Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what He has done for me.
I cried out to Him with my mouth;
His praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld His love from me!
Psalm 66:16-20
Oh, what sweet words to hear—that He has not withheld His love from me! How many times, as mere humans, have we felt like we have done something totally unredeemable only to discover the God of the universe loves us unconditionally. All we have to do is repent, ask for forgiveness, and receive the blessings.
Maybe you have asked for a boyfriend, job promotion, your spouse to change or love you more. Maybe you have asked for your kids to love and respect you. Whatever your circumstances, our God is more than able to meet your needs. All you have to do is turn the attention to Him. He desires a relationship with you. When your friendship with God changes you may be surprised at how strong you feel and how your self-confidence increases.
As when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, His prayer was not answered in the way He wanted (Luke 22:39-46). But Jesus knew His Father had a bigger plan. A plan that would effect the whole world. Talk about trusting! Most of us know how Jesus sufferd and died on the cross. He was alone, naked, beaten, and abandoned. But three days later, a miracle happened, Jesus rose from the dead! Every word He had spoken was fulfilled, every Scripture spoken about His birth, death, and resurrection was made true.
As you walk through your day, be aware of what you say, what you do, what your read, and what you watch. I have been trying to be more conscious of this as well and sometimes I fail. The Holy Spirit is working on me to turn away from things that would distract and keep me from a closer walk with our Father. I pray that God will be patient with me, not give up on me, and keep searching Him out. How about you?
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Father, thank You that you hear and answer our prayers. Thank you for the opportunities You have given us and forgive us for the ones missed. I so want to love you the way Jesus did! Please put people in my life, path, and areas of influence who will push me, stretch me, and grow me for Your Kingdom’s sake. Help me to see where others need Your touch and let me let go of me and focus on You. I love You, Father! Amen!
