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It’s Transformational Tuesday and I don’t know of anything
we can tangibly do that has more transforming power in our lives and in the
lives of others than prayer.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
We often approach prayer as a way of presenting a shopping list to God: I need this. I don’t need this. I want You to do this, but You’ve already been working hard enough to help me grow in this other area… We get demanding and controlling, assuming we know what’s best.
Thankfully, we are not as wise as our omniscient and loving Father who knows what we need before we can ask, and who loves to hear us come to Him and cry Abba, Father.
While we see examples like Abraham and Jacob of when prayer changed God’s mind, that’s not what prayer is about. It’s about increasing our faith and always turning to the one that we trust has the power and the love to work in and through all circumstances to His glory. The persistent widow taught us that (Luke 18). She was an example of faith (vs. 8) and her persistency paid off, not because she continued to voice her request, but because she always went to the One who could help her.
A few verses later, we see an example of someone who knew He was unworthy of assistance, but he, too, was honored in his attitude toward prayer, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
May we be transformed by the power of prayer – not an answered prayer, but the act of a humble prayer lifted to our Abba, Father.
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The following entry was written by Katie Forbess, long-time friend of mine, former missionary to Cochabamba, Bolivia, and president of the Board of Directors of Iron Rose Sister Ministries. Thanks, Katie!
Michelle loves to ask, “Do you have the emPHAsis on the right syllABle.” I remember that from our days in college. I have been thinking about that lately especially after her last Monday Makeover blog post about “One of those days.”
I had an experience last Thursday that I would like to share with you about our understanding of words. I was picking up a book as a I walked out of the house with the kids, (when am I going to realize that my opportunities to read when I am out with three kids are really never going to happen?) I found the book that I was looking for to motivate me with ideas for a retreat with the theme of resting in God called The Rest of God but the other meaning of rest came over me. The REST of God with the REST of God meaning not to regain strength and refraining from doing things but the other part of God the remaining part… ALL that I haven’t seen, or felt, or known of God. Awesome! I was so encouraged about the REST of God. I know that God is so much more than I could ever imagine. God’s love is more than I can ever imagine.
I am encourage by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:16-19, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” and that is something worth praying for.
With the assurance of 1 John 5:14 “if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” I confidently pray this for each of us as God allows us to know, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.”