The Power of A Prayer Journal

I always worry that God doesn't hear/answer my prayers. I keep thinking, I'm doing this wrong, or, I'm not asking for the right thing...my prayers are too selfish, etc. It always seems to me that I don't pray often enough, or long enough, or in the right way. And all of these may be true, but what I've learned is that God answers my prayers anyway. They're not perfect prayers but God's perfection more than compensates where I am lacking.

About five or six years ago I decided to start writing down my prayers in a journal. [I've been kind of inconsistent with this over the years, but that is irrelevant here.] I started the journal because at that time, I realized that God had answered a prayer that I'd fired off in a moment of frustration. That prayer was one of those sighs that you send heavenward in the moment, and it took several months for me to realize that that prayer had been answered. It wasn't until I faced a similar situation, and responded to it very differently, that I remembered that I'd prayed about it, and I simultaneously realized that my prayer had been answered! That prompted me to start writing down my prayers so that I could have a tangible record of what the Lord has done, and does, and is doing in my life and in the lives of the people I care about. I think this is part of what David meant when he encouraged us to "taste and see" (Ps 34).

Since then I've seen lots of my prayers, big and small be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways. Some of these were wishlist prayers -- the "God I would like" prayers that are fulfilled by tangible things: jobs and opportunities, money where needed, etc. But the ones that have blown me away are the prayers that answered needs that I couldn't properly articulate in words. Here's an example: At around age 24/25, I kept feeling like I didn't have great, solid friendships, the ones that I truly longed for. I wanted to ask God for those kinds of friendships, but the best I could come up with was, "God, make me a better friend." I have seen transformation in my friendships since then (including with friends that I had before that prayer), and those friendships have transformed my life.

Sometimes all we need to see the goodness of the Lord, is to find a way to make us pay attention. Life is busy, and we forget (or don't notice) that God is continually, consistently good. My prayer journal has been this reminder for me, and an encouragement to pray more boldly, and as specifically as I can. I've seen how God says yes, and how God says no to my requests and petitions. My prayers, written down, have taught me more about the God that I choose to serve, because I can see God's hand at work throughout my life.

Be blessed and keep praying!
Shanique

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Biweekly Bits #17: Timing is Important

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing. Have you ever thrown something away and then needed it shortly thereafter? Or found something that you really needed once you no longer had need for it? Or received something, met someone, gained an opportunity that seems wonderful, but you KNOW you aren't ready to fully receive/appreciate it? Timing is everything. More importantly, God's timing is everything.

I've often experienced this phenomenon, where right after I give or throw something away, I come across the one situation in which it would have been useful to me. It's such a frustrating position to be in! But to be honest, it never was a do or die situation: things worked out just fine without having that one thing that I thought would have been perfect for that situation. Perhaps this is one of the best illustrations of God's timing, that even when we think the circumstances are not ideal, he nudges us forward, whispering, "It's time my dear." It is in times like that that we trust God's sovereignty over our lives, knowing that if He is calling us, the time is right, and we will be fully equipped to do whatever is asked of us.

I've also experienced what might be the opposite of the former situation: a seemingly great opportunity comes along, but for some reason, you can't take it. While sometimes missed opportunities are exactly what the name suggests, there are also times when missed opportunities are the voice of God saying to us "Not yet, my dear. It's not time yet." This is particularly hard to hear when something seems to be perfect for you, except for the timing, when everything that you wanted seems to be walking right by, but you can't take hold of it. The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing. It is in times like these that we trust God's sovereignty over our lives, knowing that there is a reason for "missing out", and trusting in His ability to provide for us.

The key to trusting in God's timing is trusting in God. If we pine after the "what ifs" and the "could have beens" and the general "shoulda-woulda-couldas" of life, aren't we at the same moment implying that God is not always good? Or that God cannot be trusted to provide for us once more? When Samuel was called by God (1 Samuel 3), he was confused, and he didn't understand the call. God had to call Samuel three times before Samuel finally knew how to respond. But God kept calling Samuel until he answered, because God had work for Samuel to do, and the time was right for him to do it.

As a young boy Joseph had a dream that all his brothers would bow before him (Gen 37). He knew that this was a dream from the Lord. But it was decades before Joseph saw that dream come to fruition, and before it did, he would spend years in jail in Egypt. During that time he interprets a dream for the king's cupbearer (Gen 40), who would be reinstated to his position. When the cupbearerer leaves the jail just as Joseph predicts, Joseph asks him to remember him to the king, so that Joseph too, could be released from jail. And the cupbearer does remember Joseph to the king, two years later. Joseph was probably very frustrated as the days went by and he remained in jail, but God's timing was perfect. Joseph was released from jail just in time to warn Pharaoh of an imminent famine, which would result in him being named Pharaoh's second-in-command. When the famine did come (Gen 41-42), Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to purchase food, which would place them bowing before the appointee of Pharaoh who was, yup, their brother Joseph. God provided, and did it in His time.

Every time I come to a crossroads in my life, I have a  greater appreciation for God's timing. I think we've become so used to this 21st century culture of having whatever we want, whenever we want, that we miss the beauty of the right thing coming at exactly the right time.

This time, I'm preparing to graduate, which of course means that I have to decide what I'm doing next, and as of this moment, I have absolutely no idea. It's frustrating to be so uncertain, but I remember having every single class that I wanted to take mapped out at the beginning of my freshman year of college eight years ago, and how much that changed because of the ways God moved in my life. But it is in this season that I can most appreciate God's timing, because I am confident that not only will He guide me as I make major life decisions, but also that the timing of His provision is always perfect.

So perhaps you may share this prayer with me today, that the right thing may happen at the right time. Or maybe this week you can rejoice over the beauty and perfection of God's timing in your own life.

Be blessed and shine in His time!

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Hymn-ful Sundays! "Great is Thy Faithfulness"

This week's hymn is by Thomas Chisholm, a Methodist minister and hymnwriter at the turn of the 20th century, who wrote it as a testimony of God's faithfulness over his lifetime.

Biweekly Bits #6: Respect Your Elders

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Respect your elders. Learn from them. There are so many valuable lessons to be gleaned from the lives of those who come before us. Listen to the stories of the older people in your family or community. There's a wealth of knowledge that they have gathered over the years, and they won't always be around to share it. Learn about your history, it will tell you a lot about who you are, where you came from, and what that means. After all, you didn't just pop up on the earth one day.

There's really not much more to add to what I've said in this bit. But I'll leave three points with you for today.

26 Bits

It's my birthday!! I'm so happy to have lived to see another year! For this birthday, I decided to share with you 26 bits of wisdom that I've learned in my short life, one for each year. Many of these lessons I am still learning.

Here goes!

Hymn-ful Sundays! "Blessed assurance"

I love hymns, probably because I grew up in the Methodist church, where we sing a lot of hymns. My plan is to share with you one hymn every Sunday this year. Some of them will be pretty well-known, others more obscure.

This week's hymn is a very well known one by Fanny Crosby!

A Lesson in Testimony

Mark chapter 5 recounts one of the most memorable miracles of Jesus. Jesus and his disciples had just gotten off a boat in the country of the Gerasenes, and a man approaches them. The man is possessed by demons, who call themselves Legion, because there were so many of them. Apparently the demons made the man extremely strong and violent, and he was unable to be bound by chains, and was often seen hurting himself.

Anyway, when the demons see Jesus, they recognize him! The spirit says to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" Jesus commands the unclean spirit to leave the man, sending Legion into a herd of pigs when the spirit requested not to be sent out of the country. The herd of pigs immediately runs off of a cliff and into the sea! Needless to say, people were amazed when they saw this happen (or later, when the swineherds returned to town and recounted the day's events).