"Hearing Jesus Speak" Conference Notes

This past weekend, I was blessed to attend a Nancy Guthrie women's conference at a nearby church. My hand hurt from taking notes by the end of the last session, but it was worth the pain. My heart hurt even more from the conviction I felt. God used this conference to peel back layer after layer of pride that I had been denying. Here are some highlights from Session 1:

1. Hearing Jesus Speak to...the Pain that Can't Be Prayed Away

Mrs. Guthrie reminded us that many times God says no to our "reasonable, repeated, and righteous" prayers. She claims that God's no's are always purposeful and proved this claim with scripture. When Jesus prayed in Matthew 26:36-39, we see that God said no to His own Son's request for a different way than the cross, but ultimately, Jesus submits to God's will--the thing Jesus loves more than His own request. Mrs. Guthrie reminded us that Jesus shows us the joy of surrender here. She also used Paul's thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7) to show how God often says no to us. Paul doesn't ask why God says no. He realizes the thorn will remain to keep him humble. Paul sees that Satan is using the thorn to try to destroy him; he also sees God's hand in it is to keep Paul turned toward God. Ultimately, God's no's in these scenarios are for the greater good of both Jesus and Paul, and even us. 

What I learned: It's not wrong to ask God to remove difficulties from my life, but if He continues to say no, then I must change my prayers to ask for more grace and power to endure the seemingly unending trials. His grace will be sufficient for all circumstances no matter how impossible they may feel.

I will post on Session 2--Hearing Jesus Speak to...the Promise that Appears to Be Broken and Session 3--Hearing Jesus Speak About...the Offense that Doesn't Deserve to be Forgiven later this week. Stay tuned...