Really? Anything We Ask?

1 John 5:14-15 says:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we
ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

What does this mean?

If we were to dissect the verse, we would have more questions than the obvious one of why do we not get everything we ask for. Why? Well, for one reason we often ask with selfish, impure motives. We want a blessed life without pain and/or little adjustments. However, God listens and hears with such a greater knowledge of us than we know how to pray.

A few years ago, I prayed for something that was fully in line with God’s will…the restoration of my family. I prayed consistently for many years, fully knowing that God was on my side and that He heard my prayer. Then one day, He answered in a way that simply did not make sense. Certainly, it was not His will that my family be broken apart. Certainly, it wasn’t His plan or “according to His will” that we were not brought back together. Of course not. He did want that, but He knew the future. He knew what life had in store for me. He knew how He wanted to use my life. He knew where He wanted me to be broken and become more dependent on Him.

What is the purpose of prayer? To bring us more fully and more deeply into relationship and alignment with our Creator, Maker, Friend, Savior. When we can get to the place that prayer is not about what we want, but that we want what God wants for us we begin to see a new kind of transformation taking place in us.

Prayer is not about changing God or changing God’s mind, but for us to be changed and perhaps even have our mind changed to desire more for ourselves than what we could possibly desire on our own. Imagine praying “according to God’s will” and His best for us, having the kind of faith that believes our God is willing, capable, and ready to bring us “exceedingly and abundantly more than what we could ask or think?”

As much as I have resisted that kind of faith, I am forever grateful that God knew best. As I prayed for what I wanted (and it was good), God heard so much more from the cry of my heart. I can say with confidence that when I bring my requests before Him, He hears, listens and responds and gives me more than I could imagine. I want to want what God wants.

posted by:
Glenda Harr
Director of Women's Ministries & Assimilation

What Kind of Branch Are You?

Read John 15:1-8.

“Mere growth is never enough; productivity is the thing, and every organism has to be cut back to be fruitful.” David Roper, A Burden Shared.

I am not much of a green thumb, and far from being a gardener. In fact, fake plants have a hard time surviving in my care. But we do have six beautiful rose bushes that encompass our backyard. In fact, this past month they have come alive sprouting straight up the wall of our house in full bloom.

Most of the year they are tall, thick, full of color and filled with beautiful roses. Occasionally I find myself cutting off a few branches that are either dried up, dead or injured from our dog and children. How much beautiful they look after I prune them back. And then winter approaches and while they are still in their beauty, we must prune all the branches so that the vine is all that’s left. Their beauty is gone and I always regret taking their beauty away. The yard becomes plain and the warm beauty is gone. And then spring arrives and the beauty returns, thicker, brighter and fresher than before. How quickly I forget the dark, cold and plain vine. The pruning was worth it!

In John 15 we see God as our Gardener, Jesus our vine and each of us his branches. We see God cutting off those who do not know Him and who do not obey His commands. And then we see Him prune those who remain close to Him and who are bearing fruit, showing beauty and growing. Why does he prune us back when things are going so well? Our Gardener loves us so much He wants only the absolute best for us. He doesn’t want us to settle for bearing a little fruit, He wants us to bear much fruit, so he does some careful pruning in our lives so that we will become more fruitful.

I want to bear much fruit. I want our church, community and children to bear much fruit; and this means we must let God prune us. Pray today and ask God what branches you need to have pruned or cut-off. Ask him to reveal to you those areas that may need refocused. Are you spending too much time at work, in front of the TV, surfing the internet or on the golf course? Is your family receiving the attention they need from you? Are you giving God enough of your time? Are you in regular worship and prayer with God? Are you serving Him on a regular basis? Have you told anyone how Jesus has changed your life? Are you going to fast to even stop and let God prune you back?

Jesus makes a promise to those who are abiding in Him. He says that “if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you: (John 15:7). When we remain in Christ, and when his Word is living in us, we begin to want the same things God wants and we are able to receive whatever we ask. Will you abide in Him today and accept the fruit he has for your life?

“Prayer that does not bear fruit in self-giving service is not a Christian prayer but only soliloquy.” Fonald G. Bloesch, The Struggle of Prayer.

posted by:
Fred Hammer
Pastor of Children's Ministries

How to Get Out of Debt

There are ten steps for getting out of debt. The steps are easy, but following them requires hard work. The goal is to reach a day when you become absolutely free of debt.

1. Pray

In 2 Kings 4:1-7 we read about a widow who was threatened with losing her children to her creditor, and she asked Elisha for help. Elisha instructed the widow to borrow many empty jars from her neighbors. The Lord multiplied her only possession—a small amount of oil—and all the jars were filled. She sold the oil and paid her debts to free her children.The same God who provided supernaturally for the widow is interested in you becoming free from debt. The first step is to pray. Seek the Lord’s help and guidance in your journey toward becoming debt free. He may act immediately, as in the case of the widow, or slowly over time. In either case, prayer is essential.A trend is emerging. As people begin to eliminate debt, the Lord has blessed their faithfulness. Even if you can afford only a small monthly prepayment of your debt, please do it. The Lord will multiply your efforts.

The nine additional steps for getting out of debt are:

2. Establish a Budget

3. List Everything you Own

4. List Everything you Owe

5. Establish a Debt Repayment Plan

6. Consider Earning Additional Income

7. Control the Use of Credit Cards

8. Be Content with What You Have

9. Consider a Radical Change in Lifestyle

10. Do Not Give Up!

If you would like further information, contact me at mwood@firstcov.org or 916-861-2240.

posted by:
Monty Wood
Executive Director of Church Administration

I Believe; Help My Unbelief

Mark 9:24 says "I believe; help my unbelief." It is one of my favorite verses in all of scripture, because it is so often the cry of my heart. My mind and my heart resonate with this verse more than any other verses in all of scripture. I am always in a state of belief, and yet I am frequently in need of help for my unbelief.

Like the disciples in this story, I struggle to pray with enough fervency. I struggle to pray for myself or others because a large part me wonders, "What if God does not do those things for this person?" Would it be because I had not prayed with enough faith? Would it be because it was not in God's plan for those things to happen, and I should chalk it up to "Questions I was never intended to know the answers to?”

I know full well my faith is weak in moments, because there are other moments when prayer comes naturally. There are moments when I have such a clear glimpse of God that I hold on to it and squeeze every bit of life I can out of the moment. I need it to last as long as possible because I may drown in my own thoughts and wonder again at some point.

So to hear this man's plea with Jesus in Mark 9, "I believe; help my unbelief" is refreshing and affirming. It is affirming that his plea is granted and answered. It is affirming that even his admitting a level of unbelief is more important and honorable to Jesus than when he simply did not get it but pretended he did. Those are the ones who are 'this faithless generation' (vs. 19). Those are the ones who irritate Jesus for their lack of faith.

But you see Jesus meet this person, this father, when he simply admits he does have faith; help me in my lack of faith. Jesus meets you in the honesty.

Sometimes we only need to pray and continue to pray, and He will meet us tenderly in return...OR...we could remain a faithless generation that pretends we have all the faith in the world but see no fruit of it.

posted by:
PC Walker
College and Young Adult Pastor