Cover Your Needs in Prayer

“Therefore I will teach them—
   this time I will teach them
   my power and might.
Then they will know
   that my name is the LORD." Jeremiah 16:21

I've said it before, when I read about the same thing more than once during my morning devotions, it's probably something God wants me to learn. Though today I'm hoping it's something I've already learned, but maybe God wants me to write about, or maybe it's just something that God's confirming for me...

It's actually kind of appropriate that this is the way my thinking is going this morning, because that's what I want to talk about; the uncertainty of whether or not we're doing what God's telling us to do.

I ran into this this summer, as I was working through the decision of what to do with my foot. On the one hand, I could just sit back and say, "God will heal this, therefore I need to do nothing." I could also have said, "I'm going to make my decision totally independent of God and just listen to the doctors." What I decided to do was say, "I will take into account what the doctors say, I will also pray about it and see if I can learn God's will on the subject. Then I'll make the decision."

The way it ultimately worked out was; I heard the recommendations from the doctors, then I took two weeks to pray, and seek Godly counsel on the subject. I even worked out for me to take a trip to Pennsylvania during this decision time so I was able to talk it over with some of my best friends. When it came to decision time, I decided that, while I did trust that God could heal my ankle, I didn't want to close myself off from other solutions because, ultimately,. that would be putting God in a box and saying "Sure, God, I know you can do it, so do it." I set the date for the amputation surgery, believing that if God wanted to heal me, He would, but I couldn't keep putting it off.

Do I feel this is what God wanted me to do? Absolutely. I'm even more sure now that I'm on this end of the surgery. Did I believe that God could heal me? You betcha. I was praying (and had others praying with me) for healing up to the point and even while I was in the room, prepping for surgery.

If all goes well, I will be getting my new foot in a few hours. I can tell you what that means to me, but I can't get the full impact of that across in these words. In a word, it means freedom. I had been in pain from my right ankle for the last three years, I no longer have that pain. I have been hobbled by the issues in my right ankle for the last few years, I'll no longer be hobbled by that. And even in the shorter view, I've been in a wheelchair for the last six months, I'll be out of that soon. I haven't been able to drive my car for six months as well, plans are in place for getting that fixed.

It's very hard to know we made the right decision on the front side of that decision, we only really know if we made the right decision after we've gone through with it. I was sure I had made the right decision before I went through with it and what's happened since has only confirmed what I was feeling. I know that for me, it's because I bathed it in prayer and asked others to pray with me, and God granted me the clarity and confidence to be sure about it beforehand. I wish I could say He'd do that with everyone if they believed Him like I did, but I can't. Sometimes God still chooses to withhold that from us, I can't tell you why but, if you refer to my last post, I already know I'm not as smart as God.

What I can say is that you have a better chance of having that confidence if you make sure to cover your decisions in prayer.

My hymn for today is "Sweet Hour of Prayer"

1. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
   That calls me from a world of care,
   And bids me at my Father’s throne
   Make all my wants and wishes known.
   In seasons of distress and grief,
   My soul has often found relief,
   And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
   By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
2. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
   The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
   Of those whose anxious spirits burn
   With strong desires for thy return!
   With such I hasten to the place
   Where God my Savior shows His face,
   And gladly take my station there,
   And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
3. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
   Thy wings shall my petition bear
   To Him whose truth and faithfulness
   Engage the waiting soul to bless.
   And since He bids me seek His face,
   Believe His Word and trust His grace,
   I’ll cast on Him my every care,
   And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!