Prayer Is Preparation

I was touched by this devotion, so in spite of its length, I thought you might find it helpful as well.

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:1

Prayer does not give you spiritual power. Prayer aligns your life with God so that He chooses to demonstrate His power through you. The purpose of prayer is not to convince God to change your circumstances but to prepare you to be involved in God’s activity.

The fervent prayer of the people at Pentecost did not induce the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Prayer brought them to a place where they were ready to participate in the mighty work God had already planned.

Jesus told His followers to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:4-5). The disciples obeyed His command, waiting for God’s next directive. As they prayed, God adjusted their lives to what He intended to do next. As they prayed, a unity developed among them. For the first time the disciples used Scripture as their guide in decision making (Acts 1:15-26). The day of Pentecost arrived, and the city of Jerusalem filled with pilgrims from around the world. When God released His Holy Spirit upon the disciples, He had already filled the city with messengers who would carry the Gospel to every nation. Prayer had prepared the disciples for their obedient response.

Prayer is designed to adjust you to God’s will, not to adjust God to your will. If God has not responded to what you are praying, you may need to adjust your praying to align with God’s agenda. Rather than focusing on what you would like to see happen, realize that God may be more concerned with what He wants to see happen in you.  (9/13/12, Blackaby Ministries International)

Thoughts From Solitude

One of my favorite prayers was written by Thomas Merton in his “Thoughts From Solitude”. 

 “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am

following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always

though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

Friends In The Night

The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.  (1 Samuel 18:1)

Do you have someone you could call in the middle of the night when you need help?  I called Tom at 2 am one night in despair.  He simply said, “Hang up.  I’ll be right there.”   He showed up with all the fixings for making sundaes.  We talked for at least two hours before he went home. 

Friends like that are crucial during difficult times. Jonathan was that kind of friend to David. Jonathan’s father, King Saul—who was filled with envy at David’s popularity and God’s blessing on him—tried to kill him (1 Sam. 19:9-10). David escaped and asked his friend for help (chapter 20). While David hid in the field, Jonathan sat at dinner with his father and quickly realized that Saul really did intend to kill David (vv.24-34).

Because of their deep friendship, Jonathan “was grieved for David” (v.34). He warned him of his father’s plan and told him he should leave (vv.41-42). David recognized what a good friend he had in Jonathan. The Bible says they wept together, “but David more so” (v.41). Their souls were touched each other.

Do you have loving Christian friends you can count on in a crisis? Are you someone your friends would call a “2 a.m. friend”?  A true friend is God’s answer to our prayers of despair.  It is someone whose soul is “knit” to ours.