Showers of Blessing
Let There Be Showers of Blessing
(This prayer began during “silent prayer time” at Church, but continued in an afternoon expansion of the prayer.)
Oh Father we pray, pour out Your showers of blessing on these your people in this Church this morning. But Father, no sooner do I say those words than I “see” a people carrying umbrellas.
But You do, don’t You? You already pour out Your blessings in such a deluge of Grace and Love that it is incomprehensible - it is beyond our understanding. Why do You love us so? Why do you give us such an abundance of good and wonderful things, and essentially, ask nothing in return? It is a free gift. It is free for the acceptance. And yet we… walk around with our umbrellas up.
Why do we do that?
Why do we keep asking for Your blessings, and yet even as we speak, they are cascading down our huge, golf-type umbrellas, falling to the ground at our feet? Are we really that oblivious to the downpour around us? Or, are we afraid to let down our guard; to close the umbrella; and to let Your blessings soak us to the core?
Are we afraid to expose ourselves to You? Do we think the umbrellas protect what we already have? Don’t we realize that “every good and wonderful gift” comes from You? Just what do we think we’re protecting them from?
Or, deep down, do we know that if we “expose” them to You, we are actually “offering” them to You? And what happens if I “offer” You my time? What happens if I offer You my talents; my intellect, my possessions? God, what happens if I offer my money to You…? Don’t I understand that they were ALL Yours, before they were mine? Don’t I understand that by surrendering everything I am, and everything I have to You, I am gaining far more blessings and the freedom to enjoy them than I ever thought possible?
As long as the umbrella is up, the only blessings I have are what I can “keep dry” and contained underneath the shelter. But, if I close the umbrella, and “risk” everything, then EVERYTHING becomes possible.
God, give me the faith to close the umbrella.
In Jesus’ name.
(This prayer began during “silent prayer time” at Church, but continued in an afternoon expansion of the prayer.)
Oh Father we pray, pour out Your showers of blessing on these your people in this Church this morning. But Father, no sooner do I say those words than I “see” a people carrying umbrellas.
But You do, don’t You? You already pour out Your blessings in such a deluge of Grace and Love that it is incomprehensible - it is beyond our understanding. Why do You love us so? Why do you give us such an abundance of good and wonderful things, and essentially, ask nothing in return? It is a free gift. It is free for the acceptance. And yet we… walk around with our umbrellas up.
Why do we do that?
Why do we keep asking for Your blessings, and yet even as we speak, they are cascading down our huge, golf-type umbrellas, falling to the ground at our feet? Are we really that oblivious to the downpour around us? Or, are we afraid to let down our guard; to close the umbrella; and to let Your blessings soak us to the core?
Are we afraid to expose ourselves to You? Do we think the umbrellas protect what we already have? Don’t we realize that “every good and wonderful gift” comes from You? Just what do we think we’re protecting them from?
Or, deep down, do we know that if we “expose” them to You, we are actually “offering” them to You? And what happens if I “offer” You my time? What happens if I offer You my talents; my intellect, my possessions? God, what happens if I offer my money to You…? Don’t I understand that they were ALL Yours, before they were mine? Don’t I understand that by surrendering everything I am, and everything I have to You, I am gaining far more blessings and the freedom to enjoy them than I ever thought possible?
As long as the umbrella is up, the only blessings I have are what I can “keep dry” and contained underneath the shelter. But, if I close the umbrella, and “risk” everything, then EVERYTHING becomes possible.
God, give me the faith to close the umbrella.
In Jesus’ name.
posted by Betty Newman at 4:39 PM
1 Comments:
Oh, my goodness. This prayer captures the human (Christian) condition. And within these words is the description of why we are not empowered.
Thank you. And Amen.
Post a Comment
<< Home