Showing posts with label God's will. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's will. Show all posts

Monday, May 28, 2012

Submission & Prayer Report

    God retaught me a lesson this week.  I say "retaught" because, gosh, I am a slow learner.
     Our family has been praying and praying for God to send us a blessing.  We needed to sell our fireworks stand.  See, I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and heat affects the disease.  I am the one who usually sits in the fireworks stand every day during the season.  It gets wicked hot there.  I work the stand and my husband sleeps there overnight to make sure no one breaks in.  The arrangement worked for us, that is, until MS reared its ugly head.
      We knew that this year there was no way that I could work the stand.  We also knew that we did not have any money to even purchase fireworks this year.  We decided to sell our stand and use the money to rent a building to sell fireworks out of and to purchase this years fireworks inventory.  We had the plan and now just needed a buyer.  I listed the stand for sale in Dallas, Tulsa, McAlester and Ft. Smith. We received a lot of spam offers and a few people who seemed interested.  But no go.
Praise report, God answers prayer, Christian blog, Submit to the Lord, submissive woman, God's will, Fireworks, fireworks stand
Our Fireworks stand

     We were on a deadline.  Fireworks season begins June 15th and we had less than a month to go.  We prayed and prayed and prayed.  I got so depressed and angry.  I knew God had always helped us.  I also knew that God sometimes says no but we had been praying that if the answer was no or if this was not meant to be, to speak to our hearts and let us know.  My hubby and I were only getting "This is what will happen".
     On one of my worst nights, I was distraught.  On Thursday night, with 3 weeks to go before the season, with only days before I had to put in my fireworks order, I crumbled.  I was angry.  I almost gave up but then something happened.  My eyes and heart opened up and I realized (again) that I was doing it wrong.
     I started out right.  I prayed for God's guidance.  I prayed for His will.  I prayed for Him to help us but along the way, I started (unintentionally) of wanting God to do it on a timeline.  I had a set date in my mind and God needed to meet that deadline.  Boy, I was wrong and at that moment, I realized it.  I prayed to God to forgive me.  I vowed to surrender to Him and He would do it if and when He was ready and I accepted that.  I started writing out verses and feelings into a notebook:  "God's time--not my time.   Be patient.  God's will.  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding.  My God shall supply all your needs!  Our God is an awesome God!  I have nothing to fear for God is with me.  If God be for me it doesn't matter who is against me!"
     The very NEXT day, I checked emails and a man from Texas wanted to buy our stand.  Hallelujah!  Praise God.  I just had to surrender to the Lord and He answered me in a big way.  On Saturday, we met the gentleman and his father.  Really nice people.  They offered what they could afford and we accepted.  It was less than what we wanted but exactly what we needed!
     Needless to say, we have rented the building.  Electricity gets turned on Tuesday.  Fireworks inventory on the way.  Phone service will be on Thursday with plenty of time before season opening.   Can you say "Praise God"?!
     The gentleman who bought the stand, well his wife is in the hospital and has been since mid-April.  Please pray for her full recovery.  And thank you for allowing me to share my praise report!

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Saturday, May 12, 2012

Prayer

1 John 5:14, 1 John 5:15, God's will, how to pray, Matthew 18:19, Matthew 21:22, Prayer, prayer request, Proverbs 3:5-6,
Our son, Ronny, praying
            Prayer.  What comes to mind when you hear the word "prayer"?  Tonight I was thinking of prayer and all of a sudden my mind was bombarded with all these questions.  Perhaps by writing this blog the answers will come to me or you can help me out here.
      I was once told to pray but do not use the same words over and over again.  I would bore God and it would sound like a fool's or pagan's prayer because I was unoriginal and just repeated the same old thing over and over.  But I catch myself praying that same way often.  I thank God for the blessings He has given us.  I praise His name.  I pray for our finances and any other thing concerning me at the moment but basically, it is often the same prayer.  Is that okay?  If it is heartfelt, won't God receive it with a loving heart?  But then after I write that, I think, maybe sometimes I am just "going through the motions" and don't have my heart 100% into it.  If that is the case, does God hear it anyway?  I mean, I know God sees all and knows all but does He take my prayer as a prayer or not?  Then I get back to the subject, that we should not say the same prayer all the time but what about the Lord's Prayer?  Jesus said to pray that way....
      What about asking for stuff or special requests?  Some say you should not ask God for stuff. I am not saying necessarily asking for a new X-Box but how about a job opportunity or praying God will let you sell something so you can invest in your future with a new job opportunity?  Is that okay?  I always thought of God like your Daddy.  You can ask your Daddy anything.  Yes, He can say no but He wants us to come to Him.  Is that how you feel?
     What about Matthew 21:22 "and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (KJV)?  If I pray for our finances or something and believe that God will answer and hold fast to that verse then is that okay?  Or should you pray only for God's will as in 1 John 5:14 & 15 (And this is the confidence we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what  we asked of Him). Or can we lean on Matthew 21:22 and Matthew 18:19 (Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven) and do a family prayer for a request?  Some say we are using God but isn't that what our God is for?  To come to Him with our requests and petitions?  Yes, I know we are to praise Him but is it wrong or futile to use the verses to petition God to help us out or do we always need to pray for God's will?  I want God's will to be done but do not always pray that way....
        I do not know why I am worrying either.  God is always surprising us and blessing us.  There looks to be no way out and God provides a way and an answer.  He is so good to us and we don't deserve it and I
    I guess tonight I am just struggling for answers.  We have been praying pretty hard about something and now late at night am wondering about it.  I want to do right by my Lord.  I do love Him and want to serve Him.  Do you have times like this?
   I am confident that God knows all, sees all and is all.  I do believe He died on the cross for me and that I am saved.  I am confident that His decision is the best decision and if He says no it is because He has something better planned.  I do know the Holy Spirit speaks to God on my behalf.  I guess what I don't know is why I am wondering all of these other things tonight?  Guess I should follow the Good Book's advice from Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight".

Will you pray for me?

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