5 Minutes with Jesus is a daily devotional series for people in the midst of real life, whether facing anxiety, grief, questions of purpose, or simply needing encouragement and connection. Hosted by Sheila Walsh, each five-minute episode offers Biblical truth, honest reflections on faith and emotions, and closes with a moment of prayer.
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#God'sWill
#Plan
#HandofGod
#Healing
#PresenceofGod
#BrokenHeart
#Spirit
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#Pain
#SheilaWalsh
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| 5 Minutes With Jesus - The Gift of God's No | July 1, 2026
- One of the greatest mysteries and challenges
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- Of our relationship with god in prayer
- 00:00:02.892 --> 00:00:04.661
- Is knowing that he's both loving and powerful.
- 00:00:04.661 --> 00:00:07.730
- If god were just loving, then when our prayers were answered,
- 00:00:07.730 --> 00:00:11.000
- Would make peace with it,
- 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:12.068
- Telling ourselves he's just not powerful enough.
- 00:00:12.068 --> 00:00:14.104
- He would have intervened if he was.
- 00:00:14.104 --> 00:00:16.172
- If he were just powerful and not loving,
- 00:00:16.172 --> 00:00:18.942
- We would assume he's just indifferent to our pain.
- 00:00:18.942 --> 00:00:21.811
- But that's not who god is, and until we see him face
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- To face will never understand the depth of his love.
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- Do you ever wonder why god says no?
- 00:00:33.556 --> 00:00:36.960
- Nothing challenges
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- Our faith more than when we feel as if god is indifferent.
- 00:00:38.595 --> 00:00:42.031
- Our cries for help.
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- As i look back down the path
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- Of my own life, various phases and stories come to my mind.
- 00:00:45.235 --> 00:00:49.072
- And even as i reflect on them now, i remember the pain.
- 00:00:49.072 --> 00:00:52.942
- And i remember the questions,
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- The faith, the pleading and the tears.
- 00:00:54.744 --> 00:00:58.548
- Well, one of them hit very close to home
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- When my mother in law,
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- Eleanor, was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.
- 00:01:02.519 --> 00:01:05.421
- She took the news much better than her husband, william.
- 00:01:05.421 --> 00:01:08.091
- William was understandably devastated at the thought
- 00:01:08.091 --> 00:01:11.694
- Of losing his closest companion, wife of so many years.
- 00:01:11.694 --> 00:01:16.032
- Eleanor was much more matter of fact about the diagnosis.
- 00:01:16.032 --> 00:01:19.435
- She wanted a second opinion, so she and william drove to
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- Nashville, where barry and i lived
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- At the time, to
- 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:25.208
- Be seen by a cancer specialist at vanderbilt hospital.
- 00:01:25.208 --> 00:01:28.811
- The doctor listened to her concerns
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- And answered her questions.
- 00:01:30.580 --> 00:01:32.515
- After he reviewed her test results,
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- He came back into the room
- 00:01:34.250 --> 00:01:35.251
- And sat down, and eleanor said to him,
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- I would like you to give it to me straight.
- 00:01:37.253 --> 00:01:39.556
- I want to know the whole truth.
- 00:01:39.556 --> 00:01:41.457
- So he honored her request and said, the cancer has spread
- 00:01:41.457 --> 00:01:45.295
- From your colon to your liver.
- 00:01:45.295 --> 00:01:47.063
- I estimated that you should have between six months
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- To two years to live, depending on what course of treatment
- 00:01:50.099 --> 00:01:53.736
- You pursue.
- 00:01:53.736 --> 00:01:55.038
- And so her journey began.
- 00:01:55.038 --> 00:01:57.340
- As the months passed, it became clear that eleanor
- 00:01:57.340 --> 00:02:00.043
- Was losing her battle with this ravenous invader.
- 00:02:00.043 --> 00:02:03.947
- As it got closer to the end,
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- Barry and william and i took turns
- 00:02:05.748 --> 00:02:07.517
- Staying up with her at night.
- 00:02:07.517 --> 00:02:09.385
- One night, she and i had a heartbreaking conversation.
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- I thought she was asleep till she spoke.
- 00:02:13.356 --> 00:02:17.093
- This is what she said.
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- If it was you who had cancer, god would have healed you.
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- What do you mean, mom, i asked her.
- 00:02:23.533 --> 00:02:26.336
- Well, you've lived your life for him
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- And you spend all your time doing things for him.
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- Of course he would heal you.
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- I looked at her with tears rolling down my face. mom.
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- God loves you every bit as much as he loves me.
- 00:02:34.677 --> 00:02:38.081
- Don't you know that?
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- I remember her saying, i don't know.
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- I think you're maybe a better person than i am.
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- I told her a mom. that's not true.
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- And anyway, god's love for us isn't based on our behavior.
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- It's based on who he is, based on his heart.
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- Then she said, then why do you think god didn't heal
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- Me, sheila?
- 00:02:56.532 --> 00:02:58.501
- I had no answer.
- 00:02:58.501 --> 00:03:00.303
- One of the greatest mysteries and challenges
- 00:03:00.303 --> 00:03:02.905
- Of our relationship with god in prayer
- 00:03:02.905 --> 00:03:04.674
- Is knowing that he's both loving and powerful.
- 00:03:04.674 --> 00:03:07.744
- If god were just loving, then when our prayers were answered,
- 00:03:07.744 --> 00:03:11.014
- Would make peace with it,
- 00:03:11.014 --> 00:03:12.081
- Telling ourselves he's just not powerful enough.
- 00:03:12.081 --> 00:03:14.117
- He would have intervened if he was.
- 00:03:14.117 --> 00:03:16.185
- If he were just powerful and not loving,
- 00:03:16.185 --> 00:03:18.955
- We would assume he's just indifferent to our pain.
- 00:03:18.955 --> 00:03:21.824
- But that's not who god is, and until we see him face
- 00:03:21.824 --> 00:03:25.061
- To face will never understand the depth of his love.
- 00:03:25.061 --> 00:03:29.599
- But even christ had to face his father's.
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- Remember, he walked away about a stone's
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- Throw and knelt down and prayed, father, if you are willing,
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- Please take this cup of suffering away from me.
- 00:03:40.943 --> 00:03:45.348
- Yet i want your will to be done, not mine.
- 00:03:45.348 --> 00:03:49.452
- Why does god sometimes say no to our prayers?
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- As i'm sure you realize, i don't know.
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- But what we do have
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- Is the knowledge that when we keep praying, even
- 00:03:57.193 --> 00:04:00.396
- In the midst of our pain, we are held.
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- God is near at one of the lowest points of his life.
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- The psalmist david wrote this the lord is close
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- To the brokenhearted.
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- He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
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- Wherever you are right now, and whatever the circumstances,
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- I want you to know god is near.
- 00:04:22.952 --> 00:04:28.224
- Let's pray.
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- Lord, we
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- Don't always understand your ways,
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- But you've
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- Told us that your ways are so much higher than our ways,
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- Your thoughts
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- So much greater than we could even begin to think.
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- So, lord, i ask right now, for anyone who is struggling,
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- For someone who is suffering and they don't understand
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- Why you're not saying yes, lord, would you bring your presence?
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- Holy spirit, will you be so close and real
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- To them that they would know that they are not alone?
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- Because you promised you would never leave us?
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- In jesus name, amen.
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