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(Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid)
Author: Karen
Hi! My day job is a CMA in the Precertificiation Department (I work with insurance companies). I'm a mom to two young men. I've been married to the same man for 34 years. I have a lot to say about nothing. Lucky you.
Teaching: Keep Asking: Persevering in Prayer
Every Sunday I provide videos and valuable links to the Truth or Tradition teachings. We’ve been following the Truth or Tradition teachings for many years now and they have truly blessed our family. We have found peace and happiness through our beliefs and we walk confidently for God. My hope, by passing on this information to you, is that what you find here, or on the Truth or Tradition website, will guide you to a better, more blessed and abundant life.
If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.
Let’s get started:
Some Christians teach that if you pray for something, and have faith, then you do not need to pray for that thing again. In fact, they say it shows a lack of faith to pray that prayer again, and you should just stand in faith until God answers your prayer. In contrast, there are other Christians who teach that if you want something from God, you should pray over and over for it until you get it. Which belief is correct?
The answer is that if there is something worth praying for, we should pray over and over for it until we get it. It is never a lack of faith to do what the Bible says. In fact, the evidence that we have faith is that we do what the Bible says to do. Therefore, if the Bible says to pray over and over for something until we get it, then we are walking in faith when we do that.
The Word of God instructs us in many ways to pray for something over and over until we get it. One of the places we can see this is Matthew 7:7, which unfortunately is usually translated, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” This translation makes it seem like we only have to ask one time, which is not true. In the Greek text, the verbs “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” are in the present tense, active voice, and thus describe an ongoing action. The Holman Christian Standard Bible translates the verse correctly:
Matthew 7:7 (HCS) [1]
Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.God’s Word tells us to “keep asking,” and then what we are asking for will be given to us. Jesus taught the same lesson in Luke 18. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). It is easy to “give up” in prayer. Sometimes it is difficult to know if what we are praying for is the will of God, so if we pray for something day after day but do not get any results, we may “give up,” and stop praying. That must have been happening to Jesus’ disciples so, using a parable of a persistent widow and an unjust judge, he instructed them to keep praying (Luke 18:2-8).
Widows in biblical times were often taken advantage of because they did not have people to help or defend them. In this parable, a widow kept coming to the judge and asking for justice. Her plea was the same every time: she wanted justice against an adversary, and the judge finally granted her request because she was so persistent. We learn from the parable that if we do not get what we are praying for right away, we must come back to the Judge over and over and keep asking until we have what we want.
When Romans 12:12 says to be “faithful in prayer,” Ephesians 6:18 says “pray in the Spirit on all occasions,” Colossians 4:2 says “Devote yourselves to prayer,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “pray continually,” it is clear that many of those prayers are for the same thing, and we must ask for what we want over and over again. There are many different reasons that we do not get what we ask for in prayer the very first time we ask, and it is true that sometimes we are not asking for something that God can grant in prayer. However, even if we are asking for something that God wants us to have, sometimes we have to ask more than once for it, so God instructs us in His Word to pray over and over until we get what we have been asking for. Prayer works, and our prayers make a huge difference on this earth, so let’s be obedient and pray for what we need until we get it.
Read the original article here.
If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about God’s wonderful message, please visit the Truth or Tradition website. You can also keep track of the ministry through their Facebook page, their YouTube Channel, or follow them on Twitter.
Thanks for reading.
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More from Write From Karen
What is Your Christmas Wish?
ADDED: My Christmas wish? Thanks for asking. 🙂
I’d love for Dude to pass this math class so he can meet his three credit requirement and we can relax on the toughest subject for him and he can finally ENJOY his last remaining high school years.
I’d love for Kevin to get a job, fairly quickly, after everything wraps up with this company and it’s “officially” shut down.
I’d also love for Kevin to have at least a month off before he plunges into another job situation.
I’d love to get more website jobs for two reasons: the money (though I don’t charge that much because I do school websites and they don’t HAVE that much) and because I truly love helping the community out by providing useful information to both students and parents.
I hope Jazz continues to love music and I pray he walks away from high school with some amazing music memories.
I pray that we can find a peaceful existence with both our government, and fellow country men, for though I know there will never be “Peace on Earth,” at least, not until Christ comes back, perhaps we can strive to find a peaceful compromise until that day arrives.
Your turn.
(Jingle Bells by Diana Krall)
Coffee Chat: December 2009
AND THE WINNER OF THE $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE IS: #195 LILY KWAN!!
THE WINNER OF THE $10.00 STARBUCKS GIFT CARD IS: #10 CHELSEY BURKE!!
Thank you to everyone who visited and played!! I really enjoyed reading your answers! We’ll do this again in March!
(Lily and Chelsey, if you read this before I’ve contacted you, please email me!)
Coffee Chat is ALL about YOU! Here’s what you do: Answer the daily question. That’s it! (Beware! The questions get more challenging as the days go by!)
1. Each answer you leave in the comment section counts as one ticket. (One comment per day, please).
2. Subscribe to my feed, receive another ticket. (Please leave separate comment if subscribed).
3. Follow me on Twitter, receive another ticket. (Please leave separate comment if following).
On December 11th, at 4:00 p.m. CST, I’ll draw two winners – first place winner gets to choose a $25.00 gift certificate to an online retailer of his/her choice (see this page for store listings) AND, the second place winner will receive a $10.00 Starbucks gift card (U.S. residents only for the Starbucks gift card, please).
Confused? Contact Karen.
Ready for the questions?
Question #1: Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?
Question #2: Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage in it head on? Why?
Question #3: What’s your dream job?
Question #4: What was your first job? How much did you get paid?
Question #5: If could switch job responsibilities with your boss (or your last boss, if unemployed), would you do it? Why or why not?
Questions #6: Which is the greater tragedy: an innocent person imprisoned or a guilty person set free? Explain.
Question #7: How difficult is it for you to forgive someone who refuses to apologize?LAST Question: What makes you stand to your feet and cheer?
My answer: I’d have to say people who overcome obstacles, or injustices, and persevere against all odds. I’m the sort of person who cheers for the underdog because not only do I feel sorry for them, but I admire the strength and determination required to come back from behind and win, or conquer, the situation. It’s not easy, and I think that alone requires a standing ovation.
More from Write From Karen
Photo Flasback: Bonus! Or – Geez, Another Photo Flashback?!
As I was looking through pictures, I came across these:
I totally forgot I used to do this! And this makes me want to do it again!
I would melt colored chocolate and using paint brushes, paint the molds with these colors, let them dry, and then pour regular chocolate into the molds. I made these for a small number of years before I got burned out. And the boys got older and well … you know how it is.
And as I look over the assortment in this picture, my mom must have been there with me. Because there’s no way I made all of this stuff by myself, I’m not patient enough. We must have gotten together to make Christmas “goodies.” Remember that, mom?
Man. Now I have a hankerin’ to make more candies. I think I may have to make a trip to the craft store.
Soon. 🙂
Do you guys make Christmas “goodies?”
Photo Flashback: Christmas at Silver Dollar City
Yep. This is us, freezing our butts off at Silver Dollar City during the Christmas light display they host every Christmas season.
(If you’re ever in the Branson, Missouri area at this time of year, I HIGHLY recommend going. The kids LOVE IT!)
Let’s see, Dude looks like he’s about five and Jazz looks about three-ish. Judging by my strange tongue-in-cheek expression, I’m extracting food from my teeth, (which sounds about right).
I had to doctor this photo up quite a bit. It was over exposed and though our faces still look ghostly pale, at least now you can see them. You can see them a little better in the bigger version. (If you’re so inclined but I have to warn you – my face at 1000 pixels wide? SCARY STUFF).
I sure wish they had digital cameras back then!
I like my hair here. I’m quite certain, at some point in my future, I’ll most likely get my hair cut like this again. I’m starting to get to the stage where I’m feeling just a wee bit ridiculious having long straight hair and being … um … the age I am.
Anyway, I love this family moment. Brings back memories. Dude remembers this trip, Jazz does not.
In fact, I need these pictures to remind me that yes, our boys were indeed that little once upon a time.
Sometimes, it just doesn’t seem possible.
(A Mad Russian’s Christmas by Trans-Siberian Orchestra )
Video: Giving In to Your Kids: Does It Make You Feel Guilty?
You know, after watching this, I think I’m trying to justify the fact that we DO spoil the kids and I DO feel guilty about that – at least a smidgen. *sigh*
This is a video answer to Momversation’s question: Giving In to Your Kids: Does It Make You Feel Guilty?
I would have liked to post Momversation’s video here, but they have it coded to automatically play and WOW, that’s annoying and I wouldn’t do that to you guys, so, you’ll have to click over and watch the original video on their site.
Sorry about that.
At any rate, here is my response to that question.
Your turn to answer the question: Giving In to Your Kids: Does It Make You Feel Guilty?
(And by the way? I just noticed that I have two subscribers on my Youtube channel and for some reason, that cracks me up. I mean, it’s just me, blabbing. But if you want to subscribe, knock yourself out. There are more videos coming, in case you’re into self-torture. 😀 )
(Blue Christmas by Sheryl Crow)
