Word Count: 818

Contact Jerry Ousley

DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER - PART 2 - GOOD THINGS

by Jerry Ousley  
9/27/2013 / Christian Living

There are good things and there are bad things. Life presents both. We all have received bad things in our lives. Many, including myself, have experienced the loss of a job. For some it has been devastating and resulted in being behind on bills, feeling that you have deprived your children because you can't give them what you used to, and for some even the loss of their home. These are bad things.

I have been fortunate because I was able to take the skills I have learned over the years and turn them into a way to provide an income. But way too many have not been able to do this. Laying aside the topic for today, I want to urge those of you who may be reading this to seek God say a special prayer for those who have not been able to recover in this economy. And I also want to encourage those of you who have skills and have not been able to find a job, to hone those skills and seek ways to turn what you know into your own job. Perhaps, and just maybe, God can transform those bad things into good things for you.

Life in general produces good things and bad things for all of us. The loss of health, the loss of loved ones, and on and on the list can go. I have said before, and I say again, that God is the master at taking life's lemons the bad things and turning them into lemonade good things. He can do that in all circumstances if we will seek His will, rest in Him, and listen to His directions.

In a lighter tone, I remember an incident once that began as a bad thing. I was around fourteen years old and I had gone home with a friend after church one Sunday. When dinner was over, my friend took me to a wooded area where a creek ran. It was really a nice place. But he excused himself for a moment (if you know what I mean) and I stood alone by the creek. Suddenly another boy appeared from the woods. He was a large, rough looking guy and believe it or not he was carrying a huge hunting knife. He held it in his right hand and slowly began to walk my way. The look on his face was not a friendly one and when I spoke a greeting his facial expression didn't change. He just kept coming at me with that knife. Needless to say, I was scared. I didn't know this fellow and it looked like I might be getting ready to die. "I'm too young to die! I don't want to die!" were the thoughts racing through my mind.

When the guy was about six feet away from me my friend emerged from the woods and spoke the guy's name. He knew him! They guy realized that I was with my friend and immediately put the knife away. Man; was I ever relieved. I didn't say anymore about it and neither did he. I certainly didn't want to bring the subject up because I didn't want him pulling that knife out again. The guy coming at me with the knife was a bad thing! But when my friend showed up and actually knew the guy, well, that was a very good thing!

In Matthew 7:11 Jesus continued His words about receiving from God. He had said that we are to ask, seek and knock. Then He said that a good father wouldn't give his son a rock if he had asked for a piece of bread, nor would he give him a serpent if he had asked for a fish. Then Jesus said that if earthly father's were kind to their children and desired to give them good things that even more our Father in Heaven wants to give us good things.

The key is in knowing what things are good and what things are bad. A lot of what we ask for today may seem to be good but they are rocks and serpents in disguise. That's why sometimes it seems that God doesn't give us good things. Our definition is tainted by what we perceive to be a good thing. God will give us those desires of our hearts but only if they won't bring more harm to our lives or the lives of others. God doesn't want selfish, prideful people who only want what they can get in their relationship with the Lord. But He does want to give us those things that will really enrich our lives and make a difference. If you aren't receiving what you're asking God for perhaps you need to re-examine your request. You may be actually asking for a rock or a snake and friends, God isn't going to give us those things.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Jerry Ousley

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:

Not readable? Change text.

The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer