You have every right to ask because you have prayed.

Please do not give up praying.

Please note: I could write a book on this question. A large book.

Daniel I think, is the only one in the Bible (the Lions den Daniel) of whom it is written “you who are highly esteemed by God.” This is 3,000 years ago.

Daniel was in trouble and sent up a prayer to God. When The Archangel Michael did arrive 21 days later, said that: “the Prince of Persia withstood me 21 days.”

That was God’s enemy delaying God’s work as best he could. That’s a Biblical story (Daniel chapter 10).

Same today! Serious adult Christians know that life is not ‘all honey and no bees’. Christians who pray know this battle is continuous.

Please be assured, God heard your prayer. It did not go unnoticed.

God’s way is not instant flash of lightening with results we wanted. It is sometimes instant. My dentist was doing a root canal and having trouble cleaning out the last of two or three. I know her well and she really cares for me.

She was quietly saying, “Oh, Mr Harris, this is hard,” about three times. I knew she had been trying for several minutes and could not get the last one. With my mouth wide open and full of dentists tools I sent up a silent prayer.

Two seconds later a very relieved dentist said: (sigh) “Oh, there it is – that is good.” All done-and the tooth is still very good.

I know not what you pray for, it may be for things God knows will not be good for you. A lot of prayers went up on the sinking Titanic. God answered many. He was there. I am currently reading, Titanic, A survivors story by Colonel Archibald Gracie.

He was a Christian and has written a true story of that dreadful catastrophe. He survived I would say by prayer and faith that God cared.

You may, years later know that some of your prayers were answered but not how, or maybe when you expected.

To get an insight into the way mighty men of God prayed and worked read some of the books on them and by them. i.e. John Newton (Amazing Grace) and Charles Wesley. Ask a preacher you know to select and lend a book or two to you.

Do not give up. You are still young and God loves to hear His children pray. There is much to learn and it can be hard work.

Faith is an essential part of knowing God. It does not always come easily or quickly.

Please read on, as this is not a short answer like for many of the questions.

The Emperor Napoleon wrote:

“I know men; and I can tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemange and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force.

Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”

Napoleon I (1769-1825)

Adolph Hitler took the world to war for six years, 1939-1945, and 52 million died. Germany lay in ruins. He suicided. Rule by force?

And think about this piece about Jesus: "His Resume"

“Here is a man who was born of Jewish parents the child of a peasant woman…

He never wrote a book.

He never held office.

He never owned a home.

He never had a family.

He never went to university.

He never put foot inside a big city.

He never travelled, except as a baby, two hundred miles from the place where He was born.

He worked in a carpenter’s shop until He was thirty and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness He had no credentials but Himself.

While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against Him.

His friends – the twelve who had learned so much from Him and had promised Him their loyalty – ran away from Him and left Him.

One of them denied Him.

He went through the mockery of a trial.

Was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat.

When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone. Yet I am well within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of people upon this earth as has this one solitary life. (Author unknown)

Think on this too…

No other book in this world has prophecies that come true.

No other leader of “religions” in the world have taken on telling the future and its leading characters. All of them give good advice on how to live – and it’s good advice (most of it). None but the Bible take on telling the future! There are around 300 Bible references as to the future about Jesus. Only a few remain yet to be fulfilled.

None of them said as Jesus did: “I will be handed over to sinful men, be crucified and will rise to life again on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18-19). Has anyone in history ever said or done that? No!

Finally, many educated men have set out to prove the Bible wrong. They failed and many of them became serious Christians.

In asking, “Is God real?” I wonder just what proof would convince you? Can you bring me a sample maybe in a bag or bottle, of the love that you have for Mum, Dad, Grandma or anyone you truly love? It just can’t be done.

Or when your heart is breaking and you run to the arms of Mum and throw your arms around her. Not a word is said. Something is happening to have you feel better. No-one else can do it – only Mum, or another one you love. Can you get me a sample, proof that it makes you feel better? What is it? You cannot prove love, compassion and care but it is there. Same with proving that God is real. Just go on the evidence the (the good stuff) that you see around you and think upon it.

Also check out the story just in 27th August 2013 - from

cbn.com

about another person who died AND came BACK!

A reliable friend told this story to me about MR ROBERTS:

He tells the truth.

Mr Roberts was about 50 years old and was preparing a church hall for a celebration or something. While up a ladder, the ladder slipped and Mr Roberts fell several metres to the floor. He broke his back, or neck. He was now a quadriplegic and cannot use his arms or legs. After hospital and rehabilitation he lived at home with his wife for some years. This was at Katoomba in New south Wales, Australia.

One morning Mrs Roberts could not wake her husband. She called the doctor who was a family friend. He told her: “Mrs Roberts your husband has had a heart attack and is slowly dying. He explained the ‘Death Rattle’ to her and he did die.

The doctor wrote out a Death Certificate and got the ambulance to take Mr Roberts body to the hospital morgue (a refrigerated place where people who have died are kept until the funeral.)

The doctor also ordered an autopsy to be sure of how he died.

About eight hours later his body was being prepared for the autopsy. An assistant noticed a flicker of life. Yikes! Call the doctor!

The doctor DID notice a flicker of life and had the body returned to the hospital ward and ordered no food, water or medicine to be given. Mr Roberts was in that bed from Saturday to Tuesday.

Around this time a group of Aboriginal Christians were praying for Mr Roberts to come over to Carnarvon and be Preacher for a while. (That’s 4,000 km west)

Mrs Roberts told them: “He can’t.” They kept praying.

On Tuesday Mr Roberts was awake. A nurse came in and said: “Ah- you’re awake Mr Roberts.” “Yes, I am going home on Friday, The Lord told me.” Then he raised his hand to move a hair off his face. His arm had been paralysed for years.

A neurosurgeon was most surprised and unable to explain the change. Several neurosurgeons did a lot of tests and found nothing wrong with him.

He did go home on Friday. I have to assume that there was no phone to tell Mrs Roberts about what was happening and they could not be sure he would fully recover.

The ambulance officers insisted that he be carried to the ambulance. But-he walked to his home where several ladies were with Mrs Roberts. They were surprised indeed! This was 1970.

The Carnarvon people were still praying.

After a few weeks recovering, a carload of Christians who were going to Carnarvon asked Mr Roberts if he wanted to come. “Yes”.

He said later: “I want to devote the first year of my new life to God who raised me up.”

The Aboriginal folk were happy, Mr Roberts was happy and I guess God was happy.

Mr and Mrs Roberts asked for nothing.

Check out The Answerer's 217 answers now at children.org.au

A most important question – huge to answer, nearly too huge for me as I know very little about drugs, so I shall have to ask for help to answer this one. I refer to illegal drugs here and, of course, ’grog’ (alcohol).

It seems that people take drugs to ’feel better’ if they are unhappy and to take away pain. Pain can have many forms and sometimes people carry ’pain’ that somebody has put on them – making them unhappy. We ordinary folk see pain as a sore eye, a sore foot, a blister, a stubbed toe, or a sore of some sort. If you’re travelling where feet and eyes are in use and they are sore then life’s a misery and we reach for a pill or a bandaid; anything to make feet and eyes feel better. Sort of the same with drugs.

Many people are not really happy in life! Unhappy people seem to be plentiful. Why they are unhappy is not being answered here. Try some of the other questions for ’why’ people are unhappy.

Mostly, I think that somebody did something nasty to them and they don’t know what to do about it. Depression and mental illness is around us more than we think. Getting drunk makes most people feel good for a while, but a very sore head (a hangover) is the result. Worse – as an adult, you could be ’Done’ by police for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) of alcohol or drugs; or even have a crash. In asking people about drugs I am told that people take drugs for several reasons: ’to try them’, ’to see what they’re like’, ’to be like their crowd and not be different’. Peer pressure can be ’heavy’ and hard to get away from but no drug addict ever had the thought: ’I want to be a drug addict, to lose my family, my house, my marriage, and all my money and be in poor health for the rest of my life.’ Nobody thinks like that…but it happens.

A friend who works in the city with the homeless and drug affected people pointed out to me that most young people who start on drugs do not realise the slippery downhill slide they are on until it’s too late. Then they are ’hooked’ and become like the group they are mixing with – a crowd of so called ’friends’ who may, or may not, help you if you are in trouble. Without understanding what is happening to them, they see violence, grog, drugs and sex as quite normal. That is very sad and mostly has a sad ending.

Not long ago I watched a ’Dr Phil’ show on TV. A girl (lady) who was very pretty but very sad too, was a member of a gang and had spent years in jail for murdering a young girl. She was on the show and trying to tell the mother and big sister of the murdered girl just why she helped to kill a 12 year old girl. She, basically, was afraid to go against what the gang was doing! She was so very sorry but the 12 year old girl had a horrible death and the convicted girl very much regretted not stopping the other gang members. She was now around 30 years old. A life filled with sadness and regret, and a family who had to live with the memory of the horrible death of their girl. So choose your friends/gang carefully because you’ll be like them.

One story had a good ending: I heard a guy telling his story on radio, on the ABC 720 AM band in Perth. He related how he was with his friends, good ones this time, and he was on drugs and out of control and said ’I wanted to burn my neighbour’s house down. My best friend took a lump of wood and hit me over the head and knocked me out for a while.’ When I woke up I was OK and realised how stupid and dangerous I had been. I have not touched drugs since.’ How is that for good friends?

Alcohol is the biggest problem, it is legal and cheap but costs this nation plenty in bashings, knifings, killings and ’punch ups’ of many sorts and that includes ’wife bashing’, and too often suicide. Alcohol is nasty in that the TV and other advertisements only show happy people drinking and they do not appear to drink too much. Many others do drink too much and get seriously addicted. That’s a nasty problem in that the addiction can take away most, or all of your money. It all happens very slowly until one day you admit you’re an alcoholic, broke and need help. Someone wrote: ’Why pay good money to put a devil in your mouth to take away your brain – then you piss it up against the wall?’ An Indian Chief, in the early days of the USA asked a white man who had given him a bottle of whisky: ’Why you give us drink to make us fools?’ I only see the sad consequences and I, and most in my age group (70-90 years) feel a real sadness that kids like you will be exposed to these drugs ’pushed’ by some low-life from the sewer, to get you hooked, and to produce money for their profit. The bigger the ’pusher’ the bigger their profits – from you!

The only drugs us oldies grew up with were tobacco…and that was rationed by the government to keep our armed services supplied in the war. (Much tobacco was grown in Manjimup in Western Australia.)

There was of course beer, but pubs closed at 6.00 pm, with few liquor outlets, no Sunday trading and there was not much money, or time for drinking anyway. This much I do know: I have noticed on TV and in magazines that Mums are encouraged to give kids, even little babies painkillers so: ’they get relief from any pain.’ A caller on talk back radio pointed out that: ’from babies, we never have to put up with any pain at all. There is always a pill to remove pain of any kind.’ (I am so glad that someone invented the anaesthetic drug so that a trip to a dentist is not too bad.)

But the caller also pointed out that: ’When the pain is of the heart (emotions) there is no painkiller for that!’ So very true! This emotional pain could be a friend dumping you for no reason at all, Mum and Dad divorcing, a girl or boy friend who you trusted, betrays you and spreads personal stuff for everyone to read, to see, or hear. Very hurtful indeed! So what to do? Mum and Dad or your best friend can help ease the pain. But if they are not there, there are many illegal drugs to cover the pain for a while but they will not take the heartache away. If you keep taking the drugs for the pain, then comes the problem: Drugs cost money! Big problem indeed. If you have none you think, ’Got to get some money, somehow.’ If you have plenty of money you can buy plenty, and whatever you want – but that’s not good either. Some end up dead. I have three friends, whose child, around 20 to 30 years old have died from, we suspect, drug overdoses. It is very painful and I guess hard to talk about. Another one I know has survived – the child of a preacher at a good sized church. That child had no problem stealing money and saleable goods from the parents to sell, to get money for drugs. Drugs take away your conscience so that stealing anything becomes easy and not a moral question.

I thought I wrote that I knew nothing – seems I know a bit after all!

Here are three testimonies (stories that happened to the people writing them). ’Graduates’ (people restored from drugs) from ’Teen Challenge’ agreed to tell their stories to put in my book. Teen Challenge is a group of Christian people who help those who need help, and ask for it.

This is what they wrote: When I was 13 I started to hang out with friends who used drugs and I started to use them too, so I could fit in. At first I liked it because it made me feel good but soon I didn’t want to do it anymore but I couldn’t stop because I was addicted. I started to steal from people and sell drugs so that I could buy drugs. When I was 16 I tried injecting drugs and by seventeen I was addicted to heroin. Before the end of that year my life was so bad because of my drug use that I didn’t want to live anymore and I tried to kill myself twice and was put into hospital in a psyche’ ward. When I was 19 I was at a party and had an accidental drug overdose that did kill me. I needed to be resuscitated by the ambulance guys and although they revived me I was still in a coma for seven days fighting for my life. When I turned 21, my Mum told me she didn’t want to speak to me again until I got help. I chose to go to Teen Challenge because I had heard that it was a Christian place and I knew that it was going to take a miracle for me to stop using drugs. At Teen Challenge I started a friendship with God and He helped me to become a healthy, happy person who no longer wants to take drugs. Now I’m married with a young son and another baby on the way, and I’m pastor of a church. God can do great things, but if I had my time again I WOULD NOT start using drugs. Jacob Hill (May 2011).

Here are two more personal stories from kids who were restored by Teen Challenge.

When I was 13 my parents separated and at about the same time I started high school. I was feeling depressed and instead of sharing my feelings with a trusted adult, I bottled it all up and began to experiment with drugs and alcohol as a way of ’escape’. This continued over the next few years until by age 24 I had a drinking problem and a serious addiction to speed. My life was a mess. I was suicidal and had no hope for the future. This is when my Mum told me about Teen Challenge and I entered the program. At Teen Challenge I detoxed off drugs and alcohol, and dealt with issues that I had been running from most of my life. I learnt to respect authority and boundaries, I learnt to communicate and respect myself and others. Teen Challenge changed my life. I am now happily married with one child and another on the way. I am one of the fortunate ones who were given a second chance at life. Some of the people I knew who also took drugs didn’t get that chance and their lives were ended far too soon. Drugs are NOT COOL. They destroy your health and ultimately your life. I thank God that my life was spared and I am now able to share this: Say NO to Drugs message with others. Melissa Hill (May 2011)

The 3rd personal story from kids who were restored by Teen Challenge.

When I was in Year 4, I was sexually abused at school by an adult. Then when I was in Year 7, my parents separated. At 13 I started smoking cigarettes and at 15 I started smoking pot. I did this for two reasons. The first was because my friends were trying it and I didn’t want to be different than them and the second because it stopped me thinking about how sad and hurt I was. I really missed my Dad and because of the abuse I had suffered I had the wrong idea of what love was so I had relationships with guys to try and find the love I had lost when my Dad left. I continued using pot and trying all other kinds of drugs (LSD, Ecstasy, Diazepam, Speed, Crystal Meth). In amongst all this I gave birth to my daughter. By age 21 I was absolutely addicted to drugs and couldn’t function without them. When my family couldn’t stand to see me hurting myself anymore, they cut me out of their lives. This finally led me to seek help from Teen Challenge. There I was able to work through all my problems and break the wrong mind sets I had developed. I have now been drug free for 4 years and work at Teen Challenge. I have a great relationship with my daughter and I can now be a positive role model for her. Many young people have experienced the breakup of their parent’s marriage or other traumatic events, just like I did and this can become a factor in their decision to use drugs. But I would like to encourage anyone who may be thinking of going down that track to talk to an adult first about how you feel. Get help for your problems. And remember the old saying: ’Prevention is better than cure.’ It really is. Caroline Barlahan (May 2011)

Sorry that this is a bit long-others write whole books on the subject…so I feel better already.

A preacher I once heard said: ’The greatest thing a person can tell is what’s happened to them.’ Someone’s personal story is powerful and I thank the three writers for their story – powerful messages indeed.

My comment: ’I cannot imagine coping with the problems those kids wrote about.’. To readers who have been hurt, especially sexually or emotionally abused, know this: On judgement day, those who did evil to children will answer for their evil deeds. The worst punishment is for them! Yes it is! Jesus said so by saying: ’But if any of you causes one of these little ones who trust in me to lose his faith in me it would be better for you to have a rock tied to your neck and be thrown in the deepest sea.’ Matthew chapter 18 in verse 6. Better than what?! Jesus did not say. One Bible translator used slightly different words: ’…anyone who hurts the conscience of one of these little ones…’ (Damages the mind of a child). Children are very special to Jesus.

And from Buddha: ’An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast. One can damage your body the other will damage your mind.’ (I don’t often quote Buddha but that one is true. Choose friends carefully.)

Jesus talked about judgment day too. He was telling his disciples that on judgement day selfish and uncaring people will be separated like a farmer separates sheep from goats before shearing. Those who ’helped the sick, the homeless, visited those in jail and helped those in need would be rewarded, and those who failed to help them would be punished.’ That’s in Matthew chapter 26 in verses 31 to 46.

From time to time we all ask God for help. Often nothing happens because God does not stop people doing evil things. From Adam and Eve right up to now, we’ (everybody) have a choice, a personal choice to do right-or to do wrong.

You, who maybe reading this some years down the track may ask: Is help available to me…now? I believe it will be! There have always been, and always will be, kind and good people. They will help if they know how to help; and if they cannot they will know someone who can and will. Do, please read again the three personal stories above and know that there is help.

Finally, I paid good money in 1984 to hear a speaker from the USA talk about ’motivation’. This statement has stuck in my mind since then: he said: ’You’re where you are, you’re what you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change where you are, you can change what you are, by changing what goes into your mind.’ Zig Ziglar Perth 1984

A school principal said to me that rebellion can be the first step along the road to drugs. ’What?’ Let me explain. Teenagers can get quite resentful of restrictions placed on them by their parents: i.e. ’Now I want you home by 10.30 tonight, remember.’ ’Yuk! I want to stay out later with my friends.’ Or ’I will not allow you to go out with that boy.’ and other such unwanted restrictions. ’I’m old enough to know what is bad for me, leave me alone.’ And then resentment builds and sometimes rebellion, until at maybe 16 or 17 the child decides to leave home and live with some ’friends’. The friends could be of a similar mind, and all of them are easy, or ’soft’ targets for drug pushers. Easily manipulated by older men or women to get kids started on ’harmless’ soft drugs ’that help you have a good time’. That could be the start of a downhill path to a life of drugs. (Getting your own flat to live by yourself costs around $5,000 just to get started.)

Kids also leave home to avoid sexual or emotional abuse by family or relatives, often by ’Uncles’. They see that living on the streets, in old buildings, etc. is better than a bad home.

Finally, a little story told by Graham Mabury, the 30 year presenter of NIGHTLINE on 6PR (here in Perth) and still going. He told of a teenager leaving a party told her friends: ’Mum told me to be home by 11.00 so I have to go.’ One of the group remarked after she went: ’I wish my Mum cared when I get home.’ Meaning that his Mum did not care enough to make boundaries. (Kids need that kind of love, even if it is ’tough love’)

To you, dear reader, I say: ’May you always be where God can bless you.’

Finally (nearly there): Try www.jadelewis.com I read of her story in the doctor’s waiting room recently in a That’s Life magazine. She has a story full of hope for all. Well worth a look.

After all that serious stuff, try a nutty joke: ’Two peanuts were crossing the road. One was assaulted.’ (A salted peanut). And: ’Two peanuts sat on the railway track, Their hearts were all-a-flutter, Train came speeding round the bend. ’Toot Toot’ – peanut butter!’ (I like ’crunchy’ best.)