Unexpected Answer To Prayer - Part 2

Last week I shared the story of an unexpected answer to prayer that lead to a job at a Christian radio station.

It’s now April and a lot has happened since that prayer was answered back in January.  So I'd like to carry on where I left off last week...

I accepted the position at SHINE FM with a start date of February 25.  I resigned from my existing company, giving three weeks notice, and planned to have a week off to relax before I started the new job.

But we all know life seldom goes according to plans.  Ultimately when we join forces with God we’re subject to attacks from the enemy. 

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

On February 5, I was on my way to prayer group at my church to talk about the ways God was working in my life and the role the group’s prayer had played in it.

I was delayed en route when another driver attempted to complete a left turn in an intersection in front of me.  My desperate attempt to stop was futile and I slammed head on into the passenger’s side of his vehicle.  

I heard the crash, for a split second everything went dark, and then I was sideways in the intersection, clearly going nowhere fast!

The cool thing about God is He takes the nasty circumstances in our lives and ministers to us in the midst of them.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”  Romans 8:8 (NLT)

It’s amazing that in a town where I can count the number of people I know on one hand, the first police officer on scene was a woman who attends the same prayer group. 

A chaotic time of reporting, gathering information, towing vehicles, etc. ensued and when the dust settled she drove me to the church. 

I walked into the prayer room shaking, and they immediately sat me in the prayer “hot seat”, laid hands on me and prayed for the next half hour. 

The injuries that “might have been” have been limited to a stiff neck, a sore braking foot, and some nerve tingling on my back. 

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.  I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:26-27 (NLT)

The enemy tries to push our “hot buttons”, demoralizing us in any way possible.  You may find your peace is stolen as the vice of financial and emotional stress tightens around your throat.

I won’t lie, my first thought was financial.  How do we replace a nine-year-old vehicle without putting a strain on our monthly budget?  On top of that two weeks after the accident my husband’s car needed repairs to the tune of $1,200.  Then one of our cats became quite sick, stressing me out even more, and costing us $350 in vet bills.

But God is trustworthy and we can rely on Him to provide for us in all circumstances.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find.  Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives.  Everyone who seeks, finds.  And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened…if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.”  Matthew 7:7-11 (NLT)

Our insurance covered the costs of a rental car while my claim was being settled.  Between the settlement for my written off vehicle and the commission I received when I left my job we had enough to pay the repairs on my husband’s car, pay the vet bill, and buy a cute little 2010 Kia Soul for me!  God is good!

Another distraction from God’s presence is busyness.

March and April have been filled with “time” challenges.  I’ve been going for physio/massage therapy twice a week (trying to schedule these outside work hours, so they don’t think I’m slacking off at the new job).I’ve spent a number of the evenings and weekends when I wasn’t at physio, shopping for a car (and we all know how not fun that is!)

I’ve been very protective of my prayer time with God, recognizing it’s vital to spend time with Him and to seek His presence.  I refuse to give up this time, so I’m now getting up at 5:30 so I can be at my office half an hour to forty minutes before I start work.  That time is my quiet time with God before the day begins.

It’s been a challenging two and half months but I’ve relied on God to see me through and He hasn’t disappointed, providing for us financially, spiritually, and giving me a sense of peace in His presence throughout the process.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  Phillipians 4:6-7 (NLT)

Do you need prayer in your life?  Stay in close communication with God and He’ll surprise you with your own unexpected answer to prayer.

Please share your prayer stories by clicking the link below.

Unexpected Answer To Prayer

We’re all at different places in our prayer life.  Some of you are seasoned prayer warriors, others are new to faith and learning how to communication with God through prayer.

Regardless of where you’re at, everyone faces times of discouragement.  You don’t see the answers you’d like and you wonder if God’s listening.

Today I want to share a story of a surprisingly unexpected answer to prayer.  I hope it encourages you in your own prayer life.

Two years ago I married my husband and moved to the community where he lived.  I found it difficult to connect in our new church community because my life as a national sales manager with a medical supply company kept me away from home 75% of the time.

On top of that, winter hit hard this year in the form of multiple heavy snow falls, leading to miserable driving conditions every time I set out on a road trip.  By mid-December I was fed up!

What do you do when you’re fed up?  You vent your frustrations to God. 

I told Him how frustrated I was with my lack of relationships and involvement in the church, how I felt I wasn’t doing anything to serve Him, and how I was exhausted and done with driving in lousy winter conditions.

I felt the desire to pray our church’s theme for the upcoming year…Grow Up, Grow Together, Grow Out.

• I prayed to “grow up” in God - for deeper relationship with Him. 
• I prayed for my husband and me to “grow together” in community with our church family.  
• I prayed to “grow out” in the community - asking God to show me where He was working right where I was and to show me where I could serve.

It seemed impossible.  I didn’t see my travel schedule getting any better in 2013, but I prayed anyway.

When you pray a prayer that’s God’s desire for your life you don’t have to wait very long for an answer.

“And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.  And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.”  1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)

Here’s the short version of what happened three weeks later…

1. I felt the Spirit urging me to check job postings on our local Christian radio station’s website.
2. I followed the urging and found a position for a Sales Manager (closing the next day) – I submitted a resume for the position despite the fact that I had no previous work experience in the broadcasting industry.  I left it in God’s hands.
3. Less than twenty four hours later I was interviewed and completed an on-line profile assessment.
4. Two days later I had a second interview in Calgary (four hours away).  Conveniently, I was already scheduled to be there for my existing work so was able to schedule the interview on the same trip.
5. By the end of the week I was back in Edmonton talking salary and benefits with the General Manager of the broadcasting company.

Throughout the process I continued to pray and leave it in God’s hands.  If I wasn’t the right person for the job I didn’t want it!  God’s doing amazing work through the Christian radio stations around the province and I didn’t want to single handedly mess it up!  I continued to pray for God’s will in the decision making process.

I’m now seven weeks into the job and loving it!

Think about it…

• Less than twelve hours to submit a resume
• Three interviews/meetings with the potential employer in four days – one of which is four hours away where I’m already scheduled to work.
• A management position in an industry where I have no previous experience.
• All in the time frame of six business days.

 

How can that be anything but God?

When I prayed in December I didn’t ask God for a new job.  But here I am in a position at a Christian radio station that reaches over 200,000 people throughout the community on a regular basis!  And I’m home evenings and weekends so I can get connected at church!

Our God is amazing!  He answers prayers in completely unexpected and surprising ways.

This is just the start of the story.  I’ll continue the ongoing prayer saga next week.

“Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”   Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

Has God answered your prayers in ways you never expected?  Please share your experience by clicking on “comments” below.

Difficult Prayer Requests

Have you ever been asked to pray for someone but weren't quite sure how?

Recently I’ve been praying for a little boy with heart problems.  The only option for medical treatment is a heart transplant. 

As I was praying for this little fellow I felt impelled to pray for the family of the potential donor, too.

It may seem obvious to you, but in my past prayers I hadn’t connected the dots.  Suddenly it became clear.  In order for this little fellow to receive his heart, another child would give up theirs.

The answer to this prayer would come through the selfless sacrifice of parents signing a donor card on behalf of their child.  In the midst of dealing with the death of their own child they would make the choice to save someone else’s.

The prayer stuck in my throat and tears of compassion overflowed.  How do you pray in that situation?  A scenario with death and mourning on one side but joy on the other.

I asked God for guidance. 

The parallel to Jesus’ sacrifice came to mind.  Didn’t Jesus sacrifice His life so we could live?  Wasn’t there death on one side of the cross, but resurrection and joy on the other?

Knowing His death is imminent, how does Jesus pray?

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”  Luke 22:42 (NLT) (I've added the emphasis.)

Jesus chooses to give up His life and saves ours eternally.  A family faces the imminent death of their child and chooses to save the life of another through organ donation. 

A life ends and life is given.

I realized that only God knows what's best in this situation.  So I prayed Jesus’ prayer.

 

I prayed for the family and the sick little boy waiting for a heart.  I prayed for the unknown family and their child, and the difficult decision they would face.  And I prayed that God would take a tragic situation and redeem it in His own special way.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Are there prayer requests you struggle with?  How do you respond in these situations?

Share your thoughts by clicking on "comments" below.

Trusting Enough To Let Go

Do you have a hard time trusting God with everything in your life?

 

Trusting God to run your life can be a scary endeavor.  Sometimes I wonder if I really want to put my life in His control.

What if He wants me to give up my personal agenda?  What if my plan for my life doesn’t correspond to God’s?

Can you relate to these fears?

I’m in the process of working my way through a study called, “Power Praying” by Pastor David Chotka, the Senior Pastor at Spruce Grove Alliance Church.  I want to share a message Pastor Chotka delivers early on in the study.  Understanding this message will help you in your struggle to turn control over to God.

Think about this scripture…

“Therefore He (Jesus) is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him.  He (Jesus) lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”  Hebrews 7:25 (NLT) (I’ve added the italics)

“…to intercede with God on their behalf…” means that Jesus prays for us.  Picture it, Jesus in front of the throne of God in Heaven constantly praying for you.

Do you think no one’s ever said a prayer for you?  Do you think no one cares enough to even bother?  The truth is Jesus cares and He’s praying for you right now, even as you read this.  Regardless of the absolute worst thing you’ve done in your life, Jesus is praying for you right now!

Pastor Chotka makes this comment,

“Jesus was resurrected into glorious, magnificent authority and power.  Jesus was seeing reality from the perspective of eternity.  There were no barriers to His perfect knowledge.  He could see the start from the finish.”  (Power Praying, David Chotka, Page 32)

What does that mean for you? 

Jesus not only knows how your life started and how you came to be where are you today; He sees the bigger picture.  He knows the stuff we can’t understand.  He knows the struggle you’re facing today and sees ahead to the very best outcome for your situation.

Now consider this…

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”  Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Let’s put this all together…

1. Jesus knows what’s going on in your life and is praying for you right now. 
2. He’s got “jumbotron vision”.  He’s able to see your situation from all sides, from beginning to end. 
3. Jesus is one with God, His Father.  His prayers are always in line with God’s will for your life. 
4. When we believe in Christ, God takes every situation in our lives, good and bad, and in time, makes something good come out of them.

To summarize…

Jesus is praying God’s will and God’s will is always the very best we could possibly have.  So there’s no reason to be afraid to trust God in every part of our lives.  We can turn our fear of trust over to God.  He’s a safe haven.  We can rest in His presence.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

What’s your biggest fear about trusting God?  Share your thoughts by clicking on comments below.

Psalm 118:24 - Difficult Rejoicing

MEMORY VERSE:

“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

In psalm 118 the psalmist rejoices over the things God has done for him.  Sometimes rejoicing comes naturally.  Other times it’s as foreign as eating chocolate covered cockroaches.  We can’t summon up the enthusiasm or energy to even attempt to rejoice.

Some days are difficult from the time you open your eyes in the morning to the time you close them at night.  There are many reasons for difficult days.

Maybe you’re grieving the loss of a family member or friend.  Maybe you’re feeling the effects of the chemotherapy or radiation treatments.  Maybe you’re desperate to help a depressed teenager.  Maybe you’ve lost your job and feel you’ve let down your family. 

I think of this verse, “this is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it” when I sing Matt Redmond’s worship song, “Ten Thousand Reasons”.  Think about these words…

“The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes…”

What incredible lyrics!  On the grey days when I don’t feel like rejoicing there’s a prayer I need to proclaim.  Whatever happens during the day, I pray that at the end of it, I’ll still be able to say without a doubt, “God is good”.   I pray that I’ll be thankful for His presence and provision throughout the day.

Things To Think About:

Are you having trouble rejoicing?  Listen to Matt Redmond’s song, “Ten Thousand Reasons” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E .  Pray to God and remind yourself of His provision and blessing.  Can you find a reason to rejoice in the midst of difficulty?  Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

God Does JIT Prayer Response

What’s JIT?  In manufacturing JIT stands for “just in time”.  Rather than maintain large costly inventory levels, businesses prefer to work with their suppliers to ensure JIT delivery is available – enough components to fulfill customer demand without carrying excess inventory.

Did you know God practices JIT answer to prayer?  Have you been praying for something you’d like NOW but don’t see forth coming?  God sees the big picture of our lives and He knows the best time to deliver His answer to our prayers.

This concept was reinforced in our home this week.  The business my husband works for has been struggling to make ends meet for some time.  He anticipated a layoff notice sooner or later.

He started a job search in August.  In September he was interviewed by two different companies.  He’s short listed with one and is waiting for the VP to make herself available for final interviews.  The other said they had a contract position coming up and would contact him when it became available.

A week went by, then two, then three.  He contacted both companies in early October to be told the same thing – he was still a candidate, but for various reasons they weren’t ready to hire.  He continued to work and wait.

With his October 31^st pay cheque he was given two weeks’ notice by his current employer.  As of November 15, he no longer has a job.

I was frustrated and angry with God.  We’ve been trying to pay down debt and with a recent commission cheque it looked like we’d finally make progress in that area. We’d been praying for a new job but nothing was moving ahead.  Now it looked like the commission cheque was going to pay living expenses instead of debt.

I know I should have been grateful.  We had money to use if my husband didn’t get a job right away.  I wasn’t grateful.  I was angry.  I had it out with God in a prayer session, venting my frustration.

Fortunately God has big shoulders and listened patiently to my rant, eventually bringing me to a place of acceptance and trust in His provision.  He’s never failed to provide and I knew we needed to trust Him now.

A few days later my husband got a phone call.  One of the companies was ready to offer him a contract position.  All they needed was a criminal check.  If everything went according to plan they’d offer him a start date of November 13 – two days before he finished his last day with his current employer.  He sent in the forms and waited.

The next day his employer changed his mind on the planned end date and told him he was finished that day – one week earlier than originally agreed upon.  Now what?  There was still no official job offer.  We had to wait and trust.

The phone rang early the next morning.  They were emailing my husband the job offer and he starts the new position in three days.  God is good!

This is just one example of God’s amazing timing in our lives.  There have been many other incidents in our lives when God answered prayer at exactly the right time.

Even though I know from past experience I can trust God, I still struggle.  I like long term planning and security.  Sometimes God doesn’t move as quickly as I’d like.  But, while God is never early, He’s never late either.  God IS the master in JIT delivery when it comes to answering prayer!

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

Can you think of a time in your life when God delivered an answer to prayer just in time?  Are you waiting for one now?  Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Billboards From God

Have you ever asked God for guidance in helping you make an important decision? You bring the dilemma to Him seeking a solution but instead of a definitive answer you feel like you’re twiddling the tuning button on the radio resulting in static and dead air.

Many times in my life I’ve brought important decisions to God in prayer.  I take a few minutes in the morning to say something like this,

“OK God, here’s my dilemma.  I really need to make a decision about this and it’s going to affect the next few years of my life.  I really want to do your will and make the right choice so can you tell me what you want me to do and what the right choice is?  Thank You for hearing my prayer Heavenly Father and thank You for answering it.  I know you will.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”  Then I rush out the door to get on with my busy life.

Isn’t that admirable?  I’m bringing my decision to God. I’m telling Him I want to choose wisely and do His will. So why don’t I get an answer. Why isn’t there a big billboard on the side of the highway that reads,

“Dear Carol…thanks for your prayer this morning. I’m really glad you took six seconds out of your busy schedule to share that with me.  Here’s a numbered, step by step list of what you should do to make that decision. And oh, by the way, here’s a link to a YouTube video of how your life will turn out if you follow my list of instructions.  Have a nice day! God"

If I saw that I’d pull over, take a picture and download it to my computer.  I’d make sure I followed it step by step so I didn’t mess up!

You know I’m being facetious.  My point is we all rush to God when we have problems or important decisions to make.  We expect a response NOW!  Then we get frustrated and disillusioned when we don’t seem to get an answer.  We think we can call on God like a Google search.  Cast up a prayer, get 10,000 hits back in the matter of a millisecond, and pick the one we like. 

God doesn’t work that way.  Max Lucado in his book, “Out Live Your Life”, says, “God has posted traffic signs everywhere we look.  In the universe, in scripture, even within our own hearts...”  Much to my chagrin Max wasn’t referring to advertising spots on billboards. 

In most cases God does answer our petitions for guidance but we’re too busy to get it.  In some cases we ignore the message because it doesn’t come like a lightning bolt out of the blue or a smack upside the head with a two by four.

Maybe God answered you through a gentle conversation with a friend or neighbor.

Maybe God’s answer is found in the persistent nudging of your conscience.

Maybe God answers in the beauty of a sunset, the majesty of a mountain top, or the gentle breeze on your face.

Maybe God answers in a quiet moment of inspiration that comes to you when you turn off the Iphone, the TV and the computer.

We tend to have a one-sided relationship with God.  How many friendships or marriages have you seen where one person does all the talking while the other person just sits and listens?  How successful are those relationships?  They’re not exactly what I’d call healthy.

Frequently we fail to be in healthy relationship with God.  We don’t read scripture every day or spend time listening.  We don’t give God a chance to speak.   We don’t hear the answer because we’re too busy doing the talking!

I still dream of my billboard by the side of the road but I know it’s not a reality.  The only way I’m going to hear God speak is by spending time with Him.  When I ask Him to tune all my senses to be ready to hear the message He has for me and when I go into the day watching for ways He might speak to me, I’ll begin to hear His answers.

How does God speak to you?  Post your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Strength in Struggles

This week I’m working at a conference in Prince Albert, a northern community in the province of Saskatchewan. As I approach the conference centre my eyes are drawn to this ramshackle gazebo on the exhibition grounds. It’s a gorgeous spring day, bright sunshine and brilliant blue sky overhead, but the decaying screens flap in the wind like a panicked swimmer flailing frantically to keep his head afloat. Despite the warm day a shudder goes through me as I imagine this same gazebo as part of a thriller movie setting, deserted, and creaking in darkness. You just know the killer is lurking inside, your adrenalin pumps as you strain with all your heart to send a subliminal warning message to the protagonist...but to no avail.

I contemplate this train of thought for a few minutes and then begin to wonder how many of us are going through life like this gazebo. My imagination wanders for another moment...I’m sure when the gazebo was built it was endowed with a fresh coat of sparkling white paint. The newly installed screens prevented the plague of Saskatchewan (mosquitoes) from interrupting love struck couples as they paused to steal a few kisses inside its cozy interior. Newly married couples snapped pictures beside it and husbands laughingly scooped up their new brides to carry them across the threshold. In its glory days the gazebo was clean, pristine, it was popular and it served a purpose. OK, enough time in my imagination!

As I stand staring the gazebo I wonder how many of our own lives are buffeted in the wind like the torn screens of the gazebo. Did you have plans, hopes and dreams ten years ago that now lie in ruined shreds? Did your marriage break down and no matter how hard you try you can’t trust yourself to fully love another person again? Did you lose a child and nothing fills the gaping void in your heart. Do you live with painful consequences of poor choices? Perhaps you want to be happy but no matter how hard you try you just can’t win the battle with the monster that threatens to drag you down into a deep pit of despair and depression? Let’s face it, our lives aren’t easy, they never were and they never will be. I’m not going to sugar coat things and tell you that all you have to do is trust God, accept Christ as your Saviour and you’ll never have any sorrow, pain, anguish or suffering in your life again. That’s just not true! I’m also not going to tell you that if you had enough faith you wouldn’t be in pain, or you wouldn’t have lost your child, or you can just believe yourself out of depression. In my opinion those are lies that simply increase feelings of pain and add on a pile of useless guilt!

Here’s what I will say. I know from personal experience that by trusting God and embarking on a personal, prayer-filled relationship with Him you find a supportive friend who is there no matter how you feel, no matter what you’re facing, no matter what you’ve done. Does your pain instantly go away? No. But you’ll find God gives you enough strength to get through each day. Claim the promise of the prophet Isaiah who says, “...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) You may not feel the presence of God, or even believe that there’s anything different from day to day. I know I didn’t FEEL God when I struggled with depression and anxiety. But in the middle of the dark night when my body was wracked with sobs and all I could do was cry out God’s name I did find comfort and gentle relief from tears. Now, in the aftermath, looking back I realize God carried me through that bleak time in my life and brought me out on the other side, set me down, brushed me off and gave me a gentle push to move me into the brighter future He had in store for me.

You can cry and scream and beat your fists at God, you don’t have to be afraid or hold back, He’s a big God and He can take it. Eventually as you go through the venting and praying process with God you’ll be strengthened, you’ll be renewed, you’ll be able to find peace even in the midst of your sorrow or pain. If you’re hurting, please cry out to God today. He’s there for me and He’ll be there for you. too.

Finding God In The Closet Organizer

I feel as though I’ve been moving FOREVER! You see at the end of January everything I owned went into storage and I moved into my new husband’s apartment. We took possession of a house at the end of February and the real fun began!  To say the house needed “a little” work is like saying Canadian winters are “a little” cool! Every spare, waking moment of the first two weeks was spent repairing damaged dry wall, hanging new dry wall, mudding and sanding. But finally the dust settled – literally – (we’re still finding dry wall dust EVERYWHERE) and on March 18 moving day arrived.  Now we faced the challenge of combining two households into one. We have two of everything – microwaves, bar-b-q’s, kitchen tables, desks – can you say “garage sale”! It’s now April 10 and we both feel like we’ve been slaves for the last two months! My husband’s going to college during the day, I’m working a full time job and in the evening we both come home and make feeble attempts to unpack, sort, organize and generally wage war on the chaos that has become our domestic life! We’re finally making progress – last night we took back the territory called the hallway and can now walk down it without tripping through the obstacle course!

Of course in the midst of this I’m still trying to stay in close relationship with God.  If you’ve ever dealt with a crazy, chaotic time in your life, and let’s face it...who hasn’t, you’ll appreciate just how difficult this can be. I make my tea, settle into a the lovely sunny corner in the living room with my Bible, spend half an hour reading, close the Book and realize I haven’t got a clue what I just read! I try to pray and spend quiet time in God’s presence...I stop talking, close my eyes, breathe deeply, relax, focus on hearing God’s voice, and what springs to mind? The closet organizer – how practical is the closet organizer?!? Sure it looks like a good idea, but the top shelves are too high to reach and there’s not enough space in between the lower shelves to hang pants and skirts!  Crap, focus...want to spend time in God’s presence...OK, relax.  Wait the shower rod...I need to hang the curved shower rod, but the expandable ones don’t hang right and the other one costs $70.00...OK back to prayer time.  God, I really need your help here, my brain is all over the place!  Help me focus on spending time in your presence. Wait, the back gate – the latch needs to be replaced – have to remember to put that on the list...

Do you find yourself having prayer time that sounds similar to this? That’s just a quick running sampling of a two to three minute session of me trying to clear my mind and focus my thoughts on God. It continues but I won’t force you to spend more time in my mind than strictly necessary! Finally I give up and in desperation cry out to God telling Him how badly I need His help in this. I long to be in His presence but my brain just doesn’t want to shut out the realities of life! I guess I need to keep trying but perhaps taking some “time outs” along the way to do something other than work and organize the house might help, too.  Maybe a nice relaxing bath, losing myself in a good book, or spending time knitting or baking will go a long way in helping me settle down and focus again. In the mean time I write this posting in hopes of alleviating some of my current frustrations by sharing them with you.

Please share some of your thoughts on what distracts you in prayer time by clicking on “comments” below.

Dear God, I Just...

I’m relatively new to the “world of prayer”. It’s only in the last year that I’ve made a point of trying to spend time in prayer every day. I’ve read a few books on prayer but when I pray and when I listen to others praying I’ve noticed something that none of the books seem to mention. There’s this little word that weasels its way into our conversations with God. A recent blog post called “What Words Need to be in the Christian Dictionary” from Jon Acuff’s, “Stuff Christians Like” blog caught my eye and set my brain whirring with curiosity. Towards the end of the blog he mentions the word, “just”. It’s a word that I’ve noticed over and over and over again in prayer – mine and other people’s, and now here’s someone else singling it out, so perhaps I’m not the only word nerd out there wondering what’s up with the use of this word in prayer.

What does it mean? Well, for the grammar geeks out there (of which I’m one) it can be an adjective or adverb and actually has thirteen different definitions listed in the dictionary. But what does it mean when we use it in prayer? Does it add anything to the meaning of our prayers? When I think back over times I’ve heard it used and times it’s slipped unheeded out of my own mouth, typically it’s in the adverb form meaning “only” or “merely”. So what are we really saying when we say “Heavenly Father I just ask you to ...” or “I pray that you would just...”. Try substituting the words “only” or “merely” for “just” and see what meaning you end up with. 

In his book “Too Busy Not To Pray” Bill Hybels makes a thought provoking comment. He asks if we really think about what we say to God. He goes on to point out a great example – asking God to bless the food we’re about to eat.  How frequently do we ask God to use a plate of food swimming in artery clogging grease to strengthen and nourish our bodies.  What are we asking? Does it make any sense? Do we think carefully about what we say when we talk to God? Bill Hybel’s point is well taken...is God going to take a plate full of eggs, bacon and hash browns that have been sauteed in bacon grease (my favourite Saturday morning breakfast) and prevent it from damaging our arteries?

Do we really think about what we are saying when we absent-mindedly toss in the “just” word? Are we actually limiting God by using this word? Perhaps I’m making too much out of this but I’ve been noticing the word more and more in my prayer time and in churches. Like the cat that playfully tortures the mouse my brain is fixated on this word. What do you think? Does the word “just” have any significance in the life of our prayers or has it simply become the “um” of prayer time; filler while we think about what to say next?  Please feel free to post your thoughts and comments below.

When You're Just Too Miserable To Pray

How does one worship from the depths of despair or from a hospital bed?  When we’re at our lowest, how do we find the drive or energy to come to God in prayer? I’ve been fighting a valiant, although losing battle with the latest flu/cold virus and succumbed to it’s nasty clutches over a week ago. As I lay immobile on the couch, sweating from the fever and popping throat lozenges and cough drops  as though they were Lindt chocolate truffles rather than some horrible tasting medicated sugar concoction, I wondered how people find the energy or motivation to come to God in prayer when life has thrown them into a pit of misery or despair. I certainly felt as though I was in my own personal pit, although I understand that a week long battle with a flu virus is very minor compared to a life long battle with cancer, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, Alzheimer’s, depression, schizophrenia, alcoholism, anorexia, abuse or any other number of illnesses or struggles that threaten to cast people into their own pits of despair.

Prior to getting sick I was doing so well, having my quiet Bible reading and prayer time with God.   That ended abruptly when all I was interested in doing was lying on the couch and pressing play on the remote control for the DVD player hoping it would whisk me into a world of oblivion while watching repeats of the  1990’s hit sitcom “Home Improvements”. What happened to my drive and desire to spend time with God? Somewhere deep inside I felt the tiniest flicker of that drive but the energy to take action and pray just wasn’t there. The best I seemed to manage was a silent prayer in my mind thanking God for each day and praying that the next one would be better.

I’ve wrestled with this question since, “how do we pray when we’re just too sick or too depressed?” and I’m not sure that I’ve really got a satisfactory answer. I think the ability to worship God and continue prayerfully when we’re living in pits of despair comes from developing a strong, close relationship with God outside of the pit. If we work at developing this close relationship in the good times, it becomes easier for us to look to God and trust in His goodness when times become more difficult.  Remember, we have the Holy Spirit on our side. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Roman 8:26 NIV) When all you’ve got to offer God is “wordless groans” (and there were a lot of those on the couch last week) remember that He is with you always. The Holy Spirit is there, offering prayers up to God when you can’t find the energy or words to do it yourself.

Another important aspect of Christianity is living in community. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends or family to share your problems. Find a person you feel comfortable with, someone you trust,  and share your struggles with them. Ask them to intercede in prayer for you. When we can’t pray ourselves, the community of faith steps in to pray for us. Sharing our struggles and problems with other people isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of a supportive community who cares for one another as Christ cares for us. Make sure that you are open to listening to someone today. Take the time to be a compassionate listener, to pray with someone close to you and to make a difference in someone’s life.