September 6

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Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Matthew 25:24

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🔊 Enemies to prayer VI: A wrong view of God
Perhaps the worst thing we could ever think about God is that He is not good.  If God is not good then the foundations of the universe are buckled, and all hope is lost.  God is good, and that does not mean that He is generally good, if a bit distant.  No, it means that He is actively and energetically good.  He is not only willing to do us good, He is actively working everything in our circumstances to bless and prosper us.  People sometimes speak of a ‘conspiracy theory’ – that the world is being controlled by a small group of people for evil purposes.  But the true ‘conspiracy’ is that God is conspiring behind the scenes to do us good.  He is actively pursuing our blessing, and it is a vital part of faith that we believe that God intends and longs to do us good and to answer our prayers.  If someone views their life as cursed and forgotten, their problem is their philosophy of life.  Our view of the world is governed by our view of God.  The person who thinks God doesn’t care will give up praying and will bury their faith in a dark corner of their heart.  The strange fact is that the same God is open to all and blesses all who call upon Him.  Praying is the one activity which is assured of a positive answer.  It does not mean that God gives me everything I want, but it does mean that if I find the place of fellowship with God, I find also the secret plan that fills me with boundless hope.  God is good and is actively involved to bless.  Prayer is opening the window on the true and living God, who is actively involved in our world.