Sharing my encouragement

I haven’t picked up my Streams in the Desert book in quite a while, but this morning, without really giving it a conscience thought, I picked it up and opened it and randomly started reading.  By “randomly” I mean, I started reading Mrs. Cowman’s entry for April 29.  No method to my madness…this chapter caught my eye so I just started reading.

As I read, I was so encouraged and wanted to share it with you all.  🙂

April 29 ~

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are…” James 5:17.

Thank God for that!  He got under a juniper tree, as you and I have often done; he complained and murmured, as we have often done; was unbelieving, as we have often been.  But that was not the case when he really got into touch with God.  Though “a man subject to like passions as we are, [“he prayed earnestly.”]… He kept on praying.  What is the lesson here?  You must keep praying.

Come up on the top of Carmel, and see that remarkable [story] of Faith and Sight.  It was not the descent of the fire that now was necessary, but the descent of the flood; and the man that can command the fire can command the flood by the same means and methods.  We are told that he bowed himself to the ground with his face between his knees; that is shutting out all sights and sounds.  He was putting himself in a position where, beneath his mantle, he could neither see nor hear what was going forward.

He said to his servant, [“Go up now, look toward the sea.”]  He went and came back, and said – how sublimely brief!… – [“There is nothing.”]

What do we do under such circumstances?

We say, “It is just as I expected!” and we give up praying.  Did Elijah?  No, he said, “Go again.”  His servant again came back and said, “Nothing!”  “Go again.”  “Nothing!”

By and by he came back, and said, [“Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.”]  A man’s hand had been raised in supplication, and presently down came the rain; and Ahab had not time to get back to the gate of Samaria with all his fast steeds.  This is a [story] of Faith and Sight – faith shutting itself up with God; sight taking observations and seeing nothing; faith going right on, and [“praying earnestly,”] with utterly hopeless reports from sight.  Do you know how to pray that way, how to pray prevailingly?  Let sight give as discouraging reports as it may, but pay no attention to these.  The living God is still in the heavens and even delay is part of His goodness. — Arthur T. Pierson.

(Things in brackets are what I added to line up with the KJV)

Several years ago our family was praying about something very specific.  Something very, very important to us and something that had us all in distress.  It seemed impossible,  just like what Elijah was praying about.  We prayed and prayed, and cried and prayed, and sight was telling us that our prayers were accomplishing nothing.  When looking toward the sea we came back with the answer, “Nothing!”  Again…and again…

But we kept praying.  Whenever we lifted our face from between our knees, we became so discouraged.  Months went by and we continued to pray and pray…and pray.

One evening we got a phone call from the person we were praying so earnestly for, and the call only left us more discouraged.  After the call, we stood in the hallway and had a distressing conversation about the seemingly hopeless situation…until my dear hubby said some very profound words that stick with me even today –

“Ok guys!  We need to get our eyes off of ________ and get them on the LORD!” 

What a novel idea!!  😉  Kind of goes with the thought of when Peter was in the boat and he stepped out to meet the Lord, and when he took his eyes off of Jesus he began to sink.  When we took our eyes off of the Lord and had them on the one we were praying for, our hearts began to sink.  So with my husband’s sweet reminder, we would put our eyes back on the Lord and draw our encouragement from Him.

Around that time, the Lord gave me some verses to read and pray for this specific situation.  When I didn’t have the words to pray (which was often!), I would open my Bible to these passages and God’s Word would help me pray.

Years went by.

But we kept praying.

Sometimes with our faces between our knees, praying in faith.  Sometimes in distress, because we were looking around at the circumstances.  But we prayed…

And God answered!  The one we were praying for truly came back to the Lord and we continue to rejoice at what the Lord did in their life, even to this day.

I know, I know…who wants to hear “years went by??”  We want answers now.  Right now!  Believe me, I know!!

We live in a “microwave” society.  We want everything fast, and we want it right now.  It’s even frustrating to read or watch christian books/movies and see “miraculous things” happen in a short time.  Realistically, we all know that life doesn’t really go like that…where someone prays and *POOF* …they all live happily ever after.  {add contented sigh right here}  Or a couple prays for a child and after a few discouraging months of infertility…*POOF*…they are expecting!  Financial trouble?  Pray…and *POOF*…the unexpected check arrives in the mail and bills are paid just in time!

If only…

I think those books/movies need to have a chapter divider that states:  “Ten years later” or “Three years later” or “Much later“…don’t you?!

Just like in the story of Abraham…and Joseph…(and you!)…  Years go by…years!!! folks…and *poof* (small *poof* because obviously years is not your typical, quick *POOF*…ok? 😉 ) the answer comes.  With Abraham and Joseph, we tend to forget the years that transpire between the promise from God and when it actually comes to pass.  We can read it in just a few chapters, but it takes place over a span of years.

If God doesn’t answer you right away…in a month or two…or a year or two…will you keep praying?  Keep asking?

We all know George Mueller was a great man of prayer and he said, “More prayer, more exercise of faith, more patient waiting, and the result will be blessing, abundant blessing.  Thus I have found it many hundreds of times, and therefore I continually say to myself, ‘Hope thou in God.'”  He didn’t give up, he kept right on praying.

Now, let me mention something…

After I wrote the post Worth Fighting For, I had a friend ask me: “I often get “tripped up” because of the passage talking about Paul praying three times for his “thorn in the flesh” to be removed. Also, what if God goes ahead and grants my request and it turns out not to have been a good thing?”

So am I saying we can pray and ask God for anything and expect to eventually get it all?  No I’m not.

I am definitely not saying that we are to beg…demand…things from God, with the attitude of “You better, or else, God!  I deserve this!!”

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16

“The prayer of the upright is his delight…he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”  Proverbs 15:7, 29

Which means, keep your attitude and heart right towards God!!

We were told about someone’s relative that begged God for a child…demanded is more like it.  And God answered their prayer…gave them their heart’s desire.  But their story didn’t end “happily ever after.”   The child that they demanded from God became the biggest heartache they have ever had.

Are you asking..begging…God for something and you’re not sure what His will is regarding your request?  Then ask Him.  He will surely answer this for you!  But I think its safe to say that if you’re demanding something from God, you just may get it…and you may regret it for the rest of your life.

Paul prayed and asked the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh.  He prayed more than once about it and the Lord showed him clearly that he wasn’t going to be delivered from it, so he stopped praying for it.  I believe that Paul had the right attitude, which is why we never read about him continuing to ask (beg…demand) the Lord to answer his request.  And I have to wonder if Paul did beg and demand this from the Lord, and he was delivered from his thorn in the flesh, would it have brought leanness to his soul?  Would he have been used as mightily of the Lord?  Written as many books in the Bible?  We may never know what good things we forfeit if we don’t stay open to the Lord.

I guess I’m just trying to say to pray, pray, pray my friends!  If you have a lost loved one NEVER stop praying for their salvation!  You can be assured that you are praying in God’s perfect will and He wants to answer that prayer!  Do you have a friend or a loved one that is away from the Lord?  You can also keep praying for that, as we all know that when they get right with God they will bring honour and glory to HIS name and that is good and acceptable with Him!!

Don’t let the devil…that old accuser…discourage you from praying!!  Don’t let him complicate it and make you wonder what you’re suppose to pray for…or not pray for…or for who…  Keep on praying!!  If you stay open and right with God He will make your paths straight!  He will!!

I’m starting to reread a book on prayer written by Brother Andrew.  The book is called And God Changed His Mind – because His people dared to ask.  It is oh so good and encouraging and I just may have to share some things from it as I read it…just to warn you! 😉