For a while now I’ve been wanting to have a regular post where I can share some deeper thoughts. I feel as if my blog is a bit all over the place and a little bit of focus would be a good thing. The idea of this regular post will be that I am able to think out loud about some of the spiritual things which may have come up during the week. My aim is not to work through a Bible verse or anything like that unless its relevant but more to share what God has been teaching me. I would also like to encourage others to share what they’ve been learning if they want to join in so I’ve signed up for Linky and included it below. Feel free to copy and paste the banner above too.
For this week I want to share a short post as a way of introduction.
For the last few weeks my focus has been very much on major events surrounding our family. The main worry has been to do with some family medical issues, some of which I’ve been praying about for a long time. I have had quite a few people praying about this situation (actually three separate issues) all of last week and I was able to update them with positive news earlier this week.
I am a strong believer in prayer. I don’t believe its a spiritual version of a wishing well or a whim, I really do believe that when we pray we are talking to God, the maker of every minute detail in this universe. I know to some this sounds like utter madness but that doesn’t worry me. I have absolute total, 100% confidence that God is real and God is listening.
The phrase I hear a lot is this one, ‘wow, thats an answer to prayer’. This phrase is pretty much only ever used in reference to a ‘good/positive/the way we wanted it to turn out’ answer to prayer and rarely to the opposite. This is what got me thinking this week. Isn’t EVERY result an answer to prayer? After all ‘no’, ‘wait’ or ‘maybe’ are all answers. Perhaps what we should be saying is ‘well, God knows what he’s doing, he’s bigger than me’ in response to all sorts of answers.
Ultimately the bottom line is this (as I believe it and as I believe the Bible teaches it), God is in control and the outcome of what we pray is up to him. There is a much deeper spiritual lesson that would take up another 10 paragraphs in regards to whether we can change God’s mind etc… but basically there is no point praying if we are not willing to accept the outcome. This is regardless of whether its what we wanted or not.
Oh and the things my friends and I were praying for…the answers were positive but not completely what I prayed for. I just have to trust God on that, after all, he can see the big picture and I can’t.
I’d love to hear about the things you’ve learnt this week, add your link below.
