Greetings to you in the name of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! Another beautiful morning in the Kingdom with the promise of an even better afternoon – thanks to the Creator! I am sure that the season is demanding that yard/garden work needs to be done, windows cleaned to see all without the residue of winter, and don’t forget the spring cleaning. Of course, I nearly forgot the wardrobe change, So much to do…today I will be praying for you, asking Father to give you strength as you need it, wisdom to ‘pace’ yourself, and good sleep that refreshes/restores.
Over the past few days I have been reminded that our world is in a mess – politically, socially, economically, spiritually. I recently spoke about “Why Pray?” to my church family…and one of the major reasons is, of course, this strange, unpredictable, out of control world we live in. Now when I say ‘pray’ I don’t really mean “say a prayer”. “Pray’ to me means to come into the presence of someone that I have a relationship with, who cares about me, to share my concerns, questions, doubts, fears, worries, joys, excitement, wonder, and hopes with.
I am pondering two verses of Scripture this morning: “…where does my help (strength) come from? My help (strength) comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1b – 2 NIV ; “Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” – Isaiah 41:10 The Message. Note these verses are not about getting stuff from God but they are about the security of being in the presence of the Someone who is uniquely different.
I am learning that prayer is so much more than taking my “shopping list” to God. I have never had someone ask me where all the stuff I have came from, but I have had people ask – “how I found strength in a situation?” or “why I was so calm and at peace?” or “how do you keep going forward?” Simply take a look at the two verses above – everything I have comes from being in the presence of the LORD as often and unreservedly as I can. Prayer nurtures, ignites, and inspires my relationship with God…it makes me who I am. When, and I sometimes do, neglect that relationship I am diminished.
Something to ponder – be blessed!