So the question came up…”What have you been praying about? Is there something in particular that is heavy on your heart, here lately?” … something along those lines.
These are good questions. Makes you think specifically.
We pray for things. We pray out of need mostly.
There are family issues that involve our spouses, our children, our siblings, circumstances we’d like to see resolved in some good way.
If we belong to a fellowship or church we may have concerns about what God’s will for us as a body is and are we going about that in the right way, going about that in the right spirit, Going about that at all?
As we look around at the community, state, nation, world there are things going on, on a big scale that are unsettling… very unsettling, and we pray God would do something about that.
Kind of puts the onus on God to just fix it all.
These don’t answer the question “What have you been praying about?” The spirit in which we pray these things speaks more to the question “What have you been praying for?”
Father…You and I both know how things are in my family, with my mate and my children.
You and I both know of the issues we are experiencing within the body of believers and the divisiveness we experience because of the spirit and way we address it.
As You and I share this time together, having this talk, we both know of the forces of evil that are behind the changes taking place in our communities, the state and nation and the world.
We both know that people are not looking to Your ways to live moral lives but are drifting away from them and looking to what men come up with and what governments legislate and are accepting those ways as moral and right and acceptable instead.
And Father we both know that I, in and of myself can do nothing to just wave my hand and it all be as it should.
And I know, for sure, the solutions and outcomes should not be according to what I think.
Knowing You to be the Overseer of all that is and the God of each single individual, You work Your plans and will… both in the big picture and in each individual life and only You can make it all work for Your glory and for our good…that all is really well… in spite of what we see and experience.
Well Father…it is my trust that such is so… and as we talk together, as we are now, and I look forward to continue doing… I am calmed. You do that for me. And though the problems and troubles, the sense of threat and danger are real and have to be faced and dealt with… and suffered at times… I’m listening to You as You say “Fear not…My child... Be not anxious. I promise you I will continue with you as I have from the day that the very first man went astray and will continue so, with My creation, till the end… to show You My love for You and that the troubles are temporary.
I have purposed you to live forever.
Continue in your trust.
Know and be obedient to My Ways.
The greatest satisfaction, peace and joy you will experience now… will be in doing so… even when your circumstances are crushing.
Hope and strength, peace and joy will be an undercurrent deep beneath as we navigate through all this together.”
And so Father… grant me a mind and heart for correct, accurate understanding of Your Word…
and a willingness to accept correction when I have decided what I wanted to hear was what I heard, instead what You meant.
Place and quicken…make alive… Your Spirit within to do right in Your eyes even when we are unsure… to prevent that in some way we would misrepresent You, Your Words, Your intent and bring shame on You.
In our time together privately and every moment in the activity of the day may we move in a spirit of thanksgiving and praise to You because You are in control, You do love us, we are not alone.
May the strength and healing and guidance, the provision we ask for be for the purpose of glorifying You Father and at whatever level of healing, guidance and provision You grant and carry us through with,… may it bring You glory, encourage the Saints, draw the attention of the misguided and lost… and bring them to You.
May our words be from our heart to Yours… acknowledgement that You are good, words giving honor, words that confess our love for You, words stating, Your will not ours… we trust and walk in assurance.
May we, in the quiet and intimate moments have within them… also… a stillness to “,,, know that I am God…” moments.
We do praise You Father.
We do come in prayer about and for all things to converse with You about what are needs and what to do…
To trust...
Reveal, guide, and prosper in every scenario we will experience…Father is our prayer.
May it be the purpose and joy of our hearts to live, images of You and…
may that be the reality of the way we act.
Again Father…that You might be glorified… that all might have and be brought to saving knowledge and true life forever more.
In Yeshua’s name we pray…Abba, Dear Father,
Amen.
May God’s love be in us all.
Elder.
