La diferencia entre lo general y lo especializado

If we keep our minds stayed on the Word of God, we will get the results of the Word of God. If we keep our minds stayed on the problem, the problem will dominate us. I have dealt with many women who come to me and complain that their husbands are reprobate. They’re trying to pray for them, but they’re just beside

themselves. These women are depressed and discouraged, and they say, “What can I do? I’ve got to have some relief in my home.”

Many times, I’ve told them that the first thing they need to do is quit praying for their husbands. Most react with,

“What are you saying? That’s terrible! That cannot be from God. I need to pray for my husband.” Well, if it was godly prayer, based totally on the Word of God, then I’d say yes to that. But what most people call prayer is not really prayer—it’s complaining.

I heard Charles Capps talk one time about how he was in a real bad situation. He was praying and talking to God about it, and in the middle of his prayer, the Lord asked,

“What are you doing?” He said, “Well, I’m praying.” The Lord told him, “You aren’t praying; you’re complaining.” I really believe that a large portion of what people are calling prayer is not true prayer. It is complaining.

Many of these women praying for their husbands have prayed, “Oh, God, I ask You to save my husband. He beats me. He beats the kids. He beats the dog. He spends our money. He buys booze. He doesn’t love me. He...” They’ll spend forty-five minutes talking about all the negative things their husbands do, and at the end of the prayer, they’ll say, “I’m asking You to save him, in Jesus’ name.

Amen.”

They’ll spend forty-five minutes talking about the

problem and five seconds talking about the answer. Then they wonder why they’re depressed, why they’re

discouraged, and why their prayers haven’t been answered. I believe communication is vital to a good marriage and a good prayer life, but we need to learn to communicate good things. We need to repent of those things that don’t edify, that will only offend and hurt.

Bury them and don’t share them with anyone else, even

God. Griping is not prayer!

I have seen this so many times when I have preached on forgiveness: One person will go to another person in the service and say, “I want you to know that I forgive you.

Right now I am forgiving you for all of the rotten things you’ve done and said.” I’ve even had people do that to me, and I didn’t know they were ever upset with me! By doing that, it gave opportunity for another offense to occur.

If you find yourself in a situation like that, desperately needing to forgive another, you should say, “Father, forgive me for taking offense. And forgive Andrew. He didn’t mean it. I’m sorry; I ask Your forgiveness. I ask You to take all bitterness away. It’s over, and I am going to forget it.” Don’t speak to anyone about it, because by mentioning it, you put Satan in a position to tempt someone else with an offense.

The same thing is true in a marriage situation. Some things shouldn’t even be brought up. Sometimes we just need to repent of our wrong feelings and not blab about them. Sure, that’s communication, but it’s not good communication. And it’s the same thing in prayer. We don’t need to pour out our hearts, gripe, complain, and tell God how miserable we are. That’s not prayer—that’s complaining.

Now there is a place for bearing our hearts to the Lord, but it is not the place that most of us have used. It is not forty-five minutes talking about how bad the situation is and five seconds talking about the answer. Maybe we should try spending one minute telling God, “Oh God, this is how I feel...” and then start praising Him, expressing our faith, and speaking the answer for forty-five minutes.

That is why I tell a lot of people to quit praying for their mates, because they are focusing on all of those negative things. They would be better off to praise God for what the Word says about their mates. I tell them to start praising God for what they want their mate to be, what they are believing for them to be.

God loves you, personally. God longs for you to have personal, intimate communion with Him.

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,