How Does God Guide Us? Stories and Illustrations

Prayer skit adapted from something I heard on Christian radio Jennifer says --- Ryan, I am going to spend some time in prayer. Please don’t disturb me. (goes across the room and kneels in prayer) “Oh Lord, I am your servant. I want to do your will no matter what it is.” (Ryan pokes his head in the room) Excuse me, the Kelly called and wants to know if you will chaperone at the Ithchus music festival this year? Jennifer --- you know I don’t like living outdoors, That is just not my kind of thing. Tell her no. Jennifer --- (back to praying) Dear Jesus, You are wonderful and your mercy endures forever. I love you with all of my heart and desire to serve you no matter what it is. (Ryan pokes his head in the room) Excuse me again, Pastor Jerry called and wants to know if you will help with the Food Pantry ministry? Jennifer --- Tell him no. I don’t like being around that kind of people. Jennifer --- (back to praying) Heavenly Father, I thank you for the salvation you have given me. I am so appreciative for it --- I want to do some great thing to pay you back. What is it you would have me do? Whatever it is I will do it! (Ryan pokes his head in the room) Excuse me, Something else you would turn down. Jennifer back to prayer. Lord I don’t understand why you don’t reveal to me what it is you want me to do.

There was a pastor who was on a diet and he prayed as he drove to church - "Now, Lord, if it is your will for me not to have any donuts this morning, please make sure there are no parking spaces in front of Krispy Cream." Later he confessed that he ate the donuts because there were two spaces right up front on his 8th trip around the block!

Recognizing God's voice: If a close friend calls you on the phone, you immediately recognize their voice. However if it's someone you don't know well, you probably won't know who it is. I sometimes have these conversations with people on the phone and they tell me their first name, but not their last and I have no idea who it is! I then spend the next 5 minutes asking questions like "How are you?, What have you been up to recently?" etc. trying to figure out who I am speaking to! However when my wife calls, just as soon as she begins the first word I know who it is. The more you get to know Christ, the more you recognize His voice.

Prayer is not a one-way thing. Otherwise it's a bit like me going to the doctor and saying: "Oh, good morning doctor. I've got a number of problems. I've got a terrible pain in my stomach. I've got a broken leg. I think I've got swelling on my arm. I've got a terrible problem with my hair (I'm losing it!), I can't see out of my left eye. Thanks for listening, Dr. See you - bye bye!" I think the doctor right away might say, "Well, do you think I might have something to say, something to suggest?"

I heard about a man who was staying in a hotel in Norway in the mid 19th century. And as he was standing out there in a hotel lobby and he heard a terrible noise. He looked over and saw a little child at the piano. This child was making a terrible and awful noise - plink plonk plink plink, etc. And he thought, "Oh this is painful!" Then he saw a man come and sit down alongside this little girl, and rather than stop her playing, he began to play as ell. And he started to fill in the gaps. And then, as they were playing together the man heard the most beautiful music. He discovered afterward that the man was the girl's father: Alexander Borodin, the composer of the opera Prince Igor. God wants to come alongside us and turn our plink plink plonk into something beautiful.

There was a man who got caught in a torrential flood. The waters rose so high that he ended up on the roof of his house, surrounded by water. Being a religious man he decided to pray hard and ask God to rescue him from this terrible disaster. After 20 minutes a rescue boat arrived and offered him a life. He raised his head from his hands and then waved them away mumbling something about God rescuing him. Meanwhile, the waters rose! Another 30 minutes later a Helicopter arrived and lowered down a rope and encouraged him to grab hold. Whilst struggling to find footing with his feet on the roof of his house, now hidden under 5 feet of water, he waved them away too, saying that God was going to rescue him. Meanwhile the waters rose! 30 minutes later, the man tired from his struggle, lose the roof of his house altogether. He floated away and drowned. IN heave he confronted God and asked him "Why didn't you rescue me - I prayed and prayed?" God's response - "Well, I sent a speedboat and a helicopter - what more do you want?"

It's not good asking the Bible who we're going to marry. Oh, Zecharaiah! Oh Matthew