Life Plan Devotion #113 [Get prayers answered, 4th condition, Part II]

Perhaps you've thought or said, in the past, "I prayed and asked God for [such and such], but I didn't get it." While there may be a different reason why God did not answer your prayer in the way or timing you wanted, one soul-searching reason is given in James 4:3, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (NIV). For example, if you are apt to be a spendthrift, if money tends to "burn a hole in your pocket," God may choose to postpone a "yes" answer to your prayer of additional money, until you get your spending habits under control. When God blesses us with wealth, He expects that a portion of the money be tithed and offerings given for His Kingdom work.
One of the best stories in the Bible about praying with the right motive is one we wouldn't think of in that way, at first. It's the story of the raising of Lazarus, one of Jesus' dearest friends. While I encourage you to read the entire story found in John 11:1-44, I'll focus on selected verses.
Some people say that one should not pray to be healed of a sickness, citing part of John 11:4, "...it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (NIV). Let's look at the entire verse (and in context). "When He heard [that Lazarus was sick], Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.'" Was Jesus confused? Lazarus died, after all. No, He wasn't confused. He knew that Lazarus would die, and what He was going to do. He waited two more days, after hearing that Lazarus was sick, just so no one would be able to say that Lazarus wasn't really dead. The sickness was not for God's glory, for sickness is a tool of Satan. The raising of Lazarus, the power that Jesus Christ demonstrated, to show that He has power over sin, sickness, and death--that was for God's glory.
I love how Jesus, once again, mentions the importance of faith, of believing Him. Martha, Lazarus' sister, reacts to Jesus' command to "Take away the stone" (verse 39) by stating the obvious, "But, Lord,...by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Jesus says to Martha something He says to each of us today, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
When the stone to Lazarus' tomb is rolled away, "Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me'" (verses 41-42). Then "Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!'" (verse 43). Did you ever wonder why Jesus used Lazarus' name? Jesus' words are so powerful that had He said, "Come out!" every dead body would have been resurrected!
What was Jesus' motive in praying for the resurrection of Lazarus? Was it because He loved Lazarus? We know He loved Lazarus, because verse 3 tells us that "the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.'" Yes, Jesus loved Lazarus, but that wasn't His motive for raising him from the dead.
Was Jesus' motive for raising Lazarus a response to Martha saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (verse 21)? No, that was not His motive, for Jesus even tells Martha, "Your brother will rise again" (verse 23).
Perhaps Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead because He was moved by Mary, who "fell at His feet...weeping" (verses 32-33). Verses 33 and 35 tell us that "He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled" and "Jesus wept." Jesus was moved with compassion, yes, but that was not His motive for raising Lazarus.
Jesus' motive for raising Lazarus was so that those who were present "would see the glory of God" (verse 40). That must be our motive when we pray, also. If our motive is greed, God will not hear and answer. If our motive is to try to manipulate God's provision, God will not hear and answer. If our motive is to try to merely find relief in our circumstances (for the sake of relief), God will not hear and answer. Our motive must be to bring honor and glory to His name.
When you pray, asking in faith and with the right motive, you "ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name" (I Chronicles 16:29, NIV), and you'll be able to echo the words of II Corinthians 1:20, "...Through [Christ] the 'Amen' is spoken by [me] to the glory of God" [Note: Words in brackets added by author, to clarify meaning.] Pray with the right motive, for the glory of God, for His name's sake, and your "Amen" ("so be it") will get an "Amen" answer from God ("So be it!").

What this has to do with weight loss: What is your motive for losing weight? Perhaps you want to live longer, have a better quality of life, be more active, alleviate pain in your body. Those are all valid motivations, but just think of the extra power and motivation if your number one motive would be to lose weight to bring honor and glory to God, and praying to that end. It's something to think about.

Confession:
I pray with praise and thanksgiving, in the Name of Jesus, and with the right motive--God's glory. When God answers my prayer, I tell others, giving Him all the glory.

Life Plan Devotion #101 [Promises]

II Peter 1:3-5a "By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises" [NLT].

Webster's Dictionary defines "promise" as "a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc." Depending on one's criteria for that which constitutes a "promise," there are at least 1,260 and may be as many as 6,000 promises in the Bible. Just so you know how I feel about it, I say there are 31,173 promises, for that is how many verses there are in the entire Bible. For this writer, every word in the Bible is God-breathed and true. Radical? Perhaps. It has been my experience that when one lines himself/herself up with the Word of God, in thought, word, and deed, one finds that "God can be trusted to keep His promise" (Hebrews 10:23).
No doubt you, reader, have been on the receiving end of a promise unfulfilled, and, when that happens, it is upsetting. In a perfect world, all promises are kept. I have good news! God keeps His promises! God keeps His word. "God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind" (Numbers 23:19a). Moses (the commonly-accepted writer of the Book of Numbers) goes on to ask, "Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?" (19b). The answer is "No."
The psalmist David walked with God and, at times, counter to God. No matter what, David came to learn and know that "God's way is perfect. All [His] promises prove true" (Psalm 18:30). The Apostle Paul, in the Book of Romans, chapter 4, talks about the faith of Abraham (considered to be the father of faith). Paul tells us that "Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises" (vv. 20-21).
If you want to please God, if you want to see all of the promises in God's Word fulfilled in your life, you must know Jesus Christ as your Savior, "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding 'Yes!' And through Christ, our 'Amen' (which means 'Yes') ascends to God for His glory" (II Corinthians 1:20). Believers across the millennia testify that "Those who know [His] Name trust in [Him], for [He] [does] not abandon those who search for [Him]" (Psalm 9:10).

Hebrews 6:18b [NLT]
"We who have fled to [God] for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us." [Note: specific noun, for non-specific pronoun, inserted by author, for clarity.]

What this has to do with weight loss: If you would experience success on the weight-loss journey, you must have hope that it will happen. There is a place of protection, safety, and refuge. It is in God and in His Word. Hang on to Him, and you will hang on to hope.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I choose to take You at Your Word, that Your Word is true. I want all that You have for me, so show me what that is, in the pages of Your Word, and help me to see how to make sure it comes to pass for me. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, with great anticipation for the fulfillment of God's promises in your life.