Thoughts

Too often when something bad happens our minds go to the worst possible thing that could happen. It's just human nature. We always expect the worst and really don't see the good that could be there. When doctors explain risks of an operation it seems like all we can focus on are the risks. I know I have done that not only when I had cancer, but through Todd's operation. Many times we sit there and think "what did I do wrong" or that God is mad at us.

In the story of Job, Job's wife tells Job to just lay down and die, while his friends tell him that he must have sinned really bad and made God really mad at him for him to have lost his family and have an illness. When in reality Job did nothing wrong and many times when we are going through our hardships we didn't do anything to make God mad at us or that we deserve the hardships while others deserve happiness. Everyone has to struggle at some point in their lives. It's a matter of how we deal with the hardships that make a difference.

Too often people turn away from God, or blame God for their hardships. We need to praise God, and lean on him for strength to make it through the trials and tribulations. God is there to carry us through, the poem Footprints in the sand tells us that God is there carrying us through the hardships even if we don't feel him there. We need to be in prayer, reading the word, and fellowship with other Christians. What other hope do we have other than our faith?

Answered Prayer

Yesterday I talked a lot about having faith in your prayers. We do need to have faith in our prayers even when they are not answered the way we want them to be, or if they aren't answered at all. Sometimes our prayers are not going to be answered because God has something else planned. I know people who pray to be with a person they have feelings for, I admit I've done it in the past, but that certain person is not always the person we are meant to be with so hence, prayers are unanswered. The best prayer in finding love is to pray to meet the one God has in store for us; and have faith God will lead us to that person.

I think prayers are answered when we pray for things that go with God's plan, as well as show that we don't have our own selfish desires as the mainstay for why we are praying. Simply because we are praying for something doesn't mean that it will happen. The Bible does say: ask and ye shall receive, but it also says: seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven. When we first seek out God and living for Him and serving him is when we know how to pray effective prayers. We don't want our prayers to be selfish and demanding.

When prayers are answered we need to praise God, but we also need to praise him for the unanswered ones because it goes with him plan, and later in life something better will come than what we wanted. Garth Brooks had it right when he sang "I thank God for unanswered prayers." I thank God for all the unanswered prayers of a selfish youth, I understand now why many of them were unanswered while others were answered. I thank God also for all the unanswered prayers that lead me to being the woman that I am today. It isn't just the answered prayers that build our faith, but the unanswered ones.

Faith

So many times we go through things that seem unbearable. It seems the only thing we can think of is the worse case scenario whatever it may be; it's like that's the only thing our minds can grasp, but when we have faith in something like God then whatever we are dealing with doesn't seem so unbearable. We have someone to talk to even if many times he doesn't answer, though with God when we speak to him we get a sense of peace. God isn't a mean God, he's a loving and merciful God. The Bible even tells us he doesn't give us more than we can bear. That's because when we deal with all our hardships in life, we need to lean on him for strength and guidance. If we don't have God to lean on then who can we lean on at all times?

I have spent the past week praying, crying out to God, and each time he gives me a sense of peace and the feeling that everything will be okay, and I have faith that they will be. Life sends us things that will always feel scary and frightening. But it's then that we need to praise God, we cannot abandon him thinking he is mad at us or we get mad at him. On the same aspect when things get better we still need to pray, praise, and spent time in the word. Just because God saw us through a hardship doesn't mean we can just walk away until something bad happens again. Why do we do that? Why is that when something bad happens we either cling to God and then leave when all is well again, or we blame him and get angry and still walk away? Why do we find it so hard to just call on him for help and strength to get through the hardships and then praise his name and give him glory through all we do the rest of the time?

It just doesn't make sense does it? So many of us say "I believe in God", yet when hardship happens says he doesn't exist or pray for help and strength, but not have faith that he will do what is needed. Todd has been in the hospital this past week with heart difficulties. I prayed for healing the night before he was admitted. In a way my prayer was answered. God lead him to the hospital that would best take care of him and find the problem and fix it. God always answers prayers and we need to have faith that he will. Many times our prayers aren't answered the way we want them to be, but the way God wants them to be. I wanted God to just heal Todd's heart, but thats not what God had planned. There is a reason why Todd had to be in the hospital for a week and go through the different things he did. Maybe it's a way to lead him to a ministry of some sort: a way to help others in the same situation. Whatever it is only God knows and someday maybe not now we will find out why, but we need to have faith that God knows what is best. But like I said, God answered a prayer by leading Todd to the best hospital in Pittsburgh.

I praise God for the things he has granted both of us, and I have faith that God will see Todd through this hardship and make him well as James 5:15 said (prayers offered in faith will heal the sick: the Lord will make them well.) I have no doubt in the Lord my God. Why should we doubt his awesome power? I know this is a lengthy post, but it's something that has been on my mind. We need to start praising God at all times and have faith in him, and pray to him, not just when we need something from him. That's not the way to have a loving, lasting relationship with someone. You wouldn't want people to only come to you when they want something, so why do it to God?

Healing

We all have things that we deal with on a daily basis. Some of the things we deal with are difficult to deal with. I struggled with cancer as does many others, Todd has heart difficulties and is in the hospital right now (prayers would be appreciated), others deal with AIDs, STD's, mental disorders, and other disabilities. No matter who you are there is something that brings you pain.

The Bible tells us the prayers offered in faith can heal the sick. In fact James 5:15 says "And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven." We need to be in constant prayer and believe that our prayers will be answered. We need to believe that God will heal those we love. When offering prayers for Todd, I offer them in faith that God will heal him and take care of the heart difficulties and other problems he may be having. Granted it's scary and I am worried to no end, but I have faith that God will take care of him. That's how we need to pray, to have faith that God has the power to take away any ailments we may have.

The Lord will anyone we pray for well again and forgive their sins. Or prayers need to be offered in faith, or else what good will they be? If we don't have faith that God will cure our illness then what is the point of praying? Have faith, walk by faith and God will take care of the rest.