Walk With Me
Christian discussion of biblical topics, and a dose of daily application. Yes the Bible is still relevant, and we find out more and more each day how relevant it has always been.
Walk With Me
God Answers Prayers- Even if the Answer is NO
Ever wondered why sometimes our prayers seem to go unanswered? Today's episode of Walk With Me shatters the myth of God as a personal genie, diving deep into the essence of faith and the true role of God in our lives. We'll navigate through listener emails and heartfelt discussions, reflecting on why God's answers aren't always "yes" and how understanding His greater plan can bring profound spiritual growth. By examining biblical examples like John the Baptist, we remind ourselves that living faithfully isn't about immediate rewards but about enduring trust in God.
We also tackle the profound questions of suffering and loss, exploring why some people face seemingly insurmountable challenges and how God's decisions, even when they result in a 'no,' are part of a purposeful design. Through personal anecdotes and relatable scenarios, we offer a fresh perspective on divine judgment and corrective actions, viewing them not as punishments but as guidance toward a closer relationship with God. As we conclude, we leave you with a powerful message: spread love and remind someone that they are loved by God. Join us for an episode that promises to uplift and strengthen your faith journey.
Hello everybody and welcome to today's episode of Walk With Me. I am your host, jj. It's so good to have each and every one of you here with me the rest of us walkers today. I'm so glad you've taken a moment of time to listen to this podcast. You can be listening to any other podcast or doing any other thing you have to do today, but you've decided to spend a few moments walking with us and I so appreciate you.
Speaker 1:I just thank God for each and every one of you. Thank God for people who are liking and sharing and sending questions. Before I forget it get off on the tangent. If you have any questions or any comments, go ahead and send them to walkwithmebiblestudy at gmailcom. Walkwithmebiblestudy at gmailcom. Walkwithmebiblestudy at gmail. We're on a lot of different platforms, and that's iHeartRadio and now Spotify and Apple Podcasts and things like that. Thank you all so much.
Speaker 1:Little do we know we're closing in on three years Three years of this podcast, and only you and God can thank me for that. It's got nothing to do with JJ, I'm just a guy with a microphone and a Bible, right? So I just thank God for each and every one of you. Thank God for liking and sharing and posting this and letting everyone know about this podcast For you out of the US listeners. I know where you are. I know that some of you cannot legally listen to this podcast for different reasons. I appreciate the way you're doing it. I appreciate it. God is watching. God is watching you. That just means maybe God is telling me the right thing to say to you. All right, god bless each and every one of you and before we in America sort of get soft, please understand that those days may be coming here to a country near you, that you may not be able to listen to things that have to do with God, christianity and being saved, but I love each and every one of you. Thank you all, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you all for our sponsors. Thank you Disquisite Creations and I'm still waiting for the go-ahead to announce the other new sponsor. That should be in a couple weeks now and also thank you for True Bars Lyricists, who gave us the bump music for the intro and the outro. We may be changing that up again soon, but we will wait and see. He's also on Spotify and other different music platforms and it's so good watching him and his lovely wife on their journey to God. It's such a wonderful thing to watch people grow and first come to God, first believe that God exists, and then come to God and start growing in Christ. It is a great thing to watch Today. Oh, I think I forgot. So if you have any questions.
Speaker 1:And this is where today's lesson does come from. It comes from a conversation that we were having in the email, because texting back and forth doesn't ever seem to work, but it came from our email address walkwithmebiblestudy at gmail walkwithmebiblestudy at gmail and itmebiblestudy at gmail and it's a very in-depth conversation I was having with some people and it sort of brings up the subject and I have been meaning to sort of stay away from this subject for a while because it's such a sensitive subject when it comes to people who are living for God or people who are trying to figure out God or why they should live for God, or even have just started living for God. But one of the things that I think is not fair to Christians you know you're trying to live for God and you're trying to do the right thing and you're trying to, you know, do the right thing and you're fresh in the Holy Ghost, but we sort of teach our young Christians, and by young I mean chronologically speaking. Like you know, someone just had the Holy Ghost for a couple of weeks, or whatever that's. That's called a babe in Christ, in Christ. But also we just sort of have a lot of these organizations that sort of sit around and sort of portray God as our personal banker. He's our personal lawyer, our personal doctor, personal warfighter and our personal Santa Claus. And if you know me, I don't believe in Santa Claus and if you know me, I don't believe in Santa Claus. But he's our personal Santa Claus and he's just our personal genie.
Speaker 1:We just rub the Bible the right way or we say a few magic words in prayer and all of a sudden it's Christmas in April and in August and in July and in September. That God is just some yes, man who sits there and waits for us to come to our senses and ask him. Now, that is not to say that God does not grant prayer. That is not to say that God does not help us in our time of need, and sometimes God is already before we even pray for something. God has already got the solution working. But let's be realistic, you guys, you walkers. There are some times when God says no. There are some times when God doesn't answer, and there are answers, and by that you mean the answer is no, and so we're going to talk about that today and we're going to have some examples to back this up.
Speaker 1:Now, one of the things that we do and we don't really stop to think about all the big-time prophets that died, such as John. John the Baptist was the literal forerunner of Jesus Christ, and John did not do anything wrong. As a matter of fact, john was in prison, and he was in prison because he was telling King Herod that marrying his sister and having a daughter by his sister was the wrong thing, and the sister said okay, well, now I want that man's head on a platter. Well, now I want that man's head on a platter. Well, I can pretty much guarantee you, because flesh is flesh and we like to live, we like to breathe and we like to see. The next day, john was in there praying for it to be delivered. John was in there hoping to get out of jail, just like Paul and Silas were, but the answer that God gave him was no, and John was beheaded by her.
Speaker 1:You have a lot of other big time prophets. One prophet in the Old Testament was sawn in half. I guarantee you that at some point in that process or before that process, that prophet said God, please help me. Second Corinthians, 12, 7-10. There was a situation where 12, 7 through 10, there was a situation where Paul was talking about removing a thorn from his body. I will read this to you Now we have a rule on this podcast that when we talk about a scripture, we read a verse or two above, a verse or two below, but preferably the whole chapter.
Speaker 1:Right? So so 2 Corinthians 12, 7-10. For this thing, I besought the Lord Christ that it might depart from me. I besought the Lord Christ that it might depart from me. So Paul here is telling us that there was something that kept recurring, and by thorn in the flesh we call it now thorn in our side, which means it's that one person that every time you turn around they're causing problems for you. And we tell saints to you know, okay, just pray him out, just pray him out your life, and just you know, get him out of your life.
Speaker 1:And Paul said this person was a messenger of Satan and he sought to have this person removed from his sight, in other words, removed from his flesh, removed from his life. Paul said my life would be easier without this person. And God said no. Because in the very next verse, in verse 9, he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. What does this mean? It means that you and I could have some problem.
Speaker 1:Some person, some person in our lives that does not just not, it doesn't feel like they are conducive for you living for God. They make you mad all the time. Every time you try to talk about God, they want to talk about some devilish. It's just that type of person. But what that person actually is is in your life for a reason and God would not remove that person because God is trying to show you something about grace. God is trying to show you something and most of the time, most of the time, if you're doing the right thing and you're living right and you are, you know, following the word of God and living out, living holy and things of that nature, god tells you no, it's because God is growing you spiritually Most of the time.
Speaker 1:Now, that form no may take on different forms. For instance, you pray for a sick and dying relative. You're praying. Oh God, please let this person just be cured, let this person live another day, let this person, and then, for some reason, god still calls them home.
Speaker 1:A lot of times you and I might get to a point where we feel as if God didn't hear our prayers and then the devil would be right there to say God, this is my sin, and you'll be like, well, I don't know. I prayed and I fasted, I did everything the preacher told me to do, I did everything the Bible told me to do, I did everything my uncle told me to do, and still, everything the Bible told me to do. I did everything my uncle told me to do, and still God didn't answer my prayer. And that devil would be right there. Remember when they told you everything you ask in his name, you'll get. But see, that's what the devil likes to do. The devil likes to twist a lot of things and get your eyes off of the bigger picture. See, god is a big picture. God, he's also a detail.
Speaker 1:The reason why our, our family member and this was the conversation that is really hard to have on a one-on-one basis but the reason why the person did not survive the illness. Or let's just say in this instance, didn't survive the illness, maybe because God didn't want them to suffer. Maybe because God didn't want them to suffer. Maybe God felt, and maybe God knew, that this person had done enough, had been through enough and the time of judgment was here. Their time of their judgment was here. I'm not automatically putting them in heaven. I'm not going to do that because I don't know the person and you don't know the person. Really, all you know is the persona that you see of the person. So we don't know. It could be that person. I have seen people repent of their sin, get baptized in Jesus' name, get the Holy Ghost and die the same night. And guess what? That person went home, justified, it didn't matter how they lived the previous 85 years. That person went home to be with the Lord in heaven and is now shouting for glory for the next 10,000 millennia.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile, we're sitting here trying to figure out well, if they did all that, why didn't God spare them? And what happens is we start trying to apply human reasoning to a godly deed, we try to apply human reasoning to God's will and we completely forget about the scripture that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. We forget about it. We forget that sometimes the reason why God is telling you no is because he'd rather spank you now than spank you later. What are you talking about, jj?
Speaker 1:Let's say, for example, you're on your job, right, and let's say you work at a I don't know. You work someplace and you're taking a little bit off the top not very much, and we're not going to go into the grades of sin, because stealing is stealing. We get that. But somehow you convince yourself that just taking a little bit ain't that bad. You work at Snap-on Tools and you took a sock. It's nothing really Right. You work at Dixie Cream Donuts and you take a donut. You make 40,000 donuts a day and you take a donut. I know stealing is stealing, sin is sin, but you've now convinced yourself a little bit that this thing isn't that bad. And so now, when you get called on the carpet on it Now, let's be honest, because this is what happens you get called on the carpet about it and the first thing you want to say oh my God, help me, keep my job.
Speaker 1:You get caught going six miles an hour over. Oh my God, let me not get this ticket. You say something crazy to the wrong person oh God, don't let them hurt me. And God's answer is no, and you get fired from the job, you get the ticket and you get beat up. What is the purpose of God saying no? Besides the obvious hey, you did the crime, you gotta do the time, or God's judgment is punishment. What is the sole purpose of God's judgment that leaves you alive? What is the purpose of God's judgment that leaves you alive? What is the purpose of it? The purpose of it is to bring you closer together, not take you apart again. So when you lose your job because you were stealing something from your job or you were running off at the mouth with your boss, every time you got a chance you go to church and calling yourself a Christian, and now you're a bad witness.
Speaker 1:When you're speeding down the highway and it's 70 miles an hour and you're doing 145 and not right now I got my hands up, because when I'm riding I do crazy stuff like that and when you get that ticket, when you get into that accident, this is a result of your disobedience. This is a result of you going against God's will, and God will allow certain things to happen to us. I got a ticket of 195. That ticket was 450 and I walked in there, like I do every other time I get a ticket, and I said, god, help me get out of this ticket. This time god said, no, you're gonna pay that ticket, boy, and guess what I? I took that lesson and I said well, okay, god, fine, I will be more careful, I will try to avoid speeding. And I'm going to be honest here between you right now, god, everybody, I was only saying that because I didn't want to pay another $400 ticket. But I don't want to pay another $400 ticket, but I don't ride like I used to.
Speaker 1:But this is what we have to understand, and a lot of times, because we are always talking about how God is our quote-unquote personal yes, man, the first time God tells us no, we get mad at God. Our flesh hurts and the flesh call out to the devil and say we upset, we hurt. And now the devil's going to tell you God is real. Or see, god don't like you, like that brother over there. God don't like you like that, he don't love you like that. That whole thing they've been talking about. Look at the car they drive, look at the house they live in. While you sit there eating bologna sandwiches four days a week because your job is bad, they're telling you to pay time. Trust me, walker, this argument, this fight goes on. I've had this fight.
Speaker 1:So the idea of sometimes God saying no is actually to build your faith, take you into a deeper place than him. Now, I know it seems contradictory, contraindication, but how this works is simple. Now, I know it seems contradictory, a contraindication, but how this works is simple. If you consider your kids, consider your kids, you know good and well your kids are. Let me rephrase that you know your kids better than they know themselves. You know, if you constantly give your kids what they want, your kids will become less and less motivated to do the things they need to do in order to be successful in life.
Speaker 1:Sometimes you tell them no and you let them stomp and cry a bit about it, a bit, and then you go back and you tell them why you said no. But sometimes you just tell them no and let them figure it out. I mean, I know a lot of people these days have no idea what the word no means, but that's a problem and we don't know exactly how to fix that. But we look at how God deals with us and we go into oh well, you know, we're supposed to be so kind and loving, and what does this mean? What does this mean? The God that we serve, remember, is not our yes-man. The God that we serve is always trying to bring us into a closer relationship with Him. Sometimes that means no. Sometimes that means figure it out, because I've already given you the tools to figure it out. Sometimes you know what Faith without works is there. You've got all this faith, but you're not putting any work into it. Get up and do the work. Sometimes, as we talked about with the older relative or the sick relative, let them rest, I'm calling them home to rest, and so sometimes those answers would be no too, and so that had them having that peace. It's the will of god. So sometimes the will of god say no. And here's where really the rubber really meets the road.
Speaker 1:Every, almost every one of those apostles that went and did marvelous work for the church of God, jesus' church, they were crucified, they were martyred, they were murdered in very bad ways. Peter was crucified upside down, crucified upside down. He had them beheaded, stephen. Stephen was absolutely stoned to death. And to understand how stoning to death works, it ain't like they took a big rocket to brothel and just dropped it.
Speaker 1:You had a bunch of people put you in a pit and throw little rocks at you for hours until you died. You had a bunch of people put you in a pit and throw little rocks at you For hours Until you died. You had the prophet that was sawed in half and they didn't start at the top, they started at the bottom and God did not deliver. So don't get off. Don't put yourself in a position where God has not deliver them. So don't get off. Don't put yourself in a position where God has to deliver you because you ask God nicely and you're God's number one saint, and that doesn't mean that God's going to just arbitrarily drop what he's doing and move heaven and earth for you. That doesn't mean he doesn't love you. Please understand. I'm not saying that God does not love you. God loves each and every one of us, but he also loves each and every one of us equally.
Speaker 1:Let's say, for instance, guys, that let's say, for instance and we see this a lot, um, in historical figures, a person who was martyred generally ends up being an example for the rest of us, like we just mentioned steven. Steven was faithful unto death and this is an example for the rest of us how to maintain our faith, even through trial, the way people lie on us and our eventual death. God is not going to give us. Yes, every single time we look at Samson, samson was the strongest man. Samson did all kinds of marvelous works through the will of God and at the end of his life he died. But before that they brought him, they put his eyes out and I guarantee you, at some point Samson said, oh God, help me. And at the last moment God helped him, but he did not save his life.
Speaker 1:And I know this sounds like a very hard sort of topic, but we I think it's a way. I think this is what they mean when they say tearing the grace of God into obliviousness, at least to the start, thinking that God is our own personal piggy bank. You know like we want God to pay our light bill when we just spent two weeks on the cruise ship playing at the casino. Now, I'm not preaching against cruise ships, did I say preaching? No, I'm not talking against cruise ships. I'm not talking about not going out and having fun. You know, if your money's tight, god said to be a good steward of your money. So God may allow you to go through some things to teach you this lesson that you need to be more careful about the things he's giving you so that you're not in this position.
Speaker 1:So sometimes, god, please help me keep my lights on that answer may be no, all of the results from that will come, but that's coming from you. There's no reason for you to start blaming God. There's so many more scriptures I want to go into but we're out of time. But please understand God will answer prayer. God does answer prayer. Now we're not talking about if you haven't repented of your sins, you haven't been baptized in Jesus' name, you don't have the Holy Ghost. God said he doesn't hear the prayer of sin. He just ignores it. He just ignores it. But I'm talking about once you start to live for God. Just because you are now living for God, you live for him, does not mean every answer, every prayer is going to be answered. Some of them will be no and some of them will be no by sight One of the things that's hardest for me.
Speaker 1:I prayed about starting this podcast. I'm going to say this and wrap it up. I prayed about starting this podcast. I got silenced, and the reason why I got silenced was because he had been telling me for so long and I had been running away from it for so long that the answer was pretty much I already told you. I'm not going to tell you you got that too, but just because the answer is no does not mean God does not exist. Just because God does not answer you doesn't mean he doesn't exist. He's probably already given you the answer and you didn't like it the first 3,000 times he said it.
Speaker 1:So, that being said, I love each and every one of you. Thank you so much for this conversation. Email walkwithmebiblestudy at gmail. Thank you so much for liking and commenting and sharing. Love each and every one of you. Please, sometime today, tell somebody that you love them. Tell somebody that God loves them. It's probably the only time that day they might hear it and God sent you in that position to say it. Alright, god bless each and every one of you. See you next week. Love you, bye.