In the past week, my blog (which is really YOUR blog and Mine) had a significant birthday. We finally crossed the 160,000 visitor mark! Thank you to all who have regularly read and thank you also to you who have just stopped by out of curiosity. It is my prayer that this blog has challenged, encouraged, enlightened, and strengthened your walk with the Lord.
Today I would like to share something a friend posted on Facebook, literally moments ago, but when I read it, my mind flooded with thoughts. I can usually sort out thoughts by writing so hopefully this post will help both of us.
Here is the quote:
I pray all the time. For patience, my family, my church, and most constantly throughout my day I lose things and ask God to help me find them. And he does. Usually immediately, sometimes it will take a day or so as it did when I lost my pair of glasses. But God has proven himself so wonderfully in responses to my SOSes, that I am now able to not get too distressed over losses.
But there are times when I feel kind of foolish, bothering the Lord with such "petty" requests...but you know as I read the above quote I thought of something: What if God doesn't look at these requests as "little?" ...What if they are God teaching me the scales and finger exercises as a piano teacher would , knowing that these exercises strengthen the hands and are the basis of all of that student's piano career...even if they go on to be a concert pianist. Can God hone my faith and trust by repeatedly, time and again, day after day, answering my prayers and teaching me through that, that He is a God for whom nothing that concerns me is too unimportant for His attention and love?
I can answer this question with a resounding YES!!! Every time God shows me where something is "hiding," I am overcome with wonder and joy at His goodness and love for me. And in the hours where I am bed or recliner/bound and bowled over by pain? I KNOW THAT GOD IS THERE--and that this is a more difficult piece of "music" He is teaching me. And I have no doubt as to His love and wisdom and power.
Now let's turn this quote around a bit. Our world as we know it, is falling apart around our ears. Wars. Climate change, erupting volcanos, monster storms, blizzards, flooding, children gone "bad", shootings in schools...need I say more? Now maybe you have wondered , "If there is a God why does He permit these things and what can we do to stop them? ---Why doesn't God intervene?"
It is easy, as a "Prayer Warrior" or your average Joe, to feel overwhelmed by the needs of this wobbling planet. What can one or two measly prayers possibly do to have an impact on any of these things? Let me tell you friend, changing the track of a storm or melting an unyielding heart to kneel before their Savior is NO HARDER than finding our glasses,...which to Him were never lost. Neither has God's grip and purpose and love meandered off into inattention. Nor has any force or difficulty presented itself that He cannot fix. Nor has His wisdom faltered as He tries us and tests us to have the strength to face whatever the next day holds, both for us and for this planet.
God is working according to a blueprint that He drew up infinities before He began the work of Creation. And He has given us a HUGE privilege: He has asked His people to partner with Him and to pray for the things He wants to accomplish. OUR PRAYERS MATTER. Nothing is too small or too big for us to pray about.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Phil. 4:6 NLT
Don't worry about anything (the big things) ; Pray about everything - including the small things.
So the next time you question whether or not your need is too insignificant to God for us to bother Him......or whether you feel inadequate to pray against terrorism and nuclear war...remember this quote by Elisabeth Elliot--a very wise lady.
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