23 October 2019

The reality of life in prayer.

Things we pray for often don’t get answered in the way we desire. Sometimes it appears to be a BIG no! Why is that we may ask? What was wrong with my request? Maybe nothing. But maybe God with His big picture could see a better answer, a better result. Remember we can only see our piece in time of that picture.

A maturing Christian will trust in God, “that ALL things work for good for those who love God and are called according to His plan.” (Romans 8:28) To be honest, I am still maturing to be that Christian. This is Faith building.

Skimming over pain does not build Faith. If suppressed, it will rise to the surface at some stage. Knowing the true reality of your situation, facing it head on and then working out after prayer what is necessary in the natural and trusting God and doing what He says in the spiritual – that too builds FAITH.

Being REAL before God is being/feeling hurt, sad, disappointed, angry, afraid, unsure, a deep-inside-the-secret-wall honest cry. Expose your wounds to God, just be real with Him. I read this quote and thought this is so true.

Lies breed in Silence.

Silence is deadly.

For the enemy is the father of lies and tries to deceive us any chance he can about God, about us and our circumstances. But of course, he uses the darkness and isolation to mess with our minds.

So ladies, remember to wear those shower caps like we did at HEART 2019 to remind ourselves to, ‘Capture every thought and make it obedient (bring them under His Lordship); to Jesus Christ.’ (2 Corinth 10:5)

Sharing our secrets to God (and sometimes people we can trust) can bring healing to us, bring unity, restore love, forgiveness, compassion…

But not all loss and disappointment weigh the same. Some are heavy burdens. Heavy burdens in the Hebrew language means a load. Makes me think of a trailer load.

In Galatians 6:2, the Christian community is encouraged to ‘bear one another’s burdens.’ In Galatians 6:5, it goes further to show us what to do – ‘each one bears his own load,’ but we also know if we give the load to Christ, it becomes easier to carry, – lighter.

Scripture says in Isaiah 53:5, ‘by His stripes we are healed’. Because of the lashings, sufferings and death of Christ for us we are eternally healed, we have eternally new breath in our lungs, we are given eternal life!

Padre Pio wrote when under spiritual attack he often would continually mutter under his breath, ‘Jesus, by your wounds you have given me merit.’ And the struggles would disappear.

On Sunday I was reciting the Creed. Our beliefs in a nutshell. I was struck by the thought that after suffering and dying for us, Jesus Our Saviour descended down to Hell! Who would really deliberately go there?

Our Saviour. He did it for us! To show everyone (including Satan) that out of love for us, Jesus died and defeated death forever and rose on the third day to glorious victory.

Jesus wants us to be real with Him. He was real with us. He sacrificed himself to set us free. So, say to Him what’s happening, how you are feeling, what’s going on. Ask for Christ to come and save you, in any moment, in any circumstance. Nothing is too insignificant to share with Our Saviour.

Nothing is too big and impossible to share with our Saviour. Whether we are having a good day or a bad day. Whether our Faith is on fire or so weak at the moment. God comes to meet us where we are.

These are actually the most honest prayers.

And if we then sing, praise, acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour, this is often the most honest worship we have offered to God.

So, let us be real and give Him our junk and praise Him for His goodness.

Oh, that makes the load so much lighter!

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love always

Rosemary