January 30 ~ 1 John 3:22
He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When you were a kid, I bet your parents told you, “If you eat all of your vegetables, you can have dessert.” For my sister, brother, and I, it was “You can’t have any iced tea (sweetened, of course!) until you drink all of your milk!” When we were obedient, we got the reward.
I have heard more than one person say, “I don’t know why God doesn’t answer me. I’ve prayed and prayed, but He just has not answered.” Here’s the thing... I don’t mean to judge others, but in most cases where someone said this to me, they were asking God for help, but they were not obedient – nor pleasing – to Him in some way. Maybe they were asking for help with personal finances, but they were not willing to give back… by way of money to the church, contributions to charity, or even physical service to others. Or worse, they did not manage well with the money they had. Now let me tell you something… God doesn’t need our money. He doesn’t really even need our help or our “service.” But giving to God and to others is a sign of our obedience to Him – and managing our budget well pleases Him. And when we are not willing to serve Him – or a good steward of His blessings, He may not completely withhold what we ask for… but He surely isn’t in any hurry to provide it!
Have you ever had someone ask you to pray for their health – heart disease, high blood pressure, maybe – and yet they were physically out of shape, may even smoked, and ate all the wrong things? Or maybe you know someone who is diabetic but refuses to eat properly, exercise and do the things to help control their disease… but they want God to “fix them.” The Bible tells us our bodies are temples… and that they belong to God. When we are not good stewards of His property, we can’t expect God to be ready to jump out and bless us or heal what we have damaged!
I am not saying God doesn’t answer prayers – nor am I saying that God’s answers come with conditions. I’m just saying that God has tremendous blessings He wants to give us… but He has to see some evidence that we are obedient and willing servants before He pours out His abundance. He will always meet our basic needs, according to His will… and that may not suit us! But it will be the right thing for us, whether we realize it or not. But if you want to see some awesome, amazing, incredible work and blessings in your life, start serving God completely and in full obedience and submission. Figure out (by prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with faithful believers) what God wants you to do… how He wants you to conduct your life in every area… and get busy doing so! Watch the outpouring of answers to prayers… and see for yourself what a difference it can make!
©2009 Debbie Robus
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