Unanswered Prayers

Unanswered Prayers

Scripture Reading: John 11:1-44

Focus Verse: John 11:11  “Then He said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

Have you ever prayed a prayer, maybe even the same prayer for a long time?  And did it seem like God was not listening?  I can imagine this is how Mary and Martha must have felt.  They sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus did nothing to help Lazarus get well.  Then we read that Lazarus died from his illness.  Mary and Martha must have felt that Jesus had let them down.  Many times when hardships and difficulties happen to us we ask “where is God?  Why didn’t He do something?"  It looked like Jesus had forgotten about His friends, but really He was planning one of His greatest miracles.

Several things we should remember when we think our prayers are unanswered.  First, God’s timing is always perfect.  He’s never late, and He’s never early, He’s always right on time.  Secondly, Jesus identifies with us.  He knows how we feel.  Hebrews 4:15 says,  “Jesus faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”  and Hebrews 12:2 says that he endured the cross, despising shame.  Jesus experienced sorrow and pain. And third, God is all powerful.  He is in control of everything in our lives.  2 Corinthians 12:9 This should give us great peace and comfort in our times of trouble.

You see Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come to heal Lazarus, but Jesus wanted to do something much more spectacular.  Jesus waited in order to raise Lazarus from the dead, so in order to do that He had to let Lazarus die.  When Lazarus walked out of that tomb after being dead for four days, God received a lot of glory and praise!  Let’s remember that God answers prayer in three ways: yes, no, and wait.  And the wait answer is always followed by a yes or no.  So don’t be discouraged, there are really no unanswered prayers.  We just need to be patient, and see what God is up to.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Built to Last

Built to Last 

Scripture Reading:  Ephesians 2:11-22

Focus Verse: Ephesians 2:21  The whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

This Christian community of friends around us is built to last, because we will be with these people for all eternity.  Keep in mind we will have perfect bodies once we get to heaven.  Let's look at what Paul has to say about building a strong Christian community that will last.

There were some problems between the Gentiles and Jews described in verses 11-13.  But Paul wants to bring these groups together in a peaceful way.  Paul says in verse 14 that Christ has broken down the wall of separation between man and God.  This also breaks the wall of separation between all believers.  This is very important to understand because when Christians are divided it is a bad testimony to the outside community.

Christ himself is our peace through the cross.  As members of Christ's body we are fitted together like bricks of a building.  We are strong and growing when we are interlocked together.  When we are separated we make ourselves weak and vulnerable to attack from the enemy.

I like to think of it like a building.  A good caretaker will maintain a building.  He will see problems when they are small and make repairs before they get big.  This is how we can maintain a strong Christian community that is built to last.  Let us be strong together for Christ.  Let Christ Jesus be the mortar that brings us together to build the strong body of Christ.  You can't control the actions of others, but as far as yourself, you can control your reactions.  God bless you as you grow strong together.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

God's Cell Phone

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:5-18

Focus Verse: John 17:20-21(Jesus prayed) "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.   I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."

     Do you ever talk to God? Do you really know what prayer is? Do you know there are some things that you must know in order for God to answer His cell phone?
God really doesn’t have a cell phone, but the Bible tells us a lot about prayer. 

     First of all, prayer has two parts. One is that we talk to God either by word of mouth or by our thoughts. The second is that God talks to us through reading the Bible.

    Who can pray? The answer is that everyone can pray. However there are limitations for some people. If some praying people are not children of God, Luke 18:13 says that the only prayer that God hears from them is “God be merciful to me a sinner”.  If you are a child of God as described in John 1:12 which says, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” you have the right to come to God at any time and ask for anything.

     God answers our prayers in three ways. The first is Yes. The second is No. The third is to wait a while. God knows what is best for us.

     Recently, I came across a very special verse in John 17:9 which says that Jesus prays for us. If Jesus thinks prayer is important, shouldn’t we?  

~Rev. Bob Johnson, Jr