Asking for Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Philippians 4:6

By nature, I am somewhat shy. For those who know me, they may disagree because I can be rather chatty. But, for those few friends who know my heart intimately enough, you’ll find they agree. I’m lousy in a crowd, somewhat backward and bumbling. I can’t think of a thing to say, however in small groups I thrive. When I speak at ladies conferences, a completely different side of me immerges – one that brings the lighter side of me to the surface. The fact is, I like anyone else, is multi-faceted. There is one thing for sure, through it all, I often feel very unworthy.

It’s very easy for me to pray for others but it’s very hard to ask for prayer. I take my prayer life very serious. This is not to say I spend hours on my knees – far from it. There are lots of times I could use some real improvement. I do, however, take prayer requests very seriously. My guess is, if someone is aching enough to ask for prayer, then I should ache equally to oblige their request. Praying for others is easy, but praying for myself is a long, slow, agonizing place.

Perhaps it’s fear. When we pray we are completely exposed–naked, before Christ. Maybe the vulnerability is more than I can take. Or maybe it’s pride. I can’t put my finger on it. I can only say, many times I feel unworthy to ask. My issues seem so trivial compared to those who are dealt a devastating blow. How wrong could I be? Learning to ask for prayer for our self takes practice for most. Meaning, if we ask, someone might see we are struggling. Struggling is a sign of weakness, and we all know – that can’t happen.

We are all human. We all face trials and frustrations. And–we all need prayer. Learning to ask brings us into a submissive heart, and a submissive heart reveals our longing souls. Therefore, ask. Ask. Ask. The more we ask, the more we open ourselves to the Father. The more open we are to the Lord, the easier He can work in us. It’s not selfish to ask others to lift us before God, its scriptural. It’s what Jesus taught and what Paul taught. Seeking His guidance in everything we do brings us into a humble and suitable relationship with God. Asking others to pray for us, allows us to be lifted above the rest and placed into loving hands of the Healer – so ask.

Prayer: Lord, our pride sometimes stands in the way of our needs that need to be placed before You. Teach us we are worthy.

When We Feel As Though We Can't Go On

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. --Isaiah 40:28

There are days when I peer over the rim of my glasses and think to myself. “Shish, will this day not end?” Haven’t you felt like that before? The demands of work and family simply seem to send us into overload. A good friend used an excellent analogy that I think is fair to borrow. He said, “Fog. It’s like I’m in a fog.”

We all tend to overload our plates. After all, the world is much faster paced than it used to be. There’s more to do and less free time to do it. We’re being pulled apart from every angle. Someone wants something every time we turn around. Suddenly, we snap like a twig.

I believe there is something to be said for learning to listen to that still small voice which God offers us. There are times when, if we listen, the Father is saying, “Wait a minute, take a break. I can’t work through you when you’re worn and tattered.” Do we listen? Of course not, we continue on our merry way piling and heaping until neither our bodies nor our minds can function.

I’m in a phase in a phase in my life right now, where the Father is teaching me to slow down. The bad part is, I’m kicking and screaming the entire time. I love the words of Isaiah when he asks two questions – and he asks them somewhat dumbfounded that we don’t get it. He says, “Don’t you know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the end of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” Isn’t that great? Isaiah is dumbfounded those listening haven’t figured out God doesn’t tire. We do. So it’s our job to rest. God has things under control.

Whether it’s work, or home, or even our work within the church, there are times we all tire. The feelings of “I feel as though I can’t go on” hits us between the eyes. Sometimes, it’s okay to stop things and step back, re-evaluate what we’re doing. Test the waters to see if we are pacing ourselves so that God can work through us appropriately. We are not required to do God’s job of overseeing the world, and we’re pretty presumptuous to think He needs our assistance. Instead, we need to focus on the life that renewed within us. Take our obligations seriously, such as rearing our children to know Christ, setting the example for those who we meet daily, worshiping the Father, and making time to know Him fully. He’s got the rest under control. Sit back, rest for God does not tire or grow weary. He will carry us through.

Prayer: We are tired, Lord. Our minds stressed and our lives are whizzing past. Help us to slow the pace so that we are worthy and able to be the servants You wish us to be. Give us rest.

Prosperity

A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. – Proverbs 28:25

Olivia slammed the kitchen door and threw her purse on the counter. Her mother peered over her glasses from the table. “Issues?”

“I’d say. Get this. I made the final cut for the squad. But I wanted squad captain. Merissa got it. I worked, I mingled, I talked, I smoozed. But I didn’t get captain. That just tees me off.”

Olivia’s mother sighed and shook her head. “Honey, you’re sounding a little selfish here. You should be thrilled you made the team. I’m very proud of you.”

“Mom, you don’t get it. I had no doubt I’d make the team. I’m good. But, I wanted captain. I wanted to be the captain.”

“Well, aren’t you Miss Greedy? I didn’t think your dad and I raised such a shallow daughter. Greed never gets you where you want to go. It’s a temporary thing. But when you grow into a position, earn it with honesty and integrity, you find a real satisfaction.”

Olivia hung her head, shamed into submission. “I know, you’re right. I just wanted it so badly.”

Isn’t this true of most of us? We see things lying in our future that we want so badly we can taste them. Sometimes they consume us completely. Our lives can’t function normally because all we can manage to think about is how to get that dream.

God is a God of abundance. He loves for His children to prosper. However, prosperity in God’s eyes may not be that of the prosperity in our own eyes. Sometimes we have to learn to appreciate the deeper vision of God’s plan and once that happens, then we blossom into the physical rewards of abundance. Learning to find kindness, real kindness, joy and understanding, and a depth of relationship with the Father puts us in line to experience the pouring out of His abundance. It may be that our deepest desires are provided, or it may be simply the grasp of something our heart needs to pull us through another day. Either way, trusting that God knows the way leads us into His overflowing abundance. In His time, in His way, we are blessed with the prosperities that suit us best. Sometimes it’s fame or wealth but at other times it may be contentment.

Prosperity comes at the time in our lives when God knows we are equipped to utilize it appropriately. Trust in Him. Believe that good things come through the God who has created us. Abundance will follow.

Prayer: Father we want so often that it’s hard to weed out the true needs. Help us to trust that You will bring us into the appropriate abundance of Your love.

Love Means Saying You're Sorry

“If you repent, I will restore you, that you may serve me;” – Jeremiah 15:19

When I was in high school the movie, “Love Story” hit the theatres. It was story of a love-hate relationship between two people that ended prematurely when the girl dies from cancer. One pivoting moment in this movie came when the guy told her he was sorry for something he’d done. She looks him in the eye and says, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

I’ve recently had the opportunity to share a writing venture with a dear friend. As we develop the characters this same love-hate relationship seems to be emerging. For one reason or another this early 1970’s movie keeps bubbling to surface and I continually hear this phrase, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” However profound the comment seemed in the 70’s, it falls nothing short of false.

Explain to me how individuals can develop any sort of lasting relationship without having said they were sorry. It can’t be done (at least if they want something lasting). Many of our churches today focus on the positive aspects of Christianity. God is love. God forgives. God understands. However, somewhere along the way they don’t want to step on toes or bring the Christian to a snap attention. “We need to teach the love of Christ.” Well of course we need to teach the love of Christ, but we have an obligation scripturally to teach repentance as well.

None of us wants to think that we err in our ways. The fact is, we are all sinners. Over and over through the scripture, we are taught to repent – recognize our fallacies, make the efforts to change them, and fall before the Father and ask forgiveness. You see, love IS saying you’re sorry. A love without forgiveness is love built on false security and it’s a bridge waiting to collapse.

The loving side of God is amazing, awesome, and mind boggling, but without our willingness to admit our sin then making the effort to change, there is no solid relationship. God is love, and peace. He is joy and hope, but He hates sin. Why would we think less? He sent His son to pay the price.

Regardless of the relationship, whether husband/wife, sister/brother, friend/friend, there must be a time to admit when we are wrong and seek forgiveness. There must be a time to heal when we hurt. As profound as the movie put it, it’s still misleading. Real love means saying you’re sorry. The healing that comes is the prize. Aren’t we fortunate that God offers us this promise of forgiveness? We only have to ask.

Prayer: Oh Father, we often misunderstand the ways of forgiveness. Teach us, Lord. Teach us.

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Getting Even

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21

Our first inclination, when someone has done something mean to us, is finding a way to get even. Whether we find it in the heated words of a disagreement by using phrases we know will sting, or whether it be an intentional plot to seek out revenge – it’s human nature to want to hurt those who hurt us.

No one likes to be hurt, taken advantage of, or used yet we do it on a daily basis. With each slap we receive, we automatically slap back. I’m put in the mind of two toddler children learning to share. One yanks a toy away from the other and a slap occurs. Immediately the second child slaps back and thus the battle rages. Who can hurt the other worse?

Divorce is a prime example of adults who try to slap back. When a marriage fails, someone is hurt. There’s no simple way around it. However, for those who strive to take the high road, the climbing is hard but the view is so much better from the top. Nothing good comes from getting even and though the satisfaction may be temporary, the action in the long run is painful.

For those I know personally, including myself, who have experienced the pain of divorce, not one will tell you they felt good about retaliation when it was over. Our hearts are so damaged and torn, that we feel like the best way to prove to the other person we are hurting is to let them know “what it feels like.”

Imagine how things would be for us, had Christ taken the blows of torture for our sins then turned and pointed the finger at us saying, “Here, try this. See how it feels?” Could we withstand the beating and abuse He bore in our behalf? I seriously doubt it. The hardest thing to do is become Christ-like in our attitude. Walking in the footprints of the one who suffered the greatest blow, who hung bleeding and suffering from a cross, yet still looked toward heaven and said, “Father forgive them.” He didn’t wish the pain on us. He didn’t want us to be hurt. He wanted us to be free. Christ loved us that much.

Getting even is just another phase of sin. Rising above is a satisfying and fulfilling thing. Once above, there is nothing to regret. Be Christ-like in your pain, regardless of its beginning. Seek the forgiveness Christ sought for us for His was very real.

Prayer: God of all Creation, we are weak and fall into the ways of sin easily. Forgive us Lord. Teach us to be the example You want us to be.

Checking In

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart and fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. – Joel 2:12,13

Lisa pushed open the hotel door. “I need a non-smoking room, double-bed.” The clerk smiled and obliged her, slipping her a keycard and mumbling the room number. She walked to elevator and pushed two. I hope this room is at least clean. The elevator doors slid open and Lisa glanced at the number signs on the wall. 203 to the left. She pulled her luggage over the metal plate on the elevator and headed down the hall.

203 – hello bed. She unlocked the door, propping it open with her hip until she managed her bags inside. Her hand rubbed the side of the wall searching for the light switch and flipped it on. Looks clean. She pulled the extra lock over the door then headed for the bed. It would only be hours before she was back in the car and traveling again. Then, it would be another hotel and another check-in.

So often, we have the best of intentions when we enter into a relationship with Christ. Our thoughts are centered on getting to know Him better –making him an active part of our lives. Somewhere along the line, we lose our incentive to buff and polish our relationship. Like Lisa, we travel awhile, find a hotel and check-in, then check-out.

Managing a serious spiritual relationship is more than developing a check-in time. There has to be a desire to know the Father, to learn to trust Him, and to be accountable to Him. Simply checking in from time to time won’t cut it.

When we accept the gifts that God offers us, we accept the responsibility that comes along with Him. Those things of the old life that tempt and try us have to be pushed to the side – not for a time, but forever. God is readily available for us at anytime, but He requires more than an occasional “hello.” He wants us to know Him, seek Him, and live for Him.

Life is full of trials and frustrations. That is because Satan roams the earth making life rough for the believer. He encourages us to open the door to God temporarily, then shut it again, telling us our lives are safe, we’ve checked in. A relationship with God offers us the freedom to walk away at anytime and it holds the peace of knowing we have forgiveness and we can return. However this is not the relationship Christ encourages for us. He wants a meaningful and lasting relationship. He wants us to sincerely stay with Him, not check in for a few hours and leave. There are commitments to be made and temptations to over come because Satan will try his best to devalue our relationship.

Once we’ve accepted the keycard to a relationship with Christ, we have to grasp it tightly. Open the door and stay. Don’t walk away. Don’t check in and check out. Make it a comfortable and long stay. Eternal perhaps.

Prayer: Lord, we lean toward the convenience of doing things the easy way. Yours is a relationship that requires work. Hold us close while we check in.

The 23rd Psalm -- Revisited

I love Psalm 23. As a child, the twenty-third was the largest passage of scripture I had to memorize. Our Sunday teacher took it a verse a week for twenty-three weeks. Before long, we had memorized it. I’m ashamed to say that as I grew into an adult, bits and pieces fell from my memory. Still I love this scripture. I encourage you to pull out your Bible and visit this portion of hope. Grab a pencil and paper and write it down in your own words.

Here is my own paraphrase of the twenty-third psalm.

Father, you are my caretaker and that is a pretty big job – You are patient beyond all measure. When I am with you in heart and soul, I never need anything. Earthly desires fade away because you fill me completely. When I worry and fret, You remind me there is no need to do so. You quiet the rumblings within me and give me rest and peace. You provide me respite.

You always show me the direction I need to go, and sometimes nudge me when I ignore you. The ways You point me, fill me with truth and righteousness. When I fail to understand why things happen I am given sustaining comfort and reassurance that You are with me ant that things will be okay.

I am amazed that when hardships befall me and I am so fearful because you protect me from the evils of earth when I am weak. I find comfort in your word and peace in my prayers.

You ready me to face those who cause me pain and I am joyful because I have all I need within Your love, for it abounds.

There is no option but for love and goodness to be with me when I am following Your will and best yet, I have the hope and promise of eternity with You.

Take time to pull out that dusty Bible and look up Psalm 23. Read it, then rewrite it in your own words. You will be amazed how you seek comfort from the Lord and how comfort is found.

Prayer: Lord, Remind us all the world does not revolve around us. May we seek Your face and find You, trusting that within Your arms there is rest. Cradle us in Your love and rock us when we fret – for You are Almighty. You are the Shepherd of the flock.