IF GOD SAYS WAIT, DON’T WORRY - JUST PRAY!
Jeremiah 29:11-14
In this world, there are people who welcome change and people who resist change. There are those who like to maintain the Status Quo, and others who seek change for the sake of change. There are many things in this world that we can’t change. But... and here is the question...
If there was one thing you could change in your life what would it be?
If there was one thing you could change in your family what would it be?
If there was one thing you could change in this community, IN THIS WORLD, what would it be?
The main question with all of these is … Have you prayed about it?
Over the years we have prayed many prayers asking God to change situations or circumstances.
There were times when it felt like God responded quickly to your prayer.
Perhaps other times you became anxious because it felt like God was ignoring your prayer.
And maybe even times when it felt like your prayers were just bouncing off the ceiling or you felt like you were banging your head against the wall.
EVER FELT LIKE THAT?
The truth is that God always answers our prayers, in one of three ways, Yes, No and Wait, not yet.
We SHOULD be happy when God says Yes.
We are PROBABLY disappointed when He says No.
But when God says “WAIT” that’s perhaps the hardest for us to deal with.
We know that God’s timing is perfect. We know that God has a perfect plan for us. We know that God loves us and cares for us.
But if we don’t get an instant answer, we ignore everything we know about God’s promises, we ignore everything we know about God’s nature and we worry, we lose our peace, we lose our patience, and when that happens we often try to change the situation in our own strength instead of relying on God.
Today, my purpose is to encourage you to do three things,
Trust in the God’s perfect plan for you,
Trust in God’s perfect purpose for you,
Trust in God’s perfect timing.
Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We can choose to worry or we can choose to trust God, and I believe that Trusting God is the better option.
Relying on His grace, His mercy, His wisdom, His love, His will, His strength, His priorities, His plan for my life and your life, His promises...
GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
We may not understand why God allows certain things to happen in our lives but we need to remember He is the potter and we are the clay!
There are times when God allows things to come into our lives to mold us and shape us for His glory.
We need to choose to trust Him in those times.
In Philippians 4:6,7 the Apostle Paul wrote these words: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING.
Does that describe how you live Or do you Worry about everything?
IN LIFE, ALL OF US AT DIFFERENT TIMES HAVE SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT DON’T WE?
Will I pass my exam?
Will I get to work on time?
Did I remember to lock the door?
Do you fill your mind with thoughts of what could happen? My OCD
Are your thoughts filled with If’s, but’s and maybe’s?
Looking back, how many times have you worried about what might happen ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN?
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
If we allow ourselves to focus on worry, we take our focus off of God and His perfect plan for us.
The Apostle Paul tells us not to waste time worrying, we are to take everything to God in prayer.
Circumstances and situations can drag us down, But prayer to God can lift us up.
Maybe we need to pray, “LORD, HELP ME NOT TO WORRY”, “LORD, I BELIEVE - HELP MY UNBELIEF”
In MATTHEW 6:25-27. Jesus said: For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
We can spend so much time worrying that we forget our Heavenly Father loves us and provides for us.
When you get to Heaven, if God were to ask you the question, “Is there anything that you would have liked to have done more of in your time on the Earth?”
I’m pretty certain your answer would not be “well actually, I would have liked more time to worry about stuff”
Worry can not add a single moment to our lives.
But prayer can transform our lives.
We say “Prayer changes things” - it does.
BUT more importantly Prayer changes the person who prays.
WE NEED TO STOP WORRYING AND TRUST GOD TO BE GOD.
1 Peter 5:7 says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
Pray to Him, hand your worries over to Him.
Listen to the words of Jesus in MATTHEW 6:34: So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Live one day at a time and trust God for today and for tomorrow.
Remember Philippians 4:6,7
