Yesterday you read about two guys who were going through some kind of crisis in their lives. One had a sick son, and the other was crippled. I asked for everyone to find one similarity and one difference. Here are some similarities I found:
- Both people were facing problems they couldn't solve
- Both had to take Jesus at his word
- Both received help from Jesus in the form of healing
Here are some differences:
- One person was in a respected position while the other wasn't
- One had family, the other was alone
- One person's problems were recent (sick son) while the other had problems for a long time
One of the biggest differences that I see is the social status each one was in. The royal official would have been respected by many around him, while the crippled man would have no respect. In fact, in that time, many people believed that crippled people had done something in their lives, or their parents had done something to anger God, therefore they were crippled.
So you have a respected guy and one who was not respected. You have a guy who had anything he wanted, and one who didn't even have anyone to help him into a pool. Yet both of them had a need that they couldn't satisfy. Both men had to trust Jesus, that He could make a difference in their situation.
We all have those times in our lives. We have things that we can't control. We have problems that we can't fix. But where do we turn? A lot of times we just try harder or we give up. Yet, Jesus is big enough to handle our situation. We may not get the answer we want, but we can know that He is there and He cares for us.
To respond to this devotion:
- Write down something that you hope God will do for you, an issue you hope that He can resolve. You don't have to be super specific if the information is sensitive. Maybe it's some kind of guidance, or you have a sick friend or family member. Maybe it's that someone you know will receive Christ.
- Write out a prayer in response to someone else's need, asking God to intervene or to make His answer clear in the situation.
I'd like to take a moment to think about what Norm is really saying. Can we just mentally bolden his words, "write down something that you hope God will do for you.".Now, I'm not saying that what Norm is saying is in anyway bad because we all know the passage Matthews 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.". Praying for yourself is not something God disapproves of, but we sometimes need to be reminded that God has truly answered our prayers in a way even if we didn't get the answers WE were expecting. And we also need to be reminded that God is not a "genie in a bottle", someone you can just pull out of your back pocket whenever you need Him. Even I need to remind myself of that, and quite often too. Matthew 26:39, And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Praying for yourself is a great thing, but when we don't acknowledge God in the process, what good does it do? So, in response to #1, I really need emotionally and mental strength because I have or had dealt with inner-afflictions that some people know of within our group. I have been doing well so far, I'm trying to keep a level-head and constantly (I'm not lying when I say this either) and CONSTANTLY praying to God to help me weather the storm but I know that everything that I face or don't have a chance to experience in all in His divine will.
ReplyDelete#2 I'll pray for you guys as we go along in this devotion
I pray that God could help heal these inner-afflictions that you have inside you Brandi and that you keep learning and preaching about God.
DeleteGood thoughts Brandi. #1 was more of, "Do you have a prayer request," kind of a question, not so much to pray for yourself but so that others can pray for you. I agree that we need to acknowledge God in the situation and think that we can acknowledge Him while also being honest about our longings for restoration. David prayed earnestly for God to act on his behalf. Also, as you stated with Jesus, sometimes God's answer is "no". But I think that we can still pray for those areas while we are seeking guidance, and answer, or even a miracle. Thanks for those thoughts, Brandi.
Delete*an answer
DeleteNot a problem^_^
DeleteLord, hear Brandi's prayer for guidance with her inner struggles. Bless her with your peace and presence. May she feel you wrap your arms around her and know that she is loved.
DeleteI hope God could help my firend who has lost his great-grandma recently. I also hope that God could help his parents, because I know that they are having a tough time. For #2 I replied to someone.
ReplyDeleteI pray for Josh's friend at this time God, that you will bring comfort to his family with this loss. I pray for his parents who are having a tough time with it that they will seek you first. Lastly I pray for Josh lord that he can be an encouraging friend and help his buddy get through this tough time. Amen!
Delete1: I would like prayer for guidance in my future. Lately I have wondered what am I supposed to do now that basketball is over and I don't want to get sucked into back situations during the offseason.
ReplyDeleteLord, I pray for Blake to do what is right now that basketball is over. Show him what you'd like him to do with his life and guide him in the right direction for his future. I pray that he will listen to you about his future and do what you want him to. Amen
DeleteLord, I pray for your direction in Blake's life. I pray that as basketball has ended and he has more time on his hands, that he will find things to do that are honoring to you. I pray that he will be surrounded by good friends who are seeking your will also. Make him strong in his desire to stay away from situations that he knows are harmful and destructive. Give him the ability to walk away from anything that is not pleasing to you. May he find that his relationship with you is more than enough to satisfy his desires. Please guide him and give him strength.
Delete1. I would like to pray for the people in Hati ,because they are very poor and they cant get supplies food, water etc*. #2 I replied to someone
ReplyDeleteLord, I pray for the people in Haiti who are going through many hardships. I know that you are watching over them, I pray that their living conditions will get better. Amen.
Delete(Jada Moore)
DeleteLord, I pray for the people in Haiti who are going through a hard time,
Amen
My brother is going through a difficult time right now and I know that God will resolve it in his own time.
ReplyDeleteLord, I pray for Drew and the difficulties he is going through right now. I pray that he will feel your hand of guidance and protection. I pray that he will feel your peace and ask that throughout the difficult time he is having, that you will be a ray of light and that he will draw closer to you. I ask that you will bind the hands of Satan and that you will pave a pathway for Drew to see your miraculous wonder. May he see you all around him.
Delete1. My Ag teachers daughter has recently been very sick. I pray for her to feel better and for the doctors to find out whats wrong.
ReplyDeleteLord, I pray for Delaney's AG teacher's daughter. I pray that you will heal her of the sickness that she is going through. Please help her to get better soon and help her to know that you are with her through all of this.
DeleteAmen.
Lord, I pray for our AG teacher's little girl. Just let them know that you are the way and you are the light. You are the one that heals us.
DeleteCurrently I am struggling with issues of anxiety and control. My body has had an allergic reaction to something (we think medication) and it is reacting by creating hives on my skin that come and go. Two days before we left for Florida my lips swelled to enormous proportions (I looked like I had had a bad botox injection in my lips) The doctor has told me that my anxiety is interacting with the allergy, so every time I begin to feel anxious or that things are out of my control, I break out in huge hives and a rash on various parts of my body. Sometimes it will occur on my wrists or hands or legs or stomach or chest or neck. It is embarrassing and it itches and hurts! So I have been praying for God's guidance for the doctor to figure out what I am allergic to and, most of all, I am praying that I can let go of my anxiety and need for control.
ReplyDeleteDear Heavenly Father, I pray that you will watch over Ingrid and help her to relax and realize that you have everything under control. I pray that you will help the doctor's to figure out what she is allergic to and that her body will heal. Thank for Ingrid and her guidance on this trip, I pray you help her to lead us wisely. Amen.
DeleteI would like healing in my friends at school. Some of my friends at school aren't Christians and I pray that they come to know God and have a relationship with Him.
ReplyDeleteLord,
DeletePlease help reveal you amazing grace and unconditional love to Mattie's friends at school. It's hard to try keep your faith when you friends think you're weird or make fun of you for it. So, please also give her strength to keep standing up for what she knows is right like I know she already does.
1) I'd like to get over this flu that's come over me this past week or so.
ReplyDeleteFather, I pray for Jordan and his flu. You are The Great Physician and we come to you now and ask for healing and your strength to come over Jordan today.
Delete(Jada Moore)
ReplyDelete1. everybody in my family has been sick for almost a week or more
Just my constant state of stress and worrying.
ReplyDeleteDear Heavenly Father, I pray that you would help Jordan to know that You are in control and that she doesn't need to worry or stress about anything, because You are there for her and You have a plan for her life. Amen
DeleteI always have a hard time giving up my schedule. It seems like the things that need to be done are never-ending. I would like to ask for prayer for guidance and for God to take away the feeling of being overwhelmed when I think about it.
ReplyDeleteI hope that God will help me in picking the college that He wants me to go to and that He would show me what He wants me to do with my life.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that through this missions trip and my final days as part of Vibe, God will help me to rekindle the fire I used to have for him with. The past year has been the hardest of my life and I have almost walked away from God on several occasions. I have held on because I know He cares and that He'll make things better. Yet there are still days where I feel alone and need Him to comfort me. I just don't have the faith I used to...
ReplyDeleteFather I pray for Kayla in this moment...sometimes life just seems to almost knock us out. With that being said please give her the strength to carry on. I pray that you will light her faith on fire, and that she'll burn brighter then ever. Amen
Delete1. I would like to pray for my aunt, she is such a sweet person and this past year has been more then someone should have to handle.
ReplyDelete1. I would like to pray for my family we are going through some really tough times right now and we were at a point in our lives where we were lost. Then we the Lord.
ReplyDelete1. I would like to pray for my grandma that she will accept Jesus Christ as her savior.
ReplyDelete