BE PLAIN AND SINCERE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD 2

7 AND IT HAPPENED AFTER TEN DAYS THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAH.
9 AND SAID TO THEM, “THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, TO WHOM YOU SENT ME TO PRESENT YOUR PETITION BEFORE HIM: 10 ‘IF YOU WILL STILL REMAIN IN THIS LAND, THEN I WILL BUILD YOU AND NOT PULL YOU DOWN, AND I WILL PLANT YOU AND NOT PLUCK YOU UP. FOR I RELENT CONCERNING THE DISASTER THAT I HAVE BROUGHT UPON YOU.
11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the LORD, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand.
12 AND I WILL SHOW YOU MERCY, THAT HE MAY HAVE MERCY ON YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO RETURN TO YOUR OWN LAND.’ "
Jeremiah 42:7,9–12 (NKJV)

• The truth is, God would always not answer the prayers you prayed the way you had thought in your heart. The people thought God will answer their prayers as they had thought in their hearts.

• If you had devised a means through which the problem would be solved, and you had rigidly determined to do it in your own way, or toed the path you chose; you should not bother to pray or ask about it again from God. Since you had chosen or made up your mind on what to do.
• If you had idols in your heart, or you had idolized your plan, God would not bother to lead you.
• Some bachelorette are believing God for a marriage partner, but they already had idols in their hearts. They are rigid about the standard set for themselves and are not willing to change whatever they have desired in their hearts.
• Many so-called believers wants to cage God, box Him in, to consent to their plans or agree with whatever choice they have made. God would never rubber-stamp your Will or choice, but only allow His own plan for your life—If you cooperated with Him.

• God is waiting for some people, even believers, to change their plans, desires, or what they have had as idols in their hearts; but they said they are waiting for God to answer their prayers.

• You may wait till eternity, God will not change His stand on whatever He has decided on; you are the one that would have to change and embrace His plans and Wills for your life.
• Idols in a believer's heart would make him or her stay longer than necessary in the period of waiting. There would not be any change until you resolve to agree with God's Will or plan.
• Note: idols are the things you set up in your mind which are contrary to God's plan or Will or purpose for your life. Such things will cause you to stay longer than necessary in your waiting time.
• This also is known as rigidity. And rigidity or hardheadedness is a byproduct or an offshoot of pride.
• When you are rigid about your choices in life, as a believer, God will leave you and allow you to continue in your own way until you are ready for Him—that would be after you might have learnt a number of lessons through sufferings.

• The remnant Jews who asked Jeremiah to take their request to God in prayer had already had a plan of what to do in their hearts. They only wanted God to assent or rubber-stamp it. They did not mean to do God's Will.

• Many believers are like those remnant Jews. Such believers are playing costly games with God. They wanted to outsmart God!
• The truth is, you do not deceive God, In your relationship with Him. You cannot cajole Him or bamboozle Him. No, you cannot! May your forty day journey in the wilderness not be turned to forty years in Jesus' name.
• However, If this would not happen, you have to be flexible in God's hand, stop being rigid and hardheaded.
• The best way to pray is to strive or endeavour to ask and know God's Will or plan for your life, and pray in line with the plan.
• Jesus promises that our desires which are in line with His Word would be granted or done: "IF YOU ABIDE IN ME [Jesus], AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, YOU WILL ASK WHAT YOU DESIRE, AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU" (John 15:7 NKJV).
• Someone whose God's Word abided in him or her would not ask or desire contrary to God's Word or Will—God's Will are found in His Word.
• So If you abided in Christ and His Word abided in you, your desires which you would bring before God, as a request, would definitely be in line with His Word—the principles found in the Bible.
• And even with that, you would still not be rigid with the request. You would have known through His Word that He, God, has the prerogative—the exclusive right and power to command, decide, rule, or judge—to answer or not any request you brought before Him.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, I declare your healing now in Jesus' name.
• Whatever is contrary to your health is cursed and uprooted totally in Jesus' name.
  Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!