Peta-Gay

Paul would not have gone because he would have feared eminent danger, imprisonment and hurt. Gods will would be fulfilled through someone else. I would have tried to dissuade him like his friends did, because i would also have thought that God would not have sent Him into direct danger. However, from the outside, I can look at the bigger picture and think otherwise. It takes a level of maturity indicative of an intimate relationship with God to harness that kind of blind trust. Often, the easy way does not help us to grow stronger plus we may lose great opportunities in ministry.

Your reflection on how women respond is so true Reborngal84

Paul feels assured and courageous to know that he has the support of God himself in carrying out his will. This confidence builds his faith so he can be comforted even through the persecutions and trial. He knows now that when He is weak and cannot do it by himself, that God is strong and he can rely on His strength. Paul is profoundly moved and begins to exult in his weakness. God is telling us that it is through His power and His guidance we can do the work for Him and not relying on our own strength thinking we may not have all the resources, health may be failing etc

Paul would not have gone because he would have feared eminent danger, imprisonment and hurt. If i were in the situation, having lived the reality of seeing the inhumane torture and persecution of y fellow man, I would have tried to dissuade him like his friends did, because I would also have thought that God would not have sent him into direct danger. However, from the outside and with knowledge of the testimonies of God's work ,, I can look at the bigger picture and think otherwise. It takes a level of maturity indicative of an intimate relationship with God to harness that kind of blind trust. Often , the easy way does not help us to grow stronger, plus we can lose great opportunities in Ministry.

Oh bless God. he is indeed our keeper, our shade upon our right hand. I thank God for your life and the work He is doing in and through you.You are a blessing.

HI, Yes it would be difficult with the children. Can you wake 10 to 15 mins earlier and try it. That may help. Or use a down-time at night. Although it is after the day, think of it as preparing for the next day, reflecting on how God communicated with you that day and asking the Lord to minister to your spirit , revealing His will while you rest at night.

In 1Kings 17-19, he author contrasts the "still small voice" to the wind,earthquake and fire. This is done to establish the power of God through loud displays, yet the character of God to desire to seek communion with us on an intimate level through his "still small voice". God's voice comforts and renews Elijah when he was fearful and exhausted, depressed and hopeless by giving him a new assignment and pointing him to a spiritual companion Elisha, who will share his sometime lonesome life with him and eventually succeed him. It is easy to miss God when his voice is gentle and quiet because the negative thoughts and issues are usually loud and grab our attention. We magnify the problem or our daily tasks, work, schedule because of demands and it drowns out that small voice. Our daily lifestyle is so media infused that our own thoughts become drowned out by loud images and sounds, that even a well written plan gets thwarted along the way.

I have the holy spirit who can communicate and mediate my thoughts at my most basic level and communicate to my spirit, God's guidance and truth. M human nature can never graps the vastness of God so i must rely on and be alert to the promptings of the holy spirit through which God's voice extends to me.

God's promises concerning the Paraclete, Comforter, Counselor and helper is that 1) We His disciples will be guided into the way of truth (John 16:13), so we need not be confused by the world's uttering, hence the importance of incorporating "listening" in our daily prayer time routine and not just reading and praying. 2) To teach us {John 14:26} so we are guided by divine knowledge and wisdom towards being more successful in our ministry efforts 3) To speak to us what the Spirit hears directly from the Father {John 16:13a} because some situations are not overcome or dealt with wholesale but using typical methods used in prior experiences. Like the expelling of the demon from the boy, Jesus got specific instructions from the Father. 4) To declare to us what is to come {John 16:13b] so we know how to approach our day, our season, a particular situation or task.

By myself can do nothing proves that Jesus was not working from his own divinity but by depending on God. Jesus seeks to see what the Father is doing and hear what the father is saying then act on that basis. Since God is always at work in our day, we should use quiet time to meditate and discern what he is doing and cooperate with Him in it, then we will see the power of God in action in our lives. I can therefore use Jesus' example as a pattern for my ministry by developing a lifestyle where I use quiet time to seek God's guidance and will.

Greetings Pastor Ralph, The pattern which emerges in Jesus' prayer life was to start His day with quiet time and prayer. He spends quiet time before the day begins so he can hear from God for guidance for his day. It allows him to tap into God's will so it can be fulfilled through him. The disciples desired that he busy himself in ministry and make himself available to the people because they believed he would get ,more done. My quiet times are not consistent in particular on days when i have to rush out. Need to set my alarm a bit earlier. At night i should resist working until i am too tired to assimilate what i have read and often fall asleep praying.