“Pastor, since God will have mercy on who He will have mercy, does it mean that God can decide not to answer my prayers or honour my faith even without a fault?”

No, that’s not what it means! What kind of God will that be? If that’s what it means, then there’s no need to have faith in Him. What’s the use of having faith in a God that will eventually do what He likes?

Ofcourse, God is our Creator, and He can do whatever He likes. But Hebrews 1:3 tells us that God has restricted His operations to His word. That also means that although He can do whatever He likes, but He won’t.

Most Christians and even preachers of the gospel have greatly misinterpreted Exodus 33:19, even to a point that when their efforts to change a situation doesn’t produce result, they’d conclude that maybe God doesn’t want the situation to change.

I’ve taught you that the spirit of stronghold uses reasonable ideas or facts to restrain believers. Guess what? That spirit also uses a poor understanding of scriptures to enslave believers. Now, let us read that popular scripture together:

Exodus 33:
15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

The first thing you’d observe from the scripture we just read is that it was a conversation between God and Moses. And this conversation had a subject around their journey, God’s presence and God’s glory. Moses wanted God’s presence to go with them, and God agreed as seen in verse 17. In Verse 18, Moses needed God to prove it, that’s why he asked God to show him His glory.

It seemed Moses asked for the impossible because God had to make clear the signs that Moses and the children of Israel would see when He is present with them. So in verse 19, He told him that one of the signs that they’d notice is that His goodness will pass in front of them, events will happen that will make people proclaim the Lordship of God in their midst, and lastly, “He will have mercy on their oppositions that qualify for mercy, and compassion on the oppositions that qualify for His compassion”.

That’s right, that line wasn’t for God’s people at all, it was part of the signs they were supposed to see to validate God’s presence. And that’s exactly what happened as they journeyed through. The cities and people that didn’t bow to the Lordship of God in the midst of the people of Isreal were destroyed, and the ones that acknowledged God qualified for mercy and compassion.

Think about it, there’s no need to destroy an enemy that has accepted you and your God. No matter how much you hate your uncle because of his feitish ways, the moment he repents and begins to serve God, your heart would naturally be changed towards him, and that’s because God’s mercy and compassion has come upon him. God’s mercy and compassion on an opposition is often a sign that they are no longer obstacles on your path.

Now that you understand this, the only reason why your prayer or faith didn’t produce result is because you haven’t done them with clear scriptural understanding. Remember how you used to ask your parents for school fees while you were in school, your presentation would always come with accuracy. You knew the exact amount to be paid and you knew exactly how the money would be used. You also had assurance that your parents would pay the fee, there was no room for doubt at all.

Think about it, do you feel the same way when you pray to God? If you don’t, then you need to understand the scriptural provisions of what you’re asking God for. It is this understanding that gives you confidence during prayers.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!

#EmekaAnslem