KEEP PRAYING

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak. We don’t know what we should pray for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. Romans 8:26 (NIRV)

 

There he was sitting in addiction treatment. 

This wasn’t his “first rodeo” as some say. 

He had gone this route before; even experienced 5 years sober and “functional” after the first go around.  

But things happened. 

Sin crouched and sin pounced as sin often does… 

(sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you – Genesis 4:7)

…and there he was again battling those same demons he thought he had conquered years ago.

 

He prayed for help.

He prayed for forgiveness and direction.

He prayed for new doors to open and opportunities to come.

 

And while he was a little ashamed because he knew those prayers were just for him, all about him; seemingly selfish requests made from an inwardly focused heart, he hoped desperately that GOD would hear them

 

Friends, in our weaknesses as Paul points out above the Lord can “decipher” and “decode” even those “poorly motivated” prayers and requests and sort the hurt from the “homiletics". 

The truth is GOD hears and answers all prayers.

Isaiah 58:9 (NLT)

...when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

 

And as Charles Stanley points out…

GOD answers prayer in the following ways:

1.  “Yes, you may have it.”

2.  “No, that is not good for you.”

3.  “Wait, I have something better for you.”

4. “My grace is sufficient for you”

 

So you see GOD hears.

GOD responds.

GOD answers.

 

The essential point for my “relapsed friend” was that GOD still saw the heart of one who was hurting.  

GOD saw past the pride and the façade and homed in on the true issues with my friend.

And GOD took those prayers and went back to work on and with my friend.  

GOD chipped at the pride and selfishness.

And sometime later in this amazing story of sobriety and redemption, my friend realized that GOD's GRACE was sufficient and fully surrendered (on his knees in fact) and he offered his prayers and himself fully to the LORD.

 

That was a “real prayer” he said.

And it was then that GOD...well... just started being GOD. 

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

 

You see GOD’s SPIRIT working within us is ALL we really need.  

As Paul points out, GOD sorts out our prayers and understands our desires and needs at a level we will never fathom or understand. He did for my friend.

He will for you.

 

My friend is now 2 years into his recovery.

My friend has been given the gift of a loving wife and 2 beautiful children and is now a light to others on this journey of recovery.

Far more than he ever imagined or dreamed of.  Far more than his "early prayers" even asked for.

 

I share his story to make this simple point today.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (MSG)

…pray all the time…

 

Leave the rest to HIM…

He will answer.

He will.  In amazing ways.

 

I love you all!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE