THERE WAS A SEASON WHERE MY FINANCES
TOOK A SIGNIFICANT TURN.
I WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE LORD
KNEW ABOUT MY CIRCUMSTANCES.
HE WASN'T SURPRISED,
AND AS I WOULD PRAY FOR RELIEF AND PROVISION,
I FELT CRICKETS, THOUGH, ON THE OTHER END.
I WOULD APPLY FOR JOBS. I WOULD SEEK OUT OPPORTUNITIES,
AND EVERY TIME I WOULD SEEK A REMEDY
TO THIS FINANCIAL BLEEDING, A DOOR WOULD CLOSE,
OR EVEN WORSE, ONE WOULD REMAIN COMPLETELY SHUT.
FOR A WHILE I STARTED FEELING LIKE,
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? WHY WON'T GOD ANSWER MY PRAYER?
"HE KNOWS MY BILLS, MY OVERHEAD,
"MY FINANCIAL STRUGGLES.
"WHY WON'T HE ALIGN OPPORTUNITIES
"FOR ME TO WALK THROUGH A DOOR AND PROVIDE RELIEF?"
HAVE YOU EVER JUST FELT
LIKE YOUR PRAYERS ARE GOING NOWHERE?
MAYBE YOU EQUATE AN UNANSWERED PRAYER TO GOD NOT LISTENING.
MAYBE YOU HAVE DEVOTED YOUR QUIET TIME TO PRAYING
FOR A CIRCUMSTANCE TO SHIFT OR A PERSON TO CHANGE,
BUT YOUR HOPE IS STARTING TO GROW DIM.
IN THOSE MOMENTS, ONE OF THE WAYS I'VE KEPT MY HOPE ALIVE
IS LEANING INTO MY FRIENDS THAT, TOO, ARE DEDICATED
TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD,
DEDICATED TO TALKING TO HIM DAILY, MINUTE BY MINUTE.
LEANING IN ON THEIR BELIEF WHEN MY BELIEF GROWS WEARY
IS WHAT GOD INTENDED FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST TO DO.
WHEN I FEEL WEARY I CALL A FRIEND
AND SHE REFRESHES MY SOUL
WITH HER THANKFULNESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHO GOD IS.
SHE WILL OFTENTIMES SHARE EXAMPLES
OF HOW GOD WAS PRESENT AND LISTENING
EVEN WHEN SHE FELT HE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.
SHE SPEAKS AT ANY POSSIBLE FOOTHOLD THE ENEMY COULD GET
TO TEMPT ME TO BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY OF WHO GOD IS
WHEN I FEEL THE SILENCE.
I'VE LEARNED THAT BY BEING VULNERABLE WITH MY STORY,
IT ALLOWS MY FRIENDS TO NOT ONLY BE VULNERABLE WITH THEIRS,
BUT TO ALSO SHARE MANY MOMENTS THAT GOD CAME IN
AND ANSWERED THEIR PRAYERS
NOT ON THEIR TIMING, BUT OF HIS.
THOSE MOMENTS HAVE GIVEN ME HOPE.
THEIR FAITH HAS REFRESHED MY FAITH.
IN COLOSSIANS 4:2 IT SAYS, "DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER;
"STAY ALERT IN IT WITH THANKSGIVING."
I LOVE THAT THIS TRANSLATION USES THE WORD "DEVOTE"
BECAUSE DEVOTE MEANS TO COMMIT; TO CARRY INTO ACTION.
PAUL IS SO PURPOSEFUL IN WANTING US TO UNDERSTAND
THAT WHEN WE ARE MORE DEVOTED TO PRAYER
THERE IS LESS OF AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO DEPEND ON OUR OWN STRENGTH
AND OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE.
THE TEMPTATION TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT
DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE
WHEN WE ARE IN CONSTANT DEDICATION TO KNOWING
AND BELIEVING THAT OUR PRAYERS ARE BEING HEARD.
WHEN WE ARE ALERT IN PRAYER WE ARE LIVING OUT OUR FAITH.
BEING ALERT IS DEMONSTRATING THE POSTURE
THAT HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS:
ALL-KNOWING, LOVING, ATTENTIVE, LISTENING,
ALWAYS SHIFTING AND MOVING THINGS AROUND US
FOR HIS PLAN TO BE REVEALED IN TIME.
SO, IF YOU ARE BECOMING WEARY IN PRAYER,
LET THIS BE A REMINDER THAT COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT.
LEAN INTO YOUR FRIENDS THAT ARE STRONG
IN THEIR BELIEF OF WHO HE IS
AND REST IN THE TRUTH THAT GOD IS LISTENING.
HE IS PRESENT WITH YOU IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE.
THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF DEVOTION AND THANKFULNESS
YOUR INTIMACY WITH HIM WILL DEEPEN
AND YOU WILL LEARN MORE
OF HOW TO BECOME LESS SUFFICIENT IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH
AND MORE SUFFICIENT IN CHRIST'S.
THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE DEVOTED TO,
ALERT IN, AND THANKFUL FOR.