A Noble Berean

  Understanding God's Will 19 - 21  (no Calvinism stuff added to this post):  #19.    What if what I’m praying for is not God’s Will or plan for me?    What do I do?    Like the Israelites begging for and getting meat ( Numbers 11 ), could I end up getting what I ask for as sort of a punishment?                 I wondered about this one, too.    If I was asking and asking for something that God didn’t want to give me, would He end up giving it to me because I begged so much, but then there would be a punishment attached to it?    That’s how I felt as I pleaded with God for a house.   Would He give us a bad house just to shut me up, as punishment for begging too much, for not "trusting" Him enough and not being happy with what I had?   I mean, that’s like what happened to the Israelites, right?    Or is it?       ...

  Understanding God's Will #16: #16:  Can we change God’s mind with our prayers?                Yes and No.    There are Old Testament examples of people who pleaded with God in prayer to not apply a punishment that He said He would do.    And as a consequence of their intercessory prayers, God relents and doesn’t do what He said He’d do.    It seems to me that the times that He has changed His mind in the Bible were almost all because of appeals to His merciful side, to spare the people the terrible consequences of their sins.   If Calvinism is true that God predestines everything that happens, then He would be lying if He said He was going to punish the people if they didn't repent.  Because He didn't end up punishing them which meant He was never going to punish them to begin with.  It was never part of His "predestined" plan.  Calvinism essentially negate...

  Understanding God's Will #9i: So how long do we continue to hang in there and pray for something that doesn’t seem to be happening?    When it seems like God is not listening and it hurts us to have to plead  again  about a certain request?    I’ve pleaded with God for things that haven’t happened or that were a long time in coming.    And this is the best advice I can offer right now.    If you have given your concern over to Him in prayer and invited Him to open or close the doors as He sees fit, if you have confessed any known sin and asked Him to reveal any hidden sin, if you are abiding in Him and seeking His guidance in His Word and in prayer, if you have examined your heart to see if you really trust Him (and have worked through any distrust or doubt with Him), and if you are willing to hear the answer  whatever it may be  and to obey  whatever He asks you to do  ... and if it still seems like God is not...

  Understanding God's Will #9g: Other Convicting Verses Now, that’s a lot to take, I know.    But ... there’s more!    If we really want to examine what sins we might be harboring in our hearts, we would be wise to consider these verses.                Here’s one for husbands.    1 Peter 3:7 :    “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”    The degree to which we treat others with consideration and respect, particularly regarding a husband’s treatment of his wife in this verse, is the degree to which our prayers are unhindered.              And here are three that scare me:            ...