Power of a Praying Woman 10/17/06 9:02 AM Page 59
Lord, Teach Me…
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right now. But you have to take steps of obedience in order to get there. And you have to trust that He knows the way and won’t hurt you in the process. God’s rules are for our bene?t, not to make us miserable. When we live by them, life works. When we don’t, life falls apart. When we obey, we have clarity. When we don’t, we have confusion. And there is a de?nite connection between obedience and the love of God. Even though God loves us, we won’t sense His love if we are walking in disobedience to His ways. There is also a direct connection between obedience and getting your prayers answered (1 John 3:22). If you have been frustrated because you don’t see answers to your prayers, ask God if it is because of disobedience. Say, “Lord, is there any area of my life where I am not obeying You?” Don’t keep telling God what you want without asking Him what He wants. You never know when you will step into the moment for which God has been preparing you. And it is not just one moment; it’s many successive ones. It doesn’t matter whether you are a single career woman or a married lady with nine children under the age of ten, it doesn’t matter whether you are nineteen or ninety, God is preparing you daily for something great. He wants you to be willing to let Him purify you, fortify you, and grow you up in Him. But you have to play by the rules. “If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5). You can’t swim into the mainstream of those moments successfully if you are not doing all the right moves now.