Another HUGE thing that I loved about being home this past weekend was going to church! I needed it so bad and I love how God knows EXACTLY what you need. The sermon preached was about prayer, which you all know is something I have been working on in my life; daily conversation with God. And something I've always struggled with is not waiting on God's timing and always wanting an answer or worrying way too much when something in my future is unclear. And with all this stuff about being done with school and moving home and relationships and frienships gone sour and such, I have been so impatient about what my next steps should be. But God is ever-faithful and I am so glad He is taking the time to answer my needs on HIS timing, not mine, which is divine and perfect. Something that was brought up in the sermon was that if God DOES already have a plan and knows everything then why should we even bother to pray? God knows our hearts which means he knows our desires already so why even take the time? It put a lot in perspective..it's that He wants the RELATIONSHIP that comes with prayer. Like this, sure our friends in life know what we like..what we don't..who we like..how we want things to work out, etc. but if we never took the time to talk and bounce ideas off our friends..that relationship would dwindle. Same with Jesus. We have to show God that we know and respect that He is in control and He knows our next breath but that we grow and feel connected to God when we pray. Not to mention the peace and comfort that come with conversation with our Maker. God does say that sometimes prayers won't be answered and that sometimes His timing isn't ours but that He will always provide for His children. Another point in the bulletin was that God will bless our life if we are persistent. If we do not grow weary or lose patience in our requests God will give us what we want. (IF our reasoning is right!!)
Psalm 34:7 says to "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." God wants to see us happy if we are living for Him. Period.
Psalm 34:7 says to "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." God wants to see us happy if we are living for Him. Period.
Bulletin scripture references:
* Luke 11:1-3 says, "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished one of his disciples said, "Lord, teach us how to pray, just as John taught his disciples. And He said to them, when you pray, say, "Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread."
* Ephesians 3:20-21 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
*Job 42 talks about Job doubting God but then praying for his friends and in return Christ blessing Job in the latter part of his life more than he could've ever imagined.
*Job 23 talks about how Job is confused and discouraged about things but yet he is not "silenced by the darkness."
* Isaiah 46:9-10 says, "Remeber the former things, those of long ago; I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, "My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."
* James 4:3 says, "When you ask, you do not recieve, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on pleasures."
- I hope this bulletin helped and was so good to see and read like it was for me..SUCH a great message aboout how we have to surrender our hearts to perfect God who has our futures and hearts in His hands.
If the request is wrong, God says, "No."
If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow."
If you are wrong, God says, "Grow."
But if the request is right,
If the timing is right,
If you are right, God says, "Go."
- Bill Hybels
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