Be Careful What You Pray For!

Preaching Numbers 11 today presented many problems for me, many of which I didn't share with the church but I praise God that the deeper we dig, we never hit rock bottom.

Why did God punish the children of Israel for grumbling about the food and asking for meat in the second year of wandering in the wilderness, recorded in Numbers 11, but not the previous year when they had made the same request (Exodus 16:11-18)? What so distinguishes the two events that it would demand the judgment of God in the second instance but not in the first?

When Israel complained, they were doing more than objecting to a monotonous diet; they were challenging the goodness of God and his ability to provide for them. The affair in Numbers 11:4 began when the "rabble" of the foreign element that had joined the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:38) began wailing about the lack of meat and vegetables in their diet.

The rest of the people of Israel joined in, and the pressure was on for Moses and the leadership of the nation. God does say "No" for a reason. He does forbid certain things for our benefit. Israel was ungrateful for God's provisions and the Lord lets them have their own way and desires. He teaches them a big lesson. Getting your own way will not always make you happy. You may find that you will get what you want, but lose what you had.

God does not force obedience. Yes, He expects it, desires it, demands it but He does not force us, He does not overpower us, you have a choice. If you choose to walk away from God, as much as he does not want to see you go, God does not make you stay. Therefore, there are times when God says No but in our stubborn and hard hearts we reject him, so God will allow us, turn us over to our selfish desires and we will have to deal with the consequences of our actions.

Lot got the wealth and prestige of Sodom. He got what he wanted but he lost his family and his home. Many parents make the same mistake in their quest for wealth. They are gone so much, that the kids never see the parents or the spouses never see one another. This is a prescription for a troubled marriage and family. Samson got his own way. He got the wild woman he wanted and he lost his strength, sight, freedom, and life.

David got Bathsheba. He had his sexual fling with this beautiful woman, but he lost his peace and the blessing of the Lord on his home. Peace may not seem to be a big deal, but it is when you realize you have lost it. Immorality leads to misery and guilt. If you fool around, you are a fool. Be careful what you pray for.

God orders and ordains what is on the menu!

God knows what we can handle! Obedience is a voluntary act. Rejection of God always carried consequences! Prayerfully, God will arrange this into a nice preaching form and I don't die a horrible death today.

Owens

I am Praying for You

I am praying for you! I am used to praying for people in their bad situations and I am also used to praying with people in their good as we give thanks to God for new cars, homes, jobs etc but this is new territory for me, just praying for people, JUST BECAUSE. Well you are a pastor, you are supposed to do this?! OK! Let me be the first to admit, I have not always done this.

Two things happened to me. Some of the greatest things happen in my life when I am not looking for them. Sometimes we are so busy trying to MAKE something happen, we just don't allow God to move in His time. I was studying for another assignment, another blessing and God gave me this one.

He laid an individual on my heart of whom I will not say. The person is not a member of
my church and I shouldn't have any reason to be connected to them, except I felt their pain. No, Not the Bill Clinton presidential line, "I Feel your Pain" but an actual connection that moved and motivated me to pray for their situation.

While praying for this, I saw my church. I saw Bethlehem, New Peter's Rock, Greater St. John, Carmel, I saw churches and Pastors in other cities, some I work with, some I blog with and follow their words and I was pushed, shoved, forcibly moved to pray this prayer.

While studying for a series of sermons on the Anatomy of a Healthy Church, I was in Colossians 1 working on "Who's the Boss" 1:18, as usual to go forward in a sermon, I move backwards so I was reading Paul's prayer for the church at Colossae and was moved. THIS IS THE PRAYER I SHOULD BE PRAYING DAILY FOR EVERYONE., so this is my prayer for you.

I am praying that God will ALLOW YOU TO SEE BETTER IN 2011.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (Colossians 1:9 KJV)

This year I pray you see God's Will better for your life! More clearly, and that can be discovered by spending time in His Word. We don't have to walk around aimlessly, unsure of what steps we should take, His Word shows us.

Uncertainty is like the fog in our lives. As I was driving back home from OKC after seeing the girls, I encountered warm weather but at night, the warm weather while melting the snow on the ground caused huge fog bands that made visibility almost impossible. I prayed that God would give me safe passage. I slowed down almost to a crawl on the highway but as soon as the fog appeared, it seemed to miraculously disappear. It was just a valley where the fog could accumulate, but once I was out of the valley, God gave me clear sailing.

When God changes your perception problems don't seem as big, mountains don't seem as high, burdens don't seem as heavy because you can see things better. This type of living is found in the Word of God.

I am praying that God will allow you to ABOUND IN PROSPERITY IN 2011.
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:10 KJV)

Paul's prayer for prosperity was to manifest in two areas, our Walk and our Work, not our Wallet. I am not praying for God to allow you to win the Mega Millions lottery jackpot. God can't trust you with 290 dollars why would He trust you with 290 Million. I pray that God individually and collectively produces in us a fruit He can be proud of. One that looks like HIM, Smells like HIM, Tastes like HIM.

I pray that God will ACTIVATE HIS STRENGTH IN YOUR LIVES.

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; (Colossians 1:11 KJV)

I am praying that God will give you Power, Not manpower or willpower, but God's power. With God's power, I believe the best is yet to come. We haven't even scratched the surface yet.

I end by how lately I have been ending church,
I pray for You
You pray for me
Watch God changes things

Owens