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IS SEEING PRAYER ANSWERED (and not just mine)
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The Real Justin Chandler is seeing prayer answered. Not just my prayers either. LOTS OF PEOPLE'S!
By making such a statement, one of the following happens:
As some of you have read, prior to the post listed here I had no idea what was coming next in the areas of responsibility that I had. This is not only unsettling (it works against my nature) but it is also unnerving (you can only ride that boat for so long before the time runs out and so does your job). It was for this reason that I made the bold, life shattering, earth bending, revolutionary decision. I was going to pray more often. Mind boggling I know. I decided to be more intentional in my time studying the Bible and more frequent in the time I spent praying. As this post states, God had an answer, of which He is still answering and I'll tell you next week what that is.
As this happened, there was a new "fuel" that was deposited in my soul to take faith and to begin to pray. I've been quoting and praying the eva-livin out of Luke 18. Two parts specifically. "Jesus shared this parable to teach his disciples to pray and not lose heart" in the beginning and "when the Son of man come, will He find faith on the earth?" in the end. In each case, Jesus is teaching us to pray, and to keep praying. To have faith and to trust, and to pray. And to pray, and to not lose heart. To pray and to believe. And to pray...in the most loving, kind, non-obligatory, encouraging way possible.
I took Him up on it. Amazing revelation soon coming..................He answered. Just like He promised. Amazing huh?
Be sure, there are still some prayers that I continue to pray that have yet to be answered. Those don't cause me to lose heart anymore. Simply put, as I've begun to pray more often, God is answering more than He isn't and those that are in the waiting, are just that. They're waiting. If Jesus is looking for faith on the earth, it seems He is making it happen in this guy because new levels of trust are happening for me.
In theBURN (youth ministry) we have begun to pray weekly prior to service in what some could see as incredibly inconvenient for schedules. 4pm. Wednesday Night. We're praying. Amazingly, students are showing up. There are ebbs and flows, but we are consistenly seeing more students arrive and as we pray, God is consistently answering. One prayer of mine has been to see students accept Christ and for it to be done with their friends and in real encounters not spurred on by anything else outside of a moment with Jesus. God's answer? Students are accepting Christ in living rooms, kitchens, skating rinks, back lots, prior to service, during service and after service.
This isn't bragging on my part. I'm trying to stir some faith for you. I haven't started praying differently. I haven't said anything new. I have changed my presentation. In fact, at surface value, everything is EXACTLY the same. And I think that's exactly how God is going to keep it. John 6:44 rings a bell, "no one comes to Father unless He is drawn."
It seems that in our day, God is not trying to find a plan or an idea that He can bless. In fact, He is not looking for some new way of doing things that is really going to reach more people than old ways that apparently aren't. Instead, I think God is looking for men and women who are willing to pray and not lose heart. Who are willing to pray and not lose heart. Who are willing to pray and not lose heart (these aren't typos). Who are willing to pray and not lose heart. And that as He comes, He finds faith on the earth to believe that even these mustards seeds can somehow turn into tall trees.
Don't look for a new way to "make" things happen. Find new ways to pray and not lose heart and watch what He does. Talk about lifting a heavy load! It's much easier to know you don't have to worry about anything instead of walking out what you are given and He'll make sure that what happens will blow your mind. Would following Jesus and leaving everything be worth it if it wasn't?
Matthew 19:27 (ESV)
"See,we have left everything and followed you."
John 6:68-69 (ESV)
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
----------------
Now playing: Hillsong United - You Hold Me Now
By making such a statement, one of the following happens:
- You think I'm being arrogant by saying so and my digital words have a ton in which I do not intend. You hear me say "prayers are being answered" and you hear "aren't I awesome because God hears me." Not the intent.
- You think I have tapped into some secret formula and some new way of praying, whereby you would like me to elaborate on how I have found the treasure trove and how you can too (if I was really awesome, I could ask you to sow seeds of faith in my ministry. It's very taxing to pray and teach people also. :))
- You feel a sense of dissatisfaction about the statement seeing as someone is riding a mountain top and you are walking a valley. Hopefully by the end you'll have encouragement.
As some of you have read, prior to the post listed here I had no idea what was coming next in the areas of responsibility that I had. This is not only unsettling (it works against my nature) but it is also unnerving (you can only ride that boat for so long before the time runs out and so does your job). It was for this reason that I made the bold, life shattering, earth bending, revolutionary decision. I was going to pray more often. Mind boggling I know. I decided to be more intentional in my time studying the Bible and more frequent in the time I spent praying. As this post states, God had an answer, of which He is still answering and I'll tell you next week what that is.
As this happened, there was a new "fuel" that was deposited in my soul to take faith and to begin to pray. I've been quoting and praying the eva-livin out of Luke 18. Two parts specifically. "Jesus shared this parable to teach his disciples to pray and not lose heart" in the beginning and "when the Son of man come, will He find faith on the earth?" in the end. In each case, Jesus is teaching us to pray, and to keep praying. To have faith and to trust, and to pray. And to pray, and to not lose heart. To pray and to believe. And to pray...in the most loving, kind, non-obligatory, encouraging way possible.
I took Him up on it. Amazing revelation soon coming..................He answered. Just like He promised. Amazing huh?
Be sure, there are still some prayers that I continue to pray that have yet to be answered. Those don't cause me to lose heart anymore. Simply put, as I've begun to pray more often, God is answering more than He isn't and those that are in the waiting, are just that. They're waiting. If Jesus is looking for faith on the earth, it seems He is making it happen in this guy because new levels of trust are happening for me.
In theBURN (youth ministry) we have begun to pray weekly prior to service in what some could see as incredibly inconvenient for schedules. 4pm. Wednesday Night. We're praying. Amazingly, students are showing up. There are ebbs and flows, but we are consistenly seeing more students arrive and as we pray, God is consistently answering. One prayer of mine has been to see students accept Christ and for it to be done with their friends and in real encounters not spurred on by anything else outside of a moment with Jesus. God's answer? Students are accepting Christ in living rooms, kitchens, skating rinks, back lots, prior to service, during service and after service.
This isn't bragging on my part. I'm trying to stir some faith for you. I haven't started praying differently. I haven't said anything new. I have changed my presentation. In fact, at surface value, everything is EXACTLY the same. And I think that's exactly how God is going to keep it. John 6:44 rings a bell, "no one comes to Father unless He is drawn."
It seems that in our day, God is not trying to find a plan or an idea that He can bless. In fact, He is not looking for some new way of doing things that is really going to reach more people than old ways that apparently aren't. Instead, I think God is looking for men and women who are willing to pray and not lose heart. Who are willing to pray and not lose heart. Who are willing to pray and not lose heart (these aren't typos). Who are willing to pray and not lose heart. And that as He comes, He finds faith on the earth to believe that even these mustards seeds can somehow turn into tall trees.
Don't look for a new way to "make" things happen. Find new ways to pray and not lose heart and watch what He does. Talk about lifting a heavy load! It's much easier to know you don't have to worry about anything instead of walking out what you are given and He'll make sure that what happens will blow your mind. Would following Jesus and leaving everything be worth it if it wasn't?
Matthew 19:27 (ESV)
"See,we have left everything and followed you."
John 6:68-69 (ESV)
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
----------------
Now playing: Hillsong United - You Hold Me Now
