DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 3.5.22

God's Grand Plan 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 It's amazing but true that God's grand plan for your life is far greater than you can imagine. In fact, this earth-bound existence has us so preoccupied with the demands of life that most of us give little thought to what it will mean to be completely sanctified. In the Christian life, sanctification is a three-stage process. At the moment of salvation, God sets us apart for Himself. Then throughout the rest of our earthly life, He works to transform us into the image of His Son. One day, however, there will be a glorious culmination to our sanctification. Presently, we all struggle with sin,but when we die, our spirits and souls will ascend to heaven and be completely sinless. Then we'll see our Savior face to face and experience unimaginable joy. No longer will we struggle with the pride of life or the lusts of the flesh and the eyes (1 John 2:16). However, as great as this will be, it's not yet the final step. Some day in the future, Jesus will descend from heaven, bringing with Him the souls of those who have died in Christ. They will be united with their resurrected bodies, and believers who arestill alive on the earth will be changed (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54). Then sanctification will be complete--spirit, soul, and body. This is not a fairy tale, but the believer appointed destiny. God Himself promises to bring it to pass. We'll walk in His presence, spotless and without blame, for all eternity. Knowing this, how will you live today? The promise of salvation isn�t meantjust to give hope, but to spur us on to holy living. ---------------------- ATime to Die �To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, anda time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.� (Ecclesiastes3:1-2) In the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 there is a remarkable listing of 28 �times� arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., �a time to be born and a time to die�). Every timed event is planned by God and has a �purpose� (v. 1), and everything is �beautiful� in God�s time for it (v. 11). Although it is beyond our finite comprehension, it is still bound to be true that the infinite, omnipotent God �worketh all things after the counsel of his own will� (Ephesians1:11). Even when in our time we may not understand how a particular event can be purposeful or beautiful, we can have faith that if it occurs in God�s time for it, it is (Romans8:28). The time of our birth is, of course, not under our control, but we can certainly have a part in determining the occurrence of all the other 13 �times,� even the time of death. With the exception of those still living at the time of Christ�s return, each ofus will eventually die. God has appointed a time for each individual, and it is wrong for him or her to shorten that time (by suicide or careless living, which can never be part of His will for any of us). We should say with David, �My times are in thy hand� (Psalm31:15), and seek to live in ways pleasing to Him as long as He allows us to live. We should pray that, when our time is finished, He will enable us to die in a manner that will be �beautiful in his time� (Ecclesiastes3:11). Not one of us knows when that ordained �time to die� may be for us, so we must seek daily to �walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time� (Colossians4:5). HMM -------------------------- Kill Me Now by Shawn McEvoy If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now -- if I have found favor in your eyes -- and do not let me face my own ruin." - Numbers 11:15 ...while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die."I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."- 1Kings 19:4 Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. - Jonah 4:3 What kind of person feels like this? A schmo like me, at times, sure. Maybe you, or people you know. Surely not the heroes of the Old Testament. Well, truth is, even God's greatest leaders and prophets got to the point in their respective stories where, even after witnessing indescribable miracles and blessings, their circumstances were so overwhelming, impossible and undesirable their attitude was,"Just kill me now, Lord!" Exhausted in body, soul, and spirit, they cried out that they had had enough. They could go no longer in their own power. The first quote above is from Moses, who had a People Problem. The wandering Israelites were hungry, and as usual, it fell to Moses to solve the problem. He cried out to the Lord, "Was it I who conceived these people? Wasit I who brought them forth?" He looked around and couldn't figure out how to satisfy everyone. ----------------------- God Is Sovereign over Delays Proverbs 16:9 No one likes to wait, but have you ever wondered why? It's because delays show us that we are not in control. Someone or something else is calling the shots. Although we may be able to identify the immediate cause--like a traffic light or the long checkoutline--ultimately the One who controls all our delays is the Lord. Since He is sovereign over everything in heaven and on earth, even our time and schedules are in His hands. This means that in every delay, we are actually waiting for God in one way or another. You might have thought that the expression "waiting upon the Lord" applies only to seeking guidance from Him or an answer to prayer. But it can mean so much more when you remember that He controls all your day-to-day inconveniences and frustrations. In the Christian life, learning to wait is vitally important because until you do, you'll never be able to walk in obedience to God, have an effective prayer life, or experience the peace of resting in His loving sovereignty. We must learn to trust His judgment--aboutnot just the big events in our lives, but also the trivial ones which cause us to become irritated, impatient, or even angry. If we're sensitive to His instruction, each delay has a lesson. The next time you face an unexpected or unwanted wait, remember that it comes as no surprise to God. He wants to teach you patience and increase your faith. He's more interested in developing godly character than He is in making sure your schedule runs according to your plans. --------------------------- Sowing Spiritual Seeds John 4:34-38 Think about everything that contributed to the story of how you came to know Christ as your Lord and Savior. It's probably not possible to fully count all those spiritual seeds that God used to draw you to Him. And not all the people who sowed good seedinto your life knew what the outcome would be. We also have the opportunity and privilege--every single day--of sowing seeds into the lives of others, such as our friends, co-workers, children, grandchildren, or even strangers. God takes what you plant and adds to it. He leads others to sow further seedor "water" the ground. Little by little, truth gets cultivated in their lives. What greater thing could you do? Conversely, you might focus on providing your kids with plenty of material security and send them to the best schools and colleges--and yet it would count nothing for eternity. But when you sow into their lives the things of God and the qualities of Jesus,you're feeding their spirits. The seeds that affect their hearts, view of God, and desire to make a difference for Him in the world are what will produce genuine, lasting fruit and a great harvest in their lives. Whether or not you ever see the results, theLord is using you profoundly when you sow this kind of crop. God sees all the little things you do; He's interested in more than just "big" things. The fruit of His Spirit--such as kindness, patience, and self-control--often manifests itself in quiet ways that others may never give you credit for. But such spiritualseeds accomplish powerful work in His kingdom. -------------------------- Bearing the Cross “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke14:27) Bearing one’s cross means something quite different from bearing the ordinary burdens and troubles of life. These are common to all men, but the privilege of taking up and carrying the cross is the unique responsibility and privilege only of Christians, forit identifies them in a distinctive way with Christ. The cross speaks of death by crucifixion, not just troubles, and not even any other type of death—only the death of the cross. There are at least five other references in the gospels challenging each true Christian to take up his cross and, like Christ, carryit to the place of execution (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23). That is, the Christian is to be willing, like his Lord, to give his life, if need be, for the sake of the salvation of the lost. This is not a one-time act of dedication but a daily walk. “If any man will come after me,” Jesus said, “let him deny himself, andtake up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). There have been many Christian martyrs, of course, who have actually been slain—some even crucified—for the sake of Christ and the gospel. For most, however, bearing the cross means dying to self and one’s personal desires in order to live unreservedly forthe Lord and His mission. The apostle Paul expressed it perfectly when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself forme.” Therefore, we should be able to say with Paul, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians2:20; 6:14). HMM --------------------------------- TakeHeed Therefore “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made youoverseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) On his way back to Jerusalem, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus, fearing a lengthy delay. But this church was much on his heart, and he recognized that he might not see them again. In order to give them one last bit of instruction and encouragement, he calledthe elders to meet with him, where they had a most touching time together (vv. 30-38). What was Paul’s main concern? “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall menarise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember” (vv. 29-31). Later, Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus, “that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). The Greek word used here means “adifferent kind of doctrine” and is used only twice. Certainly, the false doctrine that concerned Paul the most was a works-oriented salvation. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Galatians1:6). Paul also concerned himself with lifestyle. “If any man teach otherwise [same word], and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness...from such withdraw thyself” (1Timothy 6:3, 5). The list of characteristics of the false teachers given (vv. 4-5) contrasts markedly with those resulting from proper doctrine and life, “charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1:5). May our livesbe characterized by these qualities. JDM ------------------------ BothTogether “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire inhis hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.” (Genesis 22:6) The familiar story of Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac his son, in obedience to God’s command, is rightly cited as a prime example of Abraham’s great faith. It is also a testimony to the remarkable faith of Isaac, for it is recorded twice in Genesis 22 that “they went both of them together” (see also v. 8). This emphasis on the fellowship of both father and son in this tremendous act of obedient faith is surely given by divine inspiration for our edification. Isaac was a grown young man at this time, not a little boy. Isaac soon understood what was happening, yet he willingly carried the wood himself and then submitted to being bound on the altar of sacrifice. Abraham fully intended to slay his son (and Isaac toallow himself to be slain), for they understood this to be God’s Word. Actually, however, God had commanded Abraham only to “offer him there for a burnt offering” (v. 2) and, when he did that, God stayed his hand, and provided a ram as a substitute for hisson. The New Testament, of course, makes it clear (see Galatians 3:16; Hebrews 11:17-19) that this was a beautiful type of the mutual love-gift of the heavenly Father and His beloved Son, providing salvation for all who would receive it by faith. They went both together to the cross! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The Father loved the Son before the world began (John17:24), but they both loved us so much that they both went to the place of sacrifice, together, for us! HMM ------------------------ Shadowsof His Presence “And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of waterin a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” (Isaiah 32:2) In the context of this beautiful verse, the “man” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. To one who had been traveling in the heat of the desert, such as the Sinai wilderness, nothing was so welcome as the cool shadows behind a great rock in which one couldrest for a while from the hardships of the wearying land. The symbol of the shadow is often used in the Old Testament to illustrate the refreshing presence of the Lord. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Wherever His loved ones go, He is there,and our dwelling place is there in His shadow. There is safety there, also. “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice” (63:7). “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust” (91:4). He is the great Eagle as well as the great Rock,and finally also the great Tree. “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste” (Songof Solomon 2:3). The shadow of a great rock in a weary land, the shadow of the wings of a great eagle, the shadow of a delightful fruit tree, all of these speak beautifully of the refreshing, protecting, satisfying shadow of His presence. These are the shadows of the AlmightyGod, who made heaven and Earth, and now holds us in His hand. “I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people” (Isaiah51:16). HMM --------------------------- WhatAbout Healing? - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. �Isaiah 53:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/what-about-healing/- Listen Does God still heal people today? I believe the answer is yes. Does He heal everyone? The answer is no. God has the ability to heal, and He has the desire to heal. Isaiah 53 says of Jesus, �But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisementfor our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed� (verse 5 NKJV). Peter, commenting on the same verse, wrote, �He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his woundsyou are healed� (1 Peter 2:24 NLT). In the original language, the word Peter used for �healed� always speaks of physical healing. Can God heal, then? Yes. So why are some still sick? It may be because they haven�t asked Him for healing. James 4:2 says, �Yet you do not have because you do not ask� (NKJV). Jesus said, �So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you� (Luke 11:9 NKJV). In the original languagethere�s an ascending intensity to those verbs. Jesus was saying, �Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, and keep praying.� Of course, the apostle Paul prayed three times that God would remove his thorn in the flesh. However, God said, �My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is madeperfect in weakness� (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV). So there are times when God will say no. But there are also times when He will say yes, and it�s a glorious thing when He does. Maybe you�re praying for one thing, but God wants to do something above and beyond that. God is at work. He knows what He�s doing. So wait on His timing. ------------------------------------- Choose the Right Voice - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, �Do not be afraid; only believe.� �Mark 5:36 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/choose-the-right-voice/- Listen As Jairus made his way back home with Jesus, something tragic happened. Messengers arrived and told him, �Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?� (Mark5:35 NKJV). I�ve stood in the shoes of Jairus. I remember distinctly the day in 2008 when I heard the unthinkable news that our son Christopher had gone to be with the Lord. He diedin an automobile accident. To say that my life changed is an understatement. It almost felt as though my life was over and that my world had ended. I didn�t know how I was going to get through it. How devastating that must have been for Jairus to hear those words. But let�s not miss the next verse: �As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to [Jairus], �Do not be afraid; only believe�� (verse 36 NKJV). Jairus had to choose which voice he was going to listen to. Was he going to listen to the voice of the person who just said that his daughter was dead? Or, was he goingto listen to the voice of Jesus, who said, �Don�t be afraid; only believe�? If you�ve lost a loved one, especially a child, you can get through this by hanging onto Jesus Christ. He�s your only hope at a time like this. We choose every day what voice we are going to listen to. Will we listen to the voice of God as He speaks to us through Scripture? Or, will we listen to the voice of theculture or even the voice of the Devil, who would say that we�re worthless, that we�re failures, and that our lives aren�t even worth living? Listen to the voice of God who says, �I love you. I have a plan for you. I have a future for you. Trust Me. Don�t be afraid.� ----------------------------------- Powerin the Ark �And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earthbefore the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.� (1Samuel 5:3) The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant, where God met with His people, and set it up in the temple of their god, Dagon. The first night, Dagon fell down before the Ark; the second night, he fell down broken in pieces. On the next day, a greatplague fell on the people of Ashdod, and forthwith they sent the Ark away! Just as Dagon fell before the Ark, which was a type of Christ, so the priests and soldiers who came to take Jesus away �went backward, and fell to the ground� in His presence (John18:6). Similarly, just as the temple of Dagon could hold the Ark no longer than three days, and the whale could only hold God�s prophet Jonah for three days, so the grave could not hold Jesus longer than three days. The Ark also exhibited its great power both to bless and to curse. It brought death to the Philistines who desecrated it, and even to the Israelites at Beth-shemesh when they foolishly looked into the Ark (1Samuel 6:19). However, it evidently brought blessing to the house of the Levite Abinadab, where it stayed for 20 years (1Samuel 7:1-2), and later to the house of Obed-edom (2Samuel 6:11). The same is true of the Lord Jesus Christ and of all who are �in him, which is the head of all principality and power� (Colossians2:10). The presence of Christ was a blessing to many, but others �besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear� (Luke8:37). �For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life� (2Corinthians 2:15-16). HMM --------------------------------- NeverPart of God�s Plan - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. �Romans 5:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/never-part-of-gods-plan/- Listen Sickness was never part of God�s original plan. We weren�t supposed to get sick or age. In fact, we weren�t supposed to die. But it goes back to our first parents, Adamand Eve, in the Garden of Eden. If Adam and Eve hadn�t eaten the forbidden fruit, we wouldn�t get sick or age. But because they did, we age and have illness, and ultimately, we die. Romans 5:12 says, �Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin,and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned� (Romans 5:12 NKJV). Even so, why does God allow sickness? Here�s a short answer. Sometimes God allows sickness in our lives to bring us to Him. The psalmist said, �Before I was afflicted Iwent astray, but now I keep Your word.� (Psalm 119:67 NKJV). I�ve heard many stories of people who felt they had no need for God, but then they became ill, asked for spiritual help, and found it. So sometimes God allows it to get our attention. Then again, sometimes God allows sickness in the lives of believers to keep us humble, as He did with the apostle Paul. Writing about a �thorn in the flesh,� Paul said, �Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, �My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness�� (2 Corinthians 12:8�9 NLT). God also may allow sickness so that He can be glorified through our lives as we honor Him. For example, Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic, and Nick Vujicic, who was bornwithout arms and legs, have both turned a disability into an ability. So even when we don�t understand why God allows sickness, there are reasons He does. And He can be glorified through it. ---------------------------------------------- Burning Your Ships by Ryan Duncan �In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.� � Luke 14:33 Every now and then, when I�ve got some time to spare, I�ll turn on the History Channel and let myself get lost in the past. Recently, I started watching a documentary on the Age of Exploration, when the kingdoms of Europe were sending out ships to explorethe Americas. To the Europeans, the New World was a place of limitless promise but also great danger. Faced with new cultures, strange animals, and deadly plagues, many explorations returned home in failure. Then in February 1519, an explorer named Hernando Cortez was commissioned by the Spanish Crown to sail to the Yucatan and conquer it in the name of Spain. Cortez and his army set out at once, and when they reached the shores of the Yucatan, Cortez turnedto his men and said, �Burn the boats.� Cortez refused to let turning back be an option. For the sake of his mission, it would be all or nothing. To many of us, this may sound a bit extreme, but as it turns out, Jesus had the same principle when he started his ministry. �As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." He said to another man, "Followme." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-byeto my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.�� -Luke9:57-62 ------------------------- Exhorting One Another �But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnessof sin.� (Hebrews 3:13) The fascinating word rendered �exhort� (Greek para-kaleo) in our text verse, elsewhere translated �comfort,� �beseech,� etc., literally means �call alongside.� For example, note 2 Corinthians 1:4: �[God] comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.� Also look at Paul�s appeal to Philemon: �I beseech thee for my sonOnesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds� (Philemon 1:10). Such words as �desire,� �entreat,� and �pray� are also used. The unusual importance of the word is pointed up by the fact that its noun form (parakletos) is used as one of the titles of God the Holy Spirit. Jesus said: �When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit oftruth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me� (John 15:26). Thus, a Christian who is �called alongside� to comfort a sorrowing friend, to beseech a person to do right, or to exhort him to useful action all in the name of Christ, is in effect performing the same type of service on the human level that the Holy SpiritHimself performs on the divine level. Further, our text would inform us that this type of service�whether done in the context of exhorting or comforting or beseeching�is designed specifically to prevent the one to whom he is �called alongside� from being �hardenedthrough the deceitfulness of sin.� And since this is a moment-by-moment danger to the unwary, the ministry of exhortation (or comforting or entreating, as the need may be) is one that must be performed �daily, while it is called To day.� HMM -------------------------------- Growing Endurance - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. �James 1:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/growing-endurance/- Listen While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, he didn�t know how bad things were back at the camp where he had left Aaron in charge. He didn�t yet knowthat the people were dancing around a golden calf and calling it their god. So while he was there, the Lord said to him, �I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, andI will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation� (Exodus 32:9�10 NLT). But Moses interceded for them. He stood in the gap and prayed for them, and God changed His mind. Then Moses descended from the mountain to find the people engaged in full-tiltidolatry and immorality. And Aaron offered the most ridiculous excuse of all time to justify their horrible behavior. Moses was so angry that he took the two tablets of stone he had been carrying and threw them on the ground, smashing them into pieces. I think God used this experience to develop Moses and test him. Maybe God has been testing you lately, and you�re wondering why. Why does God allow trials, tribulation,and hardship in the lives of His children? James 1 tells us, �Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested,your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing� (James 1:2�4 NLT). God lets us go through these trials to strengthen us. Trials are like God�s gym. We break down muscle to build it up, and we�ll be stronger as a result. ----------------------------- Keep Asking - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. �Matthew 7:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/keep-asking/Listen His son was very sick. In fact, he was at death�s door. But the desperate father, who was part of a royal family, came and humbled himself before Jesus Christ. He beggedJesus to touch his dear son. Jesus�s response, however, was quite unusual: �Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?� (John 4:48 NLT). Now, what kind of thing is that to say to a desperate dad who simply wanted his son to be healed? The fact is that Jesus wasn�t really addressing the father. He actuallywas addressing the fickle crowd that had come to be entertained. They came to see a sign, a miracle, something to dazzle them. Meanwhile, this persistent dad stood there, waiting. He wouldn�t give up. He said, �Lord, please come now before my little boy dies� (verse 49 NLT). But Jesus told him, �Go back home. Your son will live!� (verse 50 NLT). So why not just respond to this father immediately? Jesus wanted to draw him out. He wanted to teach him that sometimes we need to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.And sometimes, because we won�t be persistent in our prayers, we don�t see them answered in the affirmative. What looks like a barrier at times actually may be a bridge. So don�t give up. Jesus said, �Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and youwill find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you� (Matthew 7:7 NLT). Yet God will allow tests in our lives to see if we will press on and not give up. Are you willing to pray for other people to come to the Lord? Are you willing to pray withpersistence for the Lord to answer the prayer that you�re bringing before Him? VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM