Uncertain Prayer

WORD:

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

Romans 8:26

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

DEVOTION:

"Wishing will never be a substitute for prayer" (Ed Cole). And isn't this true? We can wish and wish for something so badly - but if we don't personally ask God about it, then it is not prayer. If it is not prayer, then it has no power to move to a mountain.

"Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God" (Andrew Murray). What reasons are you praying for? Do you pray just to recite a list of requests and then forget the most important aspect of prayer - getting to know God better?"

"There is a mighty lot of difference between saying prayers and praying" (John G. Lake). When I was younger, my family was attending a Roman Catholic church and I was attending a Catholic school. No offense to the Catholic denomination, but from my young experience, my relationship with God was one of memorized prayers and last-minute requests. I didn't realize the full power and purpose of prayer when I began a true personal relationship with Him when I went to Bible camp at 8 years old. There, I learned that praying to God can just be like talking to a friend. Telling God about my day, how I felt, and asking God my own questions about Him. And if I wanted answers, all I had to do was look in the Bible. 

"You may pray for an hour and still not pray. You may meet God for a moment and then be in touch with Him all day" (Frederik Wisloff). How strong is your prayer life? Is your prayer to God strong enough that you only need to meet with Him for a moment and be in touch with Him all day? Or would you spend hours praying and crying out to Him and still not be able to feel Him?

The purpose of prayer is never to accomplish our own will, but to accomplish God's will. When we use prayer only as an instrument by which our will can be done, than we totally misunderstand prayer. God's intention for prayer was not so that we can have a hotline for instant requests to God. Jesus even said, "Not my will, but thy will be done." But sometimes it is difficult to pray when we don't know the will of God. This is where the Spirit of God intercedes for us and helps us in our weakness - the Spirit intercedes for is when we do not know what to pray for. Isn't it wonderful to have the Spirit pray for us when we have "groanings that cannot be expressed in words"? 

When my rare neurological illness resurfaced last fall with severe symptoms and new consequences for my life, I prayed constantly to God for Him to take away my illness…for complete remission…for a cure. I prayed fervently for good health to return, thinking that if I prayed this for hours and hours - surely God will hear my cry and grant it to me.

Despite these hours of fervent prayer to God, I still did not feel any closer to God. It was only when the Spirit interceded for me and brought to light that I was praying for my own will - not God's will. When I finally started giving more focus to God in my prayers and making it less about me, then I was able to meet with God and finally feel His arms around me. I prayed to God that He can use my illness for His purpose…that He can use me as an example to the broken and the hopeless. That he can help me use my experience to help others who have felt lost because of their own illness and experiences.

Right now I am feeling very healthy - I have not had any symptoms since last fall. My doctors are really happy with my progress and feel that I am on the good road to remission. Is there a chance that my illness may return again? Yes there is. Is there any sign of an upcoming cure? No there is not. Despite all this, I pray instead to God that if I do get sick again - that He will stay with me to endure it, and that I can grow from that experience and help others grow closer to Him because of my faith.

And wherever you are in your prayer life, remember that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). After each prayer request, remember God's wisdom and that He is in control of all circumstances that surround your life. Even in the desert place and the wilderness of life, we can rest in faith that God can use it for His good and His glory.

PRAYER: 

Dear God, You are in control and You know everything about me, even when I sit and when I stand. You know my heart and everything that is in it. I am sorry for the times when my prayers to you have been selfish and I have forgotten to also honour you and give you the praise you deserve. Thank you for sending your Spirit to intercede on my behalf so that He can intercede when I know not what to pray. I pray that you help me see the areas in my life where I need to change my prayer requests because you have something better planned for me according to Your will.

APPLICATION: 

How do you regularly pray to God? Do you set aside special time each day for it, or do you just send up a prayer to Him when you feel like it? Here are some exercises to help boost your prayer life.

Remember the "ACTS" style of prayer each time you spend deep personal time with God, so that You can give Him glory each time.

Adoration (you can praise God's name, sing a worship song)

Confession (confess any sins in your heart, your actions or your thoughts and ask for forgiveness)

Thanksgiving (thank God for all that He has done for you and has provided, thank God for the beloved people in your life)

Supplication (leave your requests to God for last)

Another exercise is to dedicate one day just for praising and thanking God. Spend that whole day only thanking Him and praising Him and try to abstain from requests at that time, so that your prayer's focus can be centred on God.

WORSHIP:

"Aware" by Salvadore

Make me aware, make me see

Everything I am is not all about me

Take my world, turn it around

So that the obvious can finally be found

"On Fire"

THE WORD:

"So that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. "

1 Peter 1:7

DEVOTION:

Have you ever felt like you were on fire - in a metaphorical way? People get "fired up" when they are excited about something or doing the activities that they are passionate about.  When people say, "Wow that person is on fire!" -  they usually mean that the person is in his or her own zone and can't be touched. That person seems unstoppable.

Sometimes when you're living with an illness, it's hard to feel "on fire" about anything. It's easy to lose interests or passion because you feel like everything that is happening to you keeps turning against you. In May 2011, my illness had flared up and I was put back on the much-despised steroid medication again after five years. I hated the side effects it gave me - the bloating, the moon face, the insomnia…by the time it was September, I was excited to be tapered off it. I only had 12.5 mg to go and then I would be done with this medication.

But in September, my illness flared up again and I went back on a high dose of the steroid medication. I was frustrated and angry with my illness. I started making terrible assumptions about my life, thinking that my illness will always haunt me until it kills me and that there was no point in looking forward to life, when life kept giving me lemons. No matter how many times I tried to make lemonade, everything just kept turning sour.

Then one day, it dawned on me that I had a choice - I had a choice about how I can live my life, regardless of whatever happens to me next. I can live my life with hope and trust in God, and look for the purpose in the pain. Or I can shun God and dwell in my pain.

The trials we face are fire testing our faith. Our faith is "more precious than gold" - and when gold goes through fire, it becomes pure and brand new.

We are God's children and He sees as like jewels in-the-rough. He wants to mold us to the person He wants to be so that He can better use us to serve His purpose. He knows every instant in our life, and knows how we will come out when we are tested by fire.

Maybe you think, "I keep going through so many fires - and I still don't  see any blessings from the Lord!" Maybe you are experiencing a blessing in disguise right now. Maybe your blessing will come later when you have emerged from your cocoon of waiting. Maybe the blessings that God planned to come out of your period of fire are not meant for you in this lifetime, but for a greater purpose that you do not know.

For even heroes in the Bible went through many periods of fire to test their faith. "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised" (Hebrews 11:39). These heroes of faith never got to see the promise of the Cross, but their faith and lives were stepping stones on the path to the Cross, God's ultimate plan to save the world.

I went through many period of fire in my life. I struggled with family stress during my childhood. I battled with a neurological disease. At the time while I was going through these periods of fire, I prayed to God to release me from it. I did not want this experience. But looking back now, and seeing who I am today because of the fire I went through and the blessings that accompanied it - I am thankful for my time in the fire and I would not give it back.

So when you are going through fire, remember that: "...God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28). We may not know exactly what this purpose is, but we can trust that God's way is higher than our ways, and He knows the best way to use our fire.

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are amazing and indescribable. I am sorry for the times when I have doubted your plan for me. Help me see Your purpose in my pain, and give me Your strength to persevere through these periods of fire. I ask that you help me keep my faith "on fire" - passionate and burning to know more of You. I thank You that you always cause everything to work together for the good of those who know You, even if we cannot see what that "good" is right now. Amen.

APPLICATION:

How have you been tested by fire? How can you be more "on fire" for God in your daily life?

WORSHIP:

"On Fire" - Switchfoot

You are the hope I have for change

You are the only chance I'll take

When I'm on fire

When You're near me

I'm on fire

When You speak

And I'm on fire

Burning at these mysteries

"When Hope is Blind"

THE WORD:

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

" For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Romans 8:24 (NLT)

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

 

DEVOTION:

Some people give up on hope because they lose focus on the possibilities. They give up and claim that it is a "lost cause" because they are tired of hoping for something they cannot see.

With a rare and incurable neurological disease, I live each day with the possibility that my illness can return at any time. Maybe with new symptoms. Maybe with permanent brain damage. Maybe the next time God will call me Home. Despite all these possibilities, I continue to hope that I will get better, and that one day - a cure can be found…even for such a rare illness as mine.

Some people give up on hope because it has disappointed them too many times. I was diagnosed with my illness at the age of 17, and it has struck me two more times since then with different symptoms. There was a point when I thought, "Will I ever be rid of this illness? Will it always be haunting my life?"

Hope is the desire that there is something better around the corner. When hope is blind, you cannot see what awaits you around this corner. That is why hope holds hands with faith…because faith "gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1).

I don't know if a cure will ever be found for my illness in my lifetime. I don't know if I might be hospitalized again this year. But I continue to hope that the sun will still rise even after the darkest and coldest night.

For Christians, our hope is fueled by God's love. No matter what happens in this lifetime, our hope in God will never disappoint us. When life brings tears and pain, God says, "Hold on. I have much better things waiting for you."

So during the times of trials, we hold on to hope that God's purpose in this pain will be revealed to us. We remember that only God sees the full picture, and He knows what is around the corner. Blessings can spring out of burdens. Hopefulness can come from helplessness. Love can bloom from what once was lost. And when you have trouble keeping hope in God, remember "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). 

So you don't have to worry when your hope is blind, because God is omniscient and has a plan for you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

"God is the reason why even in pain, I smile; In confusion, I understand; and in fear, I continue to fight." (Unknown)

PRAYER:

Dear God, You know everything about me and about my life. I am limited but you are an unlimited God. When I am ready to give up hope when life brings me down, please remind me that Your ways are higher than my ways, and that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. I may not understand now why I am going through this pain, but I understand that You work everything for Your glory. Although my hope is blind, help me to be patient for Your answer, Your rescue, and Your coming kingdom. Amen.

 

APPLICATION:

What do you hope for right now? How can you remind yourself to keep holding on? How would you encourage someone to hold on to hope when he or she is ready to give up? Do you think that faith in God makes a difference in hope?

WORSHIP:

"Before the Morning" - Josh Wilson

"Would you dare, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
'cause the pain you've been feeling,
can't compare to the joy that's coming

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
'cause the pain you've been feeling,
can't compare to the joy that's coming

Com'n, you got to wait for the light
press on, just fight the good fight
because the pain you've been feeling,
it's just the hurt before the healing
the pain you've been feeling,
just the dark before the morning"