Nahrin forwarded this to me today. If you remember my post from a week or so ago, you'll see why, and I HIGHLY recommend the read.
Sometimes I am completely FLOORED by the way God answers my prayers, and yet He continues to do so because He is so faithful.
I'm SO relieved my gift to Him this Season was something he actually ordered! :) Woo HOO!
This Sunday, Brian preached about how Prayer affords us an intimacy with God. He talked about the time we set aside (or don't) with Christ and how in the big picture of life, it's rather teeny, yet, God longs for that time with us. (Very abridged version).
So last night as I crawled into bed and set aside that "time", I re-visited Colossians 3 and then opened to one of my favorite devotionals "My Utmost for His Highest" for that date. (Dec. 16th).
Lo and behold, it was a passage on prayer.
Sometimes in that "time" I spend with the Father, I often forget the true purpose. It's so easy to become distracted even when every other "distraction" has been eliminated, and that often comes in the form of a distracted prayer life for me. Last night, after reading Colossians, and then being reminded so kindly by Oswald Chambers about "the purpose of prayer" I found so many reasons to be thankful. It was for me, the chance to sit before the Lord quietly, in praise for what He's done for so many, and to recall all the times I sat in that same spot spending time with the Lord in desperate need and longing and He was (is) so faithful to those rather menial requests!
I hope the following passage (and the message on Sunday found here) inspires a fruitful wrestling match as you season in true intimacy with God your Father.
December 16, 2007
Wrestling Before God
Take up the whole armor of God . . . praying always . . . —Ephesians 6:13,18
You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you ever do wrestle with God, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25 ). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because "we are more than conquerors through Him . . ." ( Romans 8:37 ). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— "take up the whole armor of God . . . ."Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God’s perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . ." ( Romans 8:28 )— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, "Yes, it is the Lord’s will." We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.
My mom sent me the following forward and I admit, I was totally laughing by the end of it.
Mostly because for me it poked fun at the real stuff that can make Holidays around here so neurotic and insane!
Go ahead and find the humor. I won't tell anyone that it's because it makes you think of someone specific -- or maybe even your "other" self...
Then don't forget to offer up a toast this Holiday - to family!
CHRISTMAS DISORDERS and CAROLS
1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?
2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are
3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas
4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....
6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me
7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why
9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?
10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells....
11. Oppositional Defiant Disorder-- You better not cry - Oh yes I will
You better not Shout - I can if i want to
You better not pout - Make me
I'm telling you why - Not listening
Santa Claus is coming to town - He's not real!!
