maybe not every illness, but definitely some.  In Luke we read of the woman who had been crippled for 18 years by an evil spirit.  Jesus healed her.  He said she had been held in bondage by Satan for 18 years.  Satan caused that innocent woman to be crippled.  But Jesus was more powerful than Satan.  He healed that woman.  I know Jesus has the power to heal every sickness or disease.  If He doesn't heal my sickness or resolve my struggle, I will still praise Him.  He knows the future.  He has a plan for me that I cannot imagine. I believe that any suffering He allows in my life has value for the Kingdom.  I may never know what the value is, but I will keep my eyes on Jesus and trust His wisdom to use me however He sees fit. 

Luke 13:16

ne Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!
But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” 
But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”


Why do I continue to trust Him even in the hard times?  Because He died for me, and I know He has a plan for good and not evil, to give me a hope and a future.  Yes, He allows times of suffering, but those times have purpose.  He allowed the Israelites to be in captivity for seventy years.  But just as He promised, He brought them home again.  He'll bring me home, too, at just the right time, according to His plan and purpose for me.

Jeremiah 29:10b-14a
This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” says the Lord.

This life is just a vapor.  The time we spend on earth is nothing compared to Eternity.  If every minute is filled with pain and struggles, it will seem as light and momentary compared to what God has for us. That's what Paul said, and he suffered tremendous struggles.

2 Corinthians 4:10-18
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.


11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
Yet we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

That's what I want to remember.  Satan has power so I will not let my guard down. I have to be ready to stand against him every day.  But his power is nothing compared to the power of Christ.  And that power - the power of His Holy Spirit lives in me, giving me the strength to endure whatever God allows in my life.  I will keep my eyes on things that cannot be seen.   I will trust Him because I know He loves me.  That's all I need to know.


http://youtu.be/xGPS8sa-bRQ - Praise You in the Storm - Casting Crowns

Father, this is the day You have made and I will rejoice in it!  Lord, I feel Your light shining upon me.  I feel Your presence all around me.  I feel loved and protected.  No matter what comes against me today, I know that You will be with me, giving me everything I need to face any challenge that You allow.  I am never alone, Lord, for You have graciously given me Your Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen me.  He is my constant companion and I will not fear.  Thank You, Lord, for loving me and for carrying me when I can't take another step.    I will trust in You because of Your unfailing love and faithfulness.  Whatever You allow in my life, Lord, I know You will never leave nor forsake me.  You will be my strength.  You will give me courage and wisdom for any battle I may face.  I will praise You, Lord God, even in the storms of life, for You are my God and You alone are worthy of my love and devotion.  In the mighty Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.