Here I will share some of the more notable times when God has answered my prayers and responded to my questions. God is faithful, and His people need to come to Him in faith with their requests.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." - James 1:5-8
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" - Matthew 7:7-11
"Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." - James 4:2-4
First I will share this story.
A Request For Peace and Quiet Granted.
About a year ago I began riding bicycle to work more often. This meant that I would get there earlier so I would have some time to sit on the sofas and wait until it was time to punch in (clock in). On Wednesday mornings there was this one young fellow who would listen to his earphones, but he had it turned so loud that everyone could hear it. He listened to very offensive satanic rock and roll music (is there any other kind of rock and roll? No, there is not). I put up with this a few times but then one Wednesday I was entirely disturbed by this annoying wickedness to which I was exposed. I prayed that he would never again be there listening to such wicked music. The very next day he was fired and I am now unmolested, and can quietly read if I get to work early. To me this seemed nothing short of a miracle and answer to prayer. And I give God the Glory.
A Request For Money Granted.
Now this story is even more miraculous. I was raising money for a charity (providing Sunday school material for children). I did not know how it could be raised, and I prayed that it would simply appear and be provided. I bought the material with my credit card and later checked the statement. It has been about a year now, and the material was received shortly after I ordered it. To this day I have paid nothing for it - it was never charged to my card. About the same time I also purchased something for a charitable cause - this time I was billed for it and received it - but was notified that I was going to receive a refund - then the entire cost was refunded into my account. Between these two things was about $200.00 worth. For this I give God the glory. (But I do not recommend anyone using a credit card unless you plan to pay it off immediately).
Three Answers Received
These are three questions I had asked God over the past years and the answers I received. The scriptures teach us to go to the Lord in prayer for guidance (Proverbs 28:5). It seems that in this day and age few professing Christians do this, or even believe that God will answer them. I have in the past wished there was some wise men I could ask, but where are the wise men? Seems like they don’t exist, and they don’t need to because God himself will answer those who ask in faith and seek his will. God does not always answer immediately. In my experience he has answered through other people (like the Pastor’s Sermon), through the scriptures, after fasting and praying for a time, or he immediately answers.
Question number 1
We should all know from the scriptures that pride is a sin (1 Samuel 17:28, 2 Chronicles 32:26, Job 35:12, Proverbs 8:13, 11:2, Ezekiel 16:56, Mark 7:21-23, 1 John 2:16).
But my question was this; “Is it alright to feel a sense of accomplishment for the good things we have done?” I was not sure if it was right for me to feel this way and so I sought the Lord for the answer. In the sermon that next Sunday the Pastor brought up Philippians 3:8-21, and therein is the answer.
The answer is “No.” In this third chapter of Philippians the Apostle Paul makes it quite clear that it is through faith in Christ that we have our righteousness, so any righteous thing we do is not us, but Christ in us. One danger is that if we feel we have accomplished anything, or are tempted to compare our selves to other men, we may feel that we have fulfilled our duty. When we feel this way we loose our zeal for the Lord, we have a cross that we must daily bear (Luke 9:23-25). What is clearly shown in these verses is a continual striving. For we have not and shall not obtain perfection while we dwell in this body of flesh (until we put on incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:50-54)).
But the scriptures do offer assurance. This we see in 1 John 2:5 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” If we keep Christ’s teaching, then we know that we are in Him, this is an assurance for the believer. An assurance which increases our zeal to serve the one we Love, not an assurance to “sin that Grace may abound.” (See Romans 6:1-2,6, 11-13, 16,-23)
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” - Romans 6:22
Question number 2
I asked God “How do I keep myself from sin?”
And God answered “Serve me instead.”
The answer to this question should be obvious from the scriptures, but I was at the time I asked this question too blind to see it. It was and is a great encouragement to me when tempted, to remember that God told me “serve me instead.” Now for me personally I know what serving God is, though I continue and will continue asking “what to you want me to do.” Serving God is two things; it is both a mindset, and it is a work. I generally, and often specifically know what God wants me to do. This always of course involves obeying the scriptures and putting into practice its teachings, but for me I know what it means specifically - what God wants me to do (i.e. go here and do this).
We have heard that idleness is the devils workshop, or that idle hands are the devils tools. Well no wonder, for idleness is a sin, and one of the sins for which Sodom was destroyed.
“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” - Ezekiel 16:49-50
For us all, babes in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1) especially, it may be difficult to know what it is that God wants us to do, and where to begin. This is something each individual must seek, and it appears that each individual cannot know this until they know God and what he wants generally. This is discerned by prayer and study of the Holy scriptures. There is no shortcut. You must know the Holy Bible and grow in the Lord. Then it can be better discerned what God wants from you specifically, based on discovering what gifts he has given and will develop in you. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Admit that you cannot know unless God reveals it to you. If you do this sincerely, and desperately, you will be surprised at the results.
Make no mistake. One cannot simply “take a break” one is either serving God or the Devil. But God does not wear you out (Psalm 127:2). He provides the strength for his people to do His will (Isaiah 40:31).
Question number 3
I asked God… “What should I do in life as a profession?”
And God said… “Whatever you want, so long as you keep me first.”
Well, this was not really the answer I was looking for, but I’ve come to understand it better. The issue here comes back to the words of Christ when he spoke of not worrying about the needs of our flesh. We are to seek first the kingdom of God, and these other fleshly, albeit necessary things shall be added unto us.
Here is one place in which we can see example of how the world has pervaded the church. Many desire to see their children having high paying college decree requiring jobs. This is well and fine, and even good, except for two things.
First, many desire wealth more than godliness. They would prefer to have or be a “moderate” Christian with a great job, than an astounding Christian with a not so great job. Certainly both is best, but the priorities must come in the proper order.
Second, many do not spiritually prepare their children, or themselves for college. It is a fact that colleges teach many lies and doctrines of antichrist. A Christian who is yet young an impressible going off to college without prior warning and strengthening will succumb to accept these lies (same for children in public schools). So then, in seeking the worldly best we receive the spiritually worst. Sending a child without Christian support away from home to a world of strangers is often sending them to Hell. Consider that "only 1 percent of College students go to church on a given Sunday." (http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=1451860)
"If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." - Luke 12:28-40