29 January 2020

In different seasons of my life, I find myself praying with my thoughts. Let me explain. I’m thinking about circumstances in my life, people in my life, issues I am facing, and I start adding prayers to my thoughts. It’s not necessarily my designated prayer time, but it just happens, especially while I’m doing housework. 

Faith with prayer or praying with faith in the trenches of life is how I would describe it. Faith with prayer can bypass the earthly dimension we live in. Prayer enters God’s heavenly realm.

All prayers are heard in heaven from the saints (that’s us) that send them, for we are all capable of being or heading towards being a saint. If we don’t feel able to pray, ask for the righteous to pray for you. Pray to a saint to pray for you. God will hear your prayer if it is honest and open to Him.

The priests and Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. (2 Chronicles 30:26)

For the eyes of The Lord are on the righteous (only those who acknowledge Jesus as lord are made righteous) and his ears are attentive to their prayers. (1 Peter 3:11-13)

Another angel who had a golden censer came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense together with the prayers of the saints went up before god from the angel’s hand. (Rev 8 :3)

Sometimes, a great number of our prayers are said to reduce our strife:

• Lord help me here…
• Lord help me there…
• Lord take away…

We use them to get stuff that is bothering us off our chest. 

And there is nothing wrong with that, but where is our faith in those sorts of prayers. I don’t know about you, but I often tell God all the bad information and then expect him to answer, yes and amen and everything is resolved. And if it is not answered in a short space of time, I get irritated, annoyed, angry even at God for NOT listening or answering my prayers.

Maybe we also should pray like Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane when he first asked his father to take away the cup, his death – He was asked to give His life for us. He asked God to take it away, for it not to occur even, but then he said, “but not my will, but yours be done.”

The rest of the sequence of events continues in Luke 22:43. No reprieve from death occurred. “And then an angel from heaven appeared and
strengthened him.”

The angel had no power, he is only a messenger from God. God, his father and the Holy Spirit sent him the strength he needed. The answer was no, but God sent strength for His Son to complete the task.

Maybe I should ask for strength? For God to provide with me the courage to cope with my problems, give me His wisdom on the issues and show me how to trust in Him more. Send me the strength I need while I am going through these tough circumstances. Show me what I can learn through them, not always how can I get out of it. But what can I get out of it? Greater courage, acceptance even, perseverance. Learning what truly is important in life.

Rough seas make great sailors. Difficult opponents push us to give of our best. 

Extreme circumstances force us to the wall, and then on bended knees, we pray. Sometimes it’s only then that we do pray, or even submit to God our needs.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He taught them the Our Father, to ask of their Dad, who is the Almighty, the Holy One.

He first stated to the disciples that the prayer acknowledges God as Almighty, holy, ruler of all and that His kingdom values reign. That we should ask that God’s Kingdom comes onto the Earth and His will be done. 

Then we ask Our God to please give us today our daily bread, food for the nourishment of our body, soul and spirit.

I need to ask for it daily, not weekly, not once an hour on a Sunday. And this is not as a reminder for Him because He has forgotten us, but as a reminder for me that He is the one that all good things come from and He wants a daily love relationship with us.

Jesus continued to share with them at other times how to persevere in prayer.

Luke 11:5 tells a story of a persistent person who had people come and visit late at night, unexpectantly. They went next door to their neighbour and knocked on the door. Nagging, knocking, irritating the neighbour so much that he answered the door and gave them what they needed. Not because they wanted to gladly give them the bread but because they wanted to get the nagging person to leave. 

Jesus then states, “how much more would our heavenly Father give to us His children whom He loves… Give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

Persistence is often necessary to get your door answered. 

Women are good at that. “Would you clean your room. You have not cleaned your room yet. It’s getting late and you’ll get tired, why don’t you go and clean your room now.” Nag, nag, nag.

“Knock and the door will be opened” – it does not say it might be opened. It does not say what the answer might be on the other side of the door, though. That’s where trust comes in. 

“Seek and you will find, ask and you will receive.” 

If we, as mothers and fathers, know how to give good things to our children, how much MORE does our perfect Heavenly Father, want to give good things to us his children?

So, I continue to Pray. Continue to seek after God’s will for my life and hopefully every day of my Life – Daily, as the Our Father says. In all things I give thanks. In the struggles and in the good times, knowing that my Father wants good things for me. He knows best and He will strengthen me on this journey of life. 

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

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I
raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these
‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Where do you need to be persistent in Prayer?

Do you pray daily or just when a need arises?

What about developing a love relationship with Him?

Can you ask for someone to Pray with you, for you and for them and their needs? Can you call upon Saints to help you to pray and follow God more?