When Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd and us as his sheep (John 10:11, 27), this is a good thing. We want to be part of Jesus’s flock, want to know his voice and be counted in his heavenly family. Yet other references are not as positive..
It’s important to understand that blessings, that God’s favor, isn’t the shallow, superficial understanding many of us have of prosperity — things like money in the bank and a great marriage or career. True blessings are eternal, often far deeper that any.
Numerous Scriptures drive home the point that lying is not good, nor is it godly. We know God never lies. Yet there are a few key examples in the Bible where lying — while not described as the right thing to do — produced a favorable outcome. .
A prayer of petition is simply asking for God's help. Jesus repeatedly encourages us to go to the Father and ask him earnestly for what we need. Our Heavenly Father loves us, and he hears our requests, so it is right and natural that we go to God for help.
How can we know that God forgives all our sins? The promise to everyone who believes in Jesus is that every sin they’ve ever committed or will commit is forgiven.