Tonight is The Well. We'll be studying and talking about prayer, but mostly, we'll be spending time actually doing it. I've sat through many meetings in my life where we spent a majority of the time sharing our 'prayer requests' but then 'ran out of time' to actually pray together...not all of them, but enough. Sometimes, I wonder if the person 'wanting prayer' is more so wanting attention than really wanting to go before God, kick some devil-butt, and wrestle to the finish. I know I've been guilty of that. Or, what about being the one doing the praying for the other person..."Oh, I'll pray for you this week" or "Yeah, let's write them down and pray for these things on our own time". That's fine if we do what we said we would do, but I'll be the first to admit that I have often found other things to fill my time with than to sit before the King of the Universe. Why is that? I mean seriously! Why have I looked to Him as a last resort at times when I know that every time I've come to Him first, He works all things together for His good and the good of those who love Him? I guess I'm slow...NO, I KNOW I AM!
God's been showing me lately that life is circumstantial, that is, there are circumstances or situations happening around us every day...and guess what?! Satan will use our circumstances to distract us, no matter how good they are, from the very place we are called to be...at His feet, trusting and hoping in Him.
The Bible says that God already knows our hearts and requests before we ask Him, so my challenge to ALL OF US is to stop going on and on to everyone and their dog about what it is we think we want, need, and desire, how badly we are hurting, how frustrated we are with situations, other people, ourselves, and start telling Him about it...it's harder than it sounds...I'm not advocating not praying for one another...that's the point here! I am advocating that we do encourage each other in prayer first, not as a follow-up to long drawn out conversations...If we get crusty toward a friend who says, "Well, let's pray about that", because we just want to ramble on and on, I question one, our hearts and motives, and two, whether we truly trust that going to God in prayer is the optimal choice. We all know people in our lives that say something to the effect, "Let's stop talking about it and just do it!" I need that reminder every day...I just need to 'do' prayer. Do you?
"For the world runs after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:32-34 (emphasis mine)
That is such TRUTH! Thanks for sharing. I feel convicted about my attitude towards prayer vs. talking it out. I want so much to be one whose first response is to go to the Lord, in everything.
ReplyDeleteLast night we were harrassed about the 100th time by hoodies in our neighborhood here in England. It seems to have followed us no matter what area of town we live in. After stressing for 2 hours, when things don't add up or make worldy sense you know it must be our enemy at work in our lives. My husband and I finally got on our knees and prayed for protection and the enemy to leave us alone. So why did it take 2 hours for me to finally stop talking to Brian and start praying? Hopefully, next time, I will pray first and then listen instead of talking. Thanks for confirming what the Spirit was already saying! "Start with Prayer"
ReplyDeleteAdrienne ~ Thought of you when I saw Sunday's news of the church shooting in Illinois. Some reports indicated the shooter's family believe his actions were caused by Lyme disease. Thought you might want to contact Oprah's folks and encourage them to consider a show on Lyme's sooner rather than later. This story came right from Oprah's own "back yard," so to speak, and while many disagree that the disease caused this violence, it could be an opportunity to get a foot in the door with the producers. Just a thought from a reader who's worked a lot of years in media relations! ;) Good luck!
ReplyDelete~Laura on Wren
Love this. I'm teaching this Sunday on Nehemiah and have been immersed in the word. Every single time Nehemiah was tormented and threatened, discouraged or questioning, he went to God first. Before any other reaction, he went to God.
ReplyDeleteI would be a much better person if I went to God as my first reaction to any situation, good or bad. He is all knowing and just waits for us to stop wandering around trying to solve our own problems, or trying to get others to solve them, and to ask for His intervention.
Will we ever learn??
Thanks for the honesty of this post! I've found that lately, looking back upon conversations with godly women I 'used' to spend so much time praying with on the phone... Now, looking back I see how much we've been pulled from just praying together- rather spending all our time on the phone talking about the very things we need and want to be praying about! You've said out loud what God has been trying to tell me for a long while now. Thanks for having the courage to 'be the messenger!' I think of you often, and embrace your story... and I'm thankful you share your journey! ms
ReplyDeleteVery awesome! Thanks for sharing - it was just what I needed to hear today. Now I am off to DO more and TALK less :-)
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