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Welcome to the Be and Become Public, featuring Francois Carr, a part of life and connected life ministry.
00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:18.879
Francois's international ministry equips and encourages pastors, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be.
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:24.239
Thank you for joining Francois today as he offers a few words of encouragement from God's Word.
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.359
Hello everyone, it is Francois speaking.
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:39.679
Thank you for listening today.
00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:45.600
Have you ever prayed about something but did not receive the answer that you were looking for?
00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:50.719
I've come to realize that there are always three possible answers to when we pray.
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.640
Is the yes or no or simply to wait?
00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:09.920
I wonder what Martha was expecting when she approached Jesus, complaining about Mary not helping her, then asking or rather demanding from Jesus and said therefore tell her to help me in Luke chapter ten verses forty.
00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:15.040
Did she expect Jesus to listen to her and told Mary to work in the kitchen?
00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:23.439
Jesus did listen to her, but simply ignored the request and answered her demand in a different way.
00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:38.159
Then we see in John chapter eleven when Mary and Martha were sending for Jesus telling him about Lazarus, expecting him to respond to their request and come to their help chapter eleven verses twenty one.
00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:41.760
However, he did not respond by going to them immediately.
00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:53.840
They had to wait as he was working to increase their faith and the faith and trust in him from his disciples chapter eleven verses fifteen we can read about that.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:11.439
And so when Jesus eventually came to Jerusalem, Martha went out to meet with him and spoke to him verses twenty one to twenty two, and Jesus simply ignored her accusation and answered her in chapter eleven verses twenty three to twenty seven.
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:19.199
And so when Mary went out to him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:27.520
And Jesus once again ignored the accusation and asked a question and spoke to her about Lazarus.
00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:32.400
Have you ever had a need and prayed about something like Mary and Martha?
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.280
But you receive a different answer.
00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:46.560
In all four cases Jesus did hear and listens to Mary and Martha, and answer them, but not in the way that they expected him to do.
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.560
It also reminds me of Daniel in the Old Testament.
00:02:50.800 --> 00:03:00.319
In Daniel chapter nine we learn that he was reading and studying the book, the book of Jeremiah in the Bible, where it announces a seventy year exile.
00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:17.680
And since the first captors had been taken from Jerusalem in the year around 605 BC, it was now the year 538 BC, he realized that 70 years were nearly over, and so he prayed that God would not delay the end of the captivity.
00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:31.759
He confessed the sin of Israel, he asked for God's intervention, and then while he was praying, the Bible says, God not only sent an answer to him, but he also sent his angel Gabriel to deliver it.
00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:48.560
We read in Daniel chapter nine verses twenty one, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in a vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.
00:03:48.800 --> 00:04:03.360
In other words, before Daniel had even finished his prayer, while he was still speaking, God heard it and immediately sent Gabriel with the answer in verses twenty two to twenty three.
00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:10.800
And he informed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:19.040
At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I've come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved.
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.920
Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.
00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:34.000
It reminds me of the Lord Jesus when he was baptized by John, and the Bible says while he was still praying, the heavens was opening.
00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:43.279
Yet on another occasion when Daniel was praying, Scripture tells us that the messenger that God sent with the answer took three weeks to arrive.
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.800
We can read about that in Daniel chapter ten verses twelve to twenty three.
00:04:49.120 --> 00:05:01.199
Then he said to me, Do not fear Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I've come because of your words.
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:14.480
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty one days, and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:22.399
In other words, he was praying, but his prayer was hindered to receive him in time like in the first case.
00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.800
And so the lesson is very clear.
00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.800
The Lord listens to us.
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:39.759
He hears the cry from our hearts if we approach him, just like Mary and Martha, or when we pray like Daniel, and sometimes God responds and sends the answer immediately.
00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:45.040
And sometimes the answer is delayed in coming, and we must wait upon it.
00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:50.480
And sometimes the answer comes in a way we did not expect, or when we want it.
00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.439
But we can be certain of one thing today.
00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:55.759
God always answers.
00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.759
Sometimes it is yes, sometimes it is no, sometimes it is to wait.
00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:18.639
And so the question this morning is what is God saying to you today or not saying or doing in your life at the moment as you are awaiting upon His answer and His provision for you as you trust Him for something specific.
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:24.000
Remember that the Lord always hears and listens, and He always answers.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:29.680
Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes we have to wait a little bit.
00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:30.959
May God bless you.
00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:40.879
Thank you for listening to this Be and Become episode with Francois Carr.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:46.959
For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLifeministries.com.
00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:55.519
We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.
00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:07.200
Welcome to the Be and Become Public, featuring Francois Carr, a part of life and connected life ministry.
00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:18.879
Francois's international ministry equips and encourages pastors, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be.
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:24.239
Thank you for joining Francois today as he offers a few words of encouragement from God's Word.
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.359
Hello everyone, it is Francois speaking.
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:39.679
Thank you for listening today.
00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:45.600
Have you ever prayed about something but did not receive the answer that you were looking for?
00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:50.719
I've come to realize that there are always three possible answers to when we pray.
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.640
Is the yes or no or simply to wait?
00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:09.920
I wonder what Martha was expecting when she approached Jesus, complaining about Mary not helping her, then asking or rather demanding from Jesus and said therefore tell her to help me in Luke chapter ten verses forty.
00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:15.040
Did she expect Jesus to listen to her and told Mary to work in the kitchen?
00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:23.439
Jesus did listen to her, but simply ignored the request and answered her demand in a different way.
00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:38.159
Then we see in John chapter eleven when Mary and Martha were sending for Jesus telling him about Lazarus, expecting him to respond to their request and come to their help chapter eleven verses twenty one.
00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:41.760
However, he did not respond by going to them immediately.
00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:53.840
They had to wait as he was working to increase their faith and the faith and trust in him from his disciples chapter eleven verses fifteen we can read about that.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:11.439
And so when Jesus eventually came to Jerusalem, Martha went out to meet with him and spoke to him verses twenty one to twenty two, and Jesus simply ignored her accusation and answered her in chapter eleven verses twenty three to twenty seven.
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:19.199
And so when Mary went out to him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:27.520
And Jesus once again ignored the accusation and asked a question and spoke to her about Lazarus.
00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:32.400
Have you ever had a need and prayed about something like Mary and Martha?
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.280
But you receive a different answer.
00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:46.560
In all four cases Jesus did hear and listens to Mary and Martha, and answer them, but not in the way that they expected him to do.
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.560
It also reminds me of Daniel in the Old Testament.
00:02:50.800 --> 00:03:00.319
In Daniel chapter nine we learn that he was reading and studying the book, the book of Jeremiah in the Bible, where it announces a seventy year exile.
00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:17.680
And since the first captors had been taken from Jerusalem in the year around 605 BC, it was now the year 538 BC, he realized that 70 years were nearly over, and so he prayed that God would not delay the end of the captivity.
00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:31.759
He confessed the sin of Israel, he asked for God's intervention, and then while he was praying, the Bible says, God not only sent an answer to him, but he also sent his angel Gabriel to deliver it.
00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:48.560
We read in Daniel chapter nine verses twenty one, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in a vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.
00:03:48.800 --> 00:04:03.360
In other words, before Daniel had even finished his prayer, while he was still speaking, God heard it and immediately sent Gabriel with the answer in verses twenty two to twenty three.
00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:10.800
And he informed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:19.040
At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I've come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved.
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.920
Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision.
00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:34.000
It reminds me of the Lord Jesus when he was baptized by John, and the Bible says while he was still praying, the heavens was opening.
00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:43.279
Yet on another occasion when Daniel was praying, Scripture tells us that the messenger that God sent with the answer took three weeks to arrive.
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.800
We can read about that in Daniel chapter ten verses twelve to twenty three.
00:04:49.120 --> 00:05:01.199
Then he said to me, Do not fear Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I've come because of your words.
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:14.480
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty one days, and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:22.399
In other words, he was praying, but his prayer was hindered to receive him in time like in the first case.
00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.800
And so the lesson is very clear.
00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.800
The Lord listens to us.
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:39.759
He hears the cry from our hearts if we approach him, just like Mary and Martha, or when we pray like Daniel, and sometimes God responds and sends the answer immediately.
00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:45.040
And sometimes the answer is delayed in coming, and we must wait upon it.
00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:50.480
And sometimes the answer comes in a way we did not expect, or when we want it.
00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.439
But we can be certain of one thing today.
00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:55.759
God always answers.
00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.759
Sometimes it is yes, sometimes it is no, sometimes it is to wait.
00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:18.639
And so the question this morning is what is God saying to you today or not saying or doing in your life at the moment as you are awaiting upon His answer and His provision for you as you trust Him for something specific.
00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:24.000
Remember that the Lord always hears and listens, and He always answers.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:29.680
Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes we have to wait a little bit.
00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:30.959
May God bless you.
00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:40.879
Thank you for listening to this Be and Become episode with Francois Carr.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:46.959
For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLifeministries.com.
00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:55.519
We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.
