My blog

Tag: prayer

  • Wisdom

    11 Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like. 2 Chron 1: 11-12 NKJV

    Let’s talk about the context of these two verses.  From verse 1 to verse 6 of 2 Chronicles chapter 1 God blessed Solomon, and he took the people to the high place (where the people could meet with God) and made special sacrifices to Him.   In verse 7, God appears to Solomon and tells him to ask whatever he will.  In verses 8 through 10, Solomon asks for wisdom and knowledge to lead God’s people.

    Solomon asked God not for wealth, health or abundance of any sort but he asked for wisdom.  How wise it was of him to ask God for a trait that he could use to push the nation of Israel to heights no one had ever seen before.  God was exceedingly pleased with the request and not only gave Solomon great wisdom, the likes of which this earth hadn’t seen before him or since but great wealth and favor among the nations.

    Solomon was by no means a perfect man.  There’s only one perfect man, Jesus.  But he wrote practical advice for the ages in the Book of Proverbs.  Even today we quote from that Book.

    My husband and I pray daily, both individually and corporately.  One of our prayers is that God gives us wisdom and favor in all things and with all people like work issues, family, finances, health.  All of it.   And He has been faithful to provide the wisdom and favor we need for the day.

    One day last year my husband called me on the phone from work and said he was having a tough time dealing with a case he had (he’s a network engineer and many times those cases have a complexity that sometimes can be way over not only his head but also his colleagues.)  We had prayed that morning, but this was a special prayer for the specifics of the case.  We took about five minutes to ask the Lord to intervene and give my husband the “eyes” to see the problem to fix it or have His ministering angels intervene and fix it for him.  The wind up was when he got off the phone and went back to work on it, he figured it out, fixed it and the client was happy.  We have scores of stories like that.  Where God answered the prayer for wisdom.  God gives us our needs, not our greeds.  We were specific in the wisdom he needed for the moment and God answered that prayer.

    He truly is a mighty and awesome God.

  • The Human Spirit

    Never underestimate the power of the human spirit!  There are those who, when burdened with an overwhelming life event come through it stronger and more able to stand against the next crazy life event that could have them crawling on their knees. Then there are others who, when dealt a crushing blow, are devastated to the point of immobility and can’t rise above the situation.

    When a person has a life-threatening health crisis, like latter stage cancer, does that person stand up and fight it with their last breath or do they resign themselves to their bed to die?

    In a health crisis, we never see those who have lost their battle to cancer without a fight.  Some retreat into themselves to waste away and die with their family and friends dismayed they wouldn’t fight to live…not only for their family and friends but for themselves.  Some give up when their friends and family never wanted them to give up.  Others fight until their last breath. Even though they lose the battle, they have fought.  Even through death, they have risen above their circumstances. If you’re suffering from cancer, fight the good fight, be strong, and give yourself and your family hope!

    A couple of great examples of high-profile individuals who had fought the fight to their last breath.  Farrah Fawcett looked for every known cure and Patrick Swayze continued to work throughout his treatment.  Both lost their battle with cancer but did so with dignity and strength.

    What about when a kid is bullied?  Does he constructively fight back or does he retreat into himself possibly committing suicide?

    We often hear about kids committing suicide because they were bullied.  Sometimes it’s a genuine wish to shed light on bullying and how awful it is for the kid’s family and friends.  But oftentimes, it’s a political entreaty to advance someone’s agenda which is totally not cool.

    But what about the kids who rise above the bullying?  Why don’t we hear about those kids?  Today I watched a video of an 11-year-old kid who took free violin lessons because the kids at school bullied him because he had cancer.  Kids can be cruel and merciless.  They have no filters or have not been taught any filters.  But this boy made my heart sing.  He appeared on America’s Got Talent and blew everyone away with his violin playing.  He made it to the television show.  What an example of how the human spirit can overcome.  This boy chose music to overcome his heartache over being bullied. Other’s may choose sports or some other positive way to overcome.

    What about when a person has lost every possession to a hurricane, tornado, or flooding? Does the person retreat to a homeless shelter never to be heard from again or does he take action and rebuild his home and his life?

    When a person loses everything, it is total defeat. They have nothing.  No clothing, no memorabilia, no means of personal identification. They become lost. How do they come back from such a devastating life event?

    Personally, I trust in the Lord when some life event brings me lower than dirt.  I know it works.  It gives me peace and strength.  God gives us what we need when we need it if we call on Him to help in our time of need.

    Several years ago, my 61-year-old husband lost his job.  I was afraid at first then I remembered God had it all in the palm of His hand.  I told my husband we’d pray about it and let God lead us.  And lead us, He did.  My husband got a job offer not three weeks later.  To say it was a miracle is an understatement.  Who hires a 61-year-old man who is almost ready to retire in a few years? God can do anything, even heal the sick and restore a home.

    I don’t know if any of the people described here trusted in the Lord but I believe the Lord gives us strength and power to overcome.  It comes from within.  It comes from Him.

    What are your thoughts on where your strength comes from?

     

     

  • When God Answers Prayer

    When I first learned how to pray effectively, I was (and still am) in awe of how God answered prayer.  Sometimes it happened immediately and sometimes He was still working out the answer.  Many times God answered the prayer in an unexpected way.  Not bad, just different from what I had expected.

    I learned early on there are only three answers to prayer: Yes, No and Wait.  While we rejoice in the yes answers, the no answers don’t keep me down because it only means He has something better for me and my family or He was protecting me from something I didn’t know about regarding that prayer. And the wait…well, that’s the hardest answer to bear, particularly if it’s crucial like a physical, financial or emotional need.  And our family has had them over the years.  Big time.

    What’s exciting about it is that I’m in an expectant mood to see how He will answer it.

    Some people think prayer is private and often it should be.  Each person should sit with their creator and work out the details of their lives with Him.  God loves us and He wants to hear from us.  Whether it’s just a few words telling Him about your day or if it’s a more in-depth conversation about life events or personal issues. He wants to hear every detail of our lives, no matter how small.  Remember He has the hairs on your head counted so if that isn’t detailed enough, I don’t know what is.

    Over the years, my husband and I have prayed hundreds of thousands of prayers.  Some corporately and some individually.  But we try to make it a priority every day.  It doesn’t always work out that way but we try.

    Most of the time my prayers begin by giving Him glory. I move on to asking for forgiveness because I know I need it every day.   The prayer then turns to the needs of my family and friends, then my own needs and finally for global issues.  God has been faithful over the years to answer my prayers so I will continue to pray to Him.  Sometimes it’s daunting but I know God has called me to be a prayer warrior so that is what I will do.

    Just this past Sunday we prayed for an individual who had severed a tendon and needed surgery. My husband and I prayed, and we were specific in our prayer: the surgeon would be a believer in Christ, that the surgery would be scheduled quickly and that the recuperation period would be minimal.  The next day, I received an excited call. The surgeon who would do the surgery is, in fact, a believer along with his physician’s assistant and the surgery would happen today.  Specific answers to specific prayers. This morning we prayed for God’s own hands to guide the doctor’s hands and that the surgery would go well without issue.

    I could fill thousands of pages talking about how God answered prayer, sometimes, unbelievable answers!  I try to remind myself of all the times He was faithful even when I was not.

    These answers to prayer are what I call God Stories.  I pray you have an abundance of your own God Stories.  If you would like to share those stories here, we’d love to hear them!

  • When God shows up…

    My husband and I are part of a group of couples who pray for the needs of our church.  We get together with the Pastor on Wednesday evenings to pray for one another, the church body, the community, and the world.  We’ve been part of this prayer ministry almost from the first time we attended this church when we moved to North Carolina three years ago.

    One couple out of the four couples on the team pray for people after service on Sundays.  We never know in advance who will pray and it doesn’t matter to any of the couples because they’re usually there every Sunday.  Who prays is at the discretion of the prayer team leader and who is attending church.  We are happy to oblige when the need arises.

    This past Sunday, we knew from the previous Sunday we would be praying.  Sometimes people come to the front and sometimes they don’t.  We’d rather they did but, we know not everyone is comfortable with strangers praying for them. Others have big needs and have the courage to come forward as was the case this past Sunday.

    And God showed up.  It was the right time, the right place for the right prayer partners and the right person.  It all fit together like minute puzzle pieces.

    Scott lost his job and worried about finding another.  Upset by his job loss particularly since it was his dream job and he’d only held the position for several months, he came forward for prayer. My husband and I definitely related to this man’s worry.  Both of us have lost jobs over the years, my husband’s most recent job loss was three years ago and included a move from Virginia to North Carolina.   And my husband had to learn the lesson, the hard way,  of having his identity wrapped up in his work.

    He learned his identity is in Christ and not the position God gave him.  It was a long, tough lesson to learn.  But through it all, we trusted God.  His way is better than ours and there was a purpose to what we endured.  We couldn’t see it then.  Rarely can you see the benefit of the struggles as you’re going through them.  You only see them after you’ve come through the fire.

    Being familiar with this setback, we told several job loss related stories which included an international move.  We shared words of encouragement before we prayed for him.  Our stories and prayers encouraged him.

    We now know God had a plan for us to share our job loss moments with those who are suffering the same fate.  But more than that, we realized God showed up at that moment and put the right people in Scott’s path.

    But those who wait on the LORD
    Shall renew their strength;
    They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
    They shall run and not be weary,
    They shall walk and not faint.
    Isaiah 40: 31

  • Motherhood

    One hundred and ten years ago, Anne Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St. Andrew’s Methodist church in Grafton, Virginia. She abhorred the commercialization of the holiday and attempted to have it removed from the calendar in her later years.

    Then in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, designated the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.
    That proclamation has endured for over a century.

    Today it is celebrated worldwide. Perhaps not on the same day as the United States but celebrated nonetheless. Australia and Canada share the same Mother’s Day as the United State. In the United Kingdom, it’s celebrated three Sundays before Easter.

    It hasn’t just been celebrated in the past hundred years, though. While not a holiday, the ancient Greeks and Romans held festivals in their honor.  These pagan events were the precursor to the early Christian festival known as the “Mothering Sunday”

    Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren celebrate with their mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers with cards, flowers, chocolates, and gifts.

    Some give simple handmade cards while others give the more elaborate Hallmark cards. Some give hand-picked bouquets while others give FTD floral arrangements. It doesn’t matter what is given, it’s the idea that mother is remembered and loved.

    Even husbands get into the act by gifting their wives with Mother’s Day cards and flowers for gifting them with beautiful children.
    Each person’s situation is different. You might have lost your mother…whether recently or long ago. Time tempers the loss but the heart still grieves.

    Or you may never have or never will have a close relationship with your mother. It doesn’t matter. There’s a woman in your life who influenced you. Perhaps your grandmother or an aunt. Honor that woman today.

    Mothers, like all humans, are imperfect but they gave us the gift of life. Without them, where would we be? They are a gift from God who can never be replaced regardless of circumstance.

    Honor your mother. Pray for her, near or far. It’s the least…and the most we can do for them. The very best gift of all.

     

     

  • Life, Romance and Faith

    Life

    A blip in time that fades quickly. Too quickly. People fade in and out of our lives.  Some stay while some disappear into that frothy mist that clouds our hearts and minds never to return.  Others come and go diminishing the bonds that held them to you in the first place.  Finally, others leave us to fend for ourselves when they move on to a heavenly domain.  And yet, we are loved by those who have come and gone before us.

    We see God’s love for us in the flowers with their myriad of colors and scents.  With the multitude of the twinkling stars in the heavens.   With the soft rains that fall on dormant grasses.  With the trees that gently sway in the slight breezes, giving glory to Him as they rise toward the heavens.  With the oceans that gently roll on pristine beaches.  With the snow that blankets the hills and valleys.  God gave us the gift of nature.  It’s beautiful and it’s romantic.

    Romance…

    was and is a gift from God.  How can it not be?  All things from God are gifts.  His love for us is unconditional.  And we experience that romance and love when we find that one person who speaks to our heart.  Who fills it like no other human can.  But there’s still that singular place in our heart that God reserves for Himself, and rightfully so.
    I have a romantic heart, what can I say?  I’ve always believed in the power of love.  It can overcome any hurdle in life.  And when coupled with a dash of romance, it’s nothing short of amazing.

    It’s a note or text to your spouse telling him you love him with a funny emoji.  While you are sleeping, it’s your husband’s hand on your arm whispering a prayer for you.  Less important but not trivial, it’s a bouquet of flowers or a small gift for no reason at all.  It’s giving up that last piece of chocolate when it’s his favorite so you can have it.  It’s the deep-down knowledge that you are loved.

    Faith 

    How to describe it? It’s such an intangible word.  Christians define it as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” (Heb 11:1) Webster’s defines it as the “unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence; unquestioning belief in God, religious tenets.”

    For me, the “unquestioning belief in God” epitomizes what I feel and think about Faith.  I can’t see Him but I know He’s there.  Listening to every prayer, seeing me in all my frailty and yet, He still loves me.  He still loves you.

    This blog is dedicated to all broad and narrow topics of Life, Romance, and Faith.