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This is one of the more interesting concepts within Christianity to me and I'm going somewhere with it. If a person prays to the God of the Bible about or for something and it comes to pass or falls within their favor, it was "God's will." If it does not come to pass or does not fall in their favor, then it was still "God's will" not for the person to have whatever they were asking for.
Does anyone pray for or about something and NOT expect it to be God's will? I often hear people say that "God spoke to their heart and told them this or that will be theirs" or "this or that will come to pass if they just believe" but I never hear anyone say that they prayed for something and God told them right on the spot - NO! Life has to first play out and the matter not fall in their favor and THEN and only THEN can it be determined that the matter was not God's will by being faced with the obvious. Why does it have to be that way? Isn't it rather suspicious that a person has to wait for nothing to happen to KNOW what God's will supposedly is/was? Why doesn't God tell the person ("speak to their heart") at the time of prayer and just tell them "Um...no. You're not getting that" or "I'm not going to heal your dying child so get over it!"
I know a couple, one an unbeliever and the other (the wife) a devout, fundamentalist Christian. They were on the verge of losing their home when the wife stumbled upon what appeared to be a steal of a house. She claimed that she walked into the house (it was opened and unoccupied which she claims was "a sign") and made a humble prayer while inside. She "reminded God" or his promises and pointed out how difficult a time it was for her and her family and how homelessness faced them. Long story short, they were able to swing a deal and get the house before the other house went belly up. To do so they had to practically do head stands, work with loopholes and exhaust just about everything but they got it.
The husband was against it from the start, but the wife kept insisting "God told her that the house would be theirs" and she claimed she was convinced she heard God speak to her in the house that day and promised her he would bring it to pass. There was no telling her otherwise and she scoffed at the husband for not being a Christian to also hear the voice of God and for being a doubting unbeliever who lacked "faith." Well when they got the house, she was very sure God had worked a great miracle in the midst of a major crisis in their lives. That was two years ago. She lost her job not log after and the house is now in foreclosure and as far as I can tell, that is a certain conclusion.
How does a person not lost in a cloud of faith get through to a person who really feel the voices in their head is God speaking to them?
Last edited by yydanay515; 08-30-2008 at 06:49 PM..
Sometimes the answer IS no, but we choose to ignore it.
Sometimes we think we hear "yes", when it's really a "no". That happened to me recently.
Sometimes God's answer is so clear that there is no denying it.
Sometimes it is so unclear that we take silence to mean what we really want it to mean, rather than waiting for a clear answer from God.
Sometimes there is no clear answer. Ever. Silence. It's these times that I believe (just my opinion) that we are being tested.
By tested I mean that God wants us to step out in faith without an answer. Sometimes that IS the answer.
So, you can see that there are many factors, including the individual's own personality and how desperately they want a "yes"...so desperately that they think they did hear (or feel) a "yes".
It's the mystery of God that none of us will understand in the life.
The only thing we can understand about this process is that we often times get in the way of God's will with our own selfish desires.
this stuff can really get me worked up. we are an active participant in the working out of gods will.
of this i am sure. gods will is life truth and love
how he does that i do not have a clue.
looking back, i have been shocked several times in my life that the majority did not understand gods will for me at all. a few scarce few very spiritual did whisper in my ear and they were correct.
Sometimes the answer IS no, but we choose to ignore it.
Sometimes we think we hear "yes", when it's really a "no". That happened to me recently.
Sometimes God's answer is so clear that there is no denying it.
Sometimes it is so unclear that we take silence to mean what we really want it to mean, rather than waiting for a clear answer from God.
Sometimes there is no clear answer. Ever. Silence. It's these times that I believe (just my opinion) that we are being tested.
By tested I mean that God wants us to step out in faith without an answer. Sometimes that IS the answer.
So, you can see that there are many factors, including the individual's own personality and how desperately they want a "yes"...so desperately that they think they did hear (or feel) a "yes".
It's the mystery of God that none of us will understand in the life.
The only thing we can understand about this process is that we often times get in the way of God's will with our own selfish desires.
Man, sounds like a person needs a degree to understand this stuff. I guess simply asking for simplicity is asking too much?
Quote:
Sometimes we think we hear "yes", when it's really a "no". That happened to me recently.
You see, this is what I mean. You did NOT know it was a "no" until somewhere down the road, right? Why couldn't God tell you "NO" while you were praying? If he did, how did you mistake an audible "no" for a "yes?"
Man, sounds like a person needs a degree to understand this stuff. I guess simply asking for simplicity is asking too much?
Nope, we're the ones that complicate it. You can ask for anything you want, even simplicity, but it may or may not happen if it is not God's will.
However, it does say in the Bible that if two come together in agreement on something in prayer that it will be given to them. I take this to mean that these 2 agreeing and praying must also be in agreement with God's will. Not 2 people praying to win the lottery.
The answer may not be instantaneous, or it may go unnoticed because we were looking for the answer to come in the form we wanted it to and completely missed it.
I can tell you one thing for sure....you're chances of getting something are better if you pray, than if you don't pray!!
Quote:
You see, this is what I mean. You did NOT know it was a "no" until somewhere down the road, right? Why couldn't God tell you "NO" while you were praying? If he did, how did you mistake an audible "no" for a "yes?"
Okay, back up for a minute. First of all, I do not "hear" (audibly) God's voice. When Christians speak of "hearing" God, almost always it's through our thoughts and hearts (feelings) or actual, physical or visual signs, not audibly.
And His answer to me was a resounding "no"...I just misunderstood it because it was a visual sign. THE REASON I misunderstood, I think, is because it was not the answer that I wanted. God showed me real quick how wrong I was, he didn't wait around.
God can tell people "NO" while you're praying. I just don't see, feel or hear Him that way. Not yet, anyway. Is it a matter of faith or spirituality? I don't know, maybe.
I know that God is real, Jesus is real and that prayers work. That much I know. How do I know? Because I took that initial step of faith, and God has revealed Himself to me because of it.
I've seen other people's prayers answered, and I have had many of mine answered (not audibly) but through them actually becoming visually realized or recognizable. Coming true, so to speak.
I also know that if you are really specific with your prayers, that helps too.
For example, here's what not to do:
"Lord, I want a dog."
HERE'S what should be done:
"Lord, I want a polka-dotted, hairless, 3-legged dog named Eileen"
(get it?...."I lean")
Okay, back up for a minute. First of all, I do not "hear" (audibly) God's voice. When Christians speak of "hearing" God, almost always it's through our thoughts and hearts (feelings) or actual, physical or visual signs, not audibly.
Are you now asking humans to actually "listen" and trust their hearts and thoughts in determining whether God has spoken to them or not? That sounds a little too precarious for me. I would just prefer a straight up "Yes" or "no."
When you read the Bible, how often do we read where God spoke to people's hearts and minds as opposed to just talking to them audibly?
God listens to our prayers,but it is His timing not ours when the prayers are to be answered. He is a loving God and He knows what is best for us. We as Christians should not look for signs but put our trust completely in Him and He will answer our needs as He sees they need to be answered.
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