Fresh Blessings!

Speaking of how angry we got we got some going on the Truth Network. This can help the world not be so angry, just need God's word is please help the Truth Network send Bibles to Africa and we know that they they need God's word.

We have until the end of the month, just five dollars gets a Bible in the hands of a poor, impoverished believers all over the African continent with the help of the Bible league, just five dollars. Think about that Robbie just five dollars a please give you give more than five dollars man would love for you to do it in the number to call is one 800 yes word, one 800 yes word on 800 yes word not cuticle off the Russian nightmare know the devil's nightmare here from it's time to man up challenging men step into their true manhood. Your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening to the truth. Podcast network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and now. So what are you looking forward to right now are your best days in front of you or behind you. Do you see yourself as blessed or just wish you were.

These are some of things were going to be talking about on today's encouraging prayers of James, go ahead and take it from here with thank you Robert been stressful times lately haven't day so it just helps to ask what I'm looking forward to really and this is where prayer comes in because God can give us hope and peace in the most difficult circumstances he was in the middle of Lamentations international crisis at that time that the prophet Jeremiah wrote because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning great is your faithfulness. So I think a good question is are we looking for fresh compassion from God. Fresh blessings each day and Scott's compassions are new every morning. We really do need to be looking for them, but you got admit you don't expect that stuff, and I Lamentations you're exactly right Robbie and I read this interesting letter this past week from CS Lewis where he's talking about something similar. He said I'm beginning to feel that we need a preliminary act of submission not only toward possible future afflictions know how your praying Lord help me to be ready for whatever but also toward possible future blessings.

He goes on I know it sounds fantastic. He says, but think it over. It seems to me that we often almost soulfully reject the good that God offers us because at that moment. We expected some other good. You know what I mean on every level of our life. We are always harking back to some occasion, Lewis rights, which seem to us to reach perfection setting that up as a norm depreciating all other occasions by comparison with these other occasions. I now suspect are often full of their own blessing. If only we would lay ourselves open to it. God shows us a new facet of the glory and we refuse to look at it because were still looking for the old one. That's where his quote ends. But, in other words often expect the worst and get it. Just because that's what our eyes are open for but if we stay creatively open to God in the moment. He has blessings waiting for us right then and there that we never thought so.

Is the glass half empty or half full mean you're saying that even in difficult circumstances.

We can still hope in God and prayer has a lot to do with this.

The only reason.

Prayer has anything to do with this laser is open to God's Lewis was saying he's the one who can index a complete change our outlook for the better in a heartbeat if our hearts are resting in him.

The frustrating thing is that one more time to be with God in the moment when bad things happen.

Even then, it's like where are you unless we stay with him in the moment. We won't break through to the good he is waiting for setting about the Westminster confession and what is the chief end of humanity to enjoy God to know God to glorify God and enjoy him forever. And I think of something Frederick Faber wrote a paraphrase of the bit he said we must wait for God. We must wait in the cold and dark weight in the wind and wet weight. We must, he does not come to those who do not wait. He does not go there Road.

It is the relationship with God brings us into this place of blessing.

So ultimately he's the greatest blessing of all it's hard for the person who's in the crisis right. See that and really be able to accept and that's why we have to accustom ourselves to doing this. I think that's part of what Jeremiah was doing when he prayed, your mercies are new every morning.

What Paul meant in Philippians 4 when he said in every situation, by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. What we really need our fresh eyes to see the blessings that are there and God will help us with this God will lead us into this if we just asking and it takes me back to what Lewis said about looking at some situation in the past and setting it up as the norm for what it means to be happy when they're actually new blessings just waiting to be had if we can only see him what you think are some of the things that keep us from seeing the blessings God has waiting for that could be a long list that there are so many things that get in the way and they're not always our fault.

Grief and pain are two the first to come to mind so is just routine.

Notice of the first bite of ice cream taste better than the third or fourth because by then your tongue starts to get it's not that our life is meant to be one pleasurable experience after another that were the case we would be worshiping her experiences and by extension ourselves right so again it it all comes back to our relationship with God. I can think of some very difficult times when our son was struggling with her when addiction and we were so worried and not knowing what to do and I went into my room and close the door to be with God and I didn't feel any different. But then I got up and went on my way and maybe, just as soon as I walking down the hall out of the bedroom.

It hits me. The Lord was there but in my pain I was too numb to feel it, but I could see it after the fact the wake of a boat in the water. You look back and realize it, but you don't see it when it's happening. It makes me think of the footprints in the sand analogy right where in those places where there's just one set of prints that God was carrying us even though you thought it was you. You are all alone right and the important thing is that we just be real with God. So please listeners understand were not meaning to make light of any of the difficult circumstances that were encountering.

But if we don't feel his presence or support in the moment to be real and tell him that the Bible is full of prayers like that where people are saying how long the Lord good again. This is where we have to look forward and not backward to take any amount of faith and trust that we have, no matter how small and just look forward to him not expecting a feeling necessarily but just again looking to him. There's something about doing that even in the very difficult places that lightens our load seeing ourselves as blast starts with asking for God's help to do it. Going to him in spite of our circumstances and letting him lead us to see the blessings that are really right there and again that may not happen right away. It may happen a few steps down the hall as we were sitting, but it sums it up well. Most of all, recognizing that he is the greatest blessing of all reveling in the loving him adoring him that will lead us into fresh places of blessing again and again. Not because were making it happen, but because as his word says he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him plow. Thanks James will close today with a prayer that we can do just that. So Jesus, thank you for this insight and Lord I pray that you would guide us in our next prayer session that we would be looking for the numeracy's not not waiting on something that used to be and and that we would enjoy. We would enjoy you forever in the new fresh ways that you come after us, but also help us to sense your presence even in our lowest moments that we just know that you're the realist thing we could possibly ever say yes this Jesus thing you hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website. James bank.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network