June 9th, 2022
Do you remember the first time you ever asked God for something? Maybe you were a young child asking for a bicycle, or good grades, or the healing of a sick friend or family member.
When you got what you wanted, it was easy to believe in a loving God. But perhaps you felt ignored and unloved when things went the other way.
We can all relate to that disappointment, no matter our age. In adulthood, our prayers become much more serious. We ask to start a family, for restoration of our marriage, for protection from crime and violence, for help with finances and career, for the reversal of terminal disease.
God answers every prayer in love, wisdom and righteousness. But that doesn't necessarily mean that He always says "Yes."
In our children's ministry, we use the illustration of a traffic light as a discipleship tool: God can answer a prayer with a green light, a yellow light, or a red light. His yellow and red lights are just as fatherly and intimate and caring as His green lights.
When you're waiting on an earthly circumstance to change, you can ask the Lord what He would have you focus on where you are now.
As you dig into His word, plug into community, and press into prayer, it will oftentimes become clear why God answered your prayer differently than you expected. But even if you don't figure out why until you get to heaven, you can find hope here on earth in that if you are in Christ, God is for you, not against you.
As it says in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"
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When you got what you wanted, it was easy to believe in a loving God. But perhaps you felt ignored and unloved when things went the other way.
We can all relate to that disappointment, no matter our age. In adulthood, our prayers become much more serious. We ask to start a family, for restoration of our marriage, for protection from crime and violence, for help with finances and career, for the reversal of terminal disease.
God answers every prayer in love, wisdom and righteousness. But that doesn't necessarily mean that He always says "Yes."
In our children's ministry, we use the illustration of a traffic light as a discipleship tool: God can answer a prayer with a green light, a yellow light, or a red light. His yellow and red lights are just as fatherly and intimate and caring as His green lights.
When you're waiting on an earthly circumstance to change, you can ask the Lord what He would have you focus on where you are now.
As you dig into His word, plug into community, and press into prayer, it will oftentimes become clear why God answered your prayer differently than you expected. But even if you don't figure out why until you get to heaven, you can find hope here on earth in that if you are in Christ, God is for you, not against you.
As it says in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"
******
Please join us for worship this Sunday to celebrate what our God has done and is continuing to do in His Kingdom. We meet at Artserve, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, 33304. Doors open at 10:15 a.m., and service begins at 10:30 a.m.
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