You’ve probably heard the saying Pray Until Something Happens! I remind myself to daily to pray. I know it seems that should just come naturally, but sometimes my mind is so busy when I wake up. I have so many things to do and it seems like so little time to get it all done. To be real honest, at times I have allowed those things to push prayer out of my immediate reach. Needless to say it’s an unnecessary risk to take so I remind myself daily to pray.
What an awesome gift it is to pray. To be allowed to commune with a holy God is one thing, but to be desired to spend time with him is amazing. So many times, we take prayer for granted. We go to God with our laundry list of things we need and then we wait for something to happen. I am learning to not just pray until something happens, but to participate until something happens. Let me explain.
The bible tells us that faith without works is dead. When we are petitioning God for help, we must also ask him to show us how to participate in our help. When we participate in something, we have an expectation that we will receive the desired result. For example, if my day is overwhelming and hectic, I may find myself praying for peace of mind. After the prayer, I must then pursue peace as Psalm 34:14 admonishes. That is my participation. When a situation arises that has the potential to upset me, I have options. I can pray for peace but never make a change in my interactions or I can resist the devil (my participation) and obtain peace. This Responsible Participation leads to personal growth- even before we receive our petition.
Search the scriptures and you will see another type of participation. Facing the Red Sea, Moses was instructed to stretch out his rod. When Saul was blinded on the road to Damascus, Jesus told him to enter Damascus and wait for more. I like to call this Instructed Participation. In short, obedience. We pray amiss if we are not going to do what God tells us to get the result we say we want. Moses’ obedience brought the children of Israel safely to dry land and drowned their enemies. Saul’s obedience restored his sight and began his ministry as Paul.
Im not saying that God cannot move with us. However, it is has been my experience that when I don’t actively participate, I miss the move of God. I pray for a thing and then one day I realize that God has done it, but I missed it. Missing it means I did not stop and thank him or that I waited possibly longer than I needed to.
It is indeed a priviledge to seek God in prayer. When I participate, I’m putting my faith to work!
Wonderful message! Thank u for also sending encouragement and uplifting words. You are sooo appreciated by me..