“You’re not here by accident. God’s been putting things in place for your life since eternity began. Our task is seeking His will and committing ourselves to obedience whatever the cost.”
Richard Blackaby spoke to some 260 participants from 20 states May 15–17 at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.
Blackaby, president of Blackaby Ministries International, noted the event was his 52nd conference at the Cove, a Christian conference center in Asheville, North Carolina. Earlier conferences there were done in partnership with his father Henry, author of “Experiencing God,” who died earlier this year at age 88.
Blackaby used his newest book, “The Ways of God: How God Reveals Himself Before a Watching World,” as his theme.
“One of the struggles the modern church has is not refusing to do the right things but doing God’s work in the world’s way,” Blackaby said. “We must seek the ways of God in all we do, even when His ways seem not to make sense. My dad used to say, ‘If God’s plan made perfect sense to me, it probably didn’t come from God!’”
Grounded in Scripture
Blackaby said God’s ways are biblical, and a familiarity with the Bible will keep believers grounded in seeking the will of God.
“God will never lead us contrary to His Word,” he said. “God’s voice will match Scripture. And His Word is more important than how we feel about something or what pop culture teaches.”
He also suggested that God’s ways are always holy.
“God will never ask us to lie, be unkind to others or break our sacred vows,” he said. “When we pray ‘hallowed be Thy name,’ we’re actually asking God to honor His character in us. This isn’t something we ever take lightly.”
Blackaby said God’s ways are powerful, noting Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 4:20 that “the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”
“There are more sermons preached every week in America than at any time in history,” he said. “But we also live in an age of great spiritual need. Words alone won’t do it. We must humbly seek the power of God to energize His work.”
Praying in power
Blackaby suggested Baptists often pray “safe prayers” like “bless the service” or “bless this food” but must learn to bring the full weight of our needs to God.
“How powerful is our God? How big is our God?” Blackaby asked. “The Bible declares He is our provider and protector, and we must trust Him to provide what we need to accomplish His work.”
Blackaby said God’s ways are true in contrast to the lies of Satan, which he called Satan’s “superpower.”
“If we want to relate to God, we must always seek the truth,” he said. “The Spirit of God reveals the truth not to put us on guilt trips but to set us free from things that enslave us.”
Blackaby said God’s ways are “relational” since believers are invited to fellowship with Him and with other believers, and God’s ways are “joyful” since “in [His] presence there is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11).
Blackaby concluded with the theme of peace.
“Of course we live in a disturbing world,” he said. “The news media and the advertising media try to make us anxious. They tell us to tune in for the latest update and to buy the newest thing. But Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He dwells within us and gives us peace like a fortress protects from enemy attacks.”
Blackaby challenged attendees during a concluding invitational and prayer time to commit to live the ways of God in their lives.
“We’re to live in the same way, and when we commit to doing so, we don’t need to announce it to others,” Blackaby said. “Those around us will sense the difference in our lives. They will know we’ve been with God.”
Conference events are listed at thecove.org.
The Blackaby Ministries International website is Blackaby.org.
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