“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3

As the man, late for an appointment, drove around the packed office parking lot he could find not one parking space. He kept driving and increased his fuming. Suddenly he thought to pray, saying, “Lord, you know how important this meeting is and if you will find me a parking space, I will attend church every Sunday for the next year.”

Suddenly a space miraculously opened up right in front of him and he pulled right in. He thought and suddenly began to pray, “Oh God, never mind. I found a space right in front of me.”

God hears and answers prayer, sometimes, yes, sometimes no and sometimes wait.

Sometimes we get frustrated as we want immediate answers and we want what we prayed for. But God is God and not a celestial order taker.

I have asked God for a lot of things, but in retrospect, I am glad He didn’t give me what I asked for, as it would have been a disaster for me. He knows much better than I do what is best for me and what is His plan for my life. Prayer is not an exercise in asking for what we want but praising Him and asking what He wants for our lives.

Sometimes God answers our prayers in strange ways and we need to focus on. we are often unprepared for the answers we receive from God. His answers frequently do not look at first like answers. They look like problems. They look like trouble. They look like loss, disappointment, affliction, conflict, sorrow, and increased selfishness. They cause deep soul wrestling and expose sins and doubts and fears. They are not what we expect, and we often do not see how they correspond to our prayers.

The Lord of the universe isn’t under obligation to say “yes” to every prayer. That’s a good thing, considering some of the things we request. But sometimes God says “no” to our most heartfelt requests. Have you discovered this to be true in your own life? I certainly have.

When we pray we should look carefully for a response. It may be disguised even though it is right before our eyes. And when God answers our prayers we should rejoice, give thanks and give Him all the glory.

By John Grant
Used by Permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

FURTHER READING

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

Should I Pray Every Day? 

How did Jesus Pray?

You Asked God for What?

The post When God Answers Do We Hear? can be found at Thoughts about God.

“You were not to know any god except Me, for there is no savior besides Me. I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore they forgot Me.” Hosea 13:4a-6 (NASB)

“God, please bring suffering into my life.” Why would someone ever pray that? Seems foolish! Back in 1997 I had the audacity to pray this while attending a discipleship training school abroad. Was I just an enthusiastic, but rather naïve 19-year old, or was I on to something?

We need to be careful what we pray for. God I need a better job. Lord, please help us get a house with more room. Please help me find the right person to marry! God, can you heal my back pain? There’s nothing wrong with these prayers. God wants to hear our concerns and desires, but we so often pray for what we think will make our lives better. Gaining comfort is often our primary motivation.

Greener grass is not what we really need. When Israel got what they wished for, they forgot all about God in their prosperity. When life gets easier, we tend to take His kindness for granted and fail to live with an attitude of thanksgiving. God’s generous gifts then become idols that stifle our spiritual growth.

I’m not suggesting that we pray to have suffering, but we do need to think through our priorities. Our greatest need as followers of Jesus is to become more like Him. In God’s plan that often means allowing seasons of trials to drive us to greater dependence in Him. If God’s bottom line is to make us more like Jesus, then we should start praying like it’s ours too.

Dear God, make me more like Jesus no matter what it takes. Amen.

By M Jantzen
used by permission

FURTHER READING

How to Pray Articles

Sample Prayers

Praying with Confidence

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The post Be Careful What You Pray For can be found at Thoughts about God.

Prayer from Psalm 46:10-11

BE—God, I say “yes” to You. I choose to allow Your way to shape me and Your will to direct me in what is best. I surrender instead of resist, I yield instead of fight, I believe instead of doubt.

STILL—Father, may Your rest abide and Your peace abound within me. Quiet all anxiety that troubles my thoughts and unsettles my emotions. I bring my soul under the control of the Holy Spirit; I stand steady upon the unmovable foundations of Your kingdom; I receive the sufficiency of Your grace and the encouragement of Your promises as you calm my soul.

AND KNOW— Lord, thank you that Your word is sure, unchanging, and indisputable. Your word is true. I am certain. You have saved me from guessing, wondering, wishing, or pretending. I know! I believe!

I AM GOD— You are who You say You are. You do what You say You do. There is no other! You are the highest, the greatest, the best. You have no weakness, no lack, and no equal. You are my God, and my Heavenly Father. I find comfort in Your nearness, security in Your voice, courage in Your strength, hope in Your promises. You are enough. More than enough! You are with me. You are my refuge. I am safe in Your care.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”  Psalms 46:10-11 NKJV

By Roy Lessin
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Be Still, My Daughter by Sylvia Gunter
• Be Still by Max Lucado
• Impatient Heart, Be Still

The post Pray This can be found at Thoughts about God.

Recently, I received an email with this question. “Why is it important to pray?”

Before I answered the question, I reminded the writer that praying is a two-way communication between God and His people.  God speaks to us through His Word, through impressions, nature and people. We talk to God out loud or in our mind.

There are Many Reasons to Communicate with God.

1.    To glorify God. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13).    The Father loves us and wants to bless us. We ask, He will do, and the Father will be glorified (get the credit).

2.    To obey God’s command.  “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should talk to God thousands of times a day about everything. Big problems, small problems, quick prayers of thanksgiving, “help me” prayers or “help them” prayers.

3.    Fellowship with God.  “The prayers of the upright are His delight.” (Proverbs 15:8).  Revelation 3:20 tells us that if we open our heart to Him, He will come into our hearts and have fellowship (we hang out with Him) with us.  The Westminster catechism tells us the chief end of man to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  God loves for us to talk to Him.

4.    We follow Christ’s example.  There are so many references in the gospels of Jesus taking time to pray.  (Luke 5:16) says, “But Jesus often slipped away to others places to be alone so that He could pray.”  We are His followers and we too must make prayer a priority.

5.    Prayer brings results.  “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (James 5:16).  I encourage you to take the time to think about the prayers that God has answered.  And also, make a goal to pray more.

6.    Prayer is vital to Christian maturity.  We will not grow in our faith, if we do not spend time with God and His Word.  We can go without food for a day or two without too much effect but then we begin to get weak.  In the same we way, we will get weak in our spirit if we go without spending time with the Lord every day.  Prayer and the Word are food for our souls.

Father, what a privilege it is to talk to You.  How awesome to think that You actually love to hear our prayers. Help us to spend more time talking to you—about everything.  Amen.

Some of the content was taken from “How to Pray”, by Dr. Bill Bright.

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

How to Pray Articles

Sample Prayers – List

Prayer is Talking to God

Praying with Confidence

How to be sure God Listens to your Prayers

How to have a “Quiet Time”

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

The post Why Should We Pray? can be found at Thoughts about God.

I once heard of a little boy who refused to say his evening prayers one night; not out of defiance, but simply because he couldn’t think of anything he wanted.

He didn’t see much point in praying when there wasn’t anything to ask for.
When his mother heard his dilemma, she suggested he give thanks for all the things he had instead.

So the little boy got on his knees and thanked the Lord for everything he could think of – from his favorite toy to the fact he wasn’t blind like the boy down the street.
His evening prayers were longer that night, because he was thankful for more than he wanted.

We often have the opposite dilemma.

We find it hard to pray; not because we don’t have anything to ask for, but because we’re too disheartened to pray.

Our prayers seem to hit a stone ceiling; our prayers go unanswered for years; or we simply don’t receive the peace we used to enjoy in times of prayer.

But maybe we can’t pray, because we’ve forgotten to be thankful.

Like this little boy, what if we took some time and turned our prayers into words of only thanks?

When you pray today, don’t ask for one single thing.
JUST give thanks.

While you drive to work, list one thing after another you’re grateful for.
And thank the Lord ONLY.

When you have a few quiet moments, think of things you know are gifts.
And ONLY thank the Lord.

When you can’t pray . . . give thanks.
Your prayers might be longer than usual, because you find yourself thankful for more than you want.

“With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:6-7

By Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  How to Pray

•  Sample Prayers

•  Salvation Explained

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The post When You Can’t Pray – Give Thanks can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

When a family member faced an uncertain prognosis ? a possible diagnosis of cancer — I was anxious about their future and my future. I didn’t want to think about the possible unpleasant events to come. Because of this, I was very desirous to share my burden with others, in the belief that the prayers of others would help spare my family member from her health issues. But what I found was that nobody to whom I thought I was close really cared.

Nobody said they’d pray.

Angry, I sought the counsel of a friend, confiding in them my feelings towards my supposed Christian “friends” and their actions against me. Graciously, this friend pointed out that yes, it is a sad situation when believers cannot be relied upon for help, but she gently asked if I had ever done the exact same thing without realizing it. I thought about it and had to admit that as a believer, I had failed others many times too. I had merely said a tiny prayer once for someone with health issues or completely ignored their burden because I couldn’t understand the magnitude of their situation; well, that is, until I was in their shoes.

That’s exactly what Christ calls us to do — to bear each other’s burdens. It doesn’t matter if your best friend or your pastor doesn’t do that for you, you are required to, no matter what others around you are doing. You might just be that only person’s advocate. Take some time today to think about how you can bear someone else’s burden.

Father in Heaven, spur in our hearts the desire to pray for others and remind us throughout the day to do so. Let us always be ready to pray for others and ask for prayers for ourselves and those we love. Amen.

By Ashlea Massey
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Prayer – Asking Specifically
•  Intercessory Prayer Story
•  Salvation Explained

The post Caring For Others can be found at Thoughts about God.

God loves the sound of your voice—always!  God never places you on hold or tells you to call again later.  He doesn’t hide when you call.  He hears your prayers.  For that reason “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

With this verse the apostle calls us to take action against anxiety.  We tell God exactly what we want.  We pray the particulars of our problems.  What Jesus said to the blind man, he says to us: “What do you want me to do for you” (Luke 18:41)?  One would think the answer would be obvious.  When a sightless man requests Jesus’ help, isn’t it apparent what he needs?  Yet Jesus wanted to hear the man articulate his specific requests.  He wants the same from us.  “Let your requests be made known to God!”

By Max Lucado
Used by permission
From:  Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at: https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

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The post God Hears Your Prayers can be found at Thoughts about God.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”  1 Timothy 2: 1

Today I learned from an acquaintance about a fella who holds resentment and hatred toward his mother. Evidently this man—in his 50s—was born out of wedlock (unlike his siblings), and was treated differently by his mother all his life.

My acquaintance encouraged me to pray for this guy who has felt second-rate, disowned, and marginalized. I know personally that he has suffered from drug and alcohol addiction.

So I prayed for him. Interceded for him. Not a long prayer, just one that asked God to help this brother forgive his mom for so much pain, and that they might be able to talk about it, and work through it.

Isn’t it amazing that God lets us join in the conversation of healing and hope for other people? And better yet is that God promises his Spirit to help in the dialogue. Paul says in Romans 8,

“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

While I may not be consistently faithful in interceding for others, I know God loves to hear me pleading for them. Have you interceded for others?

God, help me be more aware of people who need your strength and grace to manage the challenges of life, and to pray for them specifically regarding their problems. Thank you for your Spirit who articulates more clearly what my heart can’t form. Amen.

Pray for someone you know today.

by Bill Strom
Used by Permission www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

Comments: If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/bill-strom_praying-behalf-others/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

Articles on How to Pray

How to be sure God Listens to your Prayers

How to have a “Quiet Time”

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

Prayer is Talking to God

Praying with Confidence

Foundational Core Truths about Prayer by Sylvia Gunter

Follow Us On:

The post Praying on Behalf of Others can be found at Thoughts about God.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah  40:8

Jesus made it clear that we would endure hardship in this life. But God gave His children amazing tools to keep trials from overwhelming us. For instance, He placed His Spirit inside each believer to guide and empower. In addition, He gave us prayer so we could not only communicate and stay connected with our Father but also bring Him our requests.

Today I want to focus on yet another one of His marvelous gifts: the Bible. Scripture is the actual Word of God Almighty. It is truth. It never changes. It enables us in all circumstances, so we have a sure foundation on which to base our lives and decisions.

There are thousands of promises in the Bible–countless assurances that we can rely on with perfect confidence. God wants us to learn them so we won’t miss out on blessings He wants to give. And wise believers will turn His promises into prayers and the cries of their hearts.

Let me give you an example that relates to difficult decisions. Psalms 32:8 states, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” We can pray God’s words back to Him, saying that we believe He will teach us and reveal His path, while remaining by our side as our caregiver through the entire situation.

When hardships arise, we need a solid foundation on which to stand. Otherwise, our emotions could easily lead us astray through faulty thinking. God is faithful and unchanging, so we can trust in His promises, which enable us to rest confidently and act boldly.

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Used by permission
http://www.intouch.org/

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The post Praying the Promises of God can be found at Thoughts about God.

“Keep on praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

Corrie ten Boom asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”

My husband Bill was a man driven to pray frequently.

One morning he was awakened around 2am.
One of our staff associates faced a personal crisis.
That morning, God impressed upon Bill to pray for the man
and to ask for God’s wisdom in how to respond to the needs of our friend.

God prepared Bill for a crucial meeting with that same man the next day.

Oh, but my husband would pray about everything!  (SMILE)
He would even pray about what clothes to wear.
He felt that the way he dressed, as well as his words and actions, should bring glory to God.

As Bill said, “The more frequently you share your thoughts and desires with your Lord, the closer you come to Him.”

Friend, make prayer your steering wheel.

“Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.”
– E.M. Bounds

By Vonette Bright

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The post Spare Prayer? can be found at Thoughts about God.