July 12 - Not now God, we’re praying

July 12th, 2017 - Thoughts for your Week

Scripture: James 1: 4-8

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Not now God, we’re praying

“…he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.”
Acts 12: 12-16

Recently, I’ve been reading through Acts and chapter 12 caught my attention. I’ve come to realize how I am often just like the disciples were the night God answered their prayers and set Peter free. They had been praying all night, fervently for his release, and yet when God brought them the very answer they had asked for, they didn’t believe it was possible. They were astonished. We need to keep in mind that James had just been put to death and the likelihood of the same happening to Peter was great. The disciples were afraid of their future and the future of the church, and they were no doubt confused by what had happened. But does our fear/confusion give us just cause to stop believing or to even doubt what God can do?

How often do we pray but not believe? How often do we just pray for the sake of praying because that’s what we’re supposed to do? That ‘thing’ that you’ve been praying for; do you actually believe He will do something about it?

Tim Keller says… “If I go to Jesus, He’s not under my control. He lets things happen that I don’t understand. He doesn’t do things according to my plan, or in a way that makes sense to me. But if Jesus is God, then He’s got to be great enough to have some reasons to let you go through things you don’t understand. His power is unbounded, but so are His wisdom and love. If you have a God great enough and powerful enough to stop your suffering, you also have a God who’s great enough and powerful enough to have reasons you don’t understand. You can’t have it both ways.”

There’s a story about a rural church in the middle of farming country that held a special service to pray for rain. A drought had hit the area hard and the farmers and community were suffering financially and spiritually. Many people came to the service to pray, and to see all the people gathered there encouraged the pastor. However, what inspired him most was a little girl sitting in the front pew, holding a bright red umbrella. Everyone had come to pray for rain, but this little girl believed enough to bring an umbrella. She had come expecting God to answer.

Are we like that little girl with our prayers? Or do we pray and, though we mean our prayers wholeheartedly, then get up and forget to grab an umbrella. Where are you at with your prayers and your heart? What is God speaking to you now? Take some time to ask Him for whatever you need to truly believe that He hears your prayers and will come to your rescue.

“As long as we are kept waiting for a mercy, we must continue praying for it.”

-       Matthew Henry

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

-       Hebrews 4:16