Question 1

In what ways does God help me?

Accepted Answer

2 Chronicles 15:4Whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.God helps us by always being available. God is present to help us whenever we call out to him. Prayer is the lifeline that connects us to God for daily help.Philippians 4:19This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.God helps us by providing resources to meet our needs. God has a full supply house and a ready supply system. It’s free for our benefits, if we ask.Deuteronomy 33:29“How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs!”Psalm 28:7The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.Ephesians 6:10-11A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.God helps us by giving us strength to face any crisis. God protects us from being defeated by the Enemy and gives us spiritual victory.Isaiah 30:21Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.God helps us through his Holy Spirit to give us an extra measure of wisdom and discernment.Romans 8:26The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.God helps us pray, even when we don’t know how or what to say.Genesis 2:18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”God helps us by giving us other people to love and support us.

Question 2

How do I ask others for help? Why would they want to help me?

Accepted Answer

Nehemiah 2:4-8The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request. I also said to the king, “If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah. And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.Nehemiah went right to the top—to the person who could help the most—and got the help he needed. People may be more interested and approachable than we think. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask others for help.John 13:34-35“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”1 Corinthians 12:25-26This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.Ephesians 1:5God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.Just as each part of the body depends on the other parts, we should rely on other members of the Body of Christ. Just as an earthly family cares for one another and helps one another in times of need, we can turn to our spiritual family for help.Mark 2:10-12Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”Asking for help can bless other people. Because four men asked Jesus to help their paralyzed friend, many onlookers believed in Jesus.

Question 3

In what ways can I help others?

Accepted Answer

1 John 3:17If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?We can help others by sharing of our abundance with those who have less. We should be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and opportunities that come to us, for God may be asking us to be his hands for someone we know.Isaiah 1:17Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.God works through willing people to provide his divine help. Orphans, widows, and the poor are some of many who may need this help.Acts 16:9That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”We help others by telling them the Good News of Jesus, giving them an opportunity to experience salvation and eternal life.Acts 20:28“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.We can help other believers by encouraging and assisting them to grow spiritually.Romans 12:13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.We can help others by showing hospitality.Galatians 6:1Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.We can help other believers who have stumbled in their walk with God by showing them how to restore their relationship with him.Ecclesiastes 4:9-10Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.We can help others by being available. When people try to do everything themselves, they are limited by their weaknesses. But when we depend on each other for help, we compensate for each other’s weaknesses with our strengths.Romans 16:1-2I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.Interdependence is healthy. We are created to live in community, which implies that we are to be constantly helping each other. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a mark of unity.1 Peter 4:10-11God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.God calls us to help others. To some, however, he gives a special skill and longing for this kind of ministry. Just as with all spiritual gifts, we should fervently pursue helping others in need.Genesis 14:14-16When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. . . . Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.We should do whatever we can to help those in need and, if necessary, to rescue them.

Question 4

How should I respond when God offers his help?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 66:17I cried out to him [God] for help, praising him as I spoke.In asking God for help, we must have two hands symbolically lifted to God: one open to receive help and the other overflowing with thanks and praise.