GOD'S PURPOSE BEHIND AN UNANSWERED PRAYER

There is always a purpose behind everything: whether it’s good or bad. We all know this. But the problem arises when it comes to God: that is most of us do not accept the fact that there is a wonderful purpose behind everything God does. Many a times, we are aware of it but our thoughts let out, ‘what if (some negative thought)’. Bible clearly says that there is a time for everything and remember God’s timing is always perfect.

God never leaves our prayer unanswered. He always answers it with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ‘wait’. Maybe our idea of ‘unanswered prayer’ is, God ‘not answering according to our desire’. Many a times we go to God with a heavy heart and God shows a ‘wait’ signal. The reason behind our suffering might be due to our own doings or the doings of others, whatever it is, remember that only God’s doings will take its effect, at last.

When we ponder about a small incident, from the Holy Bible, in Luke chapter 8, verses 28 to 39, we can talk about God’s way of answering our pleading or prayers.

The incident is about a certain man that Jesus met, who is possessed with many devils and he takes his abode in tombs.

·         In verse 28, when that man saw Jesus, he fell down before Him and cried out with a loud voice, “I beseech thee, torment me not”. Here,’ he fell down before Him’, shows a sign of worship, fear and a sort of humility too. The meaning of the word ‘beseech’ is: urgent request; to ask earnestly; to plead; to beg. To this Jesus answered with a ‘yes’.

·         In verse 31, we see that the devils ‘besought him that He would not command them to go into the deep”. Again there is a pleading. A ‘pleading’ can be taken as a ‘prayer’. To this also Jesus answered with a ‘yes’.

·         In verse 32, it is said that a herd of swine were feeding on the mountain and the devils “besought Him that he would suffer them to enter into them (herd of swine)”. Here, again we see a pleading or prayer. Jesus did say ‘yes’.

·         In verse 37, it is said that a multitude surrounding that region came to Jesus and asked Him to depart from them. Again we see a prayer made by the people to Jesus. To this prayer also Jesus answers ‘yes’.

·         But surprisingly in the verse 38, we see that the man out of whom the devils were departed places a plead. The verse goes like this, “Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought Him that he might be with Him: but Jesus sent Him away, saying” it continues in the next verse 39,” Return to thine own house and shew how great things God hath done unto thee”.

In the last two verses, we see that the man places a plead or prayer. But Jesus answered it with a ‘no’. The devils plead were being answered with ‘yes’ and the man’s prayer with a ‘no’. We know for sure that the man has made a right choice to be with Jesus. But yet Jesus rejects his prayer. Why God did so? Here only you have to understand that there is a God’s purpose behind an unanswered prayer. Here God not only wants him to get blessed but also others, through him. That’s why He sends him back. Surely through the man’s testimony many would have turned to Jesus in that town in which Jesus cannot enter. Isn’t this the greatest blessing, one can ever have?

So God’s ways are always ‘extra special’. And His purpose for you is also special. He will never fail you. Whatever He does is for your good. When you submit everything to the Lord without any second thought, with your entire faith in Him, that’s when miracles start happening. God loves you a lot and He will always do good things for you. So don’t get dejected or discouraged for you have a God who loves you more and who has engraved you in the palm of His hands. God will never fail you. You will have a blessed life.

YOU ARE MINE, MY CHILD

Is there any hope?

I wondered when I felt it was all over...

Will there be a bright future?

I thought when everything seemed dark...

Is there a chance of victory?

I thought when I met with failures every moment...

Will I be useful anymore?

I thought when I found myself useless...

Will there be a forgiveness?

I thought when I went away from God...

Will a mighty change happen?

I thought when the circumstances were against me...

Is this the end?

I thought when I found myself at the pit...

At the dejected moment, I asked God..

Do you love me still? I asked Him, when I hated myself..

Jesus Christ Smiled and answered..

"I thought of you when my disciples fled away from me..

 I thought of you when I was nailed on the cross...

 I think of you daily at all times as you are in the palm of My hand..

 I loved you and I will love you not because of your ability..

 But because of My grace and the price of blood I paid for you on the cross..

 My dear beloved child, I love you just as you are....

 YOU ARE MINE..!"

FAITH OF A LITTLE CHILD(A True Story)

Tess was a precious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew  was that   he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to  an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the   money for the doctor's bills and our house.

Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking   like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard   Daddy say to   her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save him now."

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from   its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out   on the floor   an counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be   exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing   the coins   back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the   back door and   made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention   but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted  her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing.!!!

She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!  "And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

"I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages", he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back   in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and   I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So  how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but  can't  help you, " the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough,  I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just  know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my  Daddy  can't pay for it, so I want to use my money".

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And   it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and  eleven   cents exact price of a miracle for little brothers."

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped  her  mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want  to see your   brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of   miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,  specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed   without charge   and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events  that had  led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I  wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one  dollar   and eleven cents ...... plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation  of  a higher law...... Believe in Jesus Christ and He will perform miracles in your life.

SORROW AND SIGHING SHALL FLEE AWAY

My dear friends,

            Bible says in Isaiah 35:10 “...Everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

“My dear child, your sorrow and sighing will flee away and I will fill your life with everlasting joy. You will obtain joy and gladness” says Holy Spirit to you in this New Year

Whatever the sorrow that you have faced in 2011 will flee away. As Bible says in Isaiah 60:20, surely your days of sorrow will end.

You might have walked in the path of darkness; you might have crossed the previous year wish so much of tears and pain; you might have lost all the hope of blessings in your life. Don’t get discouraged, my dear friend. God will remove the sorrow and sighing from your life. As God promises in John 16:20, your sorrow will surely turn into joy. Jesus Christ will wipe away all your tears. Not only that, He will also fill you with you an everlasting joy. If you clearly study Isaiah 35:10 you can understand that God will not fill you with joy momentarily but He will fill you with an everlasting joy. The joy that Jesus is going to give you in this new year will not be removed by anyone. No evil power or manly power can remove the joy that Jesus is going to place in your life in this New Year.

Let me share with you an incident that happened in my life and end this short message. One day in the year 2001 when I was studying my diploma final year I got a severe stomach pain that I would not able to bear at all. Soon I was diagnosed by a doctor and was told that I had big stones in my two kidneys. So my kidneys have enlarged and that caused me a severe pain. Doctor advised me to go for surgery. It was a very important year in my studies because whatever the percentage I am going to take in my final year alone will be counted for my diploma grade. Also I have to study well that year to pass in a government college entrance examination which was due on the next year. But because of the pain I could not able to concentrate on my studies at all. Sorrows and sighs filled my life. I began to hate my life to the core. As days were passing by, I was sitting in the early morning New Year 2002 service. I prayed with tears to God to give me a promise verse that will carry me through the New Year. Jesus answered my prayer by giving a promise from Zechariah 9:12. God says in that verse like this: “...Even today do I declare that I will render double to you.” I was overjoyed when I heard from God that He will give me double blessing. I placed my faith on Jesus and trusted Him with my whole heart. As He promised, on May 15, 2002 after a thorough check up doctors were amazed to see that my kidney was crystal clearly clean without even a small piece of stone. They couldn’t able to believe it and said that even surgery cannot remove stone like it was removed in me. Not only that, on June 2002 God enabled me to clear that government college entrance examination and graciously He gave me a B.Tech degree seat in that government college itself.

My dear friends, God removed sorrow and sighing from my life and filled me with everlasting joy. Medical studies state that the person who got kidney stone once in life will have the highest possibility to get it again. Doctors also thought that the same. But we serve a God who fills our life with everlasting joy. Now as I am writing this message today, ten years have been passed. But I never got any pain in my kidney till now in this ten years.

Our God Jesus Christ who removed sorrow and sighing from my life will do the same in your life too. You might have been struggling with sickness or sin. Don’t worry my friend. Bible says in Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” Our God is all powerful God. He will save you from the clutches of sin. Whatever be your sorrow, God will remove it and fill your life with His everlasting joy. Trust in Jesus Christ. You will receive miracle in your life. His peace will abide with you in this New Year. Have a Joyous new year, my friend.

“Your sun shall no more go down; neither shall your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of YOUR MOURNING SHALL BE ENDED.” – Isaiah 60:20