Sometimes, I wonder if we have this afffliction thing upside down. We pray like crazy to get out of the bad circumstances---Paul didn't. Dr. Luke pens a direct quote from Paul in Acts 21:13: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And the people finally concluded: Let the will of the LORD be done.
Somehow, we talk about seeing our children graduate from college and get married and have babies. LORD, let me be there. We pin our happiness on things turning out right. Paul pens his happiness on the will of the LORD.
Prophets cry "Peace" when they have something to eat. Micah 3:5
But do those same prophets cry "Peace" when they are treated poorly and good withheld.
No, those prophets "Declare War" against him who puts nothing in their mouths.
May we all pray like crazy not to be delivered out of our circumstances
but to be delivered from our selfish souls.
LORD,
Thy Will be done
Our wills be undone.
My apologies on yesterday's post. I messed it up somehow. I have been really sick since Friday with ear/throat infections and now it is respiratory. Would appreciate your prayers for peace --- and yes, all is not well over here. God's Peace be with each of you.
ReplyDeletePaul had it right, didn't he! Only one thing matters. The rest is details. We had a conversation yesterday about our prayer lives.
ReplyDeleteOne friend said she rarely prayed for the circumstances but mostly for the spiritual needs she saw and had, asking God to answer her some very specific concerns she had about several things with eternal consequences.
I said, "Wow. I'm still praying for a favorable parking spot."
She replied, "I don't have enough faith to ask Him for the day to day stuff."
But she asked for the big thing, the thing that really mattered.
I thought further about her remark and wondered if we're afraid to ask Him for the really big things because if He says no, we'll be devastated. Are we afraid our faith can't take a disappointment?
I'm probably going to keep praying for the parking space, or more generally, just thanking Him for favor when I recognize it, but I need to pray for the eternal things more. Like giving me courage and an opportunity to share Good News with others.
Bev, praying for healing for you and peace, His peace to envelope you in His loving arms.
The comment that Bev wrote....Praying like crazy to not be delivered from our circumstances but to be delivered from our selfish souls....that resonates within my soul loud and clear today, I don't know that I agree with your friend, Annette...I think we are to pray for the daily things as well as the things that have eternal consequences. God is so into the details of our lives. I am seeing first hand in my son's life how God is so into the details. The "kid" is trying for the first time in his adult life to live up to God's moral standards and he is being attacked daily. Yet, I see God speaking to him daily through devotions, the scripture and other people. God spoke through a donkey and I will testify that He can speak through anyone and through any circumstances. The woman whom I think my son has really fallen in love with and wants it to be a God honoring relationship that had gotten derailed into the flesh. She has NOT helped in that case, even though she is a professing believer in the Lord Jesus. The Lord has used her however to give him the strong desire to confess and repent of the sins of porn and fornication. And to read his Bible daily.....I knew of these sins but have not lectured, God is faithful and has answered prayers spoken and unspoken. This "girl" is not good for him but she has been used of God in his life and I am very grateful to God for that....NOT her but God. He is the One who deserves the honor and praise. I will not go into detail on my son's past sins.....I will say that watching him change before my eyes and to hear him confess these sins and his desire to turn away from them, is such an untold blessing. I know that I am in spiritual warfare for his soul and for the souls of his two boys. I said all of that to say, that I am convinced that we are to pray about EVERYTHING and to believe that God is the God over ALL.
ReplyDeleteBev, I too have prayed for your illness and all of your stress. Satan keeps desiring to sift you as wheat, the Lord has you in His righteous right hand and you do so honor Him with your words and your life. I am so blessed to know you and the others who share on here in a regular basis.
You all stir my thoughts. I have been thinking about deeper conviction this week and what it really means. And grateful to God Who never turns a deaf ear to all of our prayers no matter how small or desperate. He's a Good God!
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