Block It Lord!

,For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Whenever I want something so badly that I’m having a hard time discerning God’s will over my own heart, I have learned to ask God to block anything that is not his will and to blind my eyes to anything he does not want me to see. I’ve learned that we (me included) tend to pray prayers that are manipulative and biased. We often set the plan in action and then ask God to bless it, rather than to ask God to lead us to do what he is blessing. Those two things are nowhere near the same. We rationalize that “if it happens, it HAS to be God’s will.” I mean, people say that all the time, right? “If it’s meant to be, it will happen.” That’s manipulation at best and witchcraft and open defiance of God’s will at its worst. If a person REALLY believes that way, then they are insinuating that everything that happens is God’s plan. That means abortion is God’s plan. Murder is God’s plan. Tragic accidents are God’s plan. Just what kind of God do you think we serve? Bad things happen, not because they are God’s will, but because there is a devil, the enemy of our souls and he has a plan to steal, kill and destroy. He is trying to trip us up, hurt us, even destroy our very lives. Many people pray in such a way that what they do is they pray, “Lord, I’m going to do this, and if it is not your will, stop me.” But we’ve run through the roadblocks! We pray, “If it’s not your will, close the door.” But then we keep knocking on that same door that God has closed! Or… we kick the door down! And then we blame God for the mess! “Why didn’t you stop me, Lord? I asked you to if it wasn’t your will!”  I think of a friend of mine who prayed for a wife but God kept saying, “Not now.”  He kept praying. Kept dating and looking for that wife, even though God had told him, “not now.” The next thing I know, my friend called to tell me he was getting married to “a godly woman” and said God had put them together. I questioned him about it then, but he blew me off. Later, he began telling me of all sorts of issues in his marriage, how his wife refused to be a part of his ministry and put her children before their marriage. He finally admitted that other Christians had pushed them together and that they both knew they had made a bad mistake. That’s sad. People, even God-fearing people can give you bad advice and direction. But when the trouble comes… they are nowhere to be found, other than to criticize you!

Here’s something I’ve learned… often the hard way: Not everything you see that appears good, is good. In fact, they can be “good” but not good for you, because they are not a part of God’s plan for your life (or mine). So we need to use wisdom, patience and the Bible check before making decisions. But let me be perfectly clear… even then, we can make a mistake… because we are human. There is no magic prayer or fleece that keeps us from making bad decisions. If I pray, “Lord, if it’s not your will, block it” then at the first sign or indication of a wall going up, I STOP! God will not tackle you to stop you. He says, “NO” and he means “NO.” But if you keep throwing up another fleece, and side-stepping the stones he has put up to block you, God will allow you to pursue your own will.  He will not force himself nor his will on you. You can keep knocking on that door and eventually someone is going to open it.” But that does not make it God’s will! Israel wanted a king, but God said “no.” They kept asking, and finally, God allowed them to have what they desired… but it was not His plan, and they suffered for their choice with problem after problem that was of their own making by forcing the door open.

It’s like this… God knows what he's doing. Sometimes you and I seem to forget it, but he has a plan. His plan is to prosper us and not to bring us harm. You and I often struggle with following that plan, because we are headstrong and determined. But one thing I have learned is to pray, “If it is not your will block it. If it is your will, open the door.” Then look for the open door. If it is not open… then it is not His will! If I have to knock… then obviously the door is not open. If I have to climb over stumbling blocks… it is because He has blocked my path! THAT MEANS STOP!!! The Lord knows my heart’s desire. He wouldn't withhold something out of spite or to frustrate me.  When I’ve prayed for His will and I know that He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me and to give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) than if it is bringing me frustration, weariness, and pain… it is NOT God!  The biggest issue is that I have to look through the eyes of the spirit and not my own desires. Again... when you have asked God to block anything that is not His will, and you come across a roadblock... STOP!