#The Delay of Unanswered Prayers

[thewordfortheday]

Over the past few years, I am painfully aware of many situations where God has not answered my prayers. But now I realise it was only because He wanted to something more than I could ask or even imagine. And so I want to motivate you to pray big prayers with faith in a mighty God, who is able to do more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.  Ephesians 3:20 God often puts His people in impossible situations to display His power and glory.

God told the Israelites to leave Egypt by a route where they had the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. They had no means of escape. In that impossible situation, Moses told the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord….” The Lord miraculously opened the sea so that the Israelites could pass through, but He closed the sea over the Egyptian army. Nothing is impossible with God! Trust Jesus completely with everything that confronts you. 

#daily devotional #christian quotes #bible quotes #inspiration #daily devotion #christian quote #christian life #scripture #delay #unanswered prayers

[wrappedinamysteryy]

Yearning | تَوّاق

Though delays in our unanswered prayers can be difficult to bear,

Do you see how they can often lead us to strive harder to limit our sins and please Allāh?

Our yearning for something from Allāh can benefit us in the afterlife.

It's as if our yearning itself becomes a form of goodness that guides us to be a better human being and a better Muslim.

Knowing how deeply you desire it, you strive for patience and avoid displeasing Him in any way.

Though patience wanes and fatigue sets in, I seek refuge only in You, my Rabb.

-Mona Al Kabir (wrappedinamystery)

And Allāh accepts all duās right away, or in delay or grants something beyond our comprehension.🧡

#my writings #my writing #islam #muslim #islamic reminders #islamic quotes #islamicreminder #islamic #muslim writers #dua

[ddarker-dreams]

scaramouche treats you like you’ve wronged him in some way. 

you can’t pinpoint exactly when it started — (was it always this way?) — but somewhere down the line, he saw fit to treat you worse than the dirt beneath his shoes. it wasn’t often you had the unique punishment of running into the balladeer, though each time you did was an encounter to remember. he’d fling colorful arrays of insults your way, make threats he never followed through on, and acted like a general nuisance. a thorn stuck in your side would be more pleasant than his company. even a knife, if you were to be honest with yourself. at least you could successfully remove the intrusion in that case. the same could not be said for scaramouche. he was intent on hanging around and making you miserable for whatever godforsaken reason. 

if you were out on a commission, he’d be rid of the monsters himself and claim the reward, regardless of how paltry he found the sum to be. he’d organize delays on the routes you needed to travel. buy out the stores that relied on your services the most. anything that meant your attention would be focused solely on him; even if that attention might be negative. so long as he dominates your thoughts in the way you do his, he’s content. 

imagine his surprise when he catches word that his subordinates are giving you a hard time too. 

they figured by how much effort their superior invested into making you miserable, it’d be a safe bet for them to do the same. rely on some good ol’ intimidation tactics and hopefully win brownie points with their infamously hard to deal with harbinger. they never know when they might end up being the one whose ashes are swept away with a broom and dustpan, so they figured it’d be best to get ahead of these things. 

needless to say, the squadron who thought up that idea went missing overnight. no one had the courage to look into it further. it got the message across that scaramouche already thought went without saying, but well, his underlings have never been bright. 

you are his and his alone to do with as he pleases. anyone who dares to interfere, regardless of their intentions, well... they can expect their prayers for mercy to go unanswered. 

#yandere scaramouche x reader #yandere genshin impact x reader #scaramouche brainrot #concepts

[seharschronicles]

Story of Ibrahim (AS) - Chapter 1

Nemrah Ahmad in her Seerah course, before talking about the Prophet pbuh, talked about Ibrahim AS, as he is the father of the ummah, and without understanding his life, we cannot understand the son (Prophet pbuh)’s life.

So, we learn that Ibrahim, upon leaving Iraq, took his wife Sarah with him. They say Sarah was given half of the beauty of all the women in the world, just as Yusuf was given half of the beauty of men. When Ibrahim took them to Egypt, the king there, known as Pharaoh of that time, was so taken aback by the beauty of Sarah that his intention turned bad. But when he reached out to touch her, his hand became paralyzed. This happened three times. Each time, Sarah prayed for him, and he would repeat the same action and his hand would become paralyzed. The third time, he realized she was no ordinary woman. When Pharaoh realized she was not an ordinary woman, he regretted his actions. And as a form of compensation, he gave Hajrah as a gift to Sarah from his palace, as a remedy. Since Sarah was childless, after some time, she gave Hajrah to Ibrahim, meaning she married them. Thus, Ibrahim, Hajar, and Sarah settled in Palestine.

Ibrahim and Sarah had spent a long time in marriage, but they had no children. Allah deprived Sarah of motherhood but gave her all worldly beauty. And on top of that... Allah put them in such a trial that Allah blessed Ibrahim's new wife, Hajar, with a son. Whose name was Ismail.

Try to understand the condition of Sarah's heart at such a moment. You have so much beauty, a loving husband, but everything seems tasteless without children.

The question now arises. Doesn't Sarah pray? Doesn't Sarah have any heartfelt connection with Allah?

Her husband was a prophet. Her righteousness and piety were such that the king's hand became paralyzed when he raised it to touch her. So, what would her life be like?

Do you think she would be enjoying money, friendships, and feasts? Where will all this be in her life? Nowhere to be found. She was the wife of Ibrahim AS. In her life, there will be supplications and continuous ibadah. And then a difficult life in which the husband was facing opposition because of religion. If you look at Sarah's life, she will be perfect in everything. She will not be committing sins. Her worship will be much better and more factual than mine and yours. Her prayers will be sincere. But still, Allah did not give her children. Allah did not fulfill the biggest desire of her heart. Why?

Because what we get and when we don't get, Allah decides. He has written the story of our lives. We cannot question Him. If you intensely desire something and your prayers and worship don't bring it into your fate, what do you give up first? Hope in Allah. First, you question your faith and ask yourself, “Do I even matter to Allah? Even after leaving sins, Allah still doesn't listen to me. What's the point of these prayers?”

Let us ask ourselves, is our worship better than Sarah's worship? Are we better than her? If Allah delayed Sarah’s dua, does that mean He had abandoned her?

No. Unfulfilled desires and unanswered prayers don't mean Allah has forsaken you. Don't judge your relationship with Allah based on the acceptance of your prayers. Don't measure your relationship with Allah by the acceptance of your prayers. Prayers are a bonus. Whether they're answered or not, it shouldn't affect the relationship. Sometimes, you bow in every situation.

So, what happened next? We'll find out in the next post.

#allah #islamdaily #quran #islamicreminder #lessons from quran #ayah from quran #islam #motivating quotes #prophetsaw #islamicquotes #islampost #islamicreminders #islamic #deen daily #deenoverdunya

[luxe-pauvre]

Wherever people are hungry they’ll purchase food, wherever they’re thirsty they’ll buy drink, but commercials sell you an entire worldview. Every culture has myths, ordering stories of reality. In Athens, to live the good life depended on reason; in Jerusalem it was to commit yourself to faith, and on Madison Avenue it’s to live for consumption. We don’t have Hesiod’s Theogony or the Torah, our scripture is a 30-second spot. Our myth tells you that you are incomplete, disordered, and unhappy, but that the solution involves the accumulation of things, beautiful things, tasty things, sexy things, amazing things, and that through such commodities you become perfectible, as surely as an ancient Greek making offerings at Delphi ensured his favor among the Olympians, as much as a Medieval penitent paying an indulgence ensures release from Purgatory. Does any of it work? Well in the immediate sense, paying the indulgence makes you feel better too. But look, the churches are defunct and our faith is dying as our shopping malls are boarding up, our prayers as unanswered as the next shipping delay.

Ed Simon, Tripping the Late Capitalist Sublime

#Ed Simon #Tripping the Late Capitalist Sublime

[psalmonesermons]

Unanswered prayer Part 3 How to avoid your prayers being unanswered In Parts 1 and 2 we discussed four possible reasons that some of our prayers might appear to go unanswered. The possible reasons were 1) being out of fellowship with the Lord 2) God has said no because your prayer was not his will 3) Lack of unity between persons and 4) A delay in the answer to your prayer. We are now going to consider, based on our four possible reasons, how we can avoid getting into the position where our prayers might be unanswered. 1) Keep in fellowship with the Lord, this includes keeping short accounts with God in terms of sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do not think about or dwell on anything that is inherently sinful, think about things are good, and pure and honest. We should keep his commandments, there are only 4 main ones in the New Testament a) Love the Lord your God with all…, b) love your neighbour as yourself, c) love one another as I have loved you. How did Jesus love us? … unto death. d) Also love your brother who can be seen. King David, the sweet psalmist cried out to God in Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 2) Get to know the will of God better by studying your bible and by listening to good sermons and remember that when you pray, that it is a dialogue, and we should allow space and time for God to speak to you. Take good Christian counsel from your minister or other Christians that you trust. We must allow God to say no, for He knows better than us. 3) Unity: You husbands must treat your wives with honour, live together in a good and Godly atmosphere, treating her as joint heirs in the grace of life. This approach applies to all Christians as demonstrated by all the (n=46) ‘one another’ commandments such as in 1 Peter 1:22 (b) says ‘see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently’: 4) Delay in the answer, be persistent in prayer in case there is a battle in the heavens. Ask the Lord if he has a bigger purpose... https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck2sImxo-is/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

16th October >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 18:1-8 for the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C: ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’.

Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Gospel (Except USA)

Luke 18:1-8

The parable of the unjust judge.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

   And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

Gospel (USA)

Luke 18:1–8

God will secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Reflections (4)

(i) Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I love to see people lighting candles in church. It is a sign that they are praying for themselves or, more often than not, for others. I often hear people say, ‘I will light a candle for you’. When I see candles lighting on a shrine, I think of all the prayers people have prayed for others. One of the ways we show love to others is by praying for them. In the first reading, Moses prays for the people who are threatened by their enemies. However, there comes a point when he needs others to help him to pray. As he lifts his arms in prayer, they grow heavy and drop, and two of his assistants have to prop up his arms so that he can continue to pray. It reminds me that we often need others to help us to pray. Indeed, sometimes we need others to do the praying for us. There can come a time in our lives when we find we cannot pray. Not only can we not lift up our arms in prayer like Moses, but we cannot lift up our hearts in prayer. It is above all in such times that we appreciate the prayer of others. When we cannot pray ourselves, we can be supported spiritually by the prayer of others for us. The prayer of others for us can help us to pray again. It is as if they are holding up our arms as we grew weary. When our prayer falters, it is a great comfort to know that we have friends who continue to pray on our behalf.

We can never underestimate the power of prayer in our own lives. Pope Francis once said that prayer is the breath that gives life to faith. Yet, prayer doesn’t always come easy to us. Perhaps one of the reasons that we sometimes struggle to pray is that our prayer seems to go unanswered. We lose heart. Jesus was very aware that this can happen to us. The parable he speaks in today’s gospel reading is to encourage us not to lose heart when it comes to prayer. It is the story of a widow who had every reason to lose heart. Some great injustice had been done to her and she went to a judge who should have made sure she got the justice she was entitled to. However, she had the misfortune to come up against a judge who, according to the parable, had ‘neither fear of God nor respect for others’. He simply ignored her. Yet, she kept coming to him, saying, ‘I want justice from you against my enemy’. The judge was a man of power in that culture and the widow was without power. Yet, her persistence eventually wore the judge down and he gave her the justice she was entitled to. She may have been powerless but she had justice on her side and her commitment to justice made her powerful. She displayed the power of weakness. We sometimes see that in our world. There are people who have no political power or social status and, yet, their commitment to justice gives them a power that can sometimes move mountains in the cause of bringing about justice for themselves or for others. We can be grateful for such women and men. They help us to become more award of issues of justice we can easily fail to see.

For Jesus, this widow is an image of persistent prayer, persistent faith. That was the kind of faith Jesus was looking for, a faith that remained alive even in the face or repeated disappointments and setbacks. I love that statement of Saint Paul as he comes towards the end of his life, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ – ‘I have remained faithful’. Having spoken the parable, Jesus contrasts the judge with God. The judge had to be worn down before he granted justice. God, however, in the words of Jesus, ‘will see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night, even when he delays to help them’. It can seem to us as if God is delaying in answering our prayers, especially our prayers that justice would prevail in our lives and our world. Yet, Jesus assures us that God is always working so that the justice of God’s kingdom will prevail on earth. Jesus reveals God to be one who is on the side of the unjustly treated, those broken by the harshness of others. Jesus seems to be saying that if the widow can persevere in going to an unjust judge for her request, how much more must we persevere in going to God in prayer for our own needs. At the very end of the gospel reading, Jesus asks the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ Will he find the kind of persevering faith displayed by the widow in the parable? Will he find people persevering in prayer? Will he find people of faith not only praying for God’s justice to come about, but actively working for it? We each have a part to play in ensuing that the answer to Jesus’s question is, ‘Yes, you will’.

And/Or

(ii) Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 We live in an age where what is instant is greatly valued. In the past, for example, food took a long time to prepare and to cook. Today, we can buy a product, put it in the microwave, and we have a hot meal with minimal labour and expenditure of time. Journeys that in the past took months, now take hours. With emailing, messages that once took days to go from one place to another now take seconds. Speed is a phenomenon of our time. Much of this is to be welcomed. A huge range of possibilities are now open to us that an earlier generation could not even have imagined possible. What a marvellous facility it is to be able to send the equivalent of a letter to a friend or family member on the other side of the world and have it responded to in seconds. How wonderful it is to be able to travel to so many places so quickly and so relatively cheaply.

 Yet, for all the speed of much of modern life, we know that the pace of some things has not changed. Oak trees do not grow much quicker today than they did hundreds of years ago. The coastline of our land is not eroding that much faster than it has done throughout the centuries. The earth’s orbit around the sun has not quickened over millions of years. The time it takes to build true friendships with people has not significantly changed. We know that we cannot create deep human relationships at the press of a button. The forming of good relationships continues to take time and patience; it is characterized by both progress and set-backs; ground that is lost often has to be regained. The quality of perseverance is needed in human relationships, the willingness to stay faithful when the relationship is in difficulty and to work through the difficulty, perhaps with help from others. Perseverance, persistence, is a quality that comes into play in those areas of life that are not amenable to instant solution or an instant response.

 The parable that Jesus speaks in the gospel reading this morning suggests that we will need that quality of perseverance or persistence in our relationship with God. Jesus tells a story of a powerful man, a judge, and a powerless woman, a widow. The widow knew that she had justice on her side, and it was her passion for justice that gave her the quality of persistence. She kept coming to the judge looking for justice, refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer. Even though she was powerless, her persistence made her powerful. The power of her persistence wore down the powerful judge and she eventually received the justice she was entitled to. Jesus presents this widow to his disciples, to us, as a model of persistent faith. It is not that God is like the unjust judge in the parable. On the contrary, God’s passion for justice is greater than our own. It is rather that we will need something of the same persistent faith the widow showed if God’s justice is to become a reality in our midst. The widow’s efforts did not meet with instant success; her pleas did not receive an instant answer. Yet, she persevered and her persistence brought about what God wanted to happen.

 When we pray in the ‘Our Father’ ‘thy kingdom come’, we are really praying, ‘thy justice come’. God’s kingdom comes whenever human beings relate to each other justly and lovingly. God’s kingdom is present when the vulnerable are given protection, when those unjustly treated are given justice, and when those with power use it justly and selflessly. We are only too well aware today that God’s kingdom has not fully come. The justice that God passionately desires for our world is not yet a reality among us. We need to keep on praying ‘thy kingdom come’ and not loose heart. Our persevering prayer for the coming of God’s kingdom will only be a genuine prayer if it is lived out in some way. We need both to pray and to work with perseverance for the coming of God’s kingdom. The widow in the parable did more than just utter words; the parable tells us that she kept on coming to the judge. She walked from where she lived to where the judge lived in order to make her request, and she did that repeatedly. That took time and energy. Our prayer for the coming of God’s kingdom, if it is really coming from our heart, will also take us on a journey. It will inspire us to keep on doing what we can to ensure that God’s justice is a reality in our neighbourhood, in our society, in our world. At the end of the parable, Jesus asks the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ That question is addressed to all of us. Will the persistent prayer and action of the widow for God’s justice be evident among the Lord’s followers?

 There are many contemporary examples of the persistent prayer of the widow in today’s world. I was watching a television programme during the week about the brutal killing of over forty prisoners and hostages in Attica prison in New York in 1971 by state forces. For over thirty years a small number of people have been campaigning and fighting for justice for those who survived the assault and for the relatives of those who were killed in it. Their passion for justice enabled them to persevere and persist in the face of official stone walling and resistance. We could all probably think of other examples closer to home. When the seemingly powerless are filled with God’s passion for justice they become powerful, like the widow in the gospel reading. Today we might pray for something of her passionate faith in our own lives.

And/Or

(iii) Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 We live in an age where a great deal happens much faster than it used to. In the past, for example, food took a long time to prepare and to cook. Today, we can buy a product, put it in the microwave, and we have a hot meal with minimal labour and expenditure of time. Journeys that in the past took months, now take hours. With emailing, messages that once took days to go from one place to another now take seconds. Speed is a phenomenon of our time. Much of this is to be welcomed. What a marvellous facility it is to be able to send the equivalent of a letter to a friend or family member on the other side of the world and have it responded to in seconds.

 Yet, for all the speed of much of modern life, we know that the pace of some things has not changed. Oak trees do not grow much quicker today than they did hundreds of years ago. The earth’s orbit around the sun has not quickened over millions of years. The time it takes to build true friendships with people has not significantly changed. The forming of good relationships continues to take time and patience. The quality of perseverance is needed in human relationships, the willingness to stay faithful when the relationship is in difficulty and to work through the difficulty, perhaps with help from others. Perseverance, persistence, is a quality that comes into play in those areas of life that are not amenable to instant solution or an instant response.

 The parable that Jesus speaks in the gospel reading this morning suggests that we will need that quality of perseverance in our relationship with God. Jesus tells a story of a powerful man, a judge, and a powerless woman, a widow. The widow knew she had justice on her side, and it was her passion for justice that gave her the quality of persistence. She kept coming to the judge looking for justice, refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer. Even though she was powerless, her persistence made her powerful. The power of her persistence wore down the powerful judge and she eventually received the justice she was entitled to. Jesus presents this widow to his disciples, to us, as a model of persistent faith. It is not that God is like the unjust judge in the parable. On the contrary, God’s passion for justice is greater than our own. It is rather that we will need something of the same persistent faith the widow showed if God’s justice is to become a reality in our midst. The widow’s efforts did not meet with instant success; her pleas did not receive an instant answer. Yet, she persevered and her persistence brought about what God wanted to happen.

 When we pray in the ‘Our Father’ ‘thy kingdom come’, we are really praying, ‘thy justice come’. God’s kingdom comes whenever human beings relate to each other justly and lovingly. God’s kingdom is present when the vulnerable are given protection, when those unjustly treated are given justice, and when those with power use it justly and selflessly. We are only too well aware today that God’s kingdom has not fully come. The justice that God passionately desires for our world is not yet a reality among us. We need to keep on praying ‘thy kingdom come’ and not loose heart. Our persevering prayer for the coming of God’s kingdom will only be a genuine prayer if it is lived out in some way. We need both to pray and work with perseverance for the coming of God’s kingdom. The widow in the parable did more than just utter words. She walked from where she lived to where the judge lived in order to make her request, and she did that repeatedly. That took time and energy. Our prayer for the coming of God’s kingdom, if it is really coming from our heart, will also take us on a journey. It will inspire us to keep on doing what we can to ensure that God’s just reign is a reality in our neighbourhood, in our society, in our world.

 At the end of the parable, Jesus asks the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ That question is addressed to all of us. When the Lord comes at the end of time will he find us persistent in our prayer and in our efforts for the coming of God’s kingdom? Or will we have given up because our efforts appeared to have been bearing so little fruit? The Lord looks for a persevering faith, a faith that endures in the face of disappointment and apparent failure. That was the kind of persevering faith that the Lord himself showed. Even when his passion for the coming of God’s kingdom led him to his passion and death, he persevered in faith; he trusted that God’s purpose would prevail. He died the faithful one. Paul calls for that quality of faithfulness at the beginning of today’s second reading: ‘you must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true’. That kind of exhortation is especially pertinent in these days when we can be strongly tempted to lose heart, and to give up hope in the midst of the evils and failings of our time.

And/Or

(iv) Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 We can all be prone to discouragement. We come up against various obstacles and over time we feel that they are wearing us down and taking energy away from us. Sometimes these obstacles take the form of other people who make life difficult for us for one reason or another. The result of getting discouraged can be to put less of ourselves into life. We can become half-hearted about everything. That temptation can be understandable, but it is a temptation we need to keep on trying to resist.

 The parable in this morning’s gospel reading puts before us a person who simply refused to get discouraged. The person in question is a widow who appears to be somewhat alone in the world. There is no mention of any children standing by her in her hour of need. Given that the average life expectancy of the time was about forty years of age, it is likely that the widow was relatively young by the standards of today. She certainly comes across as a very vigorous woman. She clearly believes that some great injustice has been done to her. She goes to the court looking for the justice that she is entitled to. Unfortunately, she finds herself having to deal with the worst kind of judge who neither fears God nor has any respect for others. This powerful man has no interest in the plight of this powerless woman. However, she refuses to get discouraged, even though a second injustice is being done to her by the judge who should have taken up her case. She keeps coming to him day after day until she wears down the judge’s resistance. She exhausts the judge into justice. The powerless widow turns out to be very powerful after all and the powerful judge ends up cowering before the seemingly powerless widow.

 The figure of the widow in that parable is a wonderful portrayal of the refusal to get discouraged, even when everything goes against you and you come up against the worst instincts of other people. Jesus paints this picture in words of a persevering widow who refuses to be discouraged because it captures the kind of faith that he is looking for from his disciples. Having spoken the parable, Jesus asks the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ Jesus is asking, when he comes back at the end of time as the glorious Son of Man, will he find faith which has the same quality of dogged perseverance that the widow displayed. Jesus is calling for a faith that endures, that stays the course and refuses to give up, even when all the supports for faith seem to be taken away. These have been difficult times for people of faith. A great deal has happened in our world, and particularly in our church, that has been a real challenge to faith. We have all experienced the temptation to discouragement. You hear people say that they are hanging on by their finger nails. Yet, Jesus seems to be saying in this morning’s gospel reading that to be a believer is to be a persistent believer. The supreme example of a persistent believer was Jesus himself. He remained faithful to the end, even to death on a cross. He was faithful to God, to the work that God gave him, which meant that he was faithful to those to whom God had sent him, all of humanity. Jesus refused to give up on humanity, even on the cross. If his life touched the lives of a few, he hoped that his death would touch the lives of many. His faithfulness overcame the darkness of sin, the sin that put him on the cross. Jesus’ faithfulness revealed a God who does not give up on us, who does not easily get discouraged by our failures and resistances, who keeps faith with humanity. Pope Francis says that ‘the power of God’s love is able to overcome the darkness of evil’. In a similar way the power of the widow’s persistence overcame the darkness of the evil that confronted her on every side. She showed a God-like perseverance and this is what Jesus calls for from his disciples.

 In his letter to the Romans, Paul calls on the church in Rome, ‘do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good’. The widow in the parable overcame evil with good. Jesus, on the cross, overcame evil with good. Jesus calls on us to have a faith that perseveres even in the face of evil. The gospel reading suggests that such a persevering faith is made possible by prayer. The beginning of this morning’s gospel reading states that the parable of the persistent widow is about ‘the need to pray continually and never lose heart’. Jesus suggests that he will find strong faith wherever there is strong prayer. We are more likely to have a persevering faith if we persevere in prayer. The example of the widow displays a persistent and courageous prayer in the face of evil. Such prayer opens us up to the Lord’s strength and it is only in his strength that we can persevere in faith even when the temptation to discouragement is strong. In the words of Saint Paul, ‘I can do all things in him who gives me strength’.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[unabashedlyfuriousenthusiast]

In the Pause, All is Well

Life, isn’t it a curious thing? One moment, basking in the warm hum of sunlight, the next, trudging through knee-deep burdens and sorrows. Shoulders that once held dreams become stooped under the weight of worries, the ache in our hearts echoing the echo of unanswered prayers. We carry loved ones lost, dreams delayed, anxieties that whisper tensions into our ears. That’s how I feel often, like a…

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#courage #embrace #Embrace Life #Encouragement #Faith #friends #friendship #funeral #George #God #goodbye #healing #heart #heaven #hope #inner strength #light #Love #moments of time #open heart #pain #passing through #pause #song #soul #strength #Struggles #The Taylors #Vulnerability #vulnerable

[apostlewill]

Whenever you have the assurance that God has Granted your request maybe in a dream or in your Spirit but there's no physical manifestation, that's the time to INTENSIFY in the place of prayers the more.

That's not the time to doubt God

Why?

Many unanswered prayers are... Sponsored by the enemy

In Daniel 10:12-13, when Daniel prayed to God, an Angel was sent with Daniel's answers and the Angel said these words.

"...for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God,... Your prayers were heard and I have come in response to your words.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia." So the first time Daniel prayed, God answered, what delayed His blessings was not God but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood the Angel from bringing the answers.

Daniel continued to pray, and another Angel (Michael) was sent to support... The Angel that was held.

So whenever God gives you the assurance in the place of prayer that your prayers have been granted, that's the time to actually pray like never before.

INTENSITY. If you have to go on a fast, go on a fast.

Contend for your miracle. Isaiah 65:24 says

It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

God does not withhold good from His people.

Hallelujah!

#shalom #blessings

[daddytotwins]

Will God Ever Answer My Prayer?

Have you ever asked that question? Is there one special matter you have been praying about for a long time with no apparent answer in sight? Are there times when you wonder if the answer will ever come? If you must answer yes to the above questions, you are in good company. You are not some strange kind of Christian, suffering chastisement from the Lord. The delayed answer to prayer is one of the most common experiences shared by even the saintliest of God’s children.

Let me bare my soul to you on this matter of unanswered prayers. You cannot feed your faith only on self-serving promises of healing, wealth, success and prosperity, any more than you can grow healthy and strong eating only desserts. Faith comes by hearing “all the Word,” not just preferred portions.

There are times in the Bible when God could not, or did not, answer no matter how many times it was asked for, no matter how great the faith or how positive the confession. Paul

was not delivered from the affliction that buffeted him, though he prayed diligently for an answer. “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me” (2 Corinthians 12:8).

First, God wanted to see the work of grace completed in Paul. he would not permit his child to become puffed up with pride. But look what it worked out in Paul, proving God was right in not answering his request.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10.

Why didn’t Paul preach the message we hear so much today, “You don’t have to suffer infirmities, poverty, distresses, suffering. You don’t have to put up with necessity or weakness. Claim your victory over all suffering and pain . . .”?

More than healing, more than success, more than deliverance from prickly thorns—Paul wanted Christ! Paul would rather suffer than try to overrule God. That is why he could shout, “I glory in my present situation. God is at work in me through all I suffer. In and through it all, I know my present suffering cannot be compared with the glory that awaits me.”

Faith is a gift, not a diploma. Faith should not be a burden or a puzzle. The more childlike it is, the better it works. You need no seminar or textbook; you need no guide. The Holy Spirit will lead you closer to Jesus who is the Word by whom comes faith.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Corinthians 12:8‭-‬10 KJV

#bible #bible study #jesus

[sidpaula]

TIME!

*... I called him and he did not answer me [Cc 5:6]*

... and, in your need, due to the delay in the answer you expect from God, you can imagine that your prayer does not go very far ahead of you, does not reach the Throne Room, does not reach the FATHER's heart. But the true saint continues to wait patiently, and it is pleasing to the Sovereign God to exercise our faith and endurance.

Be careful not to take *delay* as a _negative response._

Every claim of yours about a prayer that you imagine *unanswered*, it is satan who scores positively on you.

His petitions are archived in the heart of the FATHER, they are kept by the 24 elders like treasures in the archives of the KING (Rev 5: 8).

It's on the test! *Persevere.*

Your every tear is collected like precious drops, and your holy moans are expressed in the Book of Life 🧬.

✔️ Cheerful if waiting (Tg 1).

✔️ God's Time is better than yours (Ec 3).

Comfort will come and HE will clothe you in pure linen.

Exercise and BELIEVE!

[god-whispers]

mar 15

have we become too tribal

"that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." john 17:21

setting aside all those who believe in other gods, there are so many denominations and doctrines that even a true child of God would be confused over what to believe.  we have our own pharisees and sadduccees today.  we have cessationist and calvainist with their "tulip" doctrine.  if pre-election is guaranteed, why in the world would Jesus command us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  and, i for one, would not want to live in a world were God had ceased all His operating in all His power and glory.  God is limited only by our unbelief.

i may never  walk again, but i believe everyday for it.  i may have a growing list of unanswered prayer, but i will never stop believing God answers prayer.  i could pray for a thousand to be healed and never see one, but i will never stop believing God still heals.  my bible says: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." heb 13:8  "heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." matt 24:35  "it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." john 6:63  i choose to believe that Spirit and to walk in it.  "however, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." john 16:13

many have ventured too far in either direction.  grace and truth!  they must both walk together.  one cannot usurp the other.  "who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." 2 cor 3:6  search the scriptures and hold in your heart what the Spirit reveals to you.  "do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.  for it is good that the heart be established by grace." heb 13:9  scripture alone must be the final authority.

Jesus prayed that we be one, even as He and the Father are One.  i look around today at all the dissension in the body of Christ and i ask myself if this prayer will ever be answered.  the fact is, there is only one true church of Jesus Christ and it isn't catholic or protestant or charismatic.  i heard someone say the other day: "there is a dead church, there is an apostate church, and there is a sleeping church."

some are blatantly apparent.  they are actively working to further the works of the enemy.  others are tares, surreptitiously planted to distorts and distract; to cause schism in the body.  "these are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves." jude 1:12  then we have the sleeping church.  yes, scripture says all would be sleeping.  "but while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept." matt 25:5  sleeping though they may be, i believe they are all united in one truth - the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

the tribes of israel were under the law.  we are the new covenant - under grace and truth; united in Christ.  "now i say this, that each of you says, 'i am of Paul,' or 'i am of Apollos,' or 'i am of cephas,' or 'i am of Christ.'  is Christ divided?  was Paul crucified for you?" 1 cor 1:12-13

"for i determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 1 cor 2:2  oh, the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  i pray we all grasp that truth today and value our divisions and differences for what they are; merely stepping stones leading us to Christ; the be-all and end-all.

"now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." 1 cor 15:28

[kethwithlove]

Delays, unanswered prayers, failures, struggles and disappointments—everything is working together for my good. In HIS perfect time. Forever grateful to you, Lord!🥹✨😇 #OathTakingCeremony #LPT2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/CpW969_LxoIvPdt636A3d4kGexCD40aj8XaolA0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#oathtakingceremony #lpt2022

[prju77]

The Pause!

#thelettererph

When God brings you to a place of pause, or in a season of waiting, remember that without these spaces, the story would be incomplete.

The loving spaces or what you see as gaps- This is where He wants to meet you.

In the deafening silence of what seems to be unanswered prayers, the delays and fears that conquer your heart, may you see that His hand is not just pressing the pause-

He is pointing somewhere Up!

He wants you to look UP and seek Him!

In the spaces He provides, may you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And may you breathe in His peace at all times, in every way, fully TRUSTING that His will is always good, pleasing and perfect.

In time, you will see that indeed, He makes all things beautiful IN HIS TIME.

My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." [Psalm 27:8]

"Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy!" [Psalm 16 vv. 5,9,11]

[troubledontlast1]

God can turn any situation around. He can take your darkest hour and turn it into your brightest hour. #godwillmakeaway God has a way of bringing good things out of wrong turns. #alwaystrustgod God is turning it around. What looks like loss and defeat is about to turn into victory and restoration. #trustgod God can turn around any situation at anytime. Keep praying. Keep believing. #allthingsworktogether Sometimes your BEST blessings come out of your worst situations. God will turn around what the enemy meant for bad to work for the good. #godoftheimpossible Never count God out, no matter how bad things look. #trustingod The same God who parted the Red Sea for Moses, and raised Lazarus from the dead, is going to take care of your situation in Jesus name! Amen! #trustinggod When God restores something, He restores it better than before. #trustinthelord You will be tested by major changes, by delayed promises, by unanswered prayers, by undeserved criticism, and even by senseless tragedies. But know all things work together for good. #trustingodalways 🔥Subscribe to my YouTube channel and podcast,👉🏾"Uplift Past Crossroads"👈🏾🔥 Befriend me on Facebook/LinkedIn = Sean Christopher Jenkins 🔥Follow👉🏾@troubledontlast 👈🏾IG/Twitter/Snap/TikTok for more🔥 Turn on Post Notification - Like - Comment - Share - Save ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ . . Follow my other Instagram accounts: Subscribe to YouTube(in bio)👉🏾@my_daily_bible👈🏾 Subscribe to podcast(in bio)👉🏾@upliftpastcrossroads👈🏾 YouTube👉🏾@upliftwithdrj👈🏾 Fashion👉🏾@glamourmeetsgq👈🏾 . . 👤 Tag a friend who would like this page ⬇️ ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ #trusthim #trusthimalways #godwillmakeawaywhenthereseemstobenoway #godwillmakeithappen #godwill #jesuswill #jesuswillfixit #jesuswillworkitout #godwillworkitout #godworkseverythingout #godworksallthingsforgood #allthingsworktogetherforgood #allthingsworktogetherformygood #allthingsworktogetherforgoodforthosewholovegod #allthingsworktogetherforthegoodforthosewholovethelordandarecalledaccordingtohispurpose #godwillturnitaround #godwillrestore #godwillrestoreyou #godrestores #godrestoresthebroken #godofmiracles (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2G2EYrm4Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#godwillmakeaway #alwaystrustgod #trustgod #allthingsworktogether #godoftheimpossible #trustingod #trustinggod #trustinthelord #trustingodalways #trusthim #trusthimalways #godwillmakeawaywhenthereseemstobenoway #godwillmakeithappen #godwill #jesuswill #jesuswillfixit #jesuswillworkitout #godwillworkitout #godworkseverythingout #godworksallthingsforgood #allthingsworktogetherforgood #allthingsworktogetherformygood #allthingsworktogetherforgoodforthosewholovegod #allthingsworktogetherforthegoodforthosewholovethelordandarecalledaccordingtohispurpose #godwillturnitaround #godwillrestore #godwillrestoreyou #godrestores #godrestoresthebroken #godofmiracles

[psalmonesermons]

Unanswered prayer Part 2

More possible reasons for unanswered prayer

In Part 1 we saw that were at least 4 possible reasons as to why your prayers may seem to go unanswered. The possible reasons for unanswered prayer we considered included the first two of the four reasons 1) being out of fellowship with the Lord 2) your prayer was not in the will of God.

Today we look at two more possible reasons for seemingly unanswered prayer which are.

3) a lack of unity in those praying together 4) Delay in the answer from the Lord arriving.

Reason 3. Lack of unity

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Wow, we better take on board the fact that a husband and wife’s prayers can be hindered by disunity.

Mathew 18:19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

The so-called prayer of agreement requires two people to be fully agreed i.e. in unity.

4. Delay in the answer

Daniel 10 Daniel prayed and fasted for Israel for three weeks, then a holy angel turned up and told him, that God sent the answer on the first day that Daniel had prayed, but a fallen angelic being called the Prince of Persia, had battled with the holy angel to delay Gods answer from coming to Daniel.

Romans 1:9-10 Paul wanted to find a way to come and see the church in Rome, but Paul’s prayer appears unanswered?

God had plans, and had Paul imprisoned so that he could write his epistles to the church.

God can be doing something bigger than we can see.

Delayed prayer can eventually increase your faith.

1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, there is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, go up, say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

Elijah and the rain, the servant eventually saw the prayer answered.

“Sometimes the blessing is in the prayer not being answered.”

― Andrena Sawyer.

What about you, can you attribute any of the 4 above reasons given so far for your unanswered prayer?

Amen

#psalmonesermons #christianity #bible study #bibletruth #blog post #blessings #faith #victory #avoid hindering of prayer #unanswered prayer