The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to Him.
Psalm 28:7
As I reflect on a devotional I read this morning, and on one particular
prayer I have written in my journal over the past several months, I realize
that God has spoken to me and let me know clearly and succinctly that he has
answered my prayer. He has, in fact, answered it all along; I just haven’t
listened or obeyed. He reminded me of what having faith and trust in Him is
really all about.
Christians talk and sometimes joke about “God’s timing.” We seem
surprised when our prayers are answered at “just the right time.” Yet we fail
to understand that God has been working all along to set things in place; we
just haven’t stopped long enough and looked around to see it. We have to be
paying attention to hear God’s voice, to see His work. We must pray continually
and reach out to Him in order for us to notice that He is working constantly in
our lives.
Moses, Esther, Hannah, Samuel, David,
Nehemiah, Daniel; Simeon, Anna, Peter, Paul, and of course Jesus: all examples
of people who never stopped praying. Not just once a day, but throughout the
day, and throughout their lives.
My prayer has been for the energy
to work on the task He has given me in this season of my life. I am often
tired, and sleep overtakes me during the day. In my journal today, “Jesus Calling,” by Sarah Young1,
I read the following: “Instead of
assessing your energy level, and wondering about what’s on the road ahead,
concentrate on staying in touch with Me. My Power flows freely into you through
our open communication.”
I will continue to pray each
morning, but as I feel tired during the day, I will stop, and talk to God, and
ask Him to provide me with His strength, ask the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom,
and ask Jesus to intercede so that I may continue in His work. Perhaps I’ll even just ask Him to take a walk
with me, or sit with me and watch the birds in the yard. Who knows?
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful
and thankful. Colossians 4:2
1Thomas Nelson
Publisher, ©2004, p. 32
