Reflections, September 13, 2009

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

Reflections: “When You Call Upon God...”

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

Scripture Reading for This Week: Genesis 18; Jeremiah 18; 33; Isaiah48; Matthew 12:50; John 7:17; Psalm 40:8; 143:10; Ephesians 6:6...

When we call upon God, He hears us. When we call upon God, He answers us. When we call upon God, He will show us great and mighty things. Things we need to know in order to live a holy and righteous and successful life, in Christ.

As you enter into this new week, it is my sincerest prayer that this week's Reflection will bring encouragement to your soul, and lighten your load. I pray that you will call upon God, and wait for Him to answer. And as you are waiting, give God the praise.

There are many of us walking around believing that God does not hear us when we call. I know it—I've been there many times myself. But as I have come to learn, and you will, too; it is just a ploy of the enemy to get us to give up on God, and believe the lies that the enemy constantly whispers into our ears.

Make no mistake, my dear friends, God hears us when we pray. He hears us when we call upon Him. It's just that, some of us are looking for God to answer in a certain way.

Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and deliverth them out of all their troubles.”

There are times we are waiting for an answer that “we” want, and miss the answer that God has already given. God is not man. He doesn't think like man. He doesn't respond like man. And He definitely does not lie. He cannot lie. But Satan would have us to believe otherwise, because that which we have asked of God, we may not have received the answer, or have missed the answer.

Before you opened your mouth to ask, God has already heard you, and has given an answer. Before you were in need, He has already provided. But we must first believe that God has indeed heard us, and take rest in that fact.

How do we begin to trust, and rest in the fact that God hears us when we call? We must be in an intimate relationship with the Father. So much so, that we understand the heart of God, and have been totally sold out to the Father's will for our lives. Prayer, fasting, worship...it is all necessary to growing spiritually strong and confident in the Father.

Matthew 26:42 “...O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

We can start this habit by, putting our day in God, instead of God in our day. Instead of saying, “Lord, this is my plan for today. I ask that You would bless it.” We should be praying: “Lord, I give you my day to plan. What will you have me to do this day...”. When we put into practice, or condition ourselves with the mindset that each day we arise, that God has ordained it, and have the desire for God's will, then we grow in the confidence and knowledge that, whenever we call upon God, He has not only heard us, but has answered.

I've been in the place or, state of mind, wondering if God had heard me when I called. It is difficult when you are going through something, and you feel as though you were waiting for a long time for an answer, and still feel as though you haven't received it. You have a tendency to feel abandoned or forgotten by God. Why isn't He answering me? Why is He taking so long? Did He even hear me when I called/prayed?

You know what I learned?—The teacher is always quiet during a test. He's there while you're taking it, but He is often silent. Because He knows, and wants you to understand that in you is already the answer. How? If Christ is in you, and you are abiding in Him; then that which you need is already within. The answer resides within Christ. And if Christ is on the throne of your heart, then you have the answer to every question residing in you. We just have to train the ears of heart to hear the voice of the Lord, and know His voice. But the Lord says: His sheep no His voice, and another they will not follow. Amen? Amen!

When we believe that God hears us when we call upon Him, God will reveal unto us things that will prepare us, and guide us. He will even show us things before they happen:

Isaiah 42:9 “Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

When you call upon God, He will answer you. I can testify to this fact. Many times I have seen God answer in ways that I may not have understood...at first. But as time went on, I understood clearly. Sometimes we question God. We question everything He does and the why and how of things, instead of just taking God at His word. God doesn't lie. He can't lie! So why do we have such a hard time believing that He hears us, answers, or doing what He asks?

We have a tendency to put God on man's level. But God's ways are so far above that. And God has always had a plan for our lives. We just have to have a spirit of obedience and of trust, and do what the Lord asks us; even if we don't understand. Do you really believe that God would steer you wrong? Do you really believe that He'd have you walk off a cliff and kill yourself?

Jeremiah 29:11,12 “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

When you call upon God, expect an answer. It may not be the answer you were hoping or praying for. But know this: the answer from God is much better than anything you could have ever come up with. For God knows what lies ahead of you, and what you need to make it. What He has ordained for you, will always surpass whatever you could have ever thought of. (Ephesians 3:20). And when you understand and believe this with all your heart, God will reveal things unto you; showing you mighty and wonderful things.

Call upon God with expectancy. And when He answers, receive in your heart whatever God says...because God would never lead you wrong. For He only has the very best where you are concerned. I pray that the spirit of peace and prosperity find rest in your: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, and financial lives. I dare you: call upon God, from your heart and watch what He does! Be blessed.

©2009. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.