28th July 2022
Pleasing God
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Recently my wife misplaced a valuable item somewhere in our home. We searched the house high and low looking for the item and just could not find it. I decided to stop searching and instead prayed about the matter. I said to God that he knows exactly where the item is located, and asked that he please reveal it to me. Not long afterwards I found the lost item in a place that I didn’t expect to find it. I immediately gave God thanks for answering my prayer.
I am certain that there are many people who have had similar experiences. My pastor lost a set of keys and after she prayed about it, found the keys immediately. At the present time my sister just can’t locate her spectacles which are lost somewhere in her house, so she has asked me to pray that she finds them – it is very frustrating and stressful to lose something that you need but cannot find.
God takes great delight in answering our prayers. He is our heavenly Father who is building a relationship with every believer. We are his children and the most effective way to nurture that relationship is through prayer, which requires faith (Hebrews 11:6). Faith, however, comes from God and is a gift: ’For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works…’ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
There are many people and various things to pray about. God is always ready and waiting for us to approach his glorious throne to let our requests be made known to him. We are told, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ (Philippians 4:6).
God exists; he loves and cares about us, and through the gift of prayer he is building a special relationship with each of us, for we are his beloved children. Whether it is a lost item or a significant event in our lives or in the world, take it to our Father in prayer. Here is an amazing promise from Jesus Christ to all who would pray in faith, according to the will of the Father, seeking those things which are for our ultimate good or for the ultimate good of others, and that bring him glory and honour: ‘ “Have faith in God”…Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’ (Mark 11:22, 24).
Prayer
Father in heaven, thank you for the gift of prayer. Please grant me the gift of faith so that I can believe that I have already received the requests that I have made to you. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Study by Sherwin Scott
About the writer:
Sherwin Scott is a Deacon in the Lewes congregation of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion in Lewes
The House of Friendship
208 High Street
Lewes
BN7 2NS
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:00am
Local congregational contact:
Hilary Buck: lewes@gracecom.church
Like us on www.facebook.com/GCLewes
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church