Prayer

I pray often.  Short prayers.  Long prayers.  Breath prayers.  Scripture prayers.  Babbling prayers.  Silent prayers.  Sometimes I pray with my eyes open.  Sometimes they are closed.  Sometimes I pray when driving (I keep my eyes open during these).  Sometimes I pray standing up.  Sometimes I’m sitting in my favorite chair.  Sometimes I’m lying in my bed.  Sometimes I kneel.  Sometimes I’m prostrate with my face down before God.  

I’m sure that God hears all of my prayers.   I’m sure He is not waiting for me to get into a particular stance to pray.  But He did show me something last night about my prayer life.

I was agonizing over a situation.  I was heartbroken.  Tears escaping from my eyes and spilling out over my cheeks.  A situation that I have absolutely no control over.  None.  Wasn’t even about me.  Yet, I found myself aching to the very depths of my soul for the people involved.  People that I love dearly.  No amount of talk, encouragement or hugs could fix this problem.  So I prayed.  Remember I do this often.  Pray that is.  And last night’s prayer was on my knees, fully surrendered. 

And this morning as I rejoiced in His answered prayer, this is what God said to me in a still small voice:  “Debbie, when you really expect to hear from Me, when you truly surrender a situation, you fall to your knees…literally…and sometimes you even stretch out prostrate before Me weeping.  It is during those times that you recognize that the only way the situation is going to change is if I intervene.  Your heart is pleading with Me to bring peace, reconciliation, restoration.  Remember, I am looking at your posture, though it pleases me, I am looking at your heart.  I hear all of your prayers, regardless of the position of your body, it is the attitude of your heart I see.”

Wow!  You see when I fall to my knees or lie on my face before Him, I am in a place of complete submission to my Lord and Savior and am expecting Him to answer my prayer.  But all too often I’m praying without expectation.  At times praying without really being engaged (you know, kind of like some of the conversations we have with people but really have no idea what they’ve said or whether we even responded appropriately to a question because we weren't listening).   My physical posture in prayer has frequently reflected the attitude of my heart.  Not always, not every time, but too often. 

Psalm 5:3 says:  In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

So today, I will pray with the attitude of surrender and EXPECT God to answer. Will you join me?

It's All About the Likes!

A couple of months ago the daughter of one of my best friends made a profound statement about pictures posted on Instagram.  She said “It’s all about the likes!”  Doesn’t matter how good the picture is…just how many “likes” you get!

At the time I just chuckled at the teenage humor.  Little did I know then how deeply that phrase would echo in my very soul.

I’m in the middle of a weight loss journey.  After years of dieting, research, prayer and encouragement, I had gastric bypass surgery in March, 2013.  It’s been a journey. 

About 8 weeks after my surgery, I posted this picture on Facebook:

That picture got 150 “likes” and 43 comments.  I was astounded!  I’ve never had anyone “like” anything of mine that much anywhere!

Now, you’d think I’d be content…happy, maybe even overjoyed with the 150 “likes”…but you see, there was just one person that I kept hoping would “like” my picture, or comment, or send me a text to say “great job” or “keep up the good work” or “way to go”…instead, there was nothing.  Silence.  150 people encouraged me, 43 made a point to write encouragement (one in another language!).  Best friends, family, acquaintances and even people I don’t know…yet, I was crushed by the one that was silent. 

Has that ever happened to you?  God has surrounded you with some of the most amazing people in the world to do life with…and yet the one that you long for isn’t available anymore.  Doesn’t acknowledge you.  The one you were so close to, the one you used to laugh with, cry with, the one that you tried to make amends with, but, well, yeah, that one.  Heartbreaking isn’t it?

BUT GOD….

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31,38)

This scripture says “who can ever be against us?”  It doesn’t mean that no one is ever against us, it simply means that all that matters is that God is FOR us.  And that is enough. 

As I kept looking at the updates on that picture on Facebook, I realized I was feeling like that little girl twirling around in her pretty new dress, just hoping to catch her daddy’s eye….aching to hear “beautiful”….yet, the only thing I heard was louder than any spoken word…silence.

God reminded me this morning that He is for me….and NOTHING can separate me from His amazing love.

Though some may still accuse me of being who I used to be….God’s word says this: 

And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”  Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” (Zechariah 3:2-4, emphasis mine)

You see, God has chosen me.  He has chosen me for a purpose.  He has washed me clean, He rejects the accusations that people make about me and He is the only “Like” I need. 

Today, I am making a conscious effort to live for an audience of One! 

Just for fun…here’s an update at 14 weeks post-op and 71 pounds lighter!