"Our praying needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage which never fails" E.M. Bounds
This quote from E.M. Bounds is a favorite of mine. I like to remind myself of it whenever I seem to be in a slump with my own prayers. I have to admit, I tire easily of praying the same things over and over again when I don't receive an answer (in my timing). Then after so long of not receiving an answer to my prayers, I give up any persistency I may have had and decide I must accept "no" for an answer. Then because I know God is God and He is going to answer as He sees best anyways, I begin to lack in my courage and don't ask for things too impossible.
The enemy has me right where he wants me at these times, keeping me from experiencing the power of prayer and I refuse to let him keep me there which is why I often like to pray the scriptures because that is the one thing I can put my confidence in and believe in the power of the Word of God and know the enemy cannot stand up against it.
The following scripture helps remind me of this.
Hebrews 10:35-39
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."
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11 comments:
Lori-
Praying scripture is the best defense against the enemy who wants to keep us from experiencing joy while we wait on God's timing. The scripture you shared is exactly what I needed to hear today!
Here's to pursuing God's best!
Lori,
I needed this post today. I know for me, it seems that I get discouraged and don't want to pray, because I don't want to get the "wrong" answer from God (in other words, not the answer I wanted to hear.) It's a lot like a child that doesn't ask permission to do something, and just does it, because then they don't have to worry whether they would have been told "no." We all dislike being told "no." But we have to remember that He is all knowing and only wants what is best for us, even when it doesn't feel best (to us) in that precise moment. Pray for me, sisters, as I do some serious soul searching. Love In Him.
I was reading my favorite...My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers yesterday. He made two very poignant points.
1. We are to pray from a spirit of poverty. (Blessed are the poor in spirit.) From a place of total inefficiency and complete reliance on God.
2. We are to make our petitions without a specific result in mind. Now this one really hit home with me. How often to I ask in expectance of a specific result? And...how often does God answer my prayer in a wildly different way!
Great post, Lori.
Shalene, you are in my prayers, sister. This time of intense soul searching may just be the opportunity for you to ask from a spirit of poverty. God will respond.
Thank you Randee, for your prayers; and thank you for the reminder that when we pray, we are to pray for God to use us, not that He will allow us to use Him. We forget that so often.
Shalene, you have my prayers as well. (Maybe in color even. :) I've found just recently that I was getting in the habit of praying to God silently. Not that that's a bad thing, but I felt that I really needed to start talking to God out loud, and bring every little thing to him. What a difference it feels to be "conversational" with God, even when I'm saying, "I don't have a clue why you're doing what you're doing." Perhaps this is bringing me more into a spirit of poverty by realizing that I cannot make it through one day without feeling a strong connection to him. I pray it's so.
I have a great blessing to share with you. My children and I are leaving for the beautiful Emerald Coast in Florida this Thursday! We'll be gone for over a week for a time of lounging at the beach.
If there is one thing that I miss by living in the midwest, it is certainly the ocean. It's my "sacred" space. I plan to take this opportunity to "pray in color" while sitting on the beach as I meditate on His glorious creation.
If I recall correctly, TD Jakes writes about the lessons of the ocean...how the ocean "knows" when to take and give. As the waves push and pull into the vastness, it's a time of pulling in all that is good, holy, and of God. When the waves are pushing, it's a time of pushing out all the negativity, sin, and things of the world.
It's a stunning picture, isn't it? Pray for me, sisters, that this may be a time of "push and pull" for me as well.
Pics coming soon. Be ready to view a sun-kissed Randee! I love you all. You are in my prayers daily.
Have fun Randee, and allow the water and the waves to work their "magic" on you. I know that God made them so hypnotically beautiful for a reason. I think I'll go to the coast too. (It's only 2 1/2 hrs from me, and can be a day trip.) It's my favorite place to go when I need to think, pray, and be in fellowship with the Lord. I'm happy for you, and your daughters. Can't wait to see pics! (Just remember, the sun isn't as good to us as we'd like to think it is- especially us 30 somethings and older.) :) Blessings and Joyful fun!
Boy, do I know that's right. As the wrinkles pop up around my eyes, I'm mindful to stay out of the sun! Now a funny story on vanity.
I work with a group of young women who tanning bed queens. They sport their beautiful dark skin that contrasts so lovely against our black and white "uniform".
One of the girls was ribbing me about my pale skin. Told me I should go tan like they do. I laughed and said I was too old to be spending my time in tanning beds. That I'd come in looking like a wrinkled up raisin.
So, one of the older gals has a solution. She uses this spray on tan stuff and talks me into it. I'm thinking...okay, I can get a sunny look, not be so pale, and save my skin at the same time. Deal.
I put it on expecting great results but I didn't see anything. Oh well, I thought, it doesn't work for me. The next morning I woke up to find that my pale skin had turned orange. My hands, my knees, my elbows, and my feet were bright orange! And, it wouldn't wash off.
So...here's my brilliant conclusion. To achieve a tan, I either become a raisin or an orange. Either way, I'm a fruit! Go figure.
Randee, your writing amazes me. It's wonderful, beautiful, and such great lessons. And you also crack me up! "Either way I'm a fruit". :) What part of the Emerald Coast are you traveling to? My parents used to live near Destin.
To Destin, my friend, to Destin! I'm bustling around the house doing laundry and packing with a few reprieves to get work done. Imagine that...a reprieve to work!
Ah...how I love my work!
Thanks for the compliment. I feel exactly the same way about your writing!
Shalene, I will be keeping you in my prayers during this time of soul searching. The beach is the perfect place to do just that.
Randee, you are too funny! Enjoy your vacation time at the beach, I will be praying for you as well.
I have been meaning to read some of Oswald Chambers books. Great points you brought up. They both are quite challenging.
Anne, thank you for helping to stir in me so many different ways to pray so it becomes more real and vivid.
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