When My Prayers Are Puny

March 3, 2015

When My Prayers Are Puny

So often when I pray, I feel like such a slackard. Like God has too much to do and too many people to look after than to worry about my dorky issues.

My perspective changed when a life-changing question was posed to a group of us last week.

If God said He would answer every prayer you prayed in the last week, just as you had asked Him, would your prayers have been too small?

God is so much bigger than my little brain can even comprehend. Why don’t I pray bigger? He can handle it.

I read a Bible passage recently that confirmed the question asked of us last week.

Maybe you have heard of King Ahaz of Judah. I had not.

Isaiah was a prophet. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah had actually seen the Lord seated on a throne the year Ahaz’ s grandfather King Uzziah died. Fast forwarding a few years into Isaiah 7, Uzziah’s grandson Ahaz was now King of Judah. He was afraid to march with the King of Israel and the King of Aram to fight against Jerusalem.

The Lord told Isaiah to tell King Ahaz to stay calm, not to be afraid and not to lose heart. It seemed like Ahaz may not have believed Isaiah. So the Lord then said to Ahaz:

“’If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ‘Ask the Lord Your God for a sign. Whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights.’ Isaiah 7:9b-11

Guess how King Ahaz responded?

“But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.’ “ Isaiah 7:12

Can you believe how Ahaz responded? But haven’t we all not asked because we were afraid to put God to the test?

“Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of MY God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.’” Isaiah 7:13-14.

The Lord and the prophet Isaiah were trying desperately to tell this stubborn King Ahaz that the Savior of the whole world Jesus was going to be born from his tribe of Judah, from David’s lineage!

The Lord wanted Ahaz to pray for anything, from the lowest of prayers to the highest, the biggest prayers.

Jesus’ birth would be the answer to all his problems! Just like He’s the answer to all of our problems.

God doesn’t promise that our problems go away. He does promise that He is with us, just like He was with King Ahaz. After all, Immanuel means “God with us.”

God wants a relationship with us. He desires for us to talk with Him about everything on our heart. That’s what He wants—our heart.

So let’s pour our hearts out to God in prayer. Tell Him anything. Ask for anything.

He will answer all of our prayers, big or small, in one of three ways: 1) Yes; 2) No; 3) Not now.

Life alters when we go to the altar.

Pray Big. Put God to the test. He is ready. Expect miracles.

Reflect:

When is the last time you prayed big? Please comment.

How will your prayers change now? Please comment.

Renew:

–“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 with groans that words cannot express. “ –Romans 8:26 NIV

–“Pray continually.” –1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

–“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” –Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV

Recharge:

–Plan each day to set aside intentional prayer time with the Lord. Then pray throughout the day.

–Set aside a quiet “prayer space” (closet, a “Prayer Chair,” the bathroom, etc) where you can be more focused and less distracted.

–Remember, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

February 24, 2015

Holding It Together

Some days I don’t feel like I can hold it together. Schedules seem too full. How can I possibly make wise choices every moment?

Then it hit me: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” –Colossians 1:17 NIV.

I heard a sermon once but the busy-ness of life had caused me to file the profound message away…The pastor, Louie Giglio in Atlanta, was preaching about the Glory of God and the human body. One day he met a molecular biologist who told him about “laminin.” The scientist asked him to look up laminin on the internet. Pastor Giglio Googled the word. He had never heard of the word. I certainly had not either.

What Pastor Louie found made his jaw drop. Laminin is the basic protein network foundation of most of our cells and organs. It’s what holds us all together. Then Pastor Louie saw the image of laminin under the microscope…. Laminin is shaped like a CROSS!

You are a masterpiece creating by the Master of the Universe, wonderfully and fearfully made with laminin! You are made by Jesus, for Jesus. Jesus is our divine glue holding us together. What a relief!

Be encouraged today with this message and by watching Pastor Louie Giglio’s video called “How Great is Our God” below.

Laminin: Holding Us Together

Reflect:

–How are you holding it together today? Please comment.

–How does your perspective change knowing about laminin?

Renew:

–“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.” –Psalm 139:13-15

–“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” –Matthew 11:28 NIV

Resource:

Louie Giglio’s “How Great is Our God” short sermon version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-NPPIeeRk

February 17, 2015

I’m Hard of Hearing

Growing up, I loved playing outside with my friends. I could hear my Mom calling me to come in for lunch or supper, but I was often too busy to listen. Honestly, it was more like I didn’t want to respond and come inside.

How often are we too busy or too distracted to hear when God is calling us to do His work. Samuel in the Bible was just like us. Check out this exchange in the passage below and see how you would feel if you were Samuel.

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. .. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said,’ Here I am; you called me.’

“‘My son,’ Eli said. ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’

“Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.” –1 Samuel 3:1, 4-11 NIV84

Did you notice it? The Lord came and stood there, calling as at other times…That phrase hit me over the head.

God talks with us all the time, yet we are so distracted, we do not listen. Or we may think it’s someone/something else, not God. It took Eli to prepare Samuel to really listen the next time the Lord “came and stood there” and called him. How often do we blow off the Eli’s in our lives and dismiss their insight?

Who is an Eli in your life, who can help you focus on God, preparing you to listen to Him calling you? The Lord is talking to you, calling your name, calling as at other times. Listen to God, and listen to your “Eli”, so you can listen to Him.

It is then and ONLY then that God can work in our lives in ways that will “make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.”

Thank God for the intentional times to slow us down and help us hear the Lord speaking. Now, instead of being too busy to hear like I was as a little girl, I pray to listen more intentionally. “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Reflect:

–Do you find that your world is noisy, distracted, hard to hear God? Please comment.

–Who is an Eli in your life? Please comment.

Renew:

–“And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.’ …The Lord was will Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.” –1 Samuel 3: 11, 19-20 NIV 84

–“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” –Psalm 46:10 NIV84

Recharge:

–What will you do this week to quiet yourself, focus, and listen? Shhh… can you hear Him calling as at other times?