One Number That Is NEVER Busy - God's Phone Number

 A few weeks ago I posted about "Perseverance In Prayer" that was influenced by my personal quest to memorize Scripture using The Joshua Code by O.S. Hawkins.  This post is a continuation of this topic on prayer - specifically God's faithfulness to hear our petitions.  The verse reference was Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know."  The first part of this verse is an assurance from God that we can call on Him and He will answer us.  The following part is a promise of revelation that He will tell us of things far and above what we already know that have not yet happened (read Ephesians 3:20).  

You see, prayer is a two-way form of communication and a way for our relationship to strengthen with God.  The more we pray, the stronger our faith becomes and the deeper our confidence in that same faith gets.  Like the psalmist writes in Psalms 1:3 "He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."  A tree that is nourished by water will have strong roots that run deep, much like one who has a healthy prayer life will be nourished by the Holy Spirit and that nourishment will only work to making our faith go deeper and stronger.

The part we express in this two-way communication is the actual prayer, or talking part of the relationship.  Hawkins reiterates what many psychologists and counselors know as fact: "to have a positive and productive relationship, there must be verbal communication" (page 65).  This is also true when we pursue our relationship with God - there MUST be communication.  If we fail to express ourselves verbally to our loving Father, the health of the relationship will deteriorate or die.  We simply cannot let this happen - prayer is vital for our own spiritual growth!  As Luke illustrated in his gospel, communicating with Him causes our hearts to burn when we hear from Him and, Hawkins states, when we hear from the Lord, God opens the Scripture to us (Hawkins, 2012).

There are four truths that we can take from a healthy prayer life: 1) God desires to fellowship (have relationship) with us; 2) God knows what is best for us; 3) God teaches us lessons by way of our prayers when answered as we ask or not; and 4) God reveals things to us about His character, His plans, and His love for us.  These truths, when examined, show three things: why we pray, when to pray, and how to pray (Hawkins, 2012).  Hawkins (2012) illustrates prayer as being like a symphony - "the Bible is the score, the Holy Spirit is the conductor, and we are the instruments".  Furthermore, when we talk to God in prayer, He becomes real to us.  Another tangible benefit from prayer is that a new dynamic to our Bible reading forms.  Simply put, the reason why we pray is because God knows better than you and I about what we really need this side of Heaven.  Hawkins (2012) states it this way: "[a]s we read God's Word, the Holy Spirit leads us in our prayer life, and we actually begin to pray the Scriptures for ourselves and for others."  1 Thessalonians 5:17 exhorts us to 'pray without ceasing' - in other words, live in a constant state of communion with God as we set out about our work and witness.  We can take our cues from Jesus, the One Who was without sin, as to when to pray: day and night; in good and bad times; after great accomplishments and before great temptations of life.  In all circumstances, He prayed - as should we.  Lastly, how we pray is important. 

There is a formula of sorts to prayer that Hawkins (2012) outlines as the right combination of humility and honor to God. He states that prayer should begin with confession, or agreement with God, that our sin is not to be minimized just because it may not be as bad as another person's transgression. Sin itself is what made the cross necessary.  In our confessing, we should shine light on the sins related to our words, actions, thoughts, and omission (knowing to do right but not doing it).  God promises us that "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" [1 John 1:9].  From here, we move to the prayer of thanksgiving - thank Him for material blessings, physical blessings, spiritual blessings, and for the people who are important to us.  Next comes the prayer of praise where we thank God for what He has done - for who He is!  Recognize Him for His wonderful characteristics of goodness, patience, holiness, and mercy.  After the prayer of praise, the next step is the prayer of intercession where we can boldly come to the throne of God on behalf of others (family members, friends, national and local leaders, unbelievers, and those who have spoken against us).  Through prayer, we learn to be less selfish and more mindful of the needs of others. This is followed by the prayer of petition where we ask God for anything and everything that He has laid on our own heart.  Lastly, there is the prayer of communion - and this is the part of prayer that is more than just mere words - it is where we become still and listen to God.  

As part of the chorus in "Honey In The Rock" states:

I keep looking, I keep finding
You keep giving, keep providing
I have all that I need
You are all that I need
I keep praying, You keep moving
I keep praising, You keep proving
I have all that I need
You are all that I need

Be blessed & be a blessing ~

Wendy

Looking Ahead: A Birthday Post

 

There comes a time in life where we find ourselves reflecting back on the life we've lived, oftentimes landing in a pit of regret.  At least that is what I have found to be true - for me.  Now that my 56th trip around the sun is less than 48 hours, I felt the time was right to write down the lessons that I have learned so far as well as what I hope for the future - however much time God blesses me with in order to further live as a living testimony before others.

Over the twists and turns my life has taken (the ones that I can recall, that is), I have experienced more than many people realize or have knowledge about.  For this post, however, I am only going to reflect on the lessons that truly had a profound impact on me.  The first lesson: I am resilient.  Though it was hard to see in difficult situations, I can confidently say this about myself.  By definition, a resilient person is one who possesses "the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. Being resilient does not mean a person doesn't experience stress, emotional upheaval, and suffering. Resilience involves the ability to work through emotional pain and suffering." From the years of bullying endured in school to the abuse experienced in my marriage, I have bounced back from these challenging life events - albeit a bit shaken, but still able to stand again.  That is not to say that my feelings were not stomped on beyond recognition - they were.  What I can say today is: no matter the difficulty faced, I can stand firmer against it and, should I stumble, know with certainty that I will stand once more.  there is a motivational sign in my office that says, in part, "sparkle in my eye and a smile on my face. yep, I'm ready for the day...bring it on!"

The second lesson: I possess tenacity. Thinking of examples from my life to illustrate this strength has proven to be a bit more work for this old gal. After all, the definition of tenacity (on the surface) is not what I think of my traits at first: "the quality displayed by someone who just won't quit - who keeps trying until they reach their goal." I know many might think that of me because they have watched me be focused in light of my other trait of resilience.  Focus and tenacity, for me, are two different things entirely.  however, after reflecting on my life, I can see that I do possess tenacity in that I do have a blend of determination, persistence and grit when it is applied to the goals I have set for myself.  I don't want to let go of what I am pursuing, especially if that objective serves to help me grow as an individual.  Being born in the hot month of July, my zodiac sign is the crab (Cancer) - a crustacean that has a hard shell and no backbone (okay - I know that not having a backbone is not really a great thing from the lens of human qualities i.e. being able to withstand adversity and be courageous).  I have a nightshirt that lists a few qualities/traits of someone born under this sign: nurturing, tenacious, imaginative, affectionate. My dad used to tell me that I had the tenacity of a bulldog (meaning that it was not easy for me to let go once I had a hold of something I wanted - like a dog with a bone).  Using the crab again, I have a hard shell and pincers that apply a force many do not expect me to have.  All in all, when applying tenacity to myself, I can agree wholeheartedly with possessing determination (focus), persistence (endurance/longsuffering) and grit (courage/resolve; strength of character).

The third lesson: I am optimistic. This last lesson likely does not come as a shocker to those who truly know me. For as long as I can recall, my tendency has always been that of a glass half full perspective. Despite being bullied in school, I was inclined to (after the required tears were shed) remain hopeful that those who bullied me would become my friends. Despite mental illness and abuse, I remained hopeful that my marriage would survive - and though it did not survive as I hoped, I personally did and successfully protected my daughter from further trauma witnessing the domestic violence that was going on. Furthermore, being a single parent who had to rewrite her goals and envision new dreams, I remained optimistic about my daughter's life experiences in the face of her own challenges - refusing to let anyone tell me otherwise.  Lastly, having been separated from two great jobs under no fault of my own design, I allowed myself the time to mourn the lost income before dusting myself off and putting on my optimistic lenses once more.  The outcome of the optimistic perspective?  Refocus and redirection.  You see, no matter what you set out to do, the first steps are to have focus and direction - see where you want to go and chart the path to get there.  Optimism is vital when initially chasing one's dreams; but most notably when one finds themselves hitting a large obstacle that knocks them off course.  Then they must re-focus (renewed vision for where one wants to go) and then re-direct (discover a new path to get there or identify the right way to get back on the initial path taken).

These three lessons are the ones that have truly impacted me over these 56 years of living - more so in the last 35 years than any other. I am certain that they will continue to impact me for the remainder of my days allotted to me by my Creator, my Father - God.  My only desire is to make the most of these lessons, as well as any others that I learn from, so that they leave a fingerprint on those who come after me. A legacy of sorts, perhaps. A moral of the story, certainly. An illustration of a life filled with joy, blessing, and love - definitely.

Be blessed & be a blessing ~