Pray Without Ceasing

"Teach me the patience of unanswered prayers" 

During our homeschool hours my family studies hymns, choosing a new one each month, and this month's has been eye opening. My daughters and I have been listening to "Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart" written by George Croly. This line, above, brings me to my knees in humility. God always answers our prayer, albeit not always as we hope. There are times He says no or to wait on Him a little longer. How dare I say to God that I want my answer now, when He has a purpose for for this trial I am in? So looking forward to see how much more appreciation will come after the testing produces perseverance in my soul, I wait for the result while learning along the journey.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

It is incredibly hard to rejoice when I look at the situations occurring in my family. Now I could list all that I am dealing with, but let's face it, we are all going through something that is testing us. The testing of our faith produces perseverance (James 1:3) This pain and this trial will make each of us a better person, it will build our character, but it sucks is dreadful right now. There is no time limit on God's tests, but for a year I have prayed vigorously only to have my cries met with silence. During this time, I have seen God move in ways that were helpful and encouraging, but not in the answer I need, okay, want. 

Rejoice Always

So I ask myself a question, not to be rhetorical or pitiful, rather to truly find the answer. How can I rejoice right now, knowing what I know, about the situation I lift up in prayer to God each day. Well, the answer came to me almost too easily; the joy of a Christian is not based on outside circumstances. If my husband never finds full time work, I will still serve God and trust Him. God was not shocked by the circumstances of this last year, He was not caught off guard with the second job loss, instead He knew these were coming. He knew then and He knows now what is next. So I can rejoice that He loves me and hears my prayers and has a plan for my family. 

Pray Without Ceasing

There are times when asking someone to pray feels like a cheap imitation of the real thing. We all know at least one person who will filibuster the prayer service with empty words that are redundant so they don't "lose the floor." 😉If I talk to God all the time, will I run out of things to say, will I become redundant? The answer is no, plain and simple, no. Talking to God and taking time to listen will only grow and deepen the relationship with Him. While we  can't get on our knees with our eyes closed every minute of the day, we can bring our thoughts to God. Prayer without ceasing is more of a habit of taking all things to God, in all situations. It is not about filling the air with nonsense, its not an attempt to obstruct God from hearing someone else,
through big words and grand gestures. Prayer is pouring my heart out to the One that can do something about it. 

Give thanks in all circumstances

This may come across as being an optimist at heart. That's not it exactly, giving thanks for all circumstances is vastly different than giving thanks in all circumstances. I don't thank God for the health issues my husband faces, I thank Him for the support and guidance as we figure it out. I don't thank God for low income, I thank Him as we dream, plan and take action for more. 

It is possible to rejoice during hard times, to pray when everything is spinning out of control and to thank God for things unseen. Its not always easy, but it always possible. 

Have a beautiful week

Stephanie