I took some time this week to be intentional with my
prayers. I returned to the pen and paper I’d set aside for nearly a month and
wrote to God about the many things I’ve had on my heart. The pages were quickly
filled with thoughts and one night I even think my time with the Lord lasted
about an hour. In these pages I adored God for who He is and the blessings I see
Him providing. I got to lift up others in hopes that they would have a desire
to draw closer to Jesus. With specifics, I asked our Father to reveal His
majesty to me and the ones I petitioned for so that our lips would have more
reason to praise.
While
purposely seeking out three days to write to the Lord, I also purposely removed
myself from a certain distraction for three days. I didn’t miss the distraction
so much and it wasn’t so hard to do, but writing to the Lord and focusing in on
my prayers was somewhat different. I stuggled in my intention and I almost
opted out of a letter one night, but God bekoned me to follow through. My
second letter was shorter than the first and my third letter was shorther than
the both, but I’m thankful that my purpose was disciplined. Each time my words
grew shorter and I had less desire to actually pen my thoughts. However, I’m
grateful that these dedications were written for they did not go unheard. The
good Lord responded clearly and faithfully to two of the written appeals.
A friend of mine was
planning on going to the doctor for a sinus infection he thought he had. He was awake all night with a migrane and felt an awful congestion that no over
the counter medication was providing relief for. After our coversation that
night I asked Jesus to heal him, to clear his breathing, to take away his pain,
and to give him a calmed peace. The next day when I asked my friend what the
doctor said, he revealed to me that he didn’t go because he woke up feeling so
much better. My friend didn’t ask for prayers, I didn’t tell him that I would
or had lifted his health up to God in request, but when he told me that he felt
better I did respond with, “well praise the Lord!” I saw our Father heal this
week.
In addition to this
healing, I also saw God make some progressive movements. Being stuck in an
irritating situation for the past couple months, my mother was facing hurdle
after hurdle dealing with the floods in her house. One night, after hearing
about her growing frustration, I lifted her up in detailed prayer. I asked God
to take control of the situation, to step in with the contractors, and give
response to a silence that seemed unending. That next day, things started to
move. Many phone calls took place, many discussion were had, and some answers
were provided. No, not everything was magically restored, but things did start
to move at an accelerated pace. So praise the Lord indeed!
Looking back at these
faithful responses something about my mothers situation sparked my curiousity.
Many prayers had already been said over the past two months regarding this
matter, so what changed? Guidance had been asked for, leadings had been
requested, and peace had been saught, but what gave to this timely response?
Could it be the details that mattered? Could God be asking us to be extremely
specific with Him? Could He be asking us to engage not just on a genereal level
but on every level? Why yes, I do believe. I believe God wants to be in the
nitty gritty of it all (He is). He wants everything we got. He wants every
plan, every detail, every thought, and sometimes that’s hard to give Him. In growing
with God I can see the different ways I’m learing to communicate with Him. I
can see the inclusion He has in my life and the areas I’m still foolhardidly trying
to control myself.
Trying to relinquish
control and ask God for direction is not easy. I have a hard time dicerning my
thoughts from His responses and seperating my will from His guiding. I have
trouble trusting that my longings are not promptings from the Lord and I
wrestle with what He would want me to do, especially in certain relationships. If my longings aren’t the truth of God’s will
may He help me by making that obviously clear. If what I’m craving is different
from what He’d have, I’m praying that our Father will take away the cries of my
heart and replace it with the joy of His Spirit. I’m asking that Jesus lead the
way in our lives and further the good work He has already started, regardless
of the things we want.
Lately, along with
being assured in the promises of God, I have once again been reminded to wait
on the Lord. For, “the Lord is good to
those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him,” (Lamentations 3:25) and our loving Father is certainly good to me, even in
the sometimes-painful waiting. The past couple days, wherever I turned, what
ever I did, wherever I went, I was waiting. Even in asking the Lord which way to
go, He led me to a place of waiting. I was slowed at every direction but
thankfully I didn’t let the absurdity of these prolonged activities get under
my skin. I remained in good spirit by trusting that God was doing something through
these sluggish occurrences. When all is said and done I still got everywhere I
needed to be. I still did everything I needed to do but it was all done differently
than I had expected. It guess it was all done according to His time and I pray
to give Him more of mine.
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