forgivenWretch

This past weekend we went to Nashville for the 40th YEC (Youth Evangelism Conference). Wow, what a blessing. Over 20,000 youth and youth leaders, everyone praising God, together in one place.

"We love Jesus...yes we do"!
"We love Jesus...how about you"?

Can you imagine a group of youth, so proud of being God's, standing and shouting on one side of the 50,000 capacity auditorium, to another group on the opposite side. Talk about love in the air.

We had a great speaker on Friday night, but Saturday morning, was the absolute best. We had the privilege to see and hear from Nick Kurjicic. Can you phantom 20,000 plus people so silent, that you could hear a pin drop. I have never before seen one man get anyones attention as did Nick.

Bondman, I'm sure you have heard of Nick as he is a fellow country man. For those of you who have not, Nick was born without arms or legs. Check out his website and ministry here Life Without Limbs :: Nick Vujicic

If you ever have the change to go see him, do not miss it. I grew more Saturday morning, in an hour than I believe I have in a life time.

God is, well, the BEST!

Bondman

Wow, so wonderful how God met with you, JW, and that you grew that MUCH!!!

Yes, I'm right with you, man, He sure is THE BEST!!!

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Bondman

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY

MESSAGE #26

GETTING ANSWERS TO PRAYER


Not an easy task for most of us! I've spent a lot of time over the past 20 years on this important matter. Made numbers of mistakes, confused myself, got things wrong - but here are a few things I've discovered that I've found to really help.

1. God does have His 'still small voice' as the Scriptures say. If you're not listening well, or talking too much, or simply 'not tuned in', you'll likely quite miss what He's saying. He's NEVER shouted to me, not even once!

2. Faith is obviously basic. If you're asking for guidance, you DO have to believe He'll give it! BUT...

3. With my faith fairly okay, I've so often purely and simply TRIED TOO HARD! This is a dreadful trap. Can you see why? I tried too hard. Get it? In doing so I got in the way so much that I kept missing what He was trying to tell me! (I bet He was feeling frustrated! *smile*) Trust and relax. Ask, then REST.

4. Don't ask for things you already have! I'd love five bucks for every time I've heard a prayer along these lines, "Lord, please be with us as we drive home." Don't be silly, He's already gonna do that! Some kind of thankyou prayer (He loves them, and doesn't get anywhere near enough!) may be much more appropriate: "Lord, thankyou that You'll be with us as we travel home!"

5. At the other end of the scale are the prayers that are out of order - and are NEVER gonna get answered! To know what to not pray, you have to know the New Testament. Yes, big ask, but there's just no shortcut to this. "I asked, but He didn't answer." Yes, cos you asked wrong. Get to know the New Testament till it's part of YOU! Then HE will be part of you as well, and you'll know what is RIGHT to ask, and how to ask it.

6. Provided you're 'not asking amiss' (James 4:3a) then PERSIST. Jesus said, "Ask and you will receive." Matthew 7:7a. And here's an excellent reason to choose The Amplified Bible as your study tool. It expands the Greek so you can learn that He's really saying here. It's "Ask and keep on asking, and you will receive." Thus to PERSIST is actually in the New Testament!

7. Another trap: US trying so hard to find the answer - this simply NOT being your job! Your task is to ASK. It's God's task to ANSWER! Then let Him answer, okay!! Don't we so easily get SO involved in trying to get the right answer that God ends up not even getting a look in!! Then we wonder why we're still unsure...


So... don't try too hard, but don't give up either. Keep on asking. But make sure you're not asking it wrong: selfishly, for the flesh, 'to consume it on your lusts' as James 4:3 finishes with. Ask in faith. Be restful, AND WAIT FOR THE ANSWER. Wait for GOD to give you the answer: it's not your job to find it!

Hope my experiences may be of some help.

With much love!

- BM, with his best Supporter

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Faithwoman

Hey there! I made it back to the room!

The Good Lord knew I needed to! What an awesome message in regards to prayer! Thanks so much! Just so ya know.. it spoke loud and clear!

Have an awesome day!
Hugs to you and the Mrs.

Faithwoman

SweetSurrender

Yes! Yes! It spoke to me also. Sometimes I know I get so intense at finding answers and then get back into the old habit of depending on myself more than God. It's hard to let go.

Hey, though, I do have two praise reports! First one is that I went shopping for our trip to London in May. Knowing it will be hot there during that time, I tried on some shorts and tank tops. I found out that I was really surprised at how they made me feel. Uncomfortable, to say the least. I did not feel like they quite fit my style anymore. I don't know, but I feel like a whole new person, like somehow I'm not the same person anymore, even my tastes. So, I picked out more conservative clothes and felt so much more comfortable in them. Weird, huh?

So, then also, after our Bible study Mon. night, we held hands and I actually prayed outloud and felt sorta' annointed if that's possible considering I am not filled with the Holy Spirit. I mean, the way I prayed . . . it was soooo from my heart. I have had a hard time praying outloud in front of others. But, we'd had a really good study on fornification, something both women are struggling with right now and I feel like the Lord got through some tough decisions for them. It was a very productive study.

Well, maybe even a third one: today, I walked into the infant's room and found my Mormon friend, Joy, arguing with her husband about some scripture in Gen. about Adam and the fall. She said stuff like, "But you told me . . . and "then that doesn't make sense." She ended up saying she was sorry and that she didn't want him to feel bad. I think she is beginning to question the Bom and Mike is having to defend it. So, I just thank all of you for your prayers about this situation. I want Joy to be in heaven with me so bad. She is my best friend, besides Norm, that is. Please continue praying. I think I'll post this on a thread because this group of Christians can really "hit heaven" I know. Bonnie

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"Do not imagine that you must comprehend or understand it all before you seek and find it. For those who wait on Him, God will do more than they can conceive." Andrew Murray

Bondman

Good one, hon, 'loud and clear' works for me!

Love n hugs to you - and answers to prayer!

- BM and his One and Only

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hisdreamer

hey all

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Bondman

Very interesting and informative post, Bonnie! Different clothes - that's interesting! God changes us inside, hey - then doesn't it makes sense this should affect us 'outside', if you get my meaning.

Yes, dependence on self is a dead end street. Common to us all - which is why I write about it so often, that we may be depending on HIM 99% and me just about 1%. That works!

Wow, prayed out loud. Proud of you, hon! And about not being filled with the Spirit - how do you know you're not? You've sought this, asked for it. And you can most certainly be filled without realising it! If you felt a freedom in prayer, that sounds like the Holy Spirit to me, so I'm rejoicing for you! Because like I wrote, one does NOT get filled at a specific date AND STAY FILLED FOR EVER!! It's not a once for all thing like our conversion. It's a daily thing. It's a process. Some can tell you when they feel they were first filled; many of us cannot. Does it matter? What matters to me is that I keep being filled with Him today, and every day! And once again it's The Amplified Bible that speaks the truth:

Ephesians 5:18b
Be being filled with Spirit!

Just like "Seek and you will find" is actually and truly "Seek, and keep on seeking, and you will find", and also "Ask and keep on asking and you will receive"; and here: "Be filled with the Spirit" is a COMMAND OF GOD for us to be keeping cos we love Him, that actually says: "Keep on being filled with the Spirit." I call this Present Continuous Tense for ease of understanding. It starts and then is never-ending, and I love being continually filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit of my God!!! I used to pray for this filling every day, and commend this to everyone. Now I seem to be, hmm... how shall I say this: it seems to be something like living close with Him enough that I don't seem to need to keep asking. Wow-ee, isn't HE JUST AWESOME!!!!

Bless you heaps!

- BM and Mrs

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Bondman

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hisdreamer

We are getting by I'm hoping he gets the chance to get online when he gets off work today. And tomorrow I'm mailing out a box full of candy and treats. His company has lost an average of 15 pounds in the 3 months they have been in Iraq. My hubby has lost 10 pounds and really he shouldn't be losing weight - he is a small guy that was perfectly healthy when he left. We had one guy told he had to gain weight or he was being kicked out War is so hard on people and sometimes in ways people don't even think about.

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