Nancy Hughes: Praying with disappointment

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

My iPhone and I have a love/hate relationship. Being able to contact anyone, at any time is a great feature – unless I am in the middle of quiet time and get one call after the other. 

As a person who is directionally challenged in small closets and bathrooms, I love that my phone can direct me to my exact destination – unless I miss my turn and have to listen to a very irritated voice spitting out “recalculating, recalculating.”

But my love/hate of my iPhone is the most obvious when I use my voice to text a message. How wonderful that I can touch one little spot on my phone – a mic – and speak my message rather than trying to type what I want to say. That is until my phone decides to interpret my voice conversation on its own. Let me explain.

I call my sister at 7 am every morning, almost without fail. We both have busy schedules and it makes sense to call before the day gets crazy for either of us. One particular morning I was running late and decided to hit the mic button and send her a text by voice. What I said was “Getting ready for dentist appointment. Will call in a bit.” But what my phone heard when I spoke was “Getting ready for disappointment. Will fall in a pit.” Mercy.

Fortunately, I glanced down just before I hit the send button and corrected my message. But later, as I recalled that text, I thought about my prayer life and wondered if that is exactly how I pray sometimes: Getting myself ready for disappointment by not believing that God will answer as I have prayed. Hoping He will answer; wondering if I said just the right words in just the right way. Maybe even feeling deep inside that what I am asking is too hard for God or that He really doesn’t care one way or the other.

Have you ever done that? No, you say? What about praying that the cancer will disappear but thinking “It’s spread too much. There’s no way my husband can be healed.” or praying for a prodigal child while thinking “she is too far gone. Nothing will ever change her mind.”

May I just remind you who you are talking with when you pray? The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the God of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End, Jehovah, Lord, The Most High God.








He gave up everything He owned to purchase us, His children He loves more than anything in all creation. And we wonder if He can or will answer our prayers? Our Father raised the dead, parted seas, gave sight to the blind, caused those who could not walk to run, closed the mouths of lions, and opened prison doors. He is very capable of hearing and answering our prayers.

It comes down to this: pray with confidence. Pray with the assurance that He hears and answers. Your words do not need to be fancy because He is faithful to His children. Will you always get the answer that YOU want? No, because the wisdom of the Lord covers everything in our lives. That is where trust comes in. Trust that the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of our beating hearts, knows what is best for us in our lives.

So the next time you pray, resist the urge to pray with disappointment; instead, approach the God of the Universe with boldness and confidence. He hears, He understands and He answers.



Father, forgive me for praying but not believing that you can or will answer when I call on your name. You are a faithful Father and I love you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.



R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Have you ever prayed but felt like your prayer was not heard or would not be answered?


If so, why did you believe you were not heard by the Lord?

Apply

Write the Power Scriptures on note cards and keep them paper-clipped together in your Bible.


Before your prayer time each day, read the Scripture on each card and praise the Lord for hearing and answering your prayer requests.

Power

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” *


Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”


Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”





at March 05, 2023 No comments:





Sunday, February 26, 2023

Sign on the Dotted Line



“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Colossians 2:13b-14 (NIV)

“Jude is going to ride the “Electric Slide” this year, Grandma,” my granddaughter Ella told me with a confident smile. “What makes you so sure?” I asked her. It wasn’t that Jude hated riding the Electric Slide at Silver Dollar City; it was actually just the opposite. More than anything Jude wanted to experience that ride with his brother and sister.

The problem was that every time they got in line, Jude stood at a distance, hands in pockets, trying desperately to explain that he just didn’t like the ride but failing to hide the fact that he was just too frightened.

“Oh, he will ride this year,” she repeated, “because I made him sign a contract.” I couldn’t believe it! “You made your 5-year-old brother sign a contract? Why?” Ella, with all the wisdom of an 8-year-old, replied “He keeps saying he wants to ride and then he chickens out every time. But he really does want to ride it, Grandma. He’s just scared. So I told him that when he signs a contract, he HAS to do what it says.”

I couldn’t help but ask. “And if he doesn’t? If he changes his mind again, what will happen?” Ella gave me a sideways glance and grinned. “Well, if he doesn’t ride, Jude is going to have to kiss our dog Sadie on the mouth.” Mercy.

A written, binding contract. Paul mentions it in Colossians 2:13-14. He calls it a “written code.” It was a handwritten acknowledgment by a debtor of his debts, in other words, a type of contract that the Colossians lived by. Paul explained that no matter how hard the people tried to follow every regulation of that code, the result would always be a failure.

In the same way, the Mosaic Law of their time made them debtors to God because of sin. But Paul encourages them with the good news – GREAT news – that Jesus canceled those debts in that “written code” by nailing them to the cross. He paid in full what they could not.

Here’s my question: what contracts have you “signed” today that you have already broken? The “No-Gossip Contract?” How about the “Anti-Envy Agreement?” Or maybe the “Never Lie Pledge?”

Jesus paid in full what we never could. He tore up those contracts by nailing them to the cross. Allow Christ to cancel the contracts you are holding on to as He forgives your sins and nails them to the cross.

Oh, the end of the story for Jude? When they arrived at the “Electric Slide,” he was too short and was not allowed to ride. He received an official pardon from Ella and she canceled the contract.

Father, thank you. Thank you for taking my sins and nailing them to the cross. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Can you think of rules in your life as a Christian that you try to obey perfectly every day?

Is your record spotless or have you failed in some areas?

Apply

Write the sins in your life that you are struggling with on pieces of paper.

Tie two sticks together in the shape of a small wooden cross. Tie those pieces of paper to the cross and toss them on a bonfire as you give them to Jesus.

Power

Colossians 2:13b-14 (NIV) “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Matthew 5:37 (NIV) “Simply let your ‘Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No’: anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

I John 1:9 (NIV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)