Shut Up and Listen
It has been the tradition for a personal healing that church members spoke with the individual and asked what they want prayer for, then prayed Christ would heal the complaint. This is of course in line with the statement of Jesus that whatever we ask in His name the Father will so give us and a prayer is therefore signed "In Jesus name." This prayer is in hope of invoking the power of Christ to achieve Godly miracles as in New Testament times and if it didn't work it was not God's will. Compared with Christ's testimony of 100% healing we find a comparatively poor rate of healing in most churches today and the thought is there something astray.
To King Saul when he did not complete Gods instruction the prophet Samuel says (1Sam 15:23) for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. We know the way of witchcraft is not right but do we know why it is offensive to God? Well firstly a witch is not seeking God's wisdom for a action but rather reciting traditional incantations otherwise deduced to accomplish a desired outcome which is not unlike traditional prayer for healing.
Is God not listening to our requests? Is there a time and place for everything and now isn't it? Is God now out of the miracle business and are we somehow getting it all wrong? If Saul's experience is anything to go by it was not that he did anything any man would do to appease his friends, what if a few of the best animals and people were kept after all God is merciful. God knew coveting neighbors things does no good and had previously outlawed it. But there's a deeper context in heeding the very voice of God as Jesus said "I can speak only what I hear my Father speaking and I can only do what I see my Father doing."
Jesus came to open the door and show us the way into a life of abundance in eternity. The Father loved us so much He wiped out the sin issue and replaced it with supernatural gifts and skills. Our Father remains the wisdom of the ages and knows the heart of all men. Our Father replaced Saul as king with David instead because David was one whose heart was after His own. In other words as the precursor of King Jesus the king David could only say what he heard the Father saying and do what he saw the father doing and when setting out once on his own heart desires we find dire consequences followed.
As much as possible we must follow the example set before us to defer to His excellency and only say what we hear the Father saying and do only what we see the Father doing. Then in hearing His voice we as his prophets, priests and kings of the most High God will reach the excellency of bearing His image, in revealing the Father and not rejecting His word. Maybe the problem is in our desire to show love for one another we forget to love our Father foremost for the first commandment is to love Our Father with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength, to this we suggest shut up and listen!
To King Saul when he did not complete Gods instruction the prophet Samuel says (1Sam 15:23) for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. We know the way of witchcraft is not right but do we know why it is offensive to God? Well firstly a witch is not seeking God's wisdom for a action but rather reciting traditional incantations otherwise deduced to accomplish a desired outcome which is not unlike traditional prayer for healing.
Is God not listening to our requests? Is there a time and place for everything and now isn't it? Is God now out of the miracle business and are we somehow getting it all wrong? If Saul's experience is anything to go by it was not that he did anything any man would do to appease his friends, what if a few of the best animals and people were kept after all God is merciful. God knew coveting neighbors things does no good and had previously outlawed it. But there's a deeper context in heeding the very voice of God as Jesus said "I can speak only what I hear my Father speaking and I can only do what I see my Father doing."
Jesus came to open the door and show us the way into a life of abundance in eternity. The Father loved us so much He wiped out the sin issue and replaced it with supernatural gifts and skills. Our Father remains the wisdom of the ages and knows the heart of all men. Our Father replaced Saul as king with David instead because David was one whose heart was after His own. In other words as the precursor of King Jesus the king David could only say what he heard the Father saying and do what he saw the father doing and when setting out once on his own heart desires we find dire consequences followed.
As much as possible we must follow the example set before us to defer to His excellency and only say what we hear the Father saying and do only what we see the Father doing. Then in hearing His voice we as his prophets, priests and kings of the most High God will reach the excellency of bearing His image, in revealing the Father and not rejecting His word. Maybe the problem is in our desire to show love for one another we forget to love our Father foremost for the first commandment is to love Our Father with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength, to this we suggest shut up and listen!
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