Traps

Prayer Trap

Dr. Mike 2020, Traps , ,

Mark 11:24

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

One of the challenges we all face is reading Scripture on a stand-alone-basis. For example, when one studies prayer and God’s purpose and response to prayer, we can easily become dishearten when we rely sole on one scripture to provide us the assurance we seek.

Today’s Scripture is a good example. By itself, the words imply anything and everything you ask God from a position of total conviction will happen. Yet the many other lessons of Scripture provide a more wholistic view.

Those who preach a wealth and prosperity gospel like to use this Scripture emphasizing one’s lack of faith if your request doesn’t happen per your expectations. Yet when you look at the prayers of Paul, Jesus, and his disciples, there is a contradiction.

Paul prayed three times to have God remove the “thorns piercing his flesh”. God’s reply: “my grace is sufficient.” The prayer was answered, but not according to one’s expectations.

The disciples in their early ministry with Jesus prayed to have a child healed but failed. Jesus came over and completed the task with the remarks that some situations requires prayer and fasting.  Again, the prayer wasn’t answered according to the disciple’s desire because there was something else they needed to do. Yet the prayer was answered through Jesus’ request.

Jesus in the garden before his crucifixion prayed that his trial be removed from Him and they find another way to accomplish the goal. His request was denied by God who allowed the events to occur for fulfilling Scripture. Yet Jesus established the attitude we all need to display when praying…’Your Will Be Done.

Throughout Scripture, Jesus’ prayers were always answered. But His prayers were to serve others and glorify God in the process. Even His request to change the events of the last torturous 24 hours finalizing at his crucifixion was Him complying with the desires of His Father’s heart. Though He desired not too, He yielded to His Father’s Will.

We likewise need to be careful when praying. Instead of falling into the trap believing all unanswered prayer is due to a lack of faith denies Scripture and who God IS. All prayers are answered; may not be according to our timeline, nor according to our expectations, nor according to our words. Instead, we make our requests relying on our high priest Jesus and Holy Spirit to intervene on our behalf for the best outcome of the situation we want changed.

At times God will immediately grant you your heart’s desire. Other times you may have to wait 20, 30, or 40 years for the answer. Some times God says no. And we may never know on this side of eternity if it was for our sake He said no, or for the sake of others. What we do know, God is good and loves to answer prayers so you may come to truly know Him more and more each time.  

Yes, we believe God can do the impossible since he is the author of impossibilities. But taking into account all possible outcomes if my desire is granted, He is better at that than I because he sees the future.  I appreciate His involvement and watching out for our best. And we have also come to appreciate praying with Him for the sake of others rather than constantly asking Him to fill my cup. He does that anyway because He is Good. He is just teaching us how to be more compassionate and caring for others through our prayers.

When we pray, we touch the heart of God. The real purpose of prayer is a means of communicating and building a relationship with your Father. We experience the inner character and attributes of coming to know who He IS. When we come to realize He is not a vending machine, genie, nor Santa Claus, but the God of the universe who wants to be your loving and caring Father, prayer takes on a whole new meaning.

The basis of prayer is belief. But a belief built upon a trustful, relationship with the living God, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of others, and always for the sake of His glory.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Belief Trap

Dr. Mike 2020, Traps , , , , ,

James 2:20

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

You begin to experience salvation when you start to believe Jesus Christ is who He claims to be is how theologian Karl Barth expounded in his writings.

Belief is more than a wish or superstition. Real belief is built on facts, logic, and experience. Yet some people, after battling and working through the reasoning process, think that is all there is. Why? Didn’t Jesus himself say that if you believe on him you will receive eternal life?

From what I remember my psychology classmates telling me, belief is the centerpiece of action. Belief leads to action. We act upon what we believe. From our central belief system lies our values and worldview. But if we believe and do not act upon those beliefs, then do we truly believe?

James writes in his letter that belief without action is dead. He likens it to the body without a spirit: dead.

Belief is demonstrated through its fruit. An orange tree may have hundreds of green balls (the real color of oranges before the factories paint them for resale to the public) hanging on its branches, but when you take one from the tree and begin to peel it only to find dryness in the inside, don’t you throw it away? It may look like an orange hanging on the tree with other oranges, but is it a healthy orange?

Belief in Jesus Christ is like taking an escalator in a high-rise shopping mall. We start on the first floor and the moving steps take us higher unto other floors with more stores to discover. After we experience the 2nd floor, we take the escalator up to the next floor, and the next floor, and the next floor, where we discover more. Belief in Jesus Christ is, in a poor analogy, the escalator that takes you to places where you can experience real life.

Real life begins with believing Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised to the Jewish and Gentile nation back when Adam and Eve were discharged from the garden. When that fact hits us in the head and heart, our values and worldview begin to change and leads us to action which demonstrate our belief in Jesus Christ as King and Savior. Yet inaction may not tell the whole story on some who believe but are frozen from doing good work. Some may believe but be lazy; a character flaw. Others may believe, but are ensnared by the world’s glitter. And others may believe, but be angry with God and like a 2-year-old still pouting in the corner until lesson learned.  So, we need to be extra careful and not condemn the heart of others. Instead, let’s first pray for our brothers and sisters and let God lead us how best to relate with them. Maybe God will open a door for you to discuss the situation and help restore your sister/brother into a closer relationship with Him. Or bring another solution for their struggle. Either way, if God makes you aware of a problem, He will lead you.

Is that not what turning belief into action all about? Therefore, doesn’t our actions demonstrate our beliefs?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Fear Trap

Dr. Mike 2020, Traps ,

Isaiah 41:13

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Fear is a weapon used by manipulators to mobilize you into serving their purpose.

Watch the evening news and one catastrophic event after the next plays on your emotional heart memorizing you into a state of mental enslavement.

Watch how politicians create havoc with character assassinations and power plays against the other side and then reach out for money from you the public to help them clean up the mess.

Watch how advertisers place the fear of not having their product in your possession, making you feel left behind the social curve and therefore influencing you to purchase now rather than wait till tomorrow after you had time to thoroughly think through the opportunity.

Whichever way you turn, we are being bombarded with ads, videos, music, movies, photographs, books, etc. designed to place fear into its recipients. A fear of potential loss of money, family, friends, and freedom moves the markets and creates many of the paralyzing stories of the day.

Satan himself loves to operate from the position of fear. He casts doubt causing us to question our trust in another. He steals glory for himself rather than allowing you to realize your true identity in Christ. He also loves to destroy whatever is good in life so people will rarely experience the heavenly riches of God’s pure intentions.

Fear is a heavy task master when one doesn’t have a relationship with the living God.

“Fear not” are the words Jesus would reiterate to his disciples. Fear not are also the words that God through the prophets of old would tell Abraham, Isaiah, Daniel, David, and many others.

Jesus would reiterate how much God loves humanity. He spoke about how God takes care of the birds and grass and how people are more important than the creation around them. God cares and wants what is best for us. Yet, because we don’t truly know Him, we allow fear to replace Him in our mind, heart, and spirit.

When fear becomes greater than God, we are loss under its influence. However, when the Triune God is the center of our life, the central core of all our relationships, values, and decisions, you will quickly expose the fear trap doors in your world and avoid their manipulative paths.

Fear not, the Lord your God is with you and the one who will help you slay the fear mongers in your world. Always remember: overflowing life, free from worldly fear, is rooted in Jesus Christ.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved