God Rewards Patient Prayer

 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Gal 6:9 NIV

Have you persistently prayed for a friend or your child? Has God intervened in a miraculous way?

Not yet? Please don't give up! God sees your groaning. He hears your prayers.

I prayed for my mother for 25 years and for my father for 40 years. Both of them only believed on their deathbeds.

At 65, I was still a language teacher. I was tired and really struggling to cope with my problems, but I kept working. I worked part time until I was 71 and I had saved enough to retire. Now I'm 75 and I am living modestly with God’s provision.

Never give up!

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:3–4 NKJV

If you want to follow Jesus, the enemy of your soul will use all kinds of tactics to distract you from a fruitful life.

Discouragement.
Your children have grown up and turned away from Jesus. Never stop loving your children, praying for them, helping them. When you pray with hope and faith, God is at work in their lives, even if you must wait years.

Illness.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jn 10:10 NKJV

The enemy of your soul wants to overcome you with sickness, but we must resist the devil in faith, even if we don't get an overnight miracle.

In October 2018, I was shocked to receive a cancer diagnosis.

I prayed hard. I studied healing in the Bible and read miraculous healing testimonies. I attended church services where people prayed for healing.

I was open to the Holy Spirit, but also open to radiotherapy if that was what God wanted.

Two years later, I read a report after an MRI scan. No trace of the tumours. God healed without radiotherapy!

Years later I had a third biopsy. The tumours were still there but really tiny and they had not grown in over 5 years. The specialist said I would probably never need treatment. God moves in mysterious ways.

Never give up. When you read the Bible, do so with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Listen when God speaks to you in His Word. Be open to impressions from the Holy Spirit when you pray.

Remain steadfast in your discipleship and love for your neighbour. Never give up!
Have you persistently prayed for a friend or your child? Has God intervened in a miraculous way?

Not yet? Please don't give up! God sees your groaning. He hears your prayers.

God Promises and does not Lie

 The devil twists God's words to destroy your trust in God.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Gen 3:1 NIV

If you are seriously ill, you should read this.

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. Mt 8:16 NIV

Then you hear someone say that these healings were only meant for that time, or that such stories of demons are just pious legends because people 2000 years ago didn't understand anything about psychiatry.

Then you look at the Psalms:

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. Ps 103:3 NLT

The same God who promises to forgive all your sins, also promises in the same verse to heal all your diseases. Your eternal life depends on the forgiveness of God. Your healing depends on the same faithful promise of the same loving God.

Then you see many Christians who have been sick for a long time. You start to think that God wants you to suffer so that you can be sanctified. It's all rubbish, but the devil knows his trade.

Jesus said:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jn 10:10 NIV

God loves you. When he promises forgiveness and healing, he does not lie.