Pray for me

[sonofone]

Pray for me. I would like to request prayer concerning my understanding. Suffice it to say that I am having an extremely hard time accepting that God does all so everything is as it should be. It does not register in my spirit at all. It frustrates me and makes me wonder and have all manner of questions. Like why pray, why care about anything, why have any emotion whatsoever. I need some serious help with this one.

[Kat]

Hi sonofone,

Here are a few emails that I think speaks to what you are saying.

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3002.0.html -----

Dear Judy:
    God is not only Almighty, but He is also all wise, and all knowing, and LOVE.
    Love demands a recipient to partake of that love.  There is no  other God in
    the Universe or beyond the Universe.  God designed the family and children as
    a parable for us to understanding what His plan of creation is all about. God
    WANTS CHILDREN.  But God wants children LIKE HIMSELF, hence the
    purpose for the creation of humanity.
     
    Knowing "good and evil" is an essential part of "being like God,"  hence He
    creates good and evil for our experience. Failure, futility, sin and death is a
    part of the "knowledge of evil."  It is necessary that we fail in order that we
    may succeed.  God did not complete his plan of "making man in His Own Image"
    back in Genesis.  It was merely the first stage.  What we call "life" is God's
    plan for "making manking into His Own Spiritual Image."

    God be with you,
    Ray

http://bible-truths.com/email11.htm#character ---------------

Dear Charles:

Of course your question makes sense--it is an excellent question. Too bad that the Christian Church does not answer it.

God is SPIRIT. God is interested ONLY in spiritual things. All this physical creation is not something that God takes great pleasure in--it is but a means to an end. Well, what does He want then? He wants CHILDREN! SPIRITUAL Sons and Daughters in HIS VERY IMAGE!

But, how does He get them? Create them? Yes, CREATE them. But how does He create them. Instantly? No. To be in the IMAGE of God means that we will have the very same CHARACTER AND LOVE of God. Character and Love cannot be created instantly; it can only be developed over a period of time under severe pressure and duress.  And so God creates severe pressure and duress, which produces GODLY CHARACTER.  Imagine creating "patience," INSTANTLY?  Why the very thought is self-contradicting. Patience by its very nature means that something must be WAITED FOR even though it is desired NOW.

God knows what He is doing. Now then, there is a second part to all this. We ourselves would never ever really appreciate the qualities of character, virtue, and love, that we will possess if we did not have to "sweat blood" to get them. There is no virtue that you can name that is not the result of overcoming some form of evil.  And so this physical, human, temporal existence is as beneficial for US, and it is to GOD.

Hope this helps your understanding a little better.

God be with you,

Ray

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2695.0.html ----------

Dear Teresa:

If you will read or reread my four-part series on "The Myth of Free Will Exposed," you will know a great deal about the will of God. I am now going to teach you something very very profound, so listen carefully:

EVERYTHING that happened in your life, in the past, WAS God's purpose for your life at that time.

EVERYTHING that will happen in your life, in the future, WILL BE God's purpose for you at that time.

Then why do anything? Why try? Why care? Why be good? Why study?  Why pray? For WHAT?

Here is where viritually all Christians and all theologians and all ministers turn their minds off.

What you did in the past was influenced and caused by your environment of the past.

What you do in the future will be influenced and caused by your environment of the future.

What you are hearing and learning from bibletruths.com is one of those environmental

happenings that will have an effect on your future. You may not see how, but God does.

If God is choosing you as one of the called/chosen/elect/few, then you WILL respond

to the information and circumstances that God Himself will be directing in your life.

If you desire to stop sinning and start obeying God, then that being CAUSED in your

heart and mind, and you have no idea were and when it really began. God knows.

This is a subject for a 300 page book, not a short email. Hope you understand. Keep reading.

God be with you,
Ray

[Robin]

I will keep you in my prayers sonofone.

I do not accept new truth easily. In fact it usually causes me a lot of emotional pain when I learn something new. It took me quite some time to actually grasp that there is no free will. It is something God taught me before I found Ray and it took God pounding me over the head with it over and over again until I was able to accept it. I only say that as a double testimony that it is true. It is not something I would have thought to make up on my own. I was in the middle of church at the time that was teaching me I could appropriate all that God had for me by choosing to receive it. There is nothing like having no free will to teach you that there is no free will.

The first thing God taught me was to rest. That I was his job and not mine. Everyone tells me I used to toss and turn in my sleep and talk in my sleep and tell myself to rest. I really struggled with that until I saw my "beast". Suddenly I knew there was no hope for me within myself. There was no changing who I was. Only God could save me from my carnal mind and the sin that dwells within me. Every inch of me was carnal even without the action of sin. I knew first hand that there is no good thing in me.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

I was at the mercy of God and there was no choice I could make that would improve my situation. I could not choose to change who I was. I could not choose to change my desires. I could not choose to learn truth without God opening my ears and my eyes. I could only look to God and tell him I missed the mark and call out to him to save me. When I looked at myself from my point of view it was impossible.

Mark 10:
26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

God was dragging me to himself. I kicked and cried the whole way. He took me everywhere I didn't want to go and I had no choice. My kicking and crying did not do me any good whatsoever. My choices that were against his purpose in my life were put into submission to his will. He started training me in righteousness and teaching me the real truth. I learned the very hard way that I had no free will.

The lessons are harder now. There are still things in my life that make me want to kick and cry. I watch my grandchildren go through torment every day with chronic daily migraines. I want to kick against the will of God. I cry and weep trying to endure. I gather the strength that God gives me on a daily basis and teach my grandchildren about trials and tribulation and training in righteousness that will prepare them for the kingdom of God. We are in the will of God and I agonize and say not my will, but your will be done. Those are hard words when you are watching children suffer.

Romans 8:28-30
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Ephesians 1:
9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

[sonofone]

Thanks for responding, I realize I only asked for prayer so to get responses on top of that is really encouraging. Thanks for being here for me.

[hillsbororiver]

Hi Sonophone,

Kat and M.G. certainly provided some spiritual food for you, Ray wrote an article in regard to prayer, it should help answer your question.

Prayer is not a wish list for the things we desire in this world, it is an exercise in aligning our will with His will.

PRAYING BY GOD'S RULES
[God's Prayer Rules are Simple but Not Easy]

Few subjects in the Bible are more mysterious or less understood than the subject of prayer. Few indeed know how to pray or what to pray about. And what is the proof of that statement? The proof is that most prayers are never answered. Hundreds of millions of people a day pray in vain. They get no answer to their prayers. Why is this? Is there an answer as to why most prayers go unanswered? Absolutely, there is. Will most people accept the only and true Scriptural teaching on this subject? I'm afraid most will not.

There are many clich鳠regarding prayer, and some are absolutely true. It is said that God has one of three answers for all prayers: "Yes, No, or Later." This is basically, albeit not totally true. This one might be closer to the truth: "Your way, My way, or No way."

There is an interesting essay on prayer in which it is stated: "I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I could have ever hoped for." That may make for a nice sentiment, but few would ever believe such a thing deep in their heart. Most people do not believe that they got everything in life that they could have ever hoped for.

Christians and heathens alike, ignorantly and stupidly believe that they can change the mind of a Sovereign God Who always knows long in advance how He will fulfill His perfect plan and purpose under every and all circumstances. Many imagine that answered prayer is when God changes His mind with regards to the way things were going in your life. In other words: You change your ways to please God, and God will change His mind and begin blessing you. NOT TRUE. God never, ever changes His mind about anything.

This subject of unanswered prayer is so incredibly simple that a child can understand it, yet many learned theologians and clergymen have not even a clue as to the ultimate Scriptural statement regarding prayer. I will first give you the number one pre-requisite to having prayers answered, and then I will give you a most amazing second witness from a Scripture that is preserved in very few Bible translations.

THE GREATEST DRAMA OF THE AGES

If you like drama, then Matt. 26:36 is the place to find it. Few pay close attention to what is really going on in these few verses of Scripture. The humanity of Jesus is brought into direct conflict with the will of His God and Father. First I will jump ahead of our story slightly so that you understand the setting of this greatest of all prayers in the history of the universe. After praying for one hour Jesus returns a short way back to His Apostles and says:

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41).

Was the "flesh" of Jesus any stronger than that of His apostles? No, it was the same flesh. Paul tells us that, "...there is ONE kind of flesh of men..." (I Cor. 15:39). Jesus was given this same "one kind" of flesh (John 1:14 & Rom. 1:3). And so the flesh of Jesus was just as "weak" as that of His Apostles. Jesus instructed His apostles to stay awake and pray with Him for one hour. None of them could do it. None of us could have done it. They just ate a meal and they were now sleepy (not only physically sleepy, but especially spiritually sleepy). Now back to the beginning of this great drama:

"Then comes Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and says unto the disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder [over there]. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John] and began to be SORROWFUL, AND VERY HEAVY. Then said He unto them, My soul [His fleshly, conscious humanity, not His spirit] is EXCEEDING SORROWFUL, EVEN UNTO DEATH [spirit doesn't die, it is our flesh that must die]. Tarry [stay] you here, and watch with Me.

And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed saying, O MY FATHER, IF IT BE POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP [this cup of death—being beaten beyond recognition, being made sin offering, and crucified for the sins of humanity] pass from Me: NEVERTHELESS, NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILL" (Matt. 26:36-39).

"And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:43-44).

I doubt that any of us can ever fully appreciate what unfathomable human trauma and agony was taking place for those three hours in the garden that night two thousand years ago. The eternal destiny of the entire human race was at stake, and Jesus KNEW IT! And believe me, Jesus' Father was agonizing right along with His Son:

"In all their afflictions, He [GOD] was afflicted... in His love and in His pity He redeemed them..." (Isa. 63:9).

"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He SUFFERED" (Heb. 5:8).

And oh how Christ was suffering that night in the garden! But right there in the garden is the answer to all prayer. "O MY FATHER... nevertheless, not as I will, BUT AS THOU WILL." Jesus not only prayed that way; Jesus thought that way:

"I can of Mine Own Self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not My Own will, but the WILL OF THE FATHER WHICH HAS SENT ME" (John 5:30).

And again:

"For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine Own will, but the will of HIM THAT SENT ME" (John 6:38).

Did Jesus pray as earnestly as it is possible to pray that God would "let this cup pass?" YES, He did.

Did God grant Jesus His desire to "let this cup pass?" NO, He didn't.

But, did Jesus get His prayer answered? YES, He surely did. How so? Because Jesus' greater desire was that His Father's will be done, rather than "let this cup pass." This example from our Lord is the answer to answered pray and it is also the answer to unanswered prayer.

If you always pray, "not as I will, but as THOU will," all of your prayers will be answered too. Whether you always get what you desire or you don't get what you desire, if your greatest desire of all desires is for "THY WILL be done," then you can rest assured that from this day forward, all of your prayers will be answered always. God's will (that is His intention for the way He has preordained everything to go), will always be done. No prayer has ever changed God's plan or purpose in any way whatsoever. (Read my series on "free will").

Now then, if it was God's intention for you to be blessed by some particular favor, and God inspires you to pray for that favor then it will surely be given to you. If on the other hand, if it was not God's intention for you to be blessed by some particular favor, then no amount of praying will cause God to grant it to you. Either way, God's will must be done, and if that is the greatest desire of your prayer for God's will to be done in your life, then whether you receive some particular favor or you don't receive it, nonetheless, YOUR PRAYER WILL BE ANSWERED.

I'm, personally, okay with that. Many of my readers may not be okay with that arrangement of things, but nevertheless, that is the way things are and that is the way things will always be—"THY will be done."

Why is this the only way that we can understand what is such a mystery to many in the Church? Because they do not believe that God is Sovereign. God's Sovereignty is absolutely not compatible with a fabled "free" will of man. Those that argue contrary just do not understand their own arguments.

God has never made a mistake. God has never ever changed His mind. God has never been surprised by anything that anyone has ever done. God knows everything that will happen before it happens. And the only reason that God can do this is because God is Sovereign and man has no such thing as a "free will." (Don't everyone send me Gen. 6:6 at the same time now, insisting that God does change His mind—He does NOT).

No man has ever in the history of the world received an answer to a prayer for something from God that God did not already have in His plan to give him. People hate the very thought of a God Who is totally and completely Sovereign, and the reason is simple. If God is Sovereign, then man has no free will that can thwart the sovereign foreknowledge of God. God cannot know for certain a future event if mankind possesses a power that can thwart God's perfect foreknowledge. Not even most of the greatest minds in theology have thought this apparent enigma through. Had they given sufficient thought to this Truth of God's Word they would not be teaching such a plethora of unscriptural and damnable heresies.

When God wants to answer someone's prayer, the first thing He will always do is inspire (cause) that person TO PRAY. How can God answer a "prayer" if someone doesn't "pray"? God can bless us and do favors for us, but God cannot answer our prayers, if we don't pray. That is why I get excited when I feel inspired to pray, as I am encouraged that God is getting ready to bless or favor me in some way.

SEVEN SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES GOVERNING PRAYER

[1] "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, [everything in heaven and earth must be in accord with God's will {His purpose and plan, Eph. 1:11} or it won't happen] He hears us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (I John 5:14-15).

[2] "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [I cannot stress enough the importance of a clean and clear conscience] then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we...

[3] keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight...

[4] And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the Name [and everything that that Name stands for and represents] of His Son Jesus Christ...

[5] And love one another, as He gave us commandment" (I John 3:21-23).

[6] "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts [so don't think that it's okay to pray for your Mother to hit the Lotto Jackpot either, as I believe that God can see through such feigned benevolence]" (James 4:3).

[7] "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing [Having faith and trust, not just hoping and wishing. True faith can be based only on God's Word—see James 1:6-7] ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:22).

All seven of these principles are in keeping with "Thy will be done." We will now take a close look at a Scripture that cannot be discerned from most translations.

AN AMAZING SCRIPTURE ON PRAYER HIDDEN IN THE KING JAMES

This Scripture will blow you away if you have never before seen it properly translated. Here it is first in the King James Version:

"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:24-26).

Paul makes a connection between "hope and prayer." Hope is something we expect, but do not as yet experience. All of Christendom has this subject wrong when they claim that they are already in this life "saved" in the past tense. Paul tells us that we are "saved by hope," but if it is already a reality, then there is no need to still be hoping for it. He then states that, "Likewise..." (in the same way and manner) when it comes to praying, "we know NOT what we should pray for." Just as we do not yet SEE what it is that we "hope for" (we do not yet possess it), likewise we do not see what we are to "pray for" based on another one of God's rules, not based on our ignorance (or 'as we ought'). This much we can learn from the King James.

But the real problem with the King James is the next phrase "as we ought". That unfortunately does not carry the impact of what this most profound verse is telling us. The Greek word translated we ought is defined by Dr. Strong as follows:

G1163

de??

dei

die, deh-on'

"Third person singular active present of G1210; also de??? deon which is neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is (was, etc.) necessary (as binding): - beho[o]ved, be meet, must (needs), (be) need (-ful), ough[t]".

This is a dogmatic word—NECESSARY, BINDING, BEHOOVES, MUST BE, NEEDFUL.

Fifty-eight times this word die is translated "must;" and seven times "behooved;" and five times "must needs". When we read this verse in the King James and many versions that copy the King James, we get the feeling that Paul is stating that we just don't know how to pray as well as we could or should pray. This is not the point of his declaration. Paul is stating that the knowledge necessary to pray according to what MUST BE (what God has already predestined and determined is and must be done in His plan and purpose), none of us are aware. None of us know for sure what MUST BE in God's purpose, and so we cannot possibly always pray for what God desires for us to have. This being so then, God's Spirit aids our infirmity in this area and helps us pray according to God's will, which is just another way of saying according to what must be.

Notice how this word is emphatically used throughout the New Testament:

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not trouble: for all these things must [Gk; die] come to pass, but the end is not yet" (Matt. 24:6).

Jesus is not saying that these things "ought" come to pass, but rather they MUST come to pass.

Likewise: "...the Son of man must [Gk: die] suffer..." (Mark 8:31).

Not that He only "ought" to suffer. "...for such things must needs be..." (Mark 13:7).

"...the gospel must first be published..." (Mark 13:10).

"I must be about My Father's business" (Luke 2:49).

"Ye must be born again" (John 3:7).
"...that He must rise again from the dead" (John 20:9).

"...we must through much tribulation..." (Acts 14:22), etc., etc., etc.

Prayer must be in accord with what "must be." Here are a couple of Versions that bring this out clearly:

"And, in like manner also, the Spirit doth help our weaknesses; for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth us , we have not known, but the Spirit himself doth make intercession for us with groanings unutterable" (Rom. 8:26, Young's Literal Translation).

The word "behoove" means "necessary." Not what should or might be, but what is absolutely "necessary." And "necessary" is the first definition of this word in Strong's Greek Dictionary.

"Now, similarly, the spirit also is aiding our infirmity, for what we should be praying for, to accord with what must be, we are not aware, but the spirit itself is pleading for us with inarticulate groanings" (Rom. 8:26, Concordant Literal New Testament).

This Version and along with Young get the word order correct according to the Greek manuscripts, and therefore also showing that it is not "as we ought" that is being discussed, but "what must be".

Notice the word order from a few Interlinears:

"In like manner and also the Spirit jointly helps our weaknesses; for that which we should pray for according as it beho[o]ves [is 'necessary'], we know not, but itself the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings inexpressible" (Rom. 8:26, Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by Berry, Zondervan).

"In like manner and also the spirit helps the weaknesses of us; the for what we should pray as it behoves, not we know, but itself the spirit intercedes on behalf of us with groans unspoken" (Emphatic Diaglott Interlinear).

"AS-SAMELY YET AND THE spirit is-TOGETHER-supporting to-THE UN-FIRMNESS OF-US THE for ANY WE-SHOULD-BE-PRAYING according-to-WHICH IS-BINDING NOT WE-HAVE-PERCEIVED but SAME THE spirit IS-OVER-pleadING to-groanings UN-TALKED" (Concordant Greek Text, an Ultraliteral English Translation in the Sublinear). (All underlines are mine).

The reason that translators and expositors do not teach the truth on this verse is because they don't believe it is true as written in the manuscripts. It appears from most translations and virtually all teaching on the subject of prayer, that they cannot believe the truth of this verse because it substantiates the Sovereignty of God and contradicts man's fabled free will. To better understand what is being taught here on prayer, I will now quote Rom. 8:26 and continue through verses 27 and 28 from the Concordant Literal New Testament:

Now similarly, the spirit also is aiding our infirmity, for what we should be praying for, to accord with what must be, we are not aware, but the spirit itself is pleading for us with inarticulate groanings. Now He Who is searching the hearts is aware what is the disposition of the spirit, for in accord with God [with God's will] is it pleading for the saints. Now we are aware that God [KJV leaves out "God"] is working all together for the good [things don't "work together for good" by themselves—ALL good comes from God—James 1:17] of those who are loving God..."

Let's now understand this most profound truth. It isn't just that, "...we know not what we should pray for as we ought..." No, it is much more profound then just that, it is that "....for we know not what we should pray for, to accord with what MUST BE, we are not aware..." Why does the spirit aid our infirmity? What is our infirmity? Our infirmity is that we don't know what to pray for that will absolutely always be in accord with what must be God's will, and God's will is "what must be." And since none of us has perfect foreknowledge of what God's will must be, God's spirit aids those who are obedient to Him, in requesting and praying about, the right things, so our prayers aren't in vain.

It is the will and plan and preordained purpose of God Almighty, that's what "MUST BE." "THY WILL BE done" (Matt. 6:10). Yes, God's will MUST be done—always! One day we will all come to believe and appreciate the fact that God is Sovereign. God is always right. God always does what is best and perfect. And so it is vain to pray for something that is NOT "in accord with what MUST BE".

And only then does verse 28 make sense. Things don't "just happen" to people who love and obey God (as most translations suggest in this verse). No, we should now be willing to accept the truth, "...that GOD [The King James leaves out the 'God' in this verse as if things just work themselves out without God] is working all together for the good...." And how is it that God works? "In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who works ALL THINGS AFTER THE COUNSEL OF HIS OWN WILL" (Eph. 1:11).

And so, if we always pray according to God's Will, with a clean conscience, obeying the commandments of God, and are aided by the Holy Spirit of God to pray only "in accord with what MUST BE," we will begin seeing answered prayer where we may have been frustrated in the past.

Read the rest here;

http://bible-truths.com/praying.htm

His Peace to you,

Joe

[iris]

Hi Sonofone,

You have been and will be in my prayers.


Peace and Love
Iris

[ciy]

Son of one

I am praying for you.  Kat, Joe, and especially MG have given you some great words of encouragement.  There is little that can be added other than to tell you we all have a great problem really accepting no free will.  I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I have no free will and God is sovereign, but I find myself daily subconsicously falling back into my carnality.  I will get mad at someone before I remember that it is not them it is God, so trust God and realize it all of God.

Be encouraged by all of our weaknesses and trust God.
CIY

[Bradigans]

John 16:13 - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.  

[skydreamers]

Hi sonofone,

My prayers are with you...the whole "no free will" concept was really hard for me too...you're not alone in your struggles....I have an insane desire to know everything there is to know, like yesterday but I have to keep reminding myself of this scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:9-13 (Message)
We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete.  But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.  When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.  We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!  But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Peace to you,
Diana

MG, that was a really beautiful post!

[Deborah-Leigh]

MG

What you said here hit home for me :I was at the mercy of God and there was no choice I could make that would improve my situation. I could not choose to change who I was. I could not choose to change my desires. I could not choose to learn truth without God opening my ears and my eyes. I could only look to God and tell him I missed the mark and call out to him to save me. When I looked at myself from my point of view it was impossible.

It hit home the recognition of the fact that not only are WE at the mercy of God and there is no choice WE can make to impove our situations or circumstances BUT EVERYONE ELSE TOO is at the mercy of God !  Whether they know it or not, THEY TOO can not alter anything because God has set all things to the purpose of His Will.

To me MG and sonofone, THAT is so big a concept to hold in place and in awareness....I know it is beyond my human comprehension or capacity to integrate without the Sovereign Grace of God.

I believe we should all pray for one another and for ourselves that Gods Grace to be unceasingly in us and overwheliming us and our small thoughts that we so humanily try to anchor to our understanding so we can peg our sence of saftey to our own limitations. We really need God and His Spirit to set us free from ourselves and EVERYTHING and that we be released to the haven of HIS wisdom that every purpose of His Will will be fulfilled and finally consumated through Gods own Love.

We really need God and our needs simply express themselves in a myriad of different ways and forms but they all say the same thing. WE NEED GOD. God IS OUR God. sonofone, your testimony of struggle and pain, for me has accentuated this fact. Thank you.

Peace to you

Arcturus