In asking my friend to pray for me, I asked him to pray that I was already healed and believe with me. He responded, “I’m praying God’s will be done in your situation. I said, but I believe God wants me healed. That’s his will for us all, to be “Beloved I desire above all that you be in health and prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” He texted me back “who can know the mind or the will of the Lord.” But it’s my body and I’m asking you to pray for me. The word of God says that we can know the mind of the Lord if He calls us friends ” He curtly responded, “Well then let’s just not talk because it’s obvious it’s better for us both.” Shock! OK I wanted to respond explaining the scriptures that applied to what I was asking him to do. I decided it was no use arguing with a religious spirit. It had happened before as they had responded in like manner. It’s always unnerving, but this time, I was pretty much done. I’m tired of the: “I’m going to take my toys and go play somewhere else” attitude. I decided I was not going to answer and not going to talk to him, if that is what he wanted. I was kinda done, but I’ve never really been “done” with anyone. I try to always leave room for relationship and moving together in the Lord, because I’m not perfect and I know that I have much lack within my own life, as I walk this difficult and narrow way. So I gave it to God and asked Him to deal with the situation. He did. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
Do you run into others that seem to “know” everything? Do you react? How do you respond? There is a way to respond in like fashion. Proverbs instructs, “Do not answer a fool in the way he responds to you, else you become like him.” That’s a blow. If I take scripture and show him where he is “missing it” I become a fool too? I don’t think that’s what it means. I’m assuming it means to not answer with the same attitude, lest you become like him. So, what attitude am I suppose to have? “Let us spur one another along to good works ….Hebrews says. So how do I do that?
!. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up”
2. Let us pray for one another, encouraging each other while it is still called today.
3. Correct your brother in love considering yourself, lest you fall into the same temptation.
4. Let each of us esteem one another as better than ourselves.
5. Seek the Lord while He may be found call upon Him while He is near.”
6. Pride comes before a fall
7. Let love be without dissimulation…..or broken down…..let it be pure….and undefiled.
8. If someone comes into your presence wearing nice clothes and you say to him, ‘Here, sit up here in this higher place, and another comes around without the same, do you show precedence over the one in the better clothing? We must consider that me many times walk in the arrogance of man, regardless of how much we pray or study the bible. If we do not walk in the spirit, we WILL fulfill the desires of the flesh….it’s the way it works.
So let us be careful to always be certain to listen to the Spirit of God before we answer.
I prayed about it all and didn’t answer him the last time trying to figure out how I was suppose to respond, ready in due respect to walk away completely. I stopped, I prayed refused to answer him in like spirit. Then away from the emotions of the situation, I simply prayed that God would show him the truth. I received a notice on my phone later on that next day, with his apology and asking forgiveness. That he wasn’t encouraging me the way God would have him do so. Time and distance and prayer makes for a wise move. It isn’t that I didn’t want to answer him and question his response. “How does that line up with scripture.” Which is what I wanted to say, but Holy Spirit stopped me, lest I become a fool. Now, mind you, I’m not calling the other a fool, I’m just saying that spirit that drives us to be prideful is foolish and can lead us into harmful and unkind situations. So, it is better to pray and not allow the enemy room to work. We are called to be salt and light.