Of Calouses And Prayer

This is Robbie Gilmore from the Christian card I am king in pursuit where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it and share it but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the truth that this is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything, and 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 talk to me right about something so that maybe you lost me that he could even happen.

If you have, you're not alone, and that's organ to be talking about today on encouraging prayer.

That's right Rob, do work the ground rule no judgment. Honestly, this is a very challenging thing and it is happened to some of the most faithful people, including people in the Bible.

So yes, let's talk about the biblical story. Here's a priest who's going into the altar before the most hope replacing the temple and may have been the first time he was there.

We don't know, but that's possible because there were many priests serving at that time was chosen by lot. As soon as he goes and there's an angel standing there and of course Zachariah is terrified because this is less than the angel Gabriel and the first words out of Angel's mouth or don't be afraid, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, yes, the amazing thing about that is, if it Zachariah and Elizabeth are old Zachariah tells Gabriel that much. How can I be sure that he says Gabriel is like a paraphrase. Now let me get this straight, we are right in front of the holiest place in the temple, and I'm an angel who stands in the very presence of God, and I'm giving you this good news from him and you don't believe it really is amazing because how often you see an angel. And if you're Zachariah when you first hear the words, your prayer has been heard.

You know, because you're so old, you're probably thinking prayer prayer exactly that just the thing he probably thought about that prayer in decades and all of a sudden. In the course. Gabriel tells him he's not going to be able to speak for the next nine months because of his question, but what shows this is something very important about how the human heart works. You know that Zachariah and Elizabeth both had to prayed and prayed about a baby, probably for years and for the longest time it didn't happen in if you've ever had that happen to you know what that's like, level prayers and that's really what their prayer was their prayers from the heart, but sometimes what can happen is when you pray and pray and pray and nothing seems to happen in your heart skip calluses if you will and in in in those tender places because of so much use in I know that certainly happened in the meeting we we prayed for years for our son to come to Jesus and while we were praying. There were years when his drug abuse.

Just seem to get worse. I remember you telling me you later saw God was so amazing because it was more than really you believe that could happen yet that's right. It honestly.

Honestly convicted me my lack of faith in my son and I write about that book hope lies ahead. And that's what I can really relate to Zachariah in this and I have a feeling I'm not alone like him. I learned the same lesson. God is so good that sometimes even our questioning will stop them from answering our prayers and when he does that, we see that it if not we who made it happen. If he is his kindness. If not, this kind of thing where, oh suddenly I got up enough faith so that God will answer my prayer was the case with right at all since dad it was just a matter of got this in God's timing is so true that it raises questions like how do you know when to stop asking for something a great question and I am think that only God can show set Robbie in he does he will mean he has ways of speaking directly to our spirit so that you know that you know that you know you've heard from him.

I don't think that's the case of you with with Zachariah and Elizabeth hear me clearly it's getting updates given up hope were too old and then maybe they became a little jaded along the way. At least it's clear Zachariah get him in an angel standing right in front of them and he's doubting what is telling him you know just you don't question Gabriel is been so disappointed for years so why should things change now you see how how hard Scott in that regard.

I think this assures us that we can't go there when Jesus had asked seek not those words in the original language or in the present, active, imperative, which means keep on asking.

Keep on seeking keep on knocking when you do that. Remember, most of all, not to lose sight of him. Do your best to keep the Lord is the greatest desire of your heart and not that you're asking for. So important because pride is greater than the answer to the prayer right. He is so much greater than any answer to prayer is greater than our doubts and fears and he can help us through them. If were honest with him about them and and don't close him off and can be hard sometimes because you know, again, these are often good things that that we may be asking for an and when they don't happen and we can understand why man again. That's half what we need to let God interpret those circumstances for us and help us through them and he is faithful and he will love what CH Spurgeon said about how God answers prayers. He basically said that we may ask for silver and we may get that, but sometimes God answers with goal and somehow Scott diamond and and we can trust him like that.

I think we all talk about some unanswered prayers or delays to answer that ended up being blessings in themselves.

On my best to you know if you wait that long and then you get John the Baptist right away and and and is always what matters most is relationship with God in prayer. If we can stay in that humble, loving, trusting place with God. All will be well so keep asking, keep seeking keep knocking but keep loving and looking forward to him. Most of all, so what you closest with the purse today that will just do that James yeah, let's let's pray Lord you know you know how were made. You know how we can question you know how we can doubt help us to just go straight to you when we do when it when it's tough and and which is wonder why thank you that we can. Jesus, thank you that even you called out why we know how that turned out that all you are hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you. Pray this is the Truth Network