WHEN WE DOUBT, GOD STILL HEARS AND ANSWERS

WHEN WE DOUBT, GOD STILL HEARS AND ANSWERS

I was sitting in my living room early in the morning, and I heard flapping in my chimney. I knew a bird was caught, and I prayed it would somehow get out. When I was praying, I listened as the Holy Spirit told me to put some bread in the fireplace so the bird would come down and be free.

My actions showed that I had some doubt about God answering my prayer. I went off to work and automatically left the door open so Snowy, our cat, could get into the living room. When I got home, sure enough, God had answered my prayer, and the pigeon was sitting on the mantel. It was bedraggled and shivering as Snowy prowled around below it. I picked Snowy up and put him in the bedroom. Then I gently clutched the frightened bird and took him outside where he flew away to freedom.

The next day I was at a garage sale and found a painting of a pigeon. I hung it up on my bedroom wall to remind me that God always answers my prayers.

There’s a story in Acts 12:1-17 similar to mine, where people were praying but still doubting at the same time. Their actions showed they didn’t expect God to really answer their prayers. This is their story:

Peter got thrown into prison, and Christians gathered at Mary’s house to pray. The Bible doesn’t tell us what they were praying about, but we can pretty much assume they were praying for Peter’s release. God answered their prayer miraculously by sending an angel to lead him out.

Peter showed up at Mary’s house where they were praying, and Rhoda answered the door. She saw him and was so excited she ran in to tell the others and forgot to let Peter in. She told them Peter was there in the flesh, but they said she was crazy and decided it must be an angel. They believed in angels, but they failed to really trust God was answering their prayer for Peter to get out of prison.

Peter kept pounding on the door, and finally, they came to the door. They were astonished and must have all been talking at once because Peter had to quiet them down to tell the story of his escape. 

Even though I prayed, I didn’t really believe God would save the pigeon, and those people didn’t really believe God would save Peter. My experience with the pigeon was a turning point for me. It showed me that God ALWAYS answers my prayers. He doesn’t always do it in the manner I expect or even in the time frame I would like, but He does always answer. And many times, God answer is right in front of us, but we do not see it. But we can pray that God opens our eyes spiritually so we can be aware of His answers when they arrive.

We can trust that He will answer our prayers every time. Jesus always tells the truth: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). Notice He said, “when” you pray. At the very time of praying, we need to tell ourselves that we believe God’s going to answer.

And as a fallback, there’s a beautiful verse in Mark 9:24: “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, ‘Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’” Jesus healed the child, even though the child’s father knew in his heart that he had some doubt. We recognize our lack of belief, but that should never stop us from praying.

Love, Carolyn

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you ever experienced doubt when praying for something or someone? Cite an incident or two. Why do you think you had a doubt?

2. Has God answered any of your prayers even when you were still doubting? Describe an incident when this happened.

3. Read Acts 12:1-17. How many people does it look like really believed Peter would get out of prison?

4. Take a look at Mark 9:14-27. What are some of the things the father may have been thinking in this situation? Have you ever prayed the way he did in Mark 9:24? Describe the incident. Are there any things or situations right now that you might think about praying for in this way?

FREE DOWNLOAD: PART 2 OF WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Faith-Earthly-Heavenly-ebook/dp/B007B23JTY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1546194099&sr=8-4&keywords=WINGS%3A+A+JOURNEY+IN+FAITH

WINGS: A Journey in Faith from the Earthly to the Heavenly is a compilation of stories—thoughts, musing, insights, revelations and guidance gathered from my experiences living as a Christian in Las Vegas.

The truths I find are not unique to Las Vegas; they’re just magnified here. We live in the middle of a desert. Survival here, whether in Red Rock Canyon or the casinos, is dependent upon preparedness, insight and wisdom. Learn quickly or die. Soar high or get crushed under foot. 

I’ve put together this book to use as a workbook. There are 52 chapters, one for each week of the year, and separate chapters for special holidays. This section is PART 2 and contains chapters 10-23: 

10. PAY ATTENTION!
11. SPEAKING FAITH INTO EXISTENCE
12. HISTORY IN THE HEAVENS
13. THE MISSING MANUAL
14. PRAYING AND SINGING IN TONGUES
15. POWER-PACKED BLESSINGS
16. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
17. PREACH YOURSELF HAPPY
18. PAYMENT FOR SIN
19. CALLING THE DOG
20. THE ADVENTURE OF PLANTING SEEDS
21. FIXING EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS
22. NIT-PICKING
23. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA HAS ARRIVED

If you can’t get it on Amazon, let me know, and I’ll send a pdf or word doc to your email. cjmolica@hotmail.com

SRETCHING OUT OUR PRAYER INFLUENCE

STRETCHING OUT OUR PRAYER INFLUENCE

This past Sunday, a fire started in Sonoma County California. The winds were whirling up sparks and sending them off to start more fires, playing an evil game of leapfrog over the land. I got word that 38 separate fires were raging, and they were getting closer to where my family and friends live. I was urged by the Holy Spirit to alert my Christian friends to pray. After I sent out messages, my niece reported that the winds had died down and the humid ocean air came in. They were safe. I figured I was done with my part and I sent the good news to the friends who prayed. I was pretty satisfied with everything, but God was not!

I’m sure we’ve all done this: We feel like we’re finished with what we want to pray about, and we say Amen, and we’re done. But the Lord may not be finished with what He wants us to pray about. I think I need to start asking, “Is there anything more, Lord?”

Today, Wednesday, there are still fires raging. My family is safe, but many others are not. There are still 21 separate fires raging in the area, and I need to pump up my prayer until God says it’s finished. Yes, I’m guilty of figuring since my family’s safe, I’m done and can go on to other things. But it’s not over til it’s over with the Lord.

For a long time, Jane and I have been praying this prayer of Jabez: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!’ And God granted him that which he requested.” (1 Chron. 4:10)

Today God granted my request in the form of enlarging my coast in the form of prayer coverage. God isn’t satisfied with me stopping with my immediate family and friends in this situation. He wants me to go further, as a warrior for His people.

The Bible also says: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes” (Is. 54:2). Now I believe this also includes our prayer coverage.

So please join me in stretching our prayer out over more space, more lives. James 5:16 tells us: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” “Effectual fervent” means it’s operative and has outward success. Outward success is what God will give us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, every knee must bow, according to Philippians 2:10: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” Wind is a thing here on earth. Jesus told the wind to be still. In His name, we do the same.

I command the wind to stop, and I pray for great wisdom to come upon the men and women fighting the fire. God give them the grace to prevail. Refresh their souls and provide insight. I call miracles upon your people now in Jesus’ mighty name, Christians and non-Christians alike. I ask You, God, to show yourself mighty, forgiving, loving, full of mercy and grace toward your people, their pets, their livestock, and their land. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen. And I know You will do it.

Love, Carolyn

And thanks everyone for your prayers.

3 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT HELPING A LOVED ONE

THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN WE’RE SERIOUS ABOUT HELPING A LOVED ONE 

When we pray for close friends or family, we sometimes miss the mark. We think we know them and think we know exactly what they should be doing to have a better life. But I listened to a talk the other day that gave me some new insight about seriously helping people close to us. Three steps were mentioned. The first is to ask, “What is their biggest challenge?”  Notice, it’s not “What’s our biggest challenge with them?”

Too often we look at other people’s problems from our own point of view and say things like, “I wish they would just do so and so and such and such and they would be just fine and get over that problem.” We think we have the perfect solutions for those we love. But what if we start looking at a problem from their point of view? Step into their shoes for a while. What is the biggest challenge they are facing? Is it that they are afraid of something? Is it that they aren’t mature enough to really understand a situation? Is it that they are overloaded with too many decisions to make? Is it that they’re not sure who they should trust?

There could be any number of reasons a person isn’t getting blessed results in their lives. The Bible tells us in Luke 6:31: “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” When we want someone to help us with a problem, we want them to first try to understand our side, what we’re going through. We want them to lovingly help us, not just blast us with some rote simplistic answer and be gone. (I have to admit I’ve done this a time or two and been sorry after). So let’s think about how we would want to be talked to, how we would want to be treated if we had a challenge like theirs.

Often it’s just a matter of asking the person what they think their biggest challenge is. But sometimes people aren’t so transparent; they’d rather keep their problems private. Depending on how well we know the person, some things we could probably figure out, but if we don’t really know, the Lord can help us. “For thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men” (1 Kings 8:39).

The second question is: “What do they need?” Do they need money? Do they need a friend? Do they need a peaceful heart to figure out the situation? Once we have a pretty good idea of what their biggest challenge is, find out what they need.

Then the third question is one we ask the Lord: “What are You telling me to do?” Maybe He’ll just tell us to pray. Maybe He’ll tell us to do something in the physical. Personally, I think He often tells us to do something in the physical realm and we just don’t act fast enough and it slips by us, or we think it’s just our imagination. If we think He’s telling us to do something we’re uncomfortable with we can always ask Him about it. He’ll be glad to find a way to let us know it was really Him.

These three questions will help us, when we’re serious about helping someone else:

1.      What is their biggest challenge?

2.      What do they need?

3.      What is the Lord telling me to do?

Love, Carolyn

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GOD'S GREAT COMPASSION FOR THOSE OF LITTLE FAITH

An e-mail came from my writer friend Ed, “I’m sure somewhere in my heart of darkness I’m a little bit of a Christian. Well . . . might be. I’ll look around, check the basement and the attic of my heart, there might be a little faith somewhere.”

You need to understand that Ed is quite the cynic, so I didn’t feel I should immediately reply. I prayed instead.

A few weeks later he was at the writers’ group we attend. He sat down at our table. Jane asked him, “How’s it going?”

Ed rolled his eyes, “You don’t want to know!”

But when bad things pile up, most people want to tell someone just to get it off their chests. So Ed opened up to us.

The IRS had just informed him that he owes a large sum of money for something a few years back, money he didn’t have now. Besides that, their air conditioning unit went out. It gets to be over 113 degrees here and it’s nearly impossible to work in that kind of heat. He told us the A/C unit was an old one and the company he called was looking for a particular part that wasn’t made anymore. They told him if they couldn’t find it he’d have to get a new unit which would cost somewhere around $6000! Ed was devastated and didn’t know what to do.

I told him we’d pray.

God had compassion for this man who thought his heart was dark and all he had was maybe just “a little faith.”

The next day after the writers’ meeting, Jane called Ed on an entirely different matter but he was so excited he had to tell her what happened.

“You prayed and it got answered in a half an hour! The part they couldn’t find anywhere, well they showed up with it today, telling me it would cost around $800 to $900 to put it in. When they came down from the roof, they said it went in so fast it was only going to be $130! In the same half hour my 90 year old mother called and said, ‘Heck, I’ll pay the IRS—the whole thing. Let’s get it off of you!’ You guys said you were going to pray and your prayers were answered. It’s a miracle! Our heads are spinning!”

God has compassion for all people who are in a hard place, people who don’t even really know if they believe in Him or not. Just the fact that the man expressed that he might be a little bit of a Christian was enough for the Lord Jesus to work His compassion in Jane and me to earnestly pray for this man and his wife. Strong compassion comes from the love of God in us. And I’m so thankful to the Lord Jesus Christ for allowing us to be messengers of His love and miracles.

Love, Carolyn

In the next couple weeks I’ll be getting out some new sample books. Look for them on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=WINGS%20Carolyn%20molica&linkCode=ur2&tag=jmbcsds-20&linkId=XQMVLVZYNBLYAGEM

WAITING WITHOUT STRESS

Here’s the problem: I would like to be writing full-time. I currently work as a painter and I like it, but eventually I’d like to do painting as a side job, and do my Christian writing as my main job. I think I’m trusting the Lord but why is it taking so long?

I recognize the problems. I can see what a possible solution might be. But what do I do with myself while I’m waiting?

The Bible says trust. But what does that mean and how do I do it consistently without doubting? Yesterday I realized that even though I think I’m trusting, sometimes I don’t act like it. I have faith and trust one day and then discouragement and doubt the next. James 1:6-8 says: “For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” 

So there you have it. If my trust level is wavering, then I’m not going to receive what I need from the Lord. That’s harsh! But it’s true, so I have to find a way to keep my trust level up and stable.

The only way I know of is to continually say, out loud, what the Bible says and write it down. I didn’t make this formula up. It’s in God’s Word in several places. Daniel 6:8 says that the way to establish something you say, is to write it down and sign it: “Establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed.” And Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It doesn’t say “faith cometh by reading,” or “faith cometh by thinking,” or that “faith cometh by talking to a lot of other people about your problems.” 

But faith comes by hearing and the best source of that hearing is our own mouths. We’re more likely to believe and act on something we say than something someone else says. If I say, “I’m going to the restroom,” I’m more likely to go than if someone else says, “Carolyn, go to the restroom.” 

From the scriptures we see that the winning combination is to write down the decree, say it and sign it. With this combination, we’ll be able to be stable and decrease the doubt or wipe it out. We will not be wavering, but trusting and we will receive from the Lord the true desires of our hearts. With the frenzy of life these days, I suggest saying our written decree every day at least one time, if not more, to confirm our trust and stability. The Holy Spirit will definitely help us with our efforts.

Proverbs 3: 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Some of us who have grown up to be independent and learned to take care of ourselves have relied on and trusted in our own reasoning. We want to know why, when, how, and who. We want to get the facts up front and then trust, but that’s not the way God works. We need to leave all the reasoning behind for a while, and just trust Him. Reasoning gives us stress. Trust gives us rest.

Trust is love without having to know the details.

Here is my decree, as I got it from the Lord yesterday (with the scripture back-up listed at the end): “I trust the Lord. God is working in me to will and to do of His good pleasure. My times are in His hands. I cast my care on Him because he cares for me. It’s going to work out because God has a GOOD plan for my future. I do all things without murmuring because the Lord Jesus is with me and I’m following Him. I am complete in Him.” Proverbs 3:5, Philippians 2:13, Psalm 31:15, 1 Peter 5:7, Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 2:14, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 4:19, Colossians 2:10.   

If you want, you can use this decree as a guide when you prayerfully write your own.

Have a wonderful week.

Love, Carolyn

Coming up this Thursday July 10 thru Monday July 14 FREE download of WINGS Sample C: WORKS OF FAITH. This sample has all true stories of different acts of faith that make our world a better place.

MOTHERS WHO PRAY

I know my mom prays for us kids. If it wasn’t for her prayer and believing, we probably wouldn’t have made it this far. She told me that when I was little I once followed a dog down the street and she had to call the police to help find me. Then another time I drank a bottle of her perfume and she had to rush me to the hospital. When I was older I put my mom through even more drama. I remember a time when I was freaking out in an old downtown building in Chicago and my mom drove her VW Beetle forty miles in a snow and ice storm to come get me. My mom has always been a big one for prayer and trusting God.

I want to relate another story about a mother who trusted God. Her name is Hagar. We find her story in Genesis 16, 20 and 21. Abraham was married to Sarah and Hagar was Sarah’s maid. When Sarah couldn’t conceive she came up with the idea that if Abraham could impregnate Hagar, somehow the child would be considered hers. I don’t get it, but that’s what they decided and it caused big problems. As soon as Hagar got pregnant, Sarah was jealous and outraged and treated Hagar horribly. Hagar fled, but on God’s urging, she went back and submitted herself to Sarah’s domination. Relationships may have improved slightly, but there was still bitterness and strife in the household.

Abraham’s entourage travelled through the deserts together as a group for the next thirteen years. By this time Sarah had conceived and given birth to Isaac. All of them lived together in the same group of tents: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael. (Do we really think our “complicated” family dynamics are so modern?) As we’d expect, there was more drama brewing.

One day when Ishmael was fourteen Sarah overheard him making fun of her son Isaac. It must have been the last straw because she threw him and his mother out. Hagar was devastated. Back then if you were thrown out it wasn’t like you could just go to stay with a friend. These people were nomads. They lived in a tent city, travelling from place to place according to the water supply. There was harsh desert all around them. So when Sarah threw them out, they had to find a way to survive in the wilderness or they’d die. Abraham was able to sneak them one bottle of water and some bread but when that was gone life was over. Hagar wandered in the desert desperately looking for help. But a person can only last about three days without water and there were two of them. They’d come to the end.

“When the water was gone she left the youth in the shade of a bush and went off and sat down a hundred yards or so away. ‘I don’t want to watch him die,’ she said, and burst into tears, sobbing wildly.
Then God heard the boy crying, and the Angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, ‘Hagar, what’s wrong? Don’t be afraid! For God has heard the lad’s cries as he is lying there. Go and get him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.’
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well; so she refilled the canteen and gave the lad a drink. And God blessed the boy and he grew up” (Gen 21:15-20).

Hagar knew God. She prayed to Him and cried out to Him. She taught her son to do likewise. God “heard the lad’s cries” and saved them both. To mothers this should be a great comfort. When you’ve done your best, you don’t have to be afraid that you haven’t done enough. God thinks you have and He will be there to step in directly for your children when you can’t. GOD IS THERE FOR THEM.

God has given special abilities to mothers and we’re thankful for all of you. Have a great Mother’s Day.

Love, Carolyn

Look for the FREE DOWNLOAD of 7 true stories of GOD’S COMFORT in different situations and in different ways of expressing it: WINGS – SAMPLE D starting Thurs May 15 thru Mon May 19.