The Prayers That He Answers

“He hears every word we say, when we pray.”

I have lots of thoughts about prayers swirling around out there and showing up here and there in my journal.  Remember my post about praying continually?  Recently, I went back through the list that I made back then and added some more prayers we are told to pray.  This list helps me many times when I don’t know how to pray or what to say.

1.       That the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified (II Th 3:1)
2.       That the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into his field (Matt 9:38)
3.       That my faith fail not (Luke 22:32)
4.       For one another (James 5:16)
5.       That we be one as God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one (John 17:11)
6.       That I may have my joy fulfilled (John 17:13)
7.       That he keep us from evil (Matthew 6:13)
8.       That he help my unbelief (Mark 9:24)
9.       Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)
10.   Thy will be done (Luke 11:2, Matthew 26:42)
11.   That my love abound more and more in knowledge and wisdom (Philippians 1:9)
12.   To be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9)
13.   For them that despitefully use you (Matthew 5:44)

I am challenged to make prayer a bigger part of my life.  I have actually had this blog post sitting around for quite a while unfinished.  I'm glad now that I haven't posted it yet, because I knew so little about prayer.  I have learned a little more through experience, but mostly, I have learned how much I don't know.  In a way, however, it is simple.  I sometimes try to over-think it.  Prayer is just communion with God--a holy God who wants to hear us pray.  

Many things should cause us to lift our hearts and voice in prayer to God.  Reading God's word should inspire prayer.  A trial, a need, a desire, a care, a worry, a burden, a thanksgiving, a question--all should be taken to God in prayer.  I think He especially delights in answering our prayers when we pray for a spiritual need.  Pray for a trial to teach you something, and just see how quickly God works.  If you are in a trial, pray that he will not take you out of it until you learn what he wants to teach you.  Try it.  It is harder than it sounds.  I tried it this summer with two circumstances.  It took me a while to get to the place that I could pray that way, but as soon as God showed me what I could learn through staying in the trial, I could say from the heart, "Don't take this trial away until I have learned your way."  It was amazing how quickly the trial began to disappear after I prayed that way. I even had to pray again that he would let me stay in it a little longer because I didn't feel like I had fully learned my lesson yet.  Those are the prayers he answers.

Then there are also the little prayers.  Are you at work and things get a little stressful?  Is there someone at school who is making life hard?  Do you ever get in a bad mood at home and know you need to "snap out of it"?  Say a prayer, and don't forget to thank Him later when he calms the waves.  He cares about our day.

The scariest thing, however, is always the unknown--our future.  Have you prayed about your future?  Do you know that God has a plan?  It pleases Him when we look to Him as we make plans and dreams.  Sometimes, it is harder to see him answer these prayers, but be assured that he has heard them.  Look back on your life and see how God has guided you in the past.  It is amazing, isn't it?  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He will continue to guide you.  It is you that must continue to follow.

Do you see how important prayer is and how much it should be a part of our daily life?  I will close with a quote that always challenges me (especially when talking about prayer):

"Let us remember that talking and writing about prayer is not praying. The devil does not care how much we discuss and applaud the subject, so long as we do not pray. A book on how to pray is good, but the best and only way to learn to pray is to do it." --How to Resist the Devil

Blessings,

Alyssa 

God Glasses

There are times in my life when it is easy to trust God.  I laugh at the devil when discouraging thoughts come to mind, and I just smile and remember that God always works things out.  There are also those times, when I start thinking about my future.  I’m planning and dreaming, and then, WHAM! I’m hit with a dart—I mean doubt.  Or, sometimes I start focusing too much on the immediate circumstances (an upcoming test, or—my big one—a decision to be made).  It is easy to get caught in either of these two types of snares and let them steal our peace and take our eyes off of Jesus.  God does not intend for his children to be in this type of bondage, and he has the answer.

Recently, I was afflicted with both worrying and nearsightedness (yes, that is a word).  I was distressing about those unknown elements of the future and dreading the events of the next day.  Finally I took a step back and thought, “Alyssa, you are looking at it all wrong.  You better put on your “God glasses”.  I went to my Bible and began reading.

“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1  “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that”  James 4:13-15

It was quite a change of perspective to be struggling with worrying and then read about boasting, but I began to see the similarities.  Both Miss Worries and Sir Boastful need to remember God is the authority over the future.  Miss Worries knows so little of what will happen that it is vain for her to fret.  Sir Boastful knows so little of the future that his plans are foolish.

 Then I read that precious passage in Luke 13 that I have probably read ## times.  The foolish rich man thought that his future was secure, but he did not know the mind of God.  The ravens and the lilies are small, helpless things that cannot prepare for the future or even provide their own needs.  I know I have seen God’s hand in my life, and it is a witness to me that he is planning my future.  He has proved over and over that he knows my needs and will supply every one of them.  Why then do I agonize over those things I cannot control?

I only need to be sure that I am following my Master, and then I can be sure that the things I meet are all for my good.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”