“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7
Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself complain? I am so completely at that place right now. What’s going on?
I know in my heart what, in concept, God wants me to do. To share His Word publicly. It is the ‘in concept’ part that I’m having difficulty with. Not knowing what steps that He wants me to take and not knowing when and where this will begin..it causes so much doubt and insecurity for me. It seems like every week, every day even, that I am filled with doubt. I share this with the ladies from my Bible study and I truly don’t know how they aren’t tired of hearing me go on about it yet.
Frankly, I’m tired of speaking the words so darn often.
There are some people that will continue to speak of how they doubt themselves in order to get compliments from others. Now, although my ladies bless me tremendously with their support and words of encouragement, it is not why I share with them my doubts and struggles. I share with them because they continue to guide my heart and mind back toward God.
The constant reminders that God’s timing is perfect, that He has given me certain gifts to be used (another point that I have doubt in) and that He will use me are all parts of the encouragment that we are meant to give eachother as sisters in Christ and these ladies bless me in abundance with them. To say that I am grateful for every one of them would be a massive understatement.
One of the things I love the most about my ladies is that they are praying women of God. Each one of us know and have experienced how important and vital having a strong prayer life is. It’s one of the things I spoke to my Pastor a few weeks ago about when I had his ear for entirely too long (see last blog post). I had mentioned that I regularly email or text family and friends for different prayer petitions…and I know darn well I can get annoying with it. But if it causes that person to stop and say a ten second prayer for me or my loved one…I’ll take it.
Luke 11:9 states “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
“ASK and it will be given to you.’ There’s an action that we need to take and that is us going to God with our petitions. Yes, He knows everything. What we want. What we need. But our faith is an ACTIVE one. We are expected to be participants in it. Not standing on the sidelines expecting God to do all the work.
Unasked prayers are unanswered prayers.
Psalm 145:18 tells us; “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
I love this reminder that God is near to all those who; call out to Him. One of the definitions for the original word here states; the idea of accosting a person met. That’s what God is OK with us doing and wants us to do. To accost Him with our prayers. And through that we will see the stability and trustworthiness (both definitions of the original word for truth in this scripture) we can get only through Him.
If we are a people that truly love Him our prayers will, more often than not, be ones that align with His will for our lives. This is shown in 1 John 3:22
“And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”
I love how this is telling us that when we ask (ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require) Him for things in prayer, we will receive (to take, to get hold of, to seize) what we ask. Why? Because we keep (watch, to guard from loss or injury, keep on eye upon) His commandments…and I LOVE this definition (prescription, injunction, commandment, precept). With all this we will be doing what pleases ( is agreeable) Him. The King James Version uses ‘in His sight’ at the end of this scripture. This is stating ‘before His face, in His presence.’
Sometimes that concept of being, really being, in God presence can be scary and intimidating. But it shouldn’t be. Not if we truly love Him and are seeking HIS will in our daily lives.
Doubts aside, He has been blessing me tremendously with guidance to scriptures that have been bringing me HOPE and reassurance that His hand is in every aspect of my life. The good, the bad and the ugly…all the same.
I have come to a difficult realization…I am not going to know how, when or where God is going to bring me forward in ministry. I’m not supposed to. My job is to continue to be faithful where He has placed me. To take that ‘one step at a time’ that He places before me. And thank Him all the while.
I will continue to seek His face and stop believing the lies of the enemy who only comes to steal, kill and destroy. Satan loves to take truths and twist them. Well, I already know that I am not worth (no one is) and that I am unqualified. That’s why I love my….BUT God! In HIS hands, anything is possible!
I pray that you too will seek His face in all your situations. God knows the end from the beginning of everything you are facing. Lean into Him my friend. He’s waiting for you.
With lots of love and in Jesus’ precious name.
Tara
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