praying effectively: Faithfully Trust and Walk With God (Gen.6-8)

(Genesis 6:5-14)  Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 

9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch...

(Genesis 6:22)  Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

(Genesis 7:5)  Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.

(Genesis 8:14-21)  In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark.

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:  that we faithfully trust and walk with God

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to be as faithful as Noah was in his circumstances.  Even though there might be evil all around me, help me trust You and Your commandments, knowing that You have a plan and that You are able to protect, and that YOU are faithful, Lord!!!  Thank You so much for being faithful to Your children!!!

I love that Your ways are right, blameless and holy.  And even when they may not make total sense to me, help me to always remember that Your ways always work!  Give me wisdom and strength to remain obedient to Your will.

Thank You for saving me;  and that through Your salvation, forgiveness and  grace, You see me as righteous.  Guide me in my efforts as I continually strive to live righteously - to live in a way that worships, honors and glorifies Your name.  Amen.