Tag: answered prayer

Plenty of want . . .

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and want, abundance and need.” Philippians 4:12

There is no shortage of want in our world. There is also no shortage of need. The want here in Philippians isn’t the kind that says, “I want a new car,” it is a want that is based in the lack of necessity. The expression, left wanting, used; “I was hungry but i was left wanting.” Although, one could argue that we live in a society where there is plenty of want, I want this or I want that and it gets blurred with I need this or I need that, basically used, interchangeably.

Here in this passage, Paul writes to the Philippians to express his understanding of both living a life that was plentiful and one that was lacking. i am sure there is a great number of us who could say the same. i for one have lived on both ends of that spectrum and all points in between. Currently i am well on the side of want and need, unfortunately. i don’t write this however, for sympathy but for experience. i am writing to encourage, you but also me.

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Philippians 4:11

This is easier said than done. Oh sure i try very hard to live this out everyday. In fact i would say that i am content. However, that doesn’t remove the stress of knowing one’s situation and getting lost in the needs of life. It boils down to faith. Sadly, i need reminding of Elohim’s faithfulness often. In fact, i carry with me in my Bible a dollar bill. On it i have written a date. It was that date, another season of need, that Adonai showed up in a miraculous way meeting the need. i love being reminded of this story.

i had been unemployed for sometime, just after the birth of my first son. The bills were piling up and we were in need. One morning i had just gotten back from my morning prayer time with Adonai when there was a knock at the door. It was our neighbor Carlos. He said, “I had a dream the other day that I was supposed to give you some money from my bonus. But I wanted a new TV so I bought one. We got it home and set it up, plugged it in but it didn’t work. That night I had the dream again that I was supposed to give you that money. The next day, we exchanged the TV. We brought it home, set it up, and plugged it in, it didn’t work.” He smirked, embarrassingly, and continued, “The same thing happened, I had the dream and the next day we exchanged the TV and again it didn’t work.” Animatedly, he continued, “We checked the outlet, it was fine. We even had them at the store check the third TV which was a different brand and at the store it worked. Anyway, last night for the forth night I had the dream again. I don’t dare get another TV! So please, accept this check because it is for you.”

The check was for the amount of our bills that were due. i still get shivers when i think of this story. Oh and Carlos came back by that weekend and said, “I just thought I should come by and tell you that last night at my wife’s office party, she won the raffle for a new TV!” i am not saying that happens every time but boy oh boy when Adonai blesses He doesn’t miss a beat.

You see His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. i am not envious that Carlos got a new TV and I was just able to pay bills. No, i am blessed because, i was a part of a miraculous moment where i was taught of Adonai’s faithfulness in meeting needs. Carlos was taught Adonai’s faithfulness through obedience. And we now share forever a moment of seeing the miracles and wonders of our Adonai. We need to learn to trust YHWH through every trial even self-inflicted ones.

He is unchangeable, Divine Perfection, and He is able. Proverbs tells us: “Trust in YHWH with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear YHWH, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Not just this but we are also reminded to rejoice in our sufferings! Who wants to rejoice while they are suffering? This is also challenging. Yet, we are told in Romans 5:3-5:

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because Elohim’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Have you ever been in need or left wanting? In that, have you ever, doubted and feared? Do you think that you are too far from Elohim’s favor to be blessed? Are your wounds self-inflicted? There is hope for us still! Philippians 3:12-14:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Messiah Yahoshua has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of Elohim in Messiah Yahoshua.”

The world looks at struggle and sees failure. Adonai looks at the heart and sees our resolve, our faith, our endurance. So stand in the face of adversity knowing Whom stands with you.

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

You are loved,
cj

You might be the answer . . .

i was in my mid 20’s and married to the mother of my boys. We had hit a rough financial spot, and i had spent the week in prayer. i would go down to the harbor in Dana Point. There was a place where the storm wall met the beach that created fantastic tide pools. The waves would crash upon the rocks at low tide with great force making for a spectacular water show. This was my prayer closet every morning, and i loved it. It was here that i brought all my worries and concerns and financial needs to the Lord and tried my hardest to leave them there in faith.

A week had gone by, and we were growing increasingly desperate for relief when came a knock on the door. It was our neighbor Carlos; he said, “Good morning, i have been restless all week. My wife and I came into some extra money unexpectedly after having a dream to give you money. I ignored the dream and bought a new TV. We got the TV home and plugged it in, but the screen blew, and it didn’t work. That night I had another dream about giving you the money. Again I ignored the dream and that morning went down and exchanged the TV. The same thing happened, and it happened again yesterday. Three times total. Last night I had the dream again, and I can’t ignore the dream anymore. So here is a check, please accept it; I don’t understand why but if I am not obedient, I am afraid I will never sleep without that dream.”

We did accept it, and after he left and I had gone inside, i opened the check, and it was for the exact dollar amount we needed for our financial shortfall. The EXACT amount! To this day, i have a dollar in the Bible i used down at the harbor as a memorial to God’s faithfulness. i had prayed for a week; God set out to answer that prayer as soon as i started to pray. Finally, through the obedience of our neighbor and friend, the answer arrived. i think about when Daniel fasted and prayed, and 21 days had gone by before getting an answer to a pressing vision he had. You can read the account in Daniel 10.

Now i am no Daniel, but i find it intriguing to think that as we pray that within the heavens, battles are being fought. Also, that the ruler of this world and his many minions are fervently fighting to delay answers to prayers. Have you felt led through a dream or vision a pinch of the heart to help someone and failed to do so? Could it be that the devil would have you distracted from being the very answer to someones prayer? If the devil can get you to focus on yourself, you will miss the need of your neighbor.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about giving to the needy in this way. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you; they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-4

Earlier, He said this: “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42) Now i didn’t make known our need, and my only begging if one would call it that was making my petition to the Lord. God moved Carlos to be the answer to that prayer. His willingness to be obedient in giving was a blessing to us and actually to him! i want to be careful here because i don’t want to give folks the wrong impression of being obedient. Our reward is often in heaven, however for Carlos and his wife, that weekend at a company picnic, they won a drawing for a TV! Coincedence? Maybe, maybe not.

Here is my question for us, what dream or vision is God giving you? Who is he leading you to reach out to, to lend a hand to, or perhaps even help through money or groceries? You might just be the answer to someone’s prayer, don’t delay the response any longer, giving temporary victory to the evil one.

You are loved,

cj