I Am Able! Series

(Part 3 of a 3-part Prayer Series: “3 Myths of Unanswered Prayer”)

(Myths: I: God isn’t listening. II: God doesn’t care. III: God can’t / isn’t willing to...)

Today’s sermon: “Part III of the Unanswered Prayer series: I AM Able.” God is the great I AM and HE wants you to know HE IS ABLE to handle whatever’s coming your way today…

He cares about you, He’s listening to you and He wants to take care of you…

How many know that when you take care of something or someone you care deeply about, you must often take precautions to protect them so they don’t get hurt?

“The Great Escape Story: Shamar & the Kennel” Here’s a picture of my dog Shamar.

Shamar is the great Houdini of the dog world. She can escape from anything…

? Why do parents take extra precautions when we leave the house? Why do we child safe our kitchen cabinets and power outlets? Because we believe in our pets and our children. We believe in their ability to accomplish just about anything they set their minds to, and it scares us…

Amazing how these precious little family members may appear perfectly harmless and innocent, but somewhere in there is a wild animal. It comes out when we’re away, having an enchanting evening with our spouse or a soothing vacation to a spectacular place, and it’s capable of just about anything.

Why do we bolt our doors shut and make it nearly impossible to get into our own kitchen cabinets? We do it because we know our child’s potential is greater than what it appears to be.

Did you know the Lord can relate? Sometimes He has to child safe things too…

Sometimes He restricts you and me from getting into things that He knows will end up hurting us.

And like a little child, most of us try to get in anyways…

I never appreciated God telling me whom I could and couldn’t date.

There was a period in my life when the Lord was specifically telling me not to date. So I dated everyone I had the nerve to ask out. I even remember going out to lunch with mom and asked the waitress out, right in front of mom! There’s just something wrong about getting your game on in front of mom… But when I was going through all that, there was never peace in my heart about it. I just wanted what I wanted. And you know what, it never worked out till I met Jennifer 3 years later because of God’s Grace in my life. Thank you Lord for protecting me!

Someone here today is asking God for something that seems good and right to you, but it’s not in line with God’s Will for your life. The Lord in His greater wisdom knows that what you’re asking for would be more of a hindrance than a help to you, so He’s saying no. That’s why you keep trying without success. That’s why you feel like your beating your head against a brick wall…

Matt 7:9-11, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

If you don’t have peace about it, don’t pursue it. If you perceive God pointing you in a different direction than the one you have planned out, learn self-control. Trust God and obey His commands.

In Genesis chapter 11, God (the Father and Son) come down to take a look at the city of Babylon being constructed, and this tower the men were building in an effort to reach the Heavens. (It’s against God’s will, but they’re ignoring Him…)

Now, the Father and the Son both knew it was impossible to build a tower to reach Heaven, but they never expressed doubt that the men could achieve anything they set their hearts to.

Gen 11:6, “The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”

So He child proofed the kitchen…

Gen 11:7-8, “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.”

There’s a great message here for all of us Christians, and that message is that if you and I are united together in spirit, if we’re united together in purpose, in prayer and in our goals as a church body, then NOTHING WE PLAN TO DO TOGETHER WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR US if it’s according to God’s will.