1 John 5:13 – 15 “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.”
2020 has been the year of COVID and things have been terrible in many parts of the world! Sometimes the measures taken against COVID have seemed far worse than the actual disease itself. Yes, people have died from COVID and some have developed long – term health problems. COVID is real. But many more have lost businesses and educational opportunities. For working parents who have depended on the schools caring for their children for most of the workday, the COVID restrictions have become a nightmare. For workers who must receive a daily wage or see their families starve, COVID restrictions have created havoc. Some families in various countries have even committed suicide rather than slowly starve.
Although it might be tempting to criticize those who were tasked with advising governments regarding COVID measures, we must remember that the situation was an ongoing and ever – developing and changing one. Even now, we are still learning more about how the COVID virus operates and the simple measures that might help protect us. Nothing is easy, and health policy makers have had a difficult time! By this point, it has become difficult to know whose word to trust. Even internationally recognized sources have found themselves changing and revising their stances in key areas.
All of us are aging and all of us one day will die, whether we die from COVID or from something else. But the question is this: what happens after we die? The God of the Bible tells us that if we believe in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, we will have eternal life, and that this will be a wonderful thing. WE CAN TRUST THE GOD OF THE BIBLE!
Many times, we pray and then wonder if God has really heard our prayers. Does God really care, or is He sitting someplace watching Netflix? The answer is absolutely yes! God does care and God hears every prayer that we pray. There is a series of photos being posted as a single unit on Facebook showing children have temper tantrums after they don’t get their own way and the reason the parents refused. These children were generally demanding something that would be hurtful, dangerous, or impossible. No caring parent would have honored these requests.
Just as good parents refuse to give their children everything they ask for, so God as a good Parent does the same thing. God hears our prayers, and if we are asking something that lines up with His perfect Will, then He will grant our requests. But we also need to realize that God’s timing is perfect. There is a meme that reads, “God, give me patience and give it to me RIGHT NOW!” For obvious reasons, some positive answers to prayer must be delayed until the timing is right. Perhaps you are praying for a different job. Only God knows when and where that job will open up. Trust Him.
“And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.” One of the problems with divine answers is that sometimes they come disguised as problems. Perhaps you want to lose weight and others have been urging you to walk or run; meanwhile, you have a bad knee. But if you will do non – weight bearing exercises such as swinming or cycling, you can take the stress of your knee, improve your cardiovascular system, and lose weight all at the same time. Who knows? You might become the Senior Cycling Champion for your state!
There is one prayer that never fails. It is the prayer Jesus prayed the night before He was crucified. It is very simple. “Lord, not my will, but Your Will be done.” If we ask God to have His Kingdom come and His Will be done in our lives, God will move and do far more than we can possibly imagine. Try it! What do you have to lose?
PRAYER: Father God, let Your Kingdom fully come and Your perfect Will be fully done in our lives. We ask this in the precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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