Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Times Get Hard!!! Just pray!!!

It seems today I have been bamboozled by a list of prayer requests and concerns from fellow church members and friends. Loved ones in dire circumstances, sickness, surgeries, cancer, deaths, life is just hard. I felt especially called to pray with a close friend today before heading into a meeting. Although we arrived rather late, the precious time we spent going before the Father totally transformed my heart and attitude ABOUT all the sadness.

That's what prayer does, it not only calls on God to hear us, but it changes our hearts. Having that relationship with Him is a huge message of Christianity. Not that we go to heaven, that's the icing on the cake, but that we KNOW Him as He knows us. Teaching that to our children is rather hard as they can't SEE the benefits of prayer. I often try to talk of those that have been healed from sicknesses we have prayed for, so they may gradually learn of God's healing hand. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Jesus is our High Priest that has gone before us, he was totally human, yet totally God; therefore HE can sympathize with us in life. He KNOWS us and he knows how hard it (life) can be. What did Jesus do in His most desperate moment in the Garden? He prayed. He lived the perfect life as a perfect example. Therefore we must follow His example and take our requests before the Father, just as He did.

Jesus also prayed that the Lord's will would be done, we must be okay with that concept as well. God is in control and He is sovereign. He has a plan for all of us and His Good will be accomplished. Romans 8:28 tells us "all things work together for Good for those He loves and that are called according to His purpose".

To all my dear friends that are hurting, sick, or have dear loved ones that are, please know I am praying for all of you today.

5 comments:

Kerin said...

How profound - I find myself asking "Why" a lot lately. Why would God give cancer to someone who walks with HIM daily? Why would he not cure a friend from her pain and addictions? Why have a 12 year old boy suffer a brain injury? Why her? Why? Why? Why?...God has the answers and we just have to have FAITH and trust HIM. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temperary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:17-18) We just have to fix our eyes on Jesus and "live by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:7) Kerin

Kerin said...

Temporary - I didn't do spell check. As you can tell, I'm studying Corinthians now. Kerin
rile9995@comcast.net

Jennifer said...

Good thoughts, W. I needed to be reminded of this today!

jennyhope said...

i just had to post about the same thing. sounds like we are on the same page! =)

Emmy said...

I just read this! So true... man it has been so much lately! I am with you!
Lets do lunch! I owe you! : )