We can be left feeling bewildered by our unanswered prayers. God at times seems unwilling to answer our prayer according to our expectations and timing.
Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). He also told a story about a man who pestered his neighbor for some bread (Luke 11:5-8). In the end it wasn’t the fact that the neighbor gave his bread to this man because the man knocking was his neighbor, it was the man’s persistent knocking and request.
However this doesn’t mean that God is more inclined or motivated to grant us our request because we have pestered Him or because of our persistence rather than his love for us. The story illustrates that we have the freedom to ask God but it does not dictate God’s response to us. God is not a servant waiting for a list of things we want or tasks we want done, neither does He need us or define our needs or offer solutions, or tell him when and how He should act.
But God is eager for us as His children to form a habit of asking for His help (Luke 11: 9-10). That still doesn’t mean He will be guided by our limited knowledge and understanding of our circumstances (Luke 11:11-13). God will answer our prayers. He does answer our prayers, in His time according to His plan in His own way.
He wants and asks us to trust Him to supply our needs and when to supply them. God knows our needs before we (Matthew 6:8). Our calling is to ask persistently and if we surrender our hearts and wants, we can grow in the process.
Our persistent request of needs or wants causes us to turn to God often without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and in turn God will use that to grow us in the process (Romans 8:28) for “… we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)
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The Kedge Anchor - Anchored in Hope
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul…” Hebrews 6:19
The Kedge Anchor - About
Welcome to the Kedge Anchor. This blog started from a time in my life where I no longer liked changes. Changes, like the waves in the ocean can turn us upside down sometimes and the currents of this life can take us to places we really didn’t intend to go. But changes are a part of life and the older I get the less I like them. Maybe you can relate. Sometimes storms form over the ocean and totally churn up our lives like the ocean floor. And when all is finally over, we feel depleted, drained, exhausted. Turning to God’s word first is always a good place to start and gain footing again. And sometimes God leads us to other sources for encouragement, family, friends, church family, and oddly enough, for me, back to the still calm waters (of the ocean).
Kedging is a nautical term “to draw (a vessel) along by hauling in on the cable of a light anchor that has been dropped at some distance from it, or (of a vessel) to be drawn in this fashion “ https://www.thefreedictionary.com/kedging Kedging is done in calm waters when one needs the boat to move forward or in the case when one is going against the wind. The sailor casts the kedge anchor out in the waters and pulls the boat towards the anchor.
In a season of wait, when we feel like we are at a stand still and perhaps we aren’t hearing God’s voice or when we are in the middle of the storm, we can draw to Him. (James 4:8) We can cast our anchor (of hope) out and take a step in faith toward God, read the Bible, recall a favorite verse, and cling to HIs words. He is our anchor for our soul (Heb. 6:19). When the storms and currents of life are changing our course and we find ourselves going against the wind, we can remain steadfast in His Word and love.
Be encouraged. You are not alone.
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you…” James 4:8
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