Prepare-for-War

with the Lord for a blessing, such as Jacob did. I described the experience in which I learned this principle in Chapter 3. These times are spent reading the scriptures, pondering on the things of God, and talking with the Lord. I don't know how to tell you just what I say, I simply talk and listen. Many times I feel a heavy burden for a particular person or situation, but I don't really know just how to pray about it. It is at times like these that I am so very thankful for the steady intercessory work of the Holy Spirit. I simply ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for me and pray as is best in the situation.

"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groan ings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, be cause he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27

This brings up an important point. We must always seek to follow the Lord's prayer: "Father ... Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So many times we make adamant demands of the Lord to work out a particular situation in a particular way when our way is the wrong way. Often what seems to be "good" to us is not "good" to the Lord. I am sure that many times the Lord gives people their requests because of their continued begging and pleading, when the thing they request is not actually what is best for them in the Lord's eyes. Consequently, they suffer loss in the end. This is particularly true in cases of illness and death. How many times do people beg and badger the Lord for the life of a sick child, for instance, when perhaps the Lord wants to take him/her home to prevent the child intense suffering in the future? How many times does the Lord want to take one of His servants home to prevent them from falling away from Him in the future? We must not always assume that continued life is "best." We must be careful to always say, "Father, thy will be done."

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