Prayer

Have you ever asked someone to do something and they never got around to it or they just kept forgetting and then eventually you forgot and it never got done or you had to do it yourself? That tends to happen quite a bit in today's society and I am not going to lie I do it quite often. It is not really that I am too busy, it is just that sometimes I like to relax and I get sidetracked and cannot do something. Other times I just need some time to assess the situation and make a good decision based on the circumstances. If we constantly did everything people asked for them at the moment they asked, we would probably be too busy all the time and we would never have time to sleep or work, or possibly even eat. Some people might even begin to take advantage of the fact that you always are quick to answer and usually it is to their benefit. I think that a lot of the time we (myself included) expect God to answer us rather quickly when it comes to us praying and when we have needs in our life. It is easy to get discouraged or wonder why God does not answer immediately but as I said before, he knows that we would take advantage of the fact that he was quick to answer our call. It is NOT that he does not hear us, it is simply that he is teaching us patience and he wants to see if we are really devoted to what we are asking for or if we are just coming to him at the time because it seems like the right thing to do. Is it likely that someone you have not talked to in a few years would be willing to give you something you desperately wanted because you saw them on the street and needed a favor? Maybe for you, your answer would be yes, but I am willing to bet that most of the time, one would not even ask right away. I probably would feel like I am obligated to at least take time to catch up and see how they are doing before asking, but even then it still would not seem right and they might feel the same way. Things take time and just like God wants to work in our lives, it takes time for us to develop and it takes time for us to listen.

Along the lines of prayer, Ephesians 6:18 states, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." This verse says pray on all occasions, not just when it is convenient, not just when it is Sunday, or mealtime, or a holiday, or when things get bad, but on ALL occasions. God wants us to come to him with our problems, concerns, and our needs. However, he wants us to be persistent and make sure we know what we are asking for. Always be positive when things are rough and pray that God will bring you through. You know that he will but it is okay to ask him to for clarification and understanding about why this is happening. It is just another way of seeking him and it shows him that we do care and that we ware willing to put in the time even when we are having a bad day. Also, when you pray for others, do not just pray once that someone will be healed or that they will come to the Lord, pray everyday, BE PERSISTENT. People need prayer and in a nation that is falling so fast, we cannot afford to give up our direct connection with the great Creator of our universe. I pray for many of my friends by name everyday and there are others that cross my mind and God knows I am thinking about them. I do it because I care and I want these people to succeed and be strong in the Lord. There are others that I know do not have a relationship with the Lord and I constantly pray that a door is opened for them, whether it comes as a result of me talking to them, or someone else. You cannot truly see the benefits of prayer until the things you pray about begin to be revealed to you and you see God move in the ways you have been asking him. So many times I have prayed for my brothers or sisters or close friends and I see what God is doing in them and it makes me happy to see that he is doing a good work in them until the day of redemption. Other times I have to keep interceding in prayer because I know it takes time for God to answer and I know that he will answer. I cannot lose hope because when hope is lost, then there is nothing left to cling to. We are told by Jesus in Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." I know that as long as I will live, I will keep asking, I will keep seeking and I will knock because it is the only way I know that God will answer and I know it is what he has asked me to do.

When I attended a church in Arizona, we had something on Sunday nights called P.U.S.H. which stood for Pray Until Something Happens. I think it was a great idea and a great way for people to connect with God but the question is was that the only time we were praying for certain things every week? Were we really "P.U.S.H.ing? or were we just P.E.S.U.S.H. (Praying Every Sunday Until Something Happens)? In order to be persistent, we must make an effort to make something a habit of asking for or never backing down even when it takes time to get an answer. Now sometimes we can not recognize that God has answered our prayers and so we keep asking and we feel like it never comes, but we are just not seeing the work he is doing because we are ignorant (ask me if you do not understand). Casting Crowns has a song called "What if his people prayed" I think I may have mentioned this before but if you get the chance, check out the lyrics and see for yourself the power of the lyrics. God uses music to speak to us as well and sometimes we just need to recognize the signs and let God do his work. I'll keep saying it because it is so true, but "Keep your eyes open, it will probably happen when you least expect it."

Somethings to ponder tonight, "1. Do you have an attitude of perseverance when it comes to prayer?, 2. What prayer have you given up on?, 3. What is keeping you from picking up on that prayer and bringing it back to the Father?" I also would like to know if anyone has had an experience in which they were persistent in prayer and God answered over time? I think it is great for people to hear stories of how God moves. Sometimes it takes people seeing what he can do in order for them to get motivated to try something new. It is not the best way for people to have Faith but for new believers sometimes it is all they go off of. 

Hope you all had an amazing day and you keep living it until the end of the day. Make the most of the time you have with the ones you love because you never know when it might all be over.

God Bless

Joseph Robinson