Video Bible Lesson - When God Answers the Unanswerable Prayer by TRACIE MILES

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

3/23/2020

When God Answers the Unanswerable Prayer
TRACIE MILES

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” Psalm 77:14 (NIV)
When a marriage fails and a divorce occurs, problems erupt from every angle. Hearts are broken. Emotions are all over the map. Self-worth and confidence plummet. Fears take root about what the future will look like, how the children will cope, being alone, etc.
But one of the most common problems women struggle with when facing separation and divorce is the fear of financial instability. Constant, daily worrying about how they will survive all alone as an independent single woman — and possibly as a single mom as well.
When my husband left over four years ago, despite all the ways my heart was breaking, one of the biggest obstacles to my faith and my happiness was worrying about money.
Finances were a struggle.
Day after day, month after month, I would lose sleep over how to pay the bills. I would fret about how long we would have a roof over our heads. I would spend countless hours on the computer desperately searching for work to support my family. I would pray fervently every day for God to miraculously provide for me and my children. Although my heart wanted to trust He would, the scary reality of our financial hardships would all too often snuff out that trust and fill me with fear and anxiety.
Every seemingly unanswered prayer request — laced with tears and repetitive requests of my needs, big and small — personified my fears
that God wasn’t hearing my prayers and pleas. I certainly didn’t have the power to change anything, no matter how hard I tried. The longer time passed and prayers went unanswered, I began to feel those problems were just impossible for even God to fix. I secretly resolved to believe some of my prayer requests were simply unanswerable.
Until they were answered.
Each and every act of provision began serving as a beacon, blasting light and hope into what seemed like so many dark, hopeless situations. Month after month, I began to witness God working miracles in my life. Some were small miracles meeting tangible and intangible needs while others were bigger miracles — shocking answers to prayers I had been praying for years — which could not be explained with human rationale.
Today’s key verse reminds us how God is a God of miracles who delights in answering the prayers of His people as He sees fit and in His timing: “You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples” (Psalm 77:14).
In this verse, the psalmist refers to all the miraculous works God had performed for the people of Israel time and time again. In countless situations, God had proven His faithfulness to His people by rescuing them from trouble and answering their prayers in miraculous ways. This verse compels us to not only remember God is a God of miracles but also to let that truth crush our doubts of God’s miraculous abilities and faithfulness in our lives.
Only a mighty, miracle-working God could have orchestrated some of the things that answered many of my prayers over the past few years. Not all my prayers were answered, of course, but enough to help me remember He is still the God of miracles today. He helped me fully realize He is my provider. Not a man, not a job, not my own talents or efforts — Him alone.
God is always worthy of our praise — for the answered prayers we thought were unanswerable and the unanswered prayers we still lift up to Him each day. He is always faithful and always trustworthy. He hears our prayers and knows all of our needs.
If you have prayers you’ve been praying for quite some time, keep the faith. God is at work behind the scenes. Nothing is impossible for God.
Lord, in the midst of my seemingly unanswered prayers, please help me remember You are faithful and still the God of miracles. Today I fully place my trust in You and choose to believe You hear my prayers and have a plan to meet my needs, big and small. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 72:18, “Praise the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things.” (NLT)

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord (1 Chron. 26:27).

Physical force is stored in the bowels of the earth, in the coal mines, which came from the fiery heat that burned up great forests in ancient ages; and so spiritual force is stored in the depths of our being, through the very pain which we cannot understand.

Some day we shall find that the spoils we have won from our trials were just preparing us to become true "Great Hearts" in the Pilgrim's Progress, and to lead our fellow pilgrims triumphantly through trial to the city of the King. But let us never forget that the source of helping other people must be victorious suffering. The whining, murmuring pang never does anybody any good.

Paul did not carry a cemetery with him, but a chorus of victorious praise; and the harder the trial, the more he trusted and rejoiced, shouting from the very altar of sacrifice. He said, "Yea, and if I be offered upon the service and sacrifice of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." Lord, help me this day to draw strength from all that comes to me!
--Days of Heaven upon Earth

He placed me in a little cage,
Away from gardens fair;
But I must sing the sweetest songs
Because He placed me there.
Not beat my wings against the cage
If it's my Maker's will,
But raise my voice to heaven's gate
And sing the louder still!

God Is at Work......Dr. Charles Stanley

God Is at Work

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 5:16-19

Throughout the Bible, we observe God at work in people's lives. Sometimes He acts in dramatic fashion, as in parting the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape the Egyptian army. At other times it may appear as if He's not taking any action. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother needed His help, but Christ delayed before traveling to their home (John 11:3-6).

Our Father has given us the Holy Spirit to help us recognize His presence and handiwork. The Spirit cultivates spiritual discernment in us so we can understand when and where He's at work.

In addition to spiritual discernment, we must develop patience because the Lord operates according to His timetable, not ours. After being promised numerous descendants, Abrahan had to wait until he and Sarah were beyond childbearing years before she conceived. Impatience can cause us to take matters into our own hands and make mistakes.

The Lord's efforts can bring delight, as was the case when Hannah bore a child (1 Sam. 1:27-2:1). His plan can also lead through painful times, which was Joseph's experience. Before the Lord elevated him to a position of authority to help his family, Joseph was sold into slavery and unjustly imprisoned.

Jesus told the disciples that His Father was always at work and so was He. We will be encouraged and strengthened in our faith when we recognize the ways in which God is operating. These glimpses of His handiwork will motivate us to stay the course and help us maintain a godly perspective on life.

Disruptive Moments

Disruptive Moments
ARLENE PELLICANE

Lee en español

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV)

Standing in line, I tried to hold back tears, waiting for my turn to use the pay phone.

In an age before smartphones, I was a college student experiencing a very disruptive moment: my first time away from home! Standing in the hallway of my dormitory, I felt lonely, and my heart ached for the comfort of the past.

I envisioned my hometown with rose-colored glasses. There I was known! There I had friends! The past seemed so glorious, yet transitions in life are inevitable. I could not have stayed in high school forever. We must move on to grow.

Later that day, I read today’s key verses in my dorm room, and the words gave me hope:

“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wildernessAnd rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

These words gave me hope years ago, and they still give me hope today.

The prophet Isaiah is reminding the Israelites that God will not only deliver them out of captivity in Babylon, but He will also provide for their needs and bring them safely to their own land. God had already brought His people through the Red Sea centuries earlier. Isaiah 43:16 says, “Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters” (NKJV).

I faced a desert season of barrenness when I experienced that disruptive moment of going away to college, apart from my family for the first time. But the same God who got me through my teen heartbreaks would get me through my freshman year (and He did).

Maybe you’re facing a disruptive moment today: a threatening, tumultuous storm or a desert season of dryness. Wherever you are on life’s journey, God can see you through and make all things new.

In the natural world, everything decays. Things break down. If you leave a banana peel outside, it won’t turn into a brand-new banana or a brand-new anything. It will decay and decompose. That’s the way of the world.

But that is not the way of God’s Kingdom, the spiritual world. He takes the old and makes it new! Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV) God can take our old mistakes and heartaches and turn them into something beautiful.

There are many disruptive moments in life. The loss of a job, spouse or parent. Moving. The birth of a baby. Graduations. An unwanted diagnosis.

In this moment of tension, remember God is doing a new thing. Lean into the power of hope in your moment of transition. The new way God is making will not be inferior to the old way. No, instead God promises to do even greater things for us today than He has done in the past. Don’t be caught by surprise — as Isaiah 43:19 says, “Shall you not know it?” Anticipate God’s provision and the newness of the coming season, and you will not be disappointed.

Don’t let the wilderness intimidate you. With every step over rough terrain, God will make a way. This is the place where miracles can happen. Divine direction and divine comfort await you.

Dear Jesus, thank You for making a way. You turn the wilderness into a bearable place, leading and providing for me along the way. You really do make all things new. I am confident You will show me the path of life and how to walk through my circumstances in victory. You are worthy of all praise. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Isaiah 43:20-21, “The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” (NIV)

Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (NIV)

A Prayer for Comfort When You’re Grieving

A Prayer for Comfort When You’re GrievingBy Christina Fox

“Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice” (Psalm 55:17).

The book of Psalms contains poems that were used in the Israelite’s worship. There were many different types of Psalms, some were sung in thanksgiving for something God had done. Others were sung to remember things from the past. Some Psalms were sung in praise to God for who he is. And then there were the Laments, the darkest of all the Psalms. These songs were sung to express the sorrows and fears of life in this fallen world.

The Psalms of Lament are filled with questions. These are not the silly questions we might ask Siri or the how-to questions we might enter in a search engine, but they are the questions of a broken heart. They are the questions of one who is weighed down by the sorrows of this world, by the fears, griefs, and heartaches that we all experience.

On this side of the cross, we know that Jesus fulfilled the Psalms, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). Jesus is the answer to every heart’s cry. He came to rescue and redeem us from our greatest fear and our deepest sorrow—eternal death and separation from God because of our sin. By his perfect life and sacrificial death, he made a way for us to come into God’s presence wrapped in his righteousness. Because of Christ, we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Here is a prayer, taken from the lamenting Psalms, that you can pray if you need God’s comfort:

Dear Father,

I come before you today with a heavy heart. Sadness overwhelms me. I feel surrounded by a dense fog that I fear will never lift. Like David, "my tears have been my food day and night" (Psalm 42:3).

For however long this season of sorrow lasts, I pray that you would show me more of your love and grace. Help me not to run from whatever you want to do in my heart. Help me to trust that you are at work and to rest in your faithfulness. I want to say along with David, "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul" (Psalm 31:7).

Father, grant me gospel joy; help me to rejoice in Christ even as I grieve. Envelope me with the peace and comfort only you can provide. As the days move into months, may this burden lessen. As the months move to years, use me to encourage and bless someone else who must walk a similar path. Help me to point them to you as the God of all comfort.

I know that you are always with me and that your love never ceases. Help me to find refuge in you and nowhere else.

In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

God’s Incredible Plans for You

God’s Incredible Plans for You
By Mark Altrogge

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11)

This quote was part of a letter God had Jeremiah write to the Jews whom Nebuchadnezzar had been taken captive to Babylon from Jerusalem. They had been ripped from their homeland, taken to a land where they were aliens and strangers. I can’t imagine how hopeless they felt.

But God told them what to do there. He told them to build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce. To get married and have children, then give their children in marriage to have more children. And incredibly, God told them to seek the welfare of Babylon where ultimately he had sent them into exile. God even told them to pray for Babylon’s welfare.

Then God promised that after 70 years he would bring them back to Jerusalem. He told them he had plans for them, plans for their good, plans for their future, plans to give them hope.

This is a good reminder for us. We need to regularly remember that this world is not our home.

As Peter tells us:

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (1 Pet. 2:11)

Just as Babylon was not the Jews’ final home, neither is this our final home. Our home is heaven. But like the Jews, we are to build our lives here for now. We’re to seek the good of our nation, our churches, our friends and neighbors. We’re to settle in – temporarily. But we mustn’t forget that after “70 years” – sooner or later – God will take us to our ultimate home – heaven.

Those are God’s plans for us. But he has plans for us now too.

Do you feel hopeless at times? Don’t know what to do? Face an uncertain future? Remember, God has plans for you. Both for the next life and for this life.

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! (Ps. 31:19)

God has abundant goodness stored up for us who fear him and take refuge in him. Not just a little bit of goodness, but abundant, overflowing goodness.

God has specific plans for you

He isn’t vague or uncertain. He has every second of every day planned for us. He has an exact day and hour for our trials to end, just like had an exact 70 years planned for Israel. He has the exact time for you to meet your future husband. An exact day for you to land that job you can’t imagine. A day for you to get relief from that sickness. Our times are in his hands.

God knows his plans for you

“For I know the plans I have for you…” We don’t know God’s plans. But since he does, we can trust him. He knows his plans and how to fulfill them. Nothing can stop him from fulfilling them. He causes all things to work together to fulfill his plans.

God’s plans are for your good

He is a good Father. He loves to give good gifts to his children. Everything God does is good and righteous. Even when he takes us through things that feel hard, eventually we will see they were for our good and our joy and gladness in him.

God’s ultimate plan for us is make us like Christ, and bring us to himself, where we will gaze upon the face of Christ and experience never ending joy in his presence.

God has plans for us, but we must patiently wait for him to fulfill them, just as Israel had to wait for God to fulfill his plans for them:

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
 wait for the LORD! (Ps. 27:13-14)

First of all, we must trust God – we must continue to fight the good fight of faith – “I BELIEVE that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord.” We must regularly remind ourselves that God has promised he has plans for us, and that God will keep his word. He does not change his mind, or lie. (Num. 23:19)

And we must wait for God to fulfill his word in his timing. God tells us “be strong, and let your heart take courage” as we wait for him. We do this by calling to mind God’s many promises, and reminding ourselves of who God is.

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
 great is your faithfulness. (Lam. 3:21-23)

Israel had to wait 70 years for God to fulfill his plan to bring them back to Jerusalem. But he surely did it.

We must trust God and wait for him in faith to fulfill his plans

God has wonderful, unimaginable plans for us. So wait for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Trust in him. You will look upon the goodness of the Lord, in this life and especially in the next. Of all the people on earth, we who have believed in Jesus have this incredible hope. Those who don’t believe in him have no hope.

Praise God that he is so good and loving and faithful to us. Ask him for grace to trust him and wait for him. Ask him to fill you with joy and help you serve others as you wait for him to fulfill his plans for you.

I’m a Hypocrite

I’m a Hypocrite
by John UpChurch

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” Matthew 6:5

The college-me would call the current-me a hypocrite. That’s what I did back then. Anyone claiming to be a Christian automatically earned that prestigious title. I could judge, after all, because I sat in my lofty seat in the college library and weighed such grave matters in my head and in my poetry. My pencil could strike down any Christ-follower with a witty rhyme. I knew they were all fake.

So, I had a lot to learn about love. But I was right about the hypocrisy thing. The current me is, in fact, a hypocrite.

Jesus warned us not to be like the hypocrites, those who put on a show but don’t let the show touch their hearts. And when I’m honest, that’s exactly what I do sometimes. My worship becomes a series of movements, a tentative toe-tap into the spiritual waters. All the while, my mind has drifted off to my bank account, my schedule, and my Instagram feed.

That type of worship isn’t worship. It’s a show put on for my own gratification, one that makes me feel better about doing the “Christian thing.” In those moments, I’m exactly what my college self accused me of.

Hypocrite.

Thankfully, Jesus warned me about all this ahead of time. When my body and mind get out of sync, when my devotion becomes a demonstration, His warnings inevitably hit me in the chin. Matthew 6 cues up on my audio Bible, His admonitions pop up on someone’s blog, or I just catch myself in the act. That’s when I see just how much I’m simply going through the motions.

Unlike my college self, who judged to feel superior, God unmasks hypocrisy because He wants me to get real. His gentle (and not-so-gentle) nudges snap me out of my one-man show.

Intersecting Faith and Life: When Jesus warned His followers about hypocrisy, He knew they’d need the reminder. He knew we would need the reminder two thousand years later. Why? Because humans like to put on a good show and we don’t always live what we believe. Our hearts skip off like sheep while our bodies do those “Christian duties.”

Thankfully, God’s in the shepherding business. He knows how to shear that acting junk right off.

For Further Reading

Matthew 6:1
Isaiah 29:1

It Didn't End at the Cross

Senior Living Ministries

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
--1 Peter 1:3-5

A little boy born with Down syndrome attended his third-grade Sunday School class faithfully each week. As you can expect, the other children did not readily accept the boy because he seemed different.

The Sunday after Easter, their teacher brought in small boxes--one for each child. The children were told to go outside, find some symbols of new life, and put them in their containers. So the children ran wildly throughout the property looking for something to fill their boxes.

Once they returned to the classroom, they began to share their discoveries with the class. One by one they opened their boxes to show flowers, butterflies, leaves, and more. Each time the class would "ooh" and "ahh."

Then the child with Down syndrome opened his box to reveal nothing inside. The children exclaimed, "That's stupid! It's not fair! He didn't do the assignment right!"

The little boy exclaimed, "I did so do it! It's empty...because the tomb where Jesus laid was found empty!"

If Jesus had not risen from the dead, our faith would be foolish and fake. But He did rise from death, confirming His life and message. The resurrection of Jesus is the basis for our hope of life eternal beyond the grave.

Don't ever forget to include the resurrection of Christ from the dead when speaking of His death on the cross. For because He conquered sin on the cross and death through His resurrection, we can have unmistakable hope in Him for eternity.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Praise God that you serve a risen Savior! Thank Him for His sacrifice on the cross and for defeating death so that you and I may experience eternal life with Him one day.