P-R-A-Y-E-R Your best Recourse

Sometimes when I pray it’s purely for the purpose of praising God and being thankful:

for seeing God’s hand at work in my life or the lives of my loved ones

for truth God has revealed to me

for promises He’s made to me

for direction He’s given me

for protection He’s afforded me

for answers to prayers

 

And sometimes I pray listening prayers.  I lay out a question or issue and ask for God to reveal His truth and His perspective about it. I may read His Word or listen quietly and write down what I think He is telling me.  Then hold it or the expected results up to credible scripture or another mature Christian for confirmation.

 

But sometimes when I pray, I am seeking God’s involvement in circumstances or situations where I feel I need His help or have no control over them.

 

 

Most recently that was concerning my husband’s open-heart surgery.  There were so many details, medical, emotional, spiritual that were overwhelming and out of my control.  As I thought about praying over each part of the procedure, I saw that prayer is my –

 

Personal

Recourse

Always

Yielding

Eternal

Results

Personal – it’s what I can do to impact a situation – whatever that is – in my life, my family, my church, my community, my nation, the world.  I may not be able to personally change circumstances by my own effort, but I can go to Almighty God, Creator of the Universe and the One who is Sovereign and has power over it!

Recourse – it is my remedy, my option or choice – of all the things I could do, prayer is what will have the greatest potential and actual result in the situation, the problem, the relationships and the lives of those I am praying for in ways that will bring God’s purpose and plan to fruition.

Always – God says that He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us.  He hears our prayers and I believe He answers them. He is always there, at all times, in all circumstances.  We cannot do anything that would prevent Him from loving us and acting on our behalf.  We can know that He is there in “all ways” because

His love transcends our unworthiness.

His faithfulness trumps our undeserving state.

Yielding – Sometimes in ways we can see and understand.  But sometimes in ways we do not expect or even realize.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it’s no and sometimes it’s wait – I have something even better for you!  But our prayer can ignite the heart of God to act and to impact whatever situation, person or issue we are praying for.

Eternal – God’s perspective is so much greater than our own.  He sees beyond what we can ask or even imagine.  So we can trust that He will answer our prayers in ways that will benefit us and our loved ones for all eternity.

Results – There is always an answer, a result, something that comes from, that happens because of, our prayers.  Our situation may not seem to change in the immediate, but we can trust that what God has put on our hearts to pray, will be answered in the very best way possible.  Sometimes the result is that we, ourselves, are changed; rather than the circumstances around us.  That can be a more impactful benefit than changing the circumstance the way we thought would be best.

God’s plan does not always align with the plan I am praying for.  But I can always trust that His plan is the best.  And that His perspective is the greatest, far beyond what I can see in the moment I am praying.

 

With my husband’s surgery, so far, God’s plan IS what we prayed for.  He gets out of the hospital tomorrow!  And things have gone as smoothly as they possibly could, praise God!

Prayer is YOUR best Recourse, and will Always Yield Eternal Results.

• Uncategorized