Prayer

Each week I sit with the prayer requests and take some quiet time to lift them up to God. Some are more specific than others. Some have details and others are vague. 

At times I start out simply asking God to intervene on behalf of the person requesting prayer, but more times than not I catch myself asking for more specific solutions. Things that make sense to me, answers that I think are attainable. 

Then I catch myself because I realize….. I’m limiting God.

Our Heavenly Father knows us intimately and He knows something about me. I’m a fixer. I like to find solutions and work through them in order to help people in difficult situations. I take the issue at hand and I think of all the possible ways in which it can be resolved.

Possible.   Probable.   Realistic.  Attainable.

Before I know it I have constructed a plan in my head and I begin to lift this plan up to God.

God. The one who can do the impossible, I hand a possible, probable, realistic and attainable plan.

I’m sure He smiles at this.

I usually catch myself at some point and smile to myself. “Sorry Lord. You don’t need my advice. You simply need my surrender.”

This past weekend my husband and I found a really neat shop in Winter Garden called “Doxology”. We went in to take a look around. In the center of the store we saw a small room with tags (like the one in the picture) hanging all over the wall. In front of us was a bible, a pen and some blank tags.

The sign read “Leave a prayer, take a prayer”.  How beautiful.

Rob and I grabbed a pen and we each filled out a card with a prayer. When I reached out to take a prayer I closed my eyes, grabbed one and stuck it in my bag.

The next morning I pulled it out to include it in my prayer time. At first I thought I couldn’t understand the handwriting but then I realized……..it was written in a different language! It was written in Spanish. I could make out a couple of words…but I had no idea what this prayer was about.  

I looked at Rob with concern and immediately constructed a plan! I would text a picture to my friend who could translate it!

As I shared this idea with Rob he said. “Patti…God knows what it says.”

I paused and I smiled, remembering my recent apology to God for giving Him my advice. Then I glanced at Robs prayer and my smile widened. His prayer said “Pray for my issue to be resolved.” Another mystery. No details…no way to form a solution or to lift up a plan. My wide smile turned to a laugh.

“God has a sense of humor” I shared with my husband, and he agreed.

Two prayers that simply required surrender and trust. Two prayers that God knew the intimate details about. Two prayers I had only to lift up to the Lord in intercession and lay at His feet. He knows.

So don’t think you can’t pray for that stranger in the store that was struggling, because you don’t know the details. Don’t hold back from lifting up that person you pass in your car that you know nothing about. Don’t  put off praying for your neighbor  or your friend  because you don’t know the details of their struggle.

Pray. Today. Now.

Simply lift them up to God and ask for His blessing. Ask that He be with that person and thank Him for His intervention, love and care.

We don’t need the details…..He doesn’t need our advice….just our surrender and trust.

To trust that He knows.

-Pastor Patti