Hello everyone,
Hope you are having a good week!
Have had a very interesting series of chats with my sister over the last few days. Her and her husband (both pioneers and he is a MS) have been having some trouble in their marriage lately. They have just been through the wringer with the elders and the CO, and my sister has come out of it absolutely exasperated at the way she was treated. One of her comments was "I just want to tell them all to go to hell!" This has been festering for over two years and has now come to a head.
Let's just say Winston is endeavouring to eeeeeeever so lightly prod and point out the unscripturalness of what she has been told. I'm playing on the whole secret elders book / women are a second class citizen / opinions of men angles. I'm taking it from a "I used to be an elder so I have some inside info on all this for you" aspect.
Watch this space....
In the meantime, here are some notes from a recent public talk. These are just notes and not necessarily my opinion. I am reporting, not supporting.
What Kind of Prayers Does God Answer?
- Pretty much everyone these days has a mobile phone.
- They are useful, but they come at a cost.
- All of us have a way of communicating that is free and the person we speak with is always there and ready to pick up.
- Sadly not many people know how to use this way of communication, so their prayers go unanswered.
- 1986 was declared as a year of peace and many religious groups got together and prayed for this peace to come. Obviously these prayers went unanswered.
- One reason prayers don't get answered is that they go to the wrong person.
- Acts 2:21 says that those who call on God's name receive help. There are many different religions and they all have different books, but only our book tells people what God's name is. People's prayers don't get answered because they are praying to the wrong person.
- Psalm 115:5, 6. People think they are praying to God, but they aren't because there is no reply.
- Is there a channel that people need to go to? John 16:23.
- Prayers must be offered through Jesus or else they just go nowhere.
- Our motive is important too. People often turn to God when there are natural disasters and pray for the safety of the families. If the family member has died, then God gets blamed and that is not fair. Our motive needs to revolve around God's will.
- When we make an emergency call, we have to be specific to the operator on the details of where exactly the ambulance or police need to go. Our prayers should be specific too.
- Remember though that Jehovah will not answer prayers such as those that some make to win the lotto. It is better to pray for God's kingdom to come. For the preaching work to be successful. These are the things with which Jehovah is concerned.
- Jehovah blesses the efforts of his faithful servants, so it is important that we follow through on the things we pray about.
- Psalm 119:105. The answers to many of our prayers are provided in the bible this is why we have to study the bible.
- Zechariah 4:6. Holy Spirit answers our prayers too.
- One lady was left with three kids after her husband died. She prayed for comfort from God's word. Next day a JW called and said in his presentation "I have come to give you comfort from Gods word." When the lady heard the exact words that she had prayed, she commenced a study and is now a JW.
- In WW2 there were a number of sisters in a prison. The guards threatened the sisters one day with forcing the sisters to put their hands in hot oil. All of the sisters prayed. Most of them prayed for release and deliverance. This sister instead prayed to maintain her faith no matter what. The guards left them alone. Looking back, the sister was grateful that she prayed in a way that focused on Jehovah.
- One sister was a successful pioneer and then she came down with depression. She prayed for help to get over it. Soon after she received an invitation to go to Bethel. She was not sure if she could do it due to her condition. She decided to go anyway. A few months later she realised that her depression had disappeared.
- What prayers does Jehovah listen to?
- Those that are earnestly seeking Jehovah.
- Those who have faith that he will answer.
- Those that want to have a relationship with Jehovah.
- Those that are specific and followed up with actions.
- Isaiah 55:6.