Yesterday as I walked into the hospital to pray with a family with a loved one in his last days I thought about my days as a Medical Chaplain. I was so blessed for the time God gave me to minister to people in that position. So many people went through some pretty tough things and I was there to give God's love to them. What a blessing! I remember sitting in the office before doing morning rounds and praying for God to give me 'right' words. Times I was called to the ER in the middle of the night to be with family were sometimes so hard physically yet so rewarding emotionally. I wrote this past week about how God is so good at being here with what we need as we allow Him to be. Sometimes I get so caught up in life I forget to ask Him things yet He already knows and provides. Preaching yesterday was difficult with the pain in my hip/leg being intense. What a blessing for Doug to ask for prayer for me. I sometimes shy away from asking for prayer for myself but need to realize people won't know how to pray for me if they don't know what is going on. I have a friend who says we don't need to pray for the same thing more than once because God already knows our request. That is true. God does already know our request but I disagree with him. I believe prayer is not so much for God but for us. My prayer life encourages me greatly. I love seeing answers to prayers but especially see answers to prayers I have sent to the Father multiple times. I don't believe I change God's mind but I do know He changes mine. The more I seek His will the more I will realize His will. The more I seek the desires of His heart the more He will empower the desires of my heart to align with His. The more I sincerely pray the deeper my trust will go and more faithful I will be. So many times people will say they pray yet when you talk to them about their prayer life you find it is only at meal and/or bed time. Communication with God needs to be on-going as Paul writes of in I Thessalonians 5:17. Our prayer life needs to go beyond throwing up what Doc called "flair prayers" when we needed something. It needs to go beyond just praying at meal/bed time. It needs to go beyond just saying the Lord's Prayer and not really praying it. Our prayer life needs to be a large part of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. When it has this look to it, we will realize the desires of His heart for us. E.M. Bounds wrote, "The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees." I personally strive to do what God desires of me. I want to accomplish what He has in store for me. I firmly believe the only way to realize these goals is through prayer. A song Riley Clemons sings called "Broken Prayers" is on my mind this morning. How many times do we pray because it is what we are 'supposed to do' or because we are in trouble? How many times do we repeat prayers such as the Lord's Prayer without meaning them? How many times do we feel like there is no need to pray because God already knows what is going on? This song reminds us that God desires to hear our prayers. He desires for us to pour out the hurts of life to Him so He can heal them. He is there in our brokenness to bring wholeness. Praise His Holy Name!
You want my tears, every messy word
Every scar and every fear
You want all I have
With no holding back
When I'm hurt, at my worst
You meet me there
'Cause You see the beauty
In my broken prayers!
Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessing of yesterday with the privilege to teach children's Sunday School, preaching, time of fellowship after the service, Doug driving me to Hilton Head to pray with John and Kayla and their family, and the rest You provided for the rest of the day! Thank You for the day ahead! Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You so people will see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray Your peace over many going through difficult days. My all know You are ready to hear their "Broken Prayers." My sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Jack and Paula; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; April; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many dealing with ‘c’ and/or going through treatments…Chrissy’s cousin; Shirley Jones; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; Mr Mullett; Marybeth's friend; David; and Damon. I pray for: Dave and Carol as they await to start treatments; Rebecca as she awaits surgery; Dan; the Long family; Becky; Kayla, John, and their family; and Russ. Thank You for continued healing for Pastor Tommy and Pam! Thank You for being My Prayer Listener! Amen.
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