I think I have, but I can’t remember. I know I own it…

All my books are in boxes right now, otherwise, I would pull it out and see if I have marked it up… I know it is a classic.

Have you read ‘Decision-making and the Will of God’ by Garry Friesen?

Thanks for your kind words. I’ve been doing some looking around at other fights to see what I could learn about how to do it well/poorly. Good lessons abound.

Re. guidance and “I’ll pray about it.” Thing is, I wasn’t really open to God’s guidance on that one. I was trying to get a decent job for the first time in my life, and there was no way I could pull that off if I was going to take an 8-week trip to Russia 7 months later. I was most resistant to the idea, and told them I’d pray about it purely because I knew there was nothing they could say after that.

I prayed about it, exactly as described, once, so I could say I had.

Thing is, when you dial that number, Someone picks up the phone.

His,
Tim

Great story. I don’t mind people using the statement “I’ll pray about it” if they will actually pray about it…and be open to receiving God’s guidance on the issue. For myself, I know that in the past, I have said, “I’ll pray about it” knowing full well that I had already made up my mind on the issue.

By the way, great post on Psychology recently. Your parting statement in that post struck a chord with me.

About 10 years ago, my assistant pastor and a missionary friend of mine ganged up on me at a missions conference, trying to get me to agree to take a short-term trip to Russia that next summer.

I got them off my back by telling them I would pray about it.

Being a young man of integrity, I did what I had said I would do: “Dear God, they think it would be a good idea for me to go to Russia. Isn’t that funny?”

Several months later, I got off a train in Izhevsk. The time I spent there was a key formative experience in my early preparation for ministry.

“When we are faithless, He remains faithful…”

Just kidding! (as I take cover from lightning bolts)

“Another phrase that gets abused a lot is “God told me…” I personally think that many Christians use this to justify their own decisions and keep people from questioning the decision or voicing dissent.”

You nailed it! Sometimes I want to say, “Oh, that reminds me, God told me to tell you that what He told you before is canceled.”

But God always tells me to hold my tongue.