Encouragement while you wait

This is Chris Hughes with the Christian perspective podcast with Chris Hughes. We encourage our listeners to engage the culture with Jesus Christ your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting a just a few seconds.

So enjoy it share 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 product and many other books on prayer provides weekly physical insight help you learn to love and now waiting for an answer to prayer is times.

It takes years and when it reached if you're in that place right now the place for your wondering what God is up to you want to keep listen to today's encouraging prayer right James comes from an unexpected way like Abram in Genesis 13 he said he'll make his descendents like the dust of the year there will be so many of them and when Abram doubt that in Genesis 15 God tells them to count the stars of the descendents will be memorable just like stop right there because that's where it gets interesting when we don't think Abraham doubting much of anything right.

We think of him as example of faith. I mean, what is Romans 43 say Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness that you know Romans as quoted in Genesis 15, which tells us Abram's response when God told him that it would be like the stars of the sky, but but if you read just a little bit later in in Genesis 17 and 18. You see God telling Abram again that he will have many children and what is he do, and years later he laughed and actually that's the meaning of the nape of Abraham and Sarah gave their son Isaac. It means he laughs. They both laughed when God told him that they would have a son because they were so old. At that point, I think I see where you're going with this so interesting is that even though Abraham believed God, he still had clients and try it still had part of him that didn't think it was possible and we don't tend to think about that too much to know exactly that's the very point we should think about that because Abram was only human, just like you and me and the thing about having faith is almost always a work in progress, so Abram believed God, he really but as time went on it became more and more difficult for him to accept that he and Sarah could actually have a son. And we know that because of the way he responded. Later in life.

What I love about this is so human we can put people like Abram up on a pedestal, but that he would tell us don't do that though a great example of of why is in that 15th chapter Genesis right before God tells him that his descendents will be like the stars of the sky God comes to him and says do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield you very great reward. And then Abram immediately set sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless thing I want you to notice here is that God comes to Abram in this very personal way.

You know Abram I'm here for you year, I'm yours yield I am your great reward.

And Abram says well what can you give me right really soft.

That way if I were God, my feelings hurt that the great I am, I have your shield in your very great reward looking to God and love for just who God is. It's like he's looking at God's hands. What you have there. You know what can you give me and don't we all do that, you know, we all done that before saying is that God meets him really right where he is because it's it's right after that that he tells him again that he will have so many descendents. Yeah the beautiful tender thing about God that that's what I love here because I think of the number of times that God has given me a break. You know I think part of Abram's believing God was that he was real with him about his struggles in his questions no matter what happened Abram never gave up on God. He never turned his back on him and God didn't turn his back on the meter and that really matters, especially when you and I are looking for answers to prayer that have come and were discouraged and were thinking all you know what's going to happen. I think part of the reminder of this this whole picture of Abram is that we don't want to just look at God's hands.

No wonder CT is face we want we want to go to in love and prayer isn't just this linear thing this input? Output answer and if we look at it that way then I think will get discouraged. So many times this were just thinking well I prayed about this and it didn't happen, but that's not me that's only a small part of what prayer is unfold in relationship with God, and I know that's hard, especially when were praying about something that is is so important to us, you knowing that it could be a life or death matter, even. But even greater than all of that is the truth that God is more than anything that happens to us and he wants to be more he wants to be our everything and we need to turn to him like that you pointed that out James. I see that is why God is saying, you know, Abram, my grace is sufficient for you, it only says I'm your shield on your great root like you got me, and it's neat that they walked together in that even even to the point and put my Isaac up, so that's a beautiful could you wrap us up in prayer. Along those lines that we be able to looks, son, Lord, we do just come to you. We praise you that you really are shield and you really are very great reward and we want to love you more and I'll Lord you know how much these prayers matter to us and we by faith like Abraham's God. Most hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.Margie or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

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