FALL 2015 OC CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE Fall 2015 OC Christian Free magazine | Page 15

PRAYERS

a greater work than what they had seen up to that point.
He wanted to do abundantly above and beyond what they
could ask or think. His delay was for their sake.
So by the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus was
dead. In fact, Lazarus already had been in the tomb for four
days. Martha went out to meet Jesus and told him, “Lord, if
You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John
11:20 NKJV).
No doubt there was an accusatory tone to her statement.
I think Martha was basically saying, “Lord, where were you?
We were counting on you here. We told everyone that you’re
our personal friend, that we know you well, and that when
you found out Lazarus was ill,
you would be back and take
care of everything.”
Jesus didn’t rebuke
Martha. And in her defense,
she at least was talking to
him. She could have been
bitter and angry. She could
have said, “I’m never talking
to Jesus again.” But she
met him with her hurt and
anguish.
That, by the way, is a good
thing to do. Do you think
God can’t handle our doubts
or questions? Just take a
look at the psalms of David.
So many times he begins a
psalm in anguish, hurt, and pain, only to end it in victory.
As David called upon God, he got things into perspective
again.
So Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again”
(verse 23 NKJV).
She answered, “I know that he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last day” (verse 24 NKJV).
But Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And
whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you
believe this?” (verses 25–26 NKJV).
What Jesus was about to demonstrate to Martha, her
sister Mary, and to anyone else who was paying attention
was that he wanted to do more than they asked. They
wanted a healing; Jesus wanted a resurrection.
Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!” and that is exactly
what Lazarus did. Jesus intervened and turned a tragedy

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into a victory.
This story shows us that when we’re going through
difficulties, God is there hurting with us, especially during
the loss of a loved one. It also reminds us that sometimes
when we bring our needs before God and pray for him to
do a certain thing, he might want to do more.
You might say, “My bills are due, and I owe $100.” So you
pray for $100.
But I have discovered that it is better to say, “Lord, here
is what I need. Yet not my will, but yours, be done.” I don’t
believe in positive confession or name-it-and-claim-it
theology. But I do believe there are times when God wants
to give us more than we are
asking for. So don’t be afraid to
pray, “Not my will, but yours,
be done.”
Some people are afraid to
pray that way because they
have a warped concept of God.
They think, I don’t want to
say that! He will make my life
miserable!
But God loves us, and his
plans for us are good. Granted,
if you are a true follower of
Jesus, there will be sacrifices
you will make. He will lead
you in a way that you may not
have planned on going. But
first he will change your heart.
When my son Christopher was little, we sometimes
would go to the toy store, where I would tell him to pick
out something for himself. He would choose a little action
figure or something, and then I would point to a larger,
much nicer toy and say, “I was looking at that one there.”
“Really? That looks good to me too.”
In time Christopher discovered that it was better to say,
“Dad, you choose for me.” He realized that my choices were
better than his.
That is what happened with Mary and Martha. They
wanted their brother to be healed. But Jesus wanted to raise
a man from the dead.
So don’t be afraid to let your heavenly Father choose
for you. Maybe he will give you what you ask for. And then
again, maybe he wants to do something more. Maybe the
reason he says no to you today is because he has a big yes
for you in the future that will surpass your wildest dreams.

I am the resurrection
and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he
may die, he shall live. And
whoever lives and believes
in Me shall never die. Do
you believe this?

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