Answered Prayer

Monday's Devotion (1-16-06)

"Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16 (KJV)

Sorry about not having the devotion again. I've got this horrible flu that I'm trying to shake. Yesterday morning I just couldn't bring myself out of bed long enough to write the devotion.

Well, today I just want to kind of share a testimony with you guys. I've been praying for my music to take off, and for it to bring glory to God. Well, something big is about to happen in my life. There's a legendary wrestling name that owns a Christian based wrestling federation. God gave me the desire to write a song for this wrestling promotion (A Christian song.) For once in my life... I listened to God. The feeling was too strong to ignore. I wrote the lyrics to this song, and my promoter showed the song to the wrestler... He loved it! He also plans on using it with his wrestling shows. He is also going to talk to a great up and coming artist to perform the song. I'm so excited, because this is a big step for me. I've been praying and praying for my music, and now the time is coming! As soon as I have a copy of that new song (In music format,) I'll put it on the website... Because I know that you've been praying with me, and because I hope it will bless you.

To me, this just shows that if we keep at it, and keep praying... We will receive whatever we desire. We will receive what we desire as long as what we desire is out of purity. Let's face it, if you ask for something that is filthy and bad for you - God isn't going to give it to you. You can get that on your own, He isn't going to be a part of your sin. I asked for something that benefits God, others, and myself... Needless to say, I'm receiving my request. I think that we often get greedy in prayer. We think about what can benefit us, and we forget that we can benefit ourselves by benefiting others. Once we forget that, I think that our prayers are less effective. Here's an example: If I'm sick with a deadly disease, and I pray for my healing for the benefit of my family, and so I can be a testimony of God's power to others, then I believe that my chances of healing are greatly increased. If I ask for healing solely because I'm afraid of death, and because I still want to experience some of life's "pleasures," then I don't think that my prayer is as effective. I can't help, but to think that our prayers are answered according to our own hearts. I think about Solomon, he prayed for wisdom so he could righteously judge God's people. This request wasn't for himself at all, and it was answered, and he got many more blessings than just that. He got blessings that he didn't even ask for, because he didn't think about himself. I'm not saying that we can't receive something that we pray for that is solely for ourselves. I'm just saying that I think it's a lot harder for a selfish man to receive an answer to his prayer. I mean God knows that I've had selfish motives for prayer at times. Who hasn't been greedy at one point or another? It's hard not to get greedy, but that doesn't make it right... And greed certainly isn't an ingredient that gets a good result in prayer.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this message, for answering our prayers, and for all things. Please forgive us of all our sins, and we forgive those who've wronged us. Please help us not to be selfish people, help us to always serve you and others before ourselves. In Jesus name. A-men!

God bless!

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