It is Funny How this Works

I received an email from a dear friend of mine today who is troubled with a current situation in her life. She has done so much to try to "fix" the situation and has really poured her heart into it. Then she made the statement, " I guess all I can do is give...and the situation to God." I started to respond to her email to let her know that I would be praying for/with her; but, I couldn't respond right away. Those four words, all I can do, really troubled me. I said a prayer and thought about it throughout the day and night.

How many times have I said the same thing? It is funny, sometimes, how God will open your eyes to your own heart by revealing a glimpse of another's. I read His Word and sometimes I forget key instructions that He has given. Instructions like those given in James 5:13-16:

13. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)

Prayer is our first line of defense in EVERY situation. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 actually tells us to never stop praying. Even Jesus, the Word made flesh, demonstrated the importance of prayer in our lives. He spent His last night on Earth (before His death and resurrection) praying and seeking God's perfect will. We should be constantly in a conversation with our Father. And wow, how powerful it is to know that He is listening non-stop!

It is just funny how this works! Thank You, Father, for opening my eyes. Life would be so much easier for me if I sought You first and foremost in all things. Help me to remember that in all situations, I should pray. So, from here on out, I WILL PRAY.

That Still, Small Voice

Sometimes, He could scream in my ear, and it would never be as loud as the still,small voice I hear in my heart.

I remember the first time I heard it. It was a tugging in my heart that whispered to the darkest places of my soul. Whispering to places filled with pain and hurt that went beyond the comprehension of many. It said I love you; I want you to be Mine.

I haven't always listened to The voice. Sometimes, I decide that It is just not the voice of reason; and, I choose to go my own way. But the voice never leaves my heart. I hear it mixed in with the constant lubb dubb of my heart beat; in the whispering of thoughts in my mind; in the quiet of my home in the dead of night; and in the rustling of the pages of my Bible as I read every morning. It gives peace and direction in my sometimes chaotic life.

It also reminds me of the rules and regulations of this life. We are given the privilege of having the very breath of God (the Breath of Life ~ Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the Breath Of Life, and man became a living soul...). As with every privilege, there are certain laws and commands we must adhere to in order to maintain the privilege granted. This same Still, Small Voice is reminding me that He wants to give me abundant life.... He wants me to live....

John 10:20 "The thief commeth not but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy; But I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Ezekiel 16:6 " Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood, I said to you LIVE!"

SO often I forget that The Voice belongs to my closest friend. A friend Who has chosen to love me in spite of me. A friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). A friend Who has my absolute best interest at heart and wants so desperately to bless and prosper me (Jeremiah 29:11).

Today I choose to listen for that Still, Small Voice.
Prayer
My God, the Lover of my soul.... my heart cries out to you as deep cries out to deep. I love the sound of Your voice. In the stillness of my busy life, help me to hear and encourage me to obey. I love You, heart and soul.



~1 Kings 19:11-12
And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.