Posted on 01/29/2021 8:25:42 AM PST by MJacks4
Actor Kirk Cameron has has invited Christians and fellow Americans to join his 100 Day Plan. As you know, President Biden has an aggressive agenda for his first 100 Days in office. But, half of America is feeling left out and Cameron is hoping to bring them into his fold to focus and pray.
What are we supposed to pray for?
I like that idea. It’s something anyone can do if they wish.
I believe in the potential power of Prayer.
I also think it’s better for the soul to focus on something positive and uplifting when you can, vs being swallowed up in feelings of futility or defeat.
People prayed for 100 days and all this happened. I don’t think we are doing it right.
Praying isn’t a magic spell to get what we want. The Lord’s will will be done. Perhaps His plan includes what happened in the election for some greater eventuality.
So you are attributing to God’s will all the horrors of the twentieth century?
I don’t. I believe evil men set all that in motion. But that begs the question of what about the prayers of all those victims, many of whom were righteous people?
One guy I work with is a rabid Trump hater and overtly very religious. Do we suppose that his prayers, born out of his hatred, turned the election? No, the willingness of a few evil people to commit fraud turned it.
I fear God, so I will never be willing to do the sorts of things these people did. But if prayer truly matters in these things there is so much slack in the rope it just isn’t observable in human terms.
“So you are attributing to God’s will all the horrors of the twentieth century?”
You can’t have it both ways.
Either God is in charge and he deliberately allowed the murders of millions of His children by evil psychopaths or all that stuff about Him loving us is untrue.
Pick one.
L
“Praying isn’t a magic spell to get what we want. The Lord’s will will be done. Perhaps His plan includes what happened in the election for some greater eventuality.“
PRECISELY!!!
Christians need to UNDERSTAND that God is NOT Santa Claus; He is NOT our genie in the bottle...
He ALLOWS things for a purpose. Our job is to FOLLOW Him, obey His Word and SEEK that purpose. It’s all about HIm, not us.
Read the story of Joseph in Genesis. AWFUL things happened to him. He didn’t slap back; he didn’t whine; he didn’t blame everybody who did bad things... he KEPT serving God no matter his circumstances. And in time, EVERY time, God kept elevating him. God took care of Him in spite of what evil people tried to do to him.
Who is this fool?
He needs to read the Bible. You can’t pray with Satan.
Get thee behind me, Satan!
You seriously need a list?
I’ve been participating with him every night. It is a call for America to return to its roots and for God to help save our nation.
We are commanded to pray. God can and does change situations and give reprieves. God especially works well when the situation seems impossible.
You are a brave man to say this on FR but you are correct.
Read the story of Nineveh, or even the Hebrew children. God’s grace against willful and rebellious (and often evil) people can and is encouraged to be sought. IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY...THEN WILL I HEAR...AND...HEAL
God is sovereign.
God is just.
God hates sin.
All of us are sinners.
The stated penalty for sin is death.
People die.
Sin kills people. Sinners kill people.
God owes us NOTHING.
But God does love.
Love is not looking past sin. Sin must be punished per God’s law.
God sent His Son to take that punishment in our place.
That is love.
Any intervention that He makes in keeping us from the penalty of sin, ours or others, is grace. We aren’t owed it. His not giving it is not something which detracts from his loving nature because there is no obligation for a just God to give us anything other than the penalties that He warned us would happen if we disobeyed (which we all do). His Holiness demands that sin be dealt with.
At the Great White Throne and Judgment Seat, our sins and our deeds will be judged. Those for whom Christ’s atoning sacrifice was applied (by grace through faith) will go to Heaven with their sins paid for and their souls redeemed. No injustice here because the just punishment was paid. Those who have refused to follow God and accept this gift will be judged and will pay for their own sins for eternity in Hell.
So, back to your original point - attributing to God’s will all the horrors of the twentieth century...God permitted it, yes, but man is guilty, not God. God allowed man freedom to choose evil. If he intervened that freedom would be non existent. God loves, but His love does not mute or detract from justice, wrath, or holiness which also must be satisfied and are, perfectly.
Romans 9 deals with the question
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
God essentially puts up with evil so that we can see the contrast and know what is good. Eventually, He will say ‘enough’. No evil will go unjudged and no good unrewarded.
Yes, I need a list. I was taught to pray in specifics. Lately my prayers have just been: Lord, help us.
Satan is in charge of the planet. He asks permission to do his damage, and it is granted with parameters.
“Either God is in charge and he deliberately allowed the murders of millions of His children by evil psychopaths or all that stuff about Him loving us is untrue.”
I can understand your feelings here.
I have 3 kids. I love them all with my life and I want them to love me too. But it wouldn’t be love if I had to force them to love me. So I love them and they are free to love me back or not.
My youngest is six. If I see him about to do something foolish, I’ll warn him: “don’t do that son, you might get hurt..”. And in his rebellious little mind, he thinks “what do YOU know?” - and does it anyway, gets hurt and cries..
Am I to blame?
I NEVER want to see him hurt, but as for all of us, we LEARN from it. If I followed him around his entire life and eliminated every consequence coming to him from his actions- good or bad, he’d never learn and never grow and never even have to know good or bad, right or wrong.
This is a small example of our human situation.
Yes, there are still some horrific things that take place here on earth. One thing that Gods children should understand is that what we have on earth is NOTHING compared to the wonders of Heaven and eternity WITH the Lord.
And we should also understand that we ALL die sometime. Nobody gets out of it. For me, I’m happy here with this life, but I am convinced that after I die it’s gonna be infinitely better. So my death doesn’t scare me at all. I trust God with that occurrence- whenever HE chooses is alright with me.
Again, I understand your thinking. I’m just trying to clarify how MY thinking has been changed by the Lord.. I’m sure there are others who could explain this better...
Not a bad prayer
Aren’t those the same thing? Isn’t the conundrum that God either has to be in control and unloving or loving but not in control?
The bible not only claims God is in control and loving, but also that prayer and faith are powerful.
The only answer really given (Job) is intellectually and emotionally unsatisfying. It is basically that human knowledge and experience can’t grasp the answer.
An appeal to Heaven.
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