re: Power of Prayer >No Matter Which Faith YouFollow=GOD is With You
“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.” DEUTERONOMY 28:1
Blessings for Obedience or Curses for Disobedience Deut 28:1-68
When God made his covenant with the Israelites, he gave them commands to follow and then told them what would happen whether they were obedient or disobedient to those commands. These were not bribes and threats. God wanted the people to know the truth about choices and consequences. Obedience to God results in good things. Disobedience always leads to trouble.
Many people have misunderstood the blessings and curses listed in Deuteronomy. Throughout history people have thought of disease and disability as the result of personal sin or a lack of faith in God. This is not true! Sometimes bad things just happen in our fallen world. A car slides on unseen ice and grievous injuries occur. Cancer comes unannounced, turning the ordinary into a life-changing chaos of diagnoses and treatments. A simple mistake (as when Joni Eareckson Tada dove headfirst into water without first confirming the depth) brings irreversible paralysis. Such events, while under the sovereign eye of God, are not curses from God; rather, these tragedies often have no relationship to sin or disobedience. On the other hand, behaviors do have consequences, and disability itself can be the result of sinful acts, such as when someone’s anger causes injury to those around them.
Therefore, if you are facing any kind of difficulty, it’s always good to ask yourself, “Is there any sin I have not confessed? Have I done evil which could bring affliction into my life?” Examine your own actions and motives. And ask God about it. He will convict you of sin and help you remove it. He will also be with you and uphold you in times of trouble as you rely on him. Take comfort in the fact that no matter what suffering you face, even if you can trace your suffering to personal sin, God always intends to use it for good.
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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