His Encouragement #154

Welcome to His Encouragement Thursday! I don’t know about you, but Thursdays are my struggle day of the week. By Thursday, I have already been working hard at school and at home, and I just wish it would hurry up and be Friday already. LOL! I definitely need a little extra Jesus time on Thursdays.

---

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

Do you ever get frustrated because you know something is a truth, and that truth seems SO apparent to you, but people look at you like you’re crazy whenever you talk about it? They do everything they can to convince you that you are wrong. Even when you can prove the truth with verified facts and data, they still do everything to get you to think a different way — their way.

Lately, it feels like a line has been drawn and people have been divided: those who can see and hear and understand the truth, and those who see nothing, hear nothing, and understand nothing of actual truth. Both sides swear they are the ones who know and speak the “correct” truth. Both sides are also equally passionate about their ideas of truth — so passionate they’re willing to fight. We live in a very strange and disconcerting time to say the least.

When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I do is grab my phone to read the Bible verse of the day on my Bible app. Maybe this sounds dumb, but I feel like it’s God’s way of steering my day. Like He’s giving me some kind of answer to a question I didn’t even know I had. A few mornings ago, 2 Corinthians 4:4 was the verse of the day and it walloped me.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers…”

This piece of the verse absolutely blows my mind.

I have been praying for one of my brothers for about a year now. I know that if his eyes, ears, and heart were opened to God’s truth, he’d be one of the strongest warriors for Jesus ever. I pray and pray and pray, but he seems to be the same. I used to bring him facts and data and evidence to prove truth, but all he ever wanted to do is fight me. I know that we humans have no power to change a heart — only God has the power to do that. But, I also know that God hears His kids’ prayers. So I keep praying.

My brother is blinded. He is an unbeliever and he sticks HARD to his atheistic convictions. I was actually getting really sad because my prayers for him appear to be failing. Then, I saw this verse in 2 Corinthians. Perhaps I’m praying for the wrong thing. Maybe I need to pray for my brother’s sight to change first. Once his sight is changed, then God can really get to his heart.

Don’t get me wrong. God can do anything in any order at any time. If it is His will, then He can snap His fingers and my brother’s heart could be changed. BUT, maybe this verse is God’s way of telling me to change my prayer for my brother. Maybe this is an obedience thing for me?

I will change my prayers for my brother cause I really feel it’s what God wants me to do. I”ll say my new prayers and leave the changing of my brother’s heart in God’s capable hands.

I leave you with this, dear reader — the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to truth. So, who do you need to pray for today? Whose mind do you need to pray for right now? Whose sight needs to be fixed?

---

NOW, IT’S YOUR TURN!

WHAT BIBLICAL VERSE IS ENCOURAGING YOU TODAY?