In my experience, when it comes to unanswered prayers, Christians blame God much more than they blame Satan. Except when they blame God, they dress it up in little pieties such as "he was teaching me." But no one really complains about folks blaming God...at least not to the extent that folks complain about folks blaming Satan. Very odd, I think. As for God being mysterious, is that really true?
The Biblical view of the word mystery is something that was hidden in aforetime but which now is revealed. Paul says we have the mind of Christ.
So what are we to make of God's so-called mysterious ways?
Paul says, the things of God are now revealed to us by God's spirit. James says if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who upbraideth not and he will get wisdom. Jesus says, A servant doesn't know what his master does but I have called you friends and friends know what he does. The prophets says the Lord will do nothing but that he reveals it to his servants the prophets. Jesus says, God's sheep hear his voice. So...if we think we do not hear God's voice, we make God a liar. Or we have not abided in the vine long enough to hear God's voice giving us wisdom. God might not tell us about someone else's life but He will tell us about the reasons for things in our lives. All this talk about God being mysterious only shows that we haven't been praying long enough to hear his wisdom on a matter.
This is a deception in the church caused by Christian laziness. Sure, we don't know much of what God knows but we are told that if we lack wisdom about a situation in our lives...and we wish to know, then we should ask Him. God is a loving father who shows us the truth. He promised His Spirit would lead us into all truth. He wants us to trust Him and He wants us to know what he's doing at the same time. He doesn't sit around hiding himself about some long-term illness or such things. This is such a pet theology of Christians that it's hard for some to get a hold of. They want to believe in "the cloud of unknowing" and in God's mysterious ways ..but God has told us that those of us who walk with God shall have the light of life. It's only the unpraying and the wicked who stumble about in darkness.
But do we pray as much as Christians in the past did? Do we pray fervently throughout the night for days and days and fast? No, we don't. It's very hard to pray when we have a theology that God and Satan are somehow in cahoots to work together to make us have faith.
The Biblical view of the word mystery is something that was hidden in aforetime but which now is revealed. Paul says we have the mind of Christ.
So what are we to make of God's so-called mysterious ways?
Paul says, the things of God are now revealed to us by God's spirit. James says if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask of God who upbraideth not and he will get wisdom. Jesus says, A servant doesn't know what his master does but I have called you friends and friends know what he does. The prophets says the Lord will do nothing but that he reveals it to his servants the prophets. Jesus says, God's sheep hear his voice. So...if we think we do not hear God's voice, we make God a liar. Or we have not abided in the vine long enough to hear God's voice giving us wisdom. God might not tell us about someone else's life but He will tell us about the reasons for things in our lives. All this talk about God being mysterious only shows that we haven't been praying long enough to hear his wisdom on a matter.
This is a deception in the church caused by Christian laziness. Sure, we don't know much of what God knows but we are told that if we lack wisdom about a situation in our lives...and we wish to know, then we should ask Him. God is a loving father who shows us the truth. He promised His Spirit would lead us into all truth. He wants us to trust Him and He wants us to know what he's doing at the same time. He doesn't sit around hiding himself about some long-term illness or such things. This is such a pet theology of Christians that it's hard for some to get a hold of. They want to believe in "the cloud of unknowing" and in God's mysterious ways ..but God has told us that those of us who walk with God shall have the light of life. It's only the unpraying and the wicked who stumble about in darkness.
But do we pray as much as Christians in the past did? Do we pray fervently throughout the night for days and days and fast? No, we don't. It's very hard to pray when we have a theology that God and Satan are somehow in cahoots to work together to make us have faith.
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