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June 12, 2021 12:00 pm
James & Robby discuss blessing those who curse you - and genuinely wanting others to be happy - especially in Christ!
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Enjoy it shirt but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly physical insight help you learn to mom and now the title of today's encouraging prayer segment is glass and don't stress so James, it sounds a little bit like, don't worry, be happy to help with that robbery. I'm hoping Paul wrote in Romans 1214 bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them.
Instead, pray that God will bless them that makes me think about what Jesus said in the sermon on the mountain. Luke six 2087. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you.
That's right. And we really need to talk about this, especially in the polarized times we live in.
So many people are at one way or another. But Jesus says that if we do this if we bless others our reward will be great and we will be in Luke 635 because children of the most high, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. So let's talk about how could we do this in our everyday life that ain't so easy I mean we have to practice it helps to think through it beforehand, so let's talk about something everyone can relate. That's road rage.
Years ago I was on the road with an older couple beautiful Christian couple going onto the freeway and heavy rain and apparently they were going fast enough for the guy behind us and he laid on the horn and their immediate response surprised me that you said God bless you, it wasn't with the tone I would set it with you. I wanted to bless the guy that I like baritone was so loving and I sensed in my spirit right then. While the right so the word blast when Jesus uses.
It also means happy. So does that mean that we should pray for those who mistreat us to be happy but yeah I mean if you think about it. People who are unkind to others usually are miserable themselves so I think that's the right direction. And isn't that the thought behind so many blessings in the Bible. Lord make this person happy in one way or another and and remember again what Jesus said God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, so when we push back what he doesn't deserve to be happy.
It helps to remember that we don't deserve anything from God either some true. He's been good to us in spite of ourselves exactly so going back to that incident in the car. This is again something I got to work on, but it has to do with Jesus joy in our hearts and lives just flowing out of us and into others that we often think of Jesus as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
The writer to the Hebrews also tells us that it was because of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, and Hebrews 19 tells us that God anointed Jesus with joy so this is all tied together so let's talk some practical examples. One in particular because her mind and it comes to mind is from Catherine Marshall who really was an inspiration for this talk. She really got me thinking about it.
In her book adventures in prayer. She writes about this. Let me just read a bit from her. She writes some years ago I knew of a home in Washington DC, which was full of tension because of all its nagging faultfinding with the children.
Ellen, the mother of the children did much praying about the situation. Mostly, the God would take away the aunt's hypercritical attitude.
Nothing at all seem to happen as a result, Mellon became increasingly resentful of the onset attitude and presence in her home. One afternoon Ellen whom I have known for many years brought by her home to return a borrowed book. I know I must look like a wreck. She apologized after look up all knock back and forth between the children and between auntie and in the midst of discussing your problem.
I had a sudden inspiration you've been asking God to change your mom's disposition and you say she's more faultfinding than ever. So why not forget about trying to change or just ask God to bless her in anything and everything looked astonished you mean I should ask God to bless auntie whether she deserves it or not. Before I could answer, my friend had a counter thought. I see it, Ellen said thoughtfully. I guess none of us deserve anything from God doing exactly my thought. I told Ellen nothing we could ever do would be good enough to earn a scrapper arrived from his hand and Catherine. Let's try your idea, but will you pray with me about it right now.
Of course, but remember Ellen when you ask God to bless someone what you're really saying is make him or her happy. That's the literal meaning of blessing in the Bible.
Happiness. As I recall, Ellen's prayer went something like this. Lord, I note your will we be happier in our house that we have been and I know that can't happen. Will any of us is bless auntie now in whatever way she needs give her the gift of happiness help the children to love and respect her and show me how I can be kind to amen.
A week later my friend telephone Ellen said that day by day.
Her prayer was being abundantly answered the atmosphere here at home was completely different. She said you know this blessing. Business is dynamite.
But I still don't understand like that prayer was answered when none of the others were why would there be such power and wishing joy for someone that's awesome.
So let's go there. I mean why do you think there's so much power in praying like that. I think it's just after God's heart we we act like his children. When we pray like that. Like Jesus said again.
I don't know about you but I know I need to do this more than I do, especially in these times that were living the know about the flood here. I really needed.
So let's try this and see how it goes because you really what is doing is also helping us let go of her critical spirit and we really do need to do that, that's so true Robert Jesus joy is waiting for us if we will have it in and you know he wants us and what this ultimately comes down to is praying for others to know him because he's the greatest happiness of all. So select close today by asking for God's help with this. To help us bless even when it's difficult to genuinely want others to be happy, especially in him.
Let's pray what we can do this unless you help us and so we ask that you do and you know the situation succumb immediately to mind as we think about this. So help us to bless. We want to be your very own in this Holy Spirit.
Phyllis, who believed help us to in your name.
Hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network