“Those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer.”~ R. A. Torrey
“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” ~ Corrie ten Boom
“You may as soon find a living man that does not breath, as a living Christian that does not pray.” ~ Matthew Henry
“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.” ~ John Bunyan
How did 2014 begin for me? Answered prayer.
Big time.
Let me be honest here, I’ve been praying about a situation for months now. My heart was grieved over this “thing”. Grieved, I tell you. I pleaded with the Lord daily. And, if that weren’t enough, I wrote my requests down in my prayer journal – ALOT.
Surely, if the Lord didn’t hear my silent prayers, he would have time to read the dozens of handwritten petitions, my desperate pleas for this someone I love, right?
I know my prayers may not move Almighty God to respond the way I want Him to – He’s God. Prayer changes me. It brings me to a place of surrender and peace. I know what my posture must be with a plea and a petition to my Heavenly Father.
Still, like a cranky child, there’d be those frustrating prayer-moments. I would think, Are you even listening, Lord? You know those requests I have. Yeah, the ones that are clearly in your will. (I can be really humble in my prayer time.) Yeah, the same ones I’ve talked to you about EVERY DAY? Uh huh, the ones I’ve written down over and over and over again. Yeah, those. I mean, come on now Lord, I LOVE this person I’ve been talking to you about and writing you about- EVERY DAY. Do you hear me, Father? Hellllooo!? Don’t you see what’s happening here? They’re really blowing it. What are you waiting for? Would you puhlease step in and do something? Their constant heartache is a direct result of being out of relationship with YOU, don’t you see that? Lord, with all due respect, could you at least give me a slip of paper with a number so I know when I’m up for an answer here?
Yeah, my patience sometimes is pathetic. And, most days when I’m frustrated, my prayer time with God ends up sounding more like the dialogue of an emotionally abusive boyfriend, “Lord, forgive me. I’m sorry I talked to you that way. You’re God and I’m not, I know this. I just lose my mind when you don’t answer me. There’s no one who loves you like Ido. Forgive me?”
And, even in my pathetic childlike impatience, I’m told to wait. Be still. Trust. And I do. And He answers.
Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. ~ John Bunyan
Friends, don’t stop praying about that ONE THING still hurting you. That ONE THING that pains you or worries you. Like that Journey song (I’m a child of the 80s, can’t help it.), Don’t Stop Believing. God hears every utterance, every thought, every flip flop of your tummy and flutter of your heart towards this ONE THING.
Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for. -John Piper
January 1, 2014 – my prayers were answered. So, what have I learned? I’ve learned to pray in specifics. My general prayers are long gone – making way for focused requests in detail.
And, most especially, I’ve learned to no longer pray with hope. God answers prayers. There’s no hope in that – there’s TRUTH in that. I don’t need to hope because I know for a fact that’s what He does. Now I pray with faith – believing He heard me. Believing He will act on my behalf in His time, not mine.
Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.- J. Sidlow Baxter
- Why don’t you do the same this year? Take that something or someone and pray specifically AND pray believing.
Then do what I don’t always do very well…wait patiently for His answer.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing.
1 Corinthians 14:15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
Oh, my…how many times can I shout AMEN?! This post reminds me of my own faith journey, except it has taken me a longgg time to learn…some days are still a struggle. And your frustrating prayer moment sounds sooo much like me! It even describes a similar prayer concern that I have for a loved one. Wow!
I’m so glad I stopped by this morning…it was God ordained! 🙂
Oh Beth, I can be so impatient. Nay we be much better in 2014. So happy you stopped by!
I’m with Beth! Even your frustrations sound like my own. How often I have felt like a broken record, only to realize to Whom I was complaining. Was that really complaining or is it prayer? Then humility sets in. Do I pray for this without ceasing? Does He hear me and know my heart? Can I petition His Will? I have even worked out all of the details for Him so He wouldn’t have to bother much with my request…just wave your wand and all will be well. What are you waiting for?
I agree that prayer is much more to condition our hearts to be more like His. I think often THAT we even pray, in earnest, in faith, with conviction and intention amazes Him. Delights Him. That we want to be in conversation with Him brings Him joy and then He pours into us. How precious. I often think that I need to pray and be purposeful about it; I need to make my petition clear as to what is grieving my heart so; above all, I need to honor Him and rest on knowing that He knows the outcome, He knows what He’s doing; lastly, I need to remember to thank Him in advance for however He chooses to act…even if it’s not what I’m asking for. It is so difficult…
Like you, I think my prayer was answered on the day after Christmas after 5 years of praying, petitioning, ranting, crying, agonizing (oh the drama of it all!). And it was only after I resigned that He must mean for it to be this way, so I asked that He condition my heart to accept it and to teach me how to live with it.
He is a God of wonders!
Glad I stopped by, too. AMEN!
Katie – LOVED your thoughts. Why don’t you have a blog of your own, by the way???
Nailed it! Love you!
LOVE you too!!!
Wow! and amen. “Kept” in perfect peace by God because I trust and I fix my mind on him.
Let’s walk on in faith, friend.
Right alongside you, Elaine. If I fall behind, don’t wait up…I’m coming. 🙂
Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for. -John Piper
That is profound.
My daughter has been married for over four years and hadn’t committed to attending church regularly because of her husband working on Sundays. One night I asked my husband if he would commit to pray every day that our Son in Law would have Sundays off so they could go to church. Do you know the next day {THE NEXT DAY} daughter called and said, “Andrew has Sundays off and we are going to commit to going to church!”
Sometimes he answers even before we ask…and other times we have to hold out hard. I love the encouragement for the ones that I’ve been holding out long and hard for over 20 years… I’ve been praying for my prayer life to stay the course in those areas…to not grow weary of well doing because in the end we will reap if we do not lose heart.
Love the promises of God and His faithfulness.
Pressing on… 🙂
Kathy – I just LOVE this. What a great example of how God knows our heart before we even utter a word. AND, what a great example of how a parent lays the foundation for intercession and their children.
Beautiful!