Laced With Grace

Wait. It’s the spiritual exercise most followers of Jesus dread most. But from it comes the fruit of patience. Waiting builds a faith muscle of tremendous hope and perseverance for what lies ahead. Waiting on the Lord is never in vain.

Has the Lord ever whispered to your heart, wait on me? Have your petitions and pleas been met by the quiet presence of a perfect God, reminding you once again that He is in control?

When God handed me four children to raise up He had to of been chuckling to himself. Patience was never my greatest strength. As a mommy I needed it in abundance and I needed to teach it to my own little ones. Not easy to do when I get antsy at a red light after fifteen seconds. From the mundane wait for a frozen burrito in the microwave, to the excruciating wait of a phone call with test results, the chasm is wide but patience is needed just the same.

Lately the Lord has been telling me to wait on Him. “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Wherever you are on your journey today, have faith my sisters. Believe in the One who holds the world in His hands. Our waiting is for His perfect plan, His perfect timing. And not a minute sooner.

Christian music artist John Waller’s song “While I’m Waiting” spoke to my heart last week. In it he sings, “I will worship while I’m waiting. I will serve you while I’m waiting.”

Let it be the same for us.

Come on over and visit me at my blog Blessed… to hear John Waller’s song “While I’m Waiting”

How’s your vision?  Are  you only focused on this world that you can see with your physical eyes?  Or are  you aware of the spiritual world that for now you cannot touch or see but know in your heart and …believe by faith? 

If you’re a Christian, you actually live in two worlds. 

You live this earthly life in your fleshly body. You can see, hear, taste and touch it.  We all know that.

But as a Christian, you also belong to the Kingdom of  God.  You have the Holy Spirit living within you.  Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on your behalf.  

Romans 8:34b says:

“Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

I don’t know about you but …I find that amazing!  

I think Paul understood this.  He was stoned, shipwrecked, beaten, thrown in jail, thrown out of towns and yet …he still continued to preach the Good News of the Gospel.  Nothing could stop Paul because he had his eyes on the Kingdom world. 

In Romans 8:16-18 Paul says:

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

I don’t know about you but sometimes when I’m suffering, I get so focused on my problems.  I pray and ask God for deliverance.  But just maybe through my present sufferings, God will be glorified.  Personally, I think I could glorify Him in easier ways but I’m not God and His ways are so much higher than mine.  So, for now I pray for His wisdom, His strength, His peace. 

Maybe you suffer from a chronic illness, or have a difficult family situation or your husband lost his job and you don’t know how you’re going to pay your bills.  I’m sure you pray and ask God to get you out of this situation.  But what if He has a purpose you don’t understand yet and through your trials, God will be glorified? 

It’s a different way of looking at our circumstances, isn’t it?  It’s like putting on new glasses and everything looks clearer.  Would you consider your difficulties from a spiritual perspective?

Lord, we come before you today and thank you that we are called children of God.  Open our eyes that we might see not only with our physical eyes but with our spiritual eyes.  We pray for your intervention in our current circumstances but in the midst of them may you be glorified.  May others see Jesus in us as we face trials and suffering.  May we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit to others you place in our lives.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Debbie Petras
Heart Choices 

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20-The Message)

Why do we even bother having a prayer life when God already knows the plan for our life?

It says in Ecclesiastes 3:14, “I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it.”

If that verse is true, then why bother developing a prayer life? Your first thought may be, well because that is what we are suppose to do. If God never takes back his word (Isaiah 31:2) and his plans stand firm (Psalm 33:11), why should we pray?

We find our answer in Ephesians 3:20 it says, “He does not push us around but by working WITHIN us…” God uses prayer to release his power (his Holy Spirit within us) to accomplish the will of God. In Philippians 2:13 it states, “That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.” (The Message)

God works within us, THROUGH PRAYER, until we desire to receive what God desires to give. Christian author and speaker Jennifer Kennedy Dean states, “The secret of prayer is not how to change God, but how to be changed by Him.” The more time you spend with God, the more you begin to desire what He desires.

When you pray are you giving God a grocery list of requests? When you pray are you spending time telling God which way is best? When you pray, do you pray in hopes of receiving material blessings?

Or when you pray do you pray in such a way that God can release the power of the Holy Spirit within your life?

As a Christian you are filled with the Holy Spirit from the point of salvation, no matter what you do, but the closer your walk is with Christ the more the Holy Spirit can freely move in your life. Jennifer Kennedy Dean states in her book Live a Praying Life, “Prayer releases the power of God to accomplish the will of God in situations and in the lives of people.”

Could God choose not to use us to accomplish his will? Sure, but he chooses to use us and the power of the Holy Spirit within us. God uses prayer to accomplish His will here on earth.

I don’t know about you, but that humbles me and motivates me to have a more active prayer life.

Heavenly Father, thank you that we can come to you at any time to speak with you.  Help me to develop a prayer life where my heart is moved towards your will.  Thank you that I can come to you with my prayer requests and desires, but I also know the more time I spend with you the more my desires will mirror your desires.  Thank you for always teach and instructing me.  Amen.

God’s Girl,

Lori

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