If that were true, my lifelong medical condition that’s destroyed a lot of my existence would have been gone years ago. I could have just said a prayer and had my problems solved, but sometimes God lets us suffer to bring us closer to Him. When Jesus tells us to ask for anything and it will be given, he doesn’t mean miracles or marriages or cars or things. He means spiritual strength and spiritual edification, but we materialistic people usually read that into that. If anything, Americans are too MUCH like this, not too little. We have a wonderfully independent and individualist system here, and I adore it, but the downside is, we often think that we control God and not the other way around. Sure, have faith and pray for miracles, but realize that it is GOD and not us who can make something happen. Our faith can move mountains, but it is God who chooses who is worthy of being His elect and who is not. Also, “Christian nihilism” generally refers to Christians who view this life as very empty and meaningless, as Solomon pointed out in Ecclesiastes. The definition in this article would seem more fitting for “Christian defeatism.” The two are not the same.

Its our most powerful witness, when we share the story of our journey. And if we could just have people realize that God brought us together as a family, not to fill the pews or the collection plate, or for that matter to make nice music — but to be there for each other, lifting and sharing all things with each other, the changes we would see occur would blow our minds.

Thanks Dan as always!
Shalom!
jim

In the case of Joshua and Caleb, God had promised them victory over the Canaanites, so it was right for them to expect it. If God told us modern Christians that He was going to give us some specific victory, we would be idiots not to expect it to happen.

In contrast, I have no idea what He wants to do about modern events, except that He certainly doesn’t want us to participate in the corruption and injustice. Suppose we are the last generation (not saying we are, but we don’t know that we aren’t), then the societal corruption and injustice is going to be allowed to increase until the very end and we will become outcasts — all part of the plan.

I have no idea what He wants to do about the health or financial situation of any particular person (including myself); it will be whatever is best in the long term, but can easily be what is most painful in the short term. If my parents had listened to my wishes as a child, I would never have gotten any shots or blood tests or teeth pulled or worn braces… of course they didn’t give in, and God doesn’t give in when we ask for the wrong things because we don’t know any better.

Without enough maturity to hear the Spirit prompting in one direction or another, how can I pray for anything specific with confidence that it is what God wants??