Sometimes, Lord, my prayers are more about me trying to convince you that my way is right rather than my asking you to show me your way. Open my heart, O Lord, to cheerfully accept your will. Lead me, so that I eagerly follow your course. Fill me with your Holy Spirit; may your will be done.
Do we ever outgrow the urge to run away from it all when life gets really messy or complicated? We may not literally pack our bags but we do quit our jobs, change where we live, disconnect from those who love us, retreat into work or the internet, or even get a divorce. Some people escape by turning to obsessive or addictive behavior. We may run from our problems by concealing our feelings, hiding behind a façade of serenity, or even by denying their very existence, thinking if we don’t admit them we won’t have to face them. Instead of running away, however, we need to run to someone; we need to run to God!
When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. [Corrie ten Boom]
Once word of Jesus’ miracles got out, can you imagine the throngs of people clamoring for his attention? Jesus traveled, taught, loved and healed. He was, indeed, a busy man. Yet, he was never too busy to focus on what was most important: spending time with God, his Father. Our work is certainly not more important that the work Jesus did, but we often are too occupied with work (and play) to spend time with God. Let’s remember that if we’re too busy for prayer, we’re way too busy!
I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hors in prayer. [Martin Luther]
Sometimes we get what we ask for and sometimes we don’t. If we don’t, we can’t let God’s rejection cause us to lose faith. Let’s admit it, we don’t always know what is best. In fact, I rarely do. The story of King Midas is a perfect example of our lack of foresight. The King wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. Sounds great, at first, doesn’t it? And it was, until he tried to smell a rose, eat and drink or, finally, to kiss his beloved child. When God says, “No,” he may well be protecting us from ourselves and our foolish desires.
Father, please give us patience when you seem slow to answer and acceptance when you deny our prayers. May we see your infinite wisdom and your unfailing love in your response to our requests.
I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking God to do His work though me. [Hudson Taylor]
In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. [Jeremiah 29:12-14a (NLT)]Sometimes it’s easy to see God’s hand in our lives. We pay attention to Him in the major events of life: the births and deaths, illnesses and recoveries, accidents and close calls, marriages and separations, and when we heard the words “benign” or “malignant.” Yes, he is visible in the milestone moments, but he is also visible in the small things that happen every day of our lives: the song of a bird, a child’s laughter, a kind word from a stranger, the first flower of spring, or a phone call from a loved one.
Open my heart, O Lord, so that I see your hand, hear your voice and feel your touch in all things.
I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. [Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)]
The child whispered, “God, speak to me”
And a meadow lark sang.
The child did not hear.
So the child yelled, “God, speak to me!”
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.
The child looked around and said,
“God let me see you” and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice
And the child shouted,
“God show me a miracle!”
And a life was born but the child did not know.
So the child cried out in despair,
“Touch me God, and let me know you are here!”
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child.
But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly.[Ravindra Kumar Karnani]
God promises that He will answer our prayers, but first we have to call to Him. He will answer our prayers, but we must be willing to submit to His timetable and His plan. He promises an answer but not necessarily the answer we desire. While we’re waiting for an answer, it’s not a bad idea to work on our relationship with the one who will be giving the answer.
Devotions of the Heart 