To View the Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4eD8LoWPAEE
SHOW NOTES
Hi friends! Welcome to a new week of the Hope Rescue Podcast. Today we will be discussing a few different “dumb things Christians say” as we continue our series on Christian cliches that need clarification. Don’t forget, you can watch the podcast live on YouTube or listen to it through your favorite podcasting app! Let’s get into this week’s discussion.
Cliche #1: Prayer works.
We hear this one often, and we don’t disagree, but it is a saying that needs to be clarified. Prayer alone doesn’t work. God works, and our prayers connect us to God. Karma is not a biblical concept, and people often get karma and sowing and reaping mixed up. Prayer isn't meant to be focused solely on getting what we want. Prayer itself is not the thing that produces a magical response of getting what we want. It's not wrong to list our desires in our prayers, but we shouldn't expect our prayers to work like a vending machine.
Cliche #2: God told me…
Think of how many times you have heard someone say the words, “God told me…” Maybe you’ve wondered how they knew God told them something or if they actually heard an audible voice from God. We absolutely believe that God speaks to us through His Word. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” We hear from God through the Word of Christ. God does lead us into different situations or encounters, but it is a very bold statement to say as a matter of fact that God told us to do something.
Kimberly explains that she has personally never heard the audible voice of the Lord, but she has had many instances where she felt like the Lord was speaking to her heart. Kimberly says, “God speaks to our hearts and gives us direction when we are listening.” Tim tells the story of the time a random woman came up to him and said, “God told me we are going to get married.” Saying “God told me” is the same as speaking directly for the Lord, so if we are going to say that God directly told us something, we need to be sure of it.
Kimberly suggests that if you feel like the Lord is telling you something, especially about someone else, preface it by explaining that you feel like the Lord was speaking this to your heart and you want to share it. By saying, "God told me" you are obligating God to potentially something he didn't actually say, and it can be manipulative and destructive. Unless you hear an audible voice from the Lord telling you something, Tim suggests never saying the words “God told me.” If you have a sense or a feeling that God is nudging you in a direction, that is great. Don’t try to bolster up your credibility by saying, “God told me.”
QUOTES
“Through prayer, we can bring our requests to God and dislodge our worries with thanksgiving.” -Tim
“God speaks to our hearts and gives us direction when we tune our ear to the voice of the Holy Spirit.” -Kimberly
REFERENCED SCRIPTURE
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
