Once when I was a young girl, I prayed for a puppy. Nothing happened. When I asked my parents if we could have a puppy, they said that the yard between the house and the perimeter fence was not fenced and so we couldn’t keep a puppy in the yard. I asked if I could contribute my own money towards materials to finish the fence. They were not accommodating.
Did God hear the prayer of my little-girl self? Of course he did but the timing was not right. Later in life, I got a puppy.
“The question of how to access and obtain those blessings has been the subject of theological debate and discussion for centuries. Some contend that blessings are completely earned; we receive them only through our works. Others argue that God has already chosen who He will bless and how—and that these determinations are unchangeable. Both positions are fundamentally flawed. Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing ‘good deed coupons’ nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery. No, the truth is much more nuanced but more appropriate for the relationship between a loving Heavenly Father and His potential heirs—us. Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential.”
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