Image credit: wcachurch.org
“Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (GNT)
I was wrestling with indecision about the vision and scope of my writing; so much so that I couldn’t shake the thoughts from my mind. I described my frustration in an email reply to my friend Sue, but uncertainty persisted in my head and followed me right into bed. It was a bit crowded that night as my reverie took up space alongside of my husband, the dog, and me. Sleep was out of the question.
After repeated glances at the clock, I finally got up at 1:00 a.m. and headed down to the kitchen. I set about making myself honey toast (first things first) and then opened my Jesus Calling book to read while I ate. A scripture in print leapt off the page: “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (GNT)
God was talking to me! I read the verse twice more.
Since I’ve been reading and writing about Spiritual Disciplines for the Internet Campus at Saddleback Church and the current chapter is on prayer, I decided to start with prayer and see what God had in mind. I wrote down the verse in my prayer journal, together with my notes, to meditate and pray over. I prayed over the verse and my thoughts again, finished my toast, and padded back up to bed.
Wow! Prayer really does work! My morning was overflowing with answered prayer!
Prayer opened my eyes to possibilities! I reached out to reconnect with my genius blogging mentor, Bill Belew. His expertise and encouragement led me to the launch of my site almost a year ago. Turns out I’m due for a tune-up. My friend, Sue, has a way with words, and those who know her realize that’s an understatement! Before conveying a few serious thoughts, she used humor to provide some much needed levity:
“Remember, while certainly trying their best, it took the Hebrew children 40 years to find their way out of the wilderness! Lord, forbid it takes you that long…unless you have good ‘high tech’ connections in your room at the assisted living facility.”
Then it struck me! My interaction with both friends had come within 30 minutes of each other. In less than an hour, God had placed kindred spirits in my path, both fully equipped with practical marching orders. Coincidence or divine intervention? Sure seems like answered prayer to me!
My life is filled with the miraculous blessings of Christ! Through prayer, I learn to acknowledge His sovereign power and express my gratitude for His intercession.
Prayer; not a last resort, but a powerful first choice!
