Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Oftentimes, when we go to God in prayer, it is at the time when our outward man, and our souls need “salvation,” and “deliverance” from the things that Trouble us the most, but we are taught in God’s word of truth, that we are to “hope for that we see not,” and we are told “though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Today, God is strengthening our “inward man” Only, and when we go through our troubling times, and when we need deliverance from the things that trouble our flesh, and our soul, His word ALONE strengthens our spirit, and it “divides asunder the soul and the spirit,” and it responds to build our inner man up with the knowledge and strength whenever we; or our loved ones face any troubling times in the present time of sufferings that we live in.

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

God never promised to change our circumstances but he promised to change our way of thinking about our circumstances, We are taught in Romans chapter 8 and many other scriptures that we have a redemption of our body to hope for and that is an internal hope we are told not to hope for that we can see and that includes our body and its flesh being healed temporarily this does not serve the will of God it only serves our will alone.

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1Th 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
1Th 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

We are given on “the behalf of Christ,” to believe on him, but also to “suffer for his sake,” Many Saints do not look upon this as a gift, but they look upon eternal life as a gift, and they do not value what suffering means onto the Father the way he does.
The plain fact is, we ought not be “moved by” the sufferings when they come up in our lives, we are told that we are “appointed” onto sufferings, we are told that we ought to “suffer with him,” but many Saints today want deliverance from the same thing that brings forth honor and glory onto Him, and makes his “strength perfect” in our weakness, and we don’t think anything is wrong with praying outside of the will of God.

2Co 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong

1Th 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
1Th 1:7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

Therefore, we are told that we are to have “our conversation” on heavenly things, and our body has an eternal glory that we are to place our emphasis upon, we are not to “mind earthly things,” knowing our “flesh,” and our wants and desires, and the men of this world, and Satan only profits from what ouf flesh produces.
We as mature “sons and daughters” in Christ are not be ones who are “after” our flesh, because this world is after our flesh, and Satan as well, the only man that can bring forth honor and glory of the Lord is our inner man only, and that’s the man that God values and esteems alone.

Php 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Moreover, God the Father knew that it would be hard for the saint to buy into the whole “be not conformed to this world” thing, but He has equipped the Saints with the doctrine to “transform” our minds to His selfless love when it comes to our living in this present evil world that we live in.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

But we are taught to be that “living sacrifice” whereas even though we are alive in our “earthen vessels;” our wants, our desires, physical gains, and our sufferings ought to be concerning “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
For example, the Corinthian and the Galatian Saints also ‘balked’ at the notion that they should physically suffer for “Christ’s Sake,” and they even charged Paul with being ‘foolish’ saying that they too ought to partake of the sufferings of Christ. The Corinthian Saint’s situation was so Spiritually dire, that Paul dedicated the whole epistle of 2nd Corinthians to suffering for Christ’s Sake, and the “sufferings of this present time.”

Our “affections” ought to be on the “Things that ARE freely given to us of God,” and these are the “things” are written down of the pages of scripture that have a godly impact upon our “Inward Man” ALONE!! But oftentimes we want to ‘put it in God’s hands,’ and ignore all the “things” that we Have “In Him” that are already ours according to His good pleasure.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, “the things” which God hath prepared for “them that love him.”
1Co 2:10 But God “hath” revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

God “HATH” already revealed unto us “The things” that are “freely” given to us, and we find these countless ‘gifts’ given unto us.
But this is not good enough for some, they operate upon a ‘what have you done for me lately’ type of worship. But godly selflessness within the Son would “Take pleasure” in the “Sufferings Of this present time,” AND “The Sufferings of Christ,” and he would be What our Father desires His Be as ‘them that love God, them who are THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.’ But the Son Who Desires to be “Conformed to the image of His Son” operates upon a understanding that our sufferings “worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” and if we were to hope for physical deliverance, or earthly gains, this would be a “carnal minded” way of thinking, and would not be “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Rom.8:28] And we know that all things work together for good to them THAT LOVE GOD, to them who are the called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
[29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rod Jones