God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them (Romans 10:21).”
Watching. Waiting. Loving. Longing.
How do you respond?
God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them (Romans 10:21).”
Watching. Waiting. Loving. Longing.
How do you respond?
The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled (Romans 15:4).
Pray patiently. Wait patiently. God is true to the promises he made (Romans 15:8).
Pray that God,
the source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace
because you trust in him
Then you will overflow
with confident hope
through the power
of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 15:13)
The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift (Romans 4:16).
Receive God’s gift and say thank you.
We often overlook confession. Perhaps we live unaware of our sins. Maybe we think if we don’t talk about them, God will not notice. We probably don’t realize how absolutely bad sin is. But the consequences of sin are dire. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened (Psalm 66:18 NLT). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Click here for a Prayer Guide on Praying to a Forgiving God.
“I can’t remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain.”*
Jesus’ death is our perfect example of God always working for the good of those who love him (see Philippians 2:8-11; Romans 8:28).
Remember this as you pray your way through.
*https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/saragroves/hesalwaysbeenfaithful585720.html
Facing an undeserved death, Jesus prayed, “I want your will to be done, not mine.”
God responded by sending an angel to strengthen him (from Luke 22:42-43).
Sometimes God’s answer is strength to endure suffering.
“Our prayers are heard,
not because we are in earnest,
not because we suffer,
but because Jesus suffered.”*
*Oswald Chambers, If Ye Shall Ask” p.10-11.
Jesus told his disciples he would “be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant (Mark 9:31-32).”
I’m not sure why they were afraid to ask. But I am sure that we don’t have to be afraid to ask Jesus anything.
He invites us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God (Hebrews 4:16).”
God promises those who mourn will be comforted (Matthew 5:4).
Though it does not take away the loss, God’s comfort soothes, like aloe on newly burned skin.
We pray to the God who is the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3).