Genie or God?

Prayer.

Recognizing God, not recognizing a wish granting genie.

We desperately pray the most earnest of prayers - making supplications, making requests for intercession on our behalf even if the prayer is for another, it is us praying. We cry out to God asking Him to please answer our prayer; what we are often really asking is for God to give us what we want regardless of far reaching, unseen, unknown, unfathomable future consequences. We can't imagine that our prayer if answered in the way we desire would somehow down the line separate us from God. We choose to believe that God simply did not hear, did not answer, in fact some go as far to believe God no longer exists because their prayer wasn't answered. Why believe in a God who can't answer a prayer by giving us what we are praying for? What is the point in believing when the belief is not rewarded? When we've laid our heart out to God only to be refused, why bother? Logic would dictate God can't be real if He can't answer an earnest prayer in the way desired. Because human logic tells us that when we ask we should receive an answer, if no acceptable answer is apparent it is because there is no one there to answer, silence is not an option. Yes, silence is a very real option. God sees the END from the BEGINNING, and the BEGINNING from the END.

Faith. It takes FAITH to believe. Without FAITH we can't believe, it's impossible. Faith means believing when there is NO EVIDENCE of things. NO EVIDENCE! No logical evidence at all. Faith calls for us to comprehend that God will answer and sometimes that answer is NO. Why is it sometimes 'no'? Because sometimes our faith must be tested and tried in fires of affliction.  A faith tested, and often a faith fail. To choose to have faith in a God who tests us with affliction seems absurd, seems like a God who is too full of Himself, a sadistic God who enjoys our suffering. So why bother having faith in a God who loves to watch suffering of all horrific sorts? Why love a God who allowed sin in the first place? Isn't it better to simply not believe - that way there can be no disappointment, no wasted breath on prayer, no time misspent on things illogical, no chance of being labeled a fool with a foolish belief. 

However, just for a moment imagine God is real and you've chosen not to believe, not to have faith. You might sit there right now and say, oh well, it doesn't matter. And maybe you are content to truly believe it doesn't matter, but if there is a God and you choose not to believe in Him then you've chosen to give up your existence. If God is the only One who can give you existence you've given up your eternal life when you choose to not believe. Rather than accept the truth that there is a God, and God's Son, and the Holy Spirit- you choose to give up believing because you didn't get something you really, really wanted- perhaps the life of a loved one spared, a child, a parent. Maybe you didn't get rescued from torture, or healed from a painful disease, or failed a test, didn't get a job you desperately wanted and needed, there is a seemingly endless list of life's disappointments. You didn't get an answer you wanted to a life-changing  situation and determined there is no God. Because of that awful disappointment, heart-wrenching, gut aching pain you choose to give up your ultimate existence. IF God is real (I believe He is) then you've sacrificed your future existence in order to live in this existence filled with constant disappointments believing this is all there is. IF God isn't real, what have those who believe sacrificed?  Nothing. Disappointments will come and go for both believer and non-believers. A believer chooses to hope, to have faith that a prayer not answered in the way desired is God's way of either trying their faith to make it stronger, or protecting the believer from an outcome that would be ultimately undesirable. A non-believer chooses not to believe - and they are still disappointed only with no comfort, just cold, hard, supposed logic.

We must have faith in God when praying- faith that He knows us much better than we know ourselves, faith that He only has our ULTIMATE existence with Him in a perfect world, in mind as He answers our prayers- yes, no, not now.

More tomorrow on prayer, God willing.

All through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!

Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 

Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.