If you want your prayers answered, and answered quickly (or quicker), you may find out that you have to "unlearn" about 80% of what you've been taught in Church and 98% of what you've learned watching Christian television. You may not like hearing it, and you may even hate me for saying it, but the picture that has been painted for you of what God is like, usually doesn't resemble God at all.
You've been taught that God loves you unconditionally no matter what and that God loves us all the same! You've been taught that if you attend Church once or twice a week and follow the pastor/spiritual leader, you are having a personal relationship with God.
God does "not" love us all the same! (sorry) Preachers have told us for years that "God is no respecter of persons". This falsely eases our mind when we leave the church. We no longer feel as though the gates of Hell are yawning before us. We figure because God simply adores kindly old Mrs. Cooper in the front row (and who wouldn't), he must adore me too. People love that message and afterward, it takes 3 ushers to carry the offering plate back to the podium because it is so heavy.
Preachers justify this message with this scripture:
Acts 10:34 - Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Hey! That makes sense, and it's written right there in the bible. The problem is, if you read the entire paragraph in context, what Peter was saying is: Salvation is for everyone of every race, "not" just the Jews alone! No More, No Less! Anything more is a manipulation of scripture.
Another misconception is that God loves us all unconditionally. God does "Not" love us all unconditionally. Don't misinterpret me. God does love us allot. So much that he sent his son to die for us.
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
So, God loved us so much that he sacrificed his son for us, but, if you want "eternal life" there is a condition. In the scripture above, the condition is that you believe. In the same context, if you "believe" that you will burn your hand if you place it on a hot stove, you won't place your hand there, will you? Similarly, if you believe in the son of God, there are certain aspects of your behavior you will change or quit doing.
Do you need healing? Believe it or not, there are conditions. Just because God healed kindly old Mrs. Cooper in the front row of her bunions, doesn't mean that he's going to heal the boil on your backside because he loves us all unconditionally. There "are" conditions.
1 Peter 2:24 - and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
1 Peter 2:25 - For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
For one thing, kindly old Mrs. cooper not only returned, she never left. Not having the worldly distractions that most of the rest of us do, she sat in her rocking chair and talked to God all day long, about everything from her grandchildren to her delicious prized muffins that are always such a hit at the Church bake sale.
The scripture above says that you have already been healed, but did you notice the condition? The scripture also says that you have returned. Have you returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your soul (No, I'm not talking about your pastor), or do you just return to Church every Sunday at 11:00 am?
Another misconception is that God loves us "all the same". We were made in God's image and in many ways we are like him. We love those who love us and those who seek a relationship with us.
Proverbs 8:17 - "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me
The fellowship of attending Church is a very good thing and for allot of us it is essential. However, Church will not benefit you at all if you do not have a truly personal relationship with God. He is the most important person for you to have fellowship with. The most important time to fellowship with God is throughout your day, every day, not just in Church. It's easier to do than you think. You start by simply "talking to God", just like you'd talk to anyone else.
Now here's the one that really gets me. "SPIRITUAL LEADER". In almost every Church across the nation, big or small, there is a pastor that is proudly proclaiming that he is the "spiritual leader" of his flock. Before I go any further, there are hundreds of people who read the Power of Faith Ministries website every day. I get many prayer requests and am asked for advice. I get many letters thanking me for this ministry, telling me how much it has helped people. However, let me make it perfectly clear that "I am no one's spiritual leader" and it is not my flock.
Matthew 23:10 - "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
Matthew 23:11 - "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
Matthew 23:12 - "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
You have one leader (spiritual or otherwise), and that is Christ. Although many don't realize it, if they are calling themselves Spiritual leader, they don't belong behind the alter, they belongs in the nut house, because they are putting themselves equal with Jesus Christ. That would be the same as if I were to say that I am God, or Napoleon. As I said before, SKIP THE MIDDLE MAN! If you have a problem (especially you women, every time you have a marriage problem, seek God, not some pastor).
To be perfectly clear, We are the sheep and Jesus is the shepherd. Pastors are simply "Sheep Dogs". If one of the sheep wander off, the sheep dog directs them back to the flock for the shepherd. Jesus is your spiritual leader, not your pastor! If your pastor wants to see better results, he or she needs to stand at the podium and boldly proclaim that they are a helper of the shepherd, not some glorified spiritual leader. (That title belongs to Christ alone)
