When "I am in trouble, Lord!"

I just had a moment this morning… I was just going to look quickly at my e-Sword (Bible Study software) for just one quick thing because, “I had other things to do…” but…

When I opened the software my “Daily Devotion” popped up, and the words of F.B. Meyer (written in the 1930’s – during the “Great” Depression) caught my heart, and I knew that I had to share them.

He uses as his Scripture Isaiah 38:14b which in the New Living Translation says (rather bluntly) “I am in trouble Lord. Help me!” And then Meyer goes on to say:

"THIS PRAYER is so indefinite that it will suit any emergency, and yet brimful of faith that God will undertake all responsibility. Are you oppressed with the sense of failure, with temptation, with the consciousness of sin?

Or oppressed with poverty, or debt, or the fear of unemployment, or with inability to find work? Or cast down with bitter persecution within or without your home? Or sorely beset and hindered by ill-health, the hopelessness of recovery?

All these eases of oppression are included in this petition, and may be handed over to your faithful Creator, with the certainty that He is as willing as He is able to undertake for you. He is never weary of hearing your cry; the Everlasting Arms are never tired; and our God neither slumbers nor sleeps.

What may we expect from a prayer so simple, yet so comprehensive? We shall know God."

Read the familiar story of Hezekiah’s cry when God (through Isaiah) told him that he was going to die. We remember Hezekiah’s turning to the wall and crying, but we may not know that later in that chapter we are told what he actually prayed.

Meyer goes on to say:
“At the pit we learn God's Love. How can we measure God's love? They say that a man's fist is the measure of his heart. Come and stand beneath the stars! There is God's hand! Now judge His heart! It is illimitable!

By that love He has put our sins behind His back into the ocean depths!

With that love He has drawn us out of the pit of our sins!

By that love He bears with our cold response and languid petitions!

Through that love He will bring us to glory! His is a love that will never let us go!

Then he ends with:
"Take the hand of Jesus to steady you; look down into the hole of the pit from which you have been redeemed, and then look up to the Throne of God to which He passed at His Ascension, and recall His own words: "where I am, there shall ye be also." Trust Him to undertake for your little life!"

Part of his prayer closes with:
"May I trust more than I know, and believe more than I see; and when my heart is overwhelmed within me, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

To which we add… Amen!

Now What

So, it's been 30 days (see http://prayerlogue.blogspot.com/2010/01/time-of-preparation.html ) and now I'm feeling like John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:3ff and Luke 7:18ff)

Did I really hear God? Is this really what He wants me to do? I'm cold, I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I'm depressed. (However, I don't think I'm awaiting beheading... maybe not...)

I've been fasting ("daytime" fasts) for 30 days now, and I'm discouraged. Like John, I want, I need to know if I "heard" correctly. I was so sure when I started. And indeed, for the first week I seemed to hear God more clearly in scripture... but now...

Now, I'm back to the same ole struggle. Just what am I supposed to be doing? Where's the door? If God really wants me to serve, then where's the door?

I'm discouraged over our church and our denomination. But, there's nothing I can do about it.

I've told our children over and over, "Just pray about (whatever) God will show you an answer..." And I do believe that... in my heart.

"Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief..." and forgive me.

Prayer preface - Worship

As my husband goes to the church to work on his music, and I have dishes to do, I think, “This is a good time to pray…”

And I begin…

Oh Lord, I must begin with worship; not because You need my worship, but that I need to say it. I need to affirm it…

Because, O Lord, there is no hurt that I can feel, that You have not already felt.
There is no question I can have, that You don’t already know the answer to; and there is no fear that I can fear that You are not bigger than… because You are God.

You are God, and You know everything - You are Omniscient.
You are all powerful – You are Omnipotent.
You are everywhere – You are Omnipresent.
And, You are GOD!

(And I am overwhelmed with the idea that the dishes will just have to wait, because I need to write this down…)

I just have to affirm that worship. I just have to drink that into my very being.
“Be still…” the Psalmist said, “And know that I Am God.” But what he/He really said was, “Cease striving…” “Don’t kick against the pricks; don’t kick against the goads…”

And I immediately ask, “Lord! What in the world does that mean?” And I find it means “to offer vain and rash resistance which is a proverbial expression alluding to unruly oxen and applied to those who by unruly rage hurt themselves.”

And I cry out, “Oh God! I do do that, don’t I?” In my case (at least at “this” age) it’s not so much “rage” or anger anymore, as it is fear, and discouragement, and an ache in my heart for those I love… but still, it is “vain and rash resistance…” to being still and knowing that You are God.

Help me, O Lord. Help me.

Even in my praise; even in my worship; remind me O Lord, that I am Your child, and You love me.

As I lift up, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. You are Holy, O my Saviour, my Redeemer! You are Worthy to be Praised… and I will praise You, Most Holy One.

And now, Father… “Abba”, let me crawl upon Your lap, lay my head on Your shoulder, and feel Your arms around me while I pray…

Upon disagreeing with another

My Father and my God, as I bow at the throne of grace, I pray for one with whom I stringently disagree; for one who also calls You, "Father." God! We can’t both be right for we are diametrically opposed.

God, I pray, please don’t let me misunderstand your Word - please don’t let me mis-believe. This is not a matter of "un" belief - but of "mis" belief. One of us is wrong… If it is me - please open my eyes!

God, this man has more credentials after his name than I can ever hope to achieve. I am an uneducated woman, with my only education coming from being on my knees with Your Book in front of me…

My Father, I cannot understand the mystery of how Your Son can be fully God and fully man, but I believe that He was. I believe He made no errors. I believe He was infallible. I believe, Lord, that He had NO sin until He took mine upon Himself. I believe He is the ONLY way to salvation…

If this man is right, and I am wrong, then I’m still ok. For he says that You are too loving to condemn someone simply because they believe differently than Your Word states.

But If I am right… and Your Word is true (in entirety) then how many, oh Lord are being misdirected because of his words…?

God, my heart aches and my stomach churns as I wrestle with this. How can I have words to answer what I know to be true in my heart? I do not know how to answer! I have not been taught how to respond! God… how do I give an accounting for what I believe?

I (in my simplicity) go to Your Word - but that’s the problem. He does not believe in the accuracy of Scripture.

And so, I state again Lord. Please! Don’t let me misunderstand… don’t let me mis-believe… I have no where else to turn; no one else to whom I can turn. As Peter said to Christ, "to Whom shall I go? You alone have the gift of Life…"

And as the old song states, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly cling to Jesus’ Name. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand… All other ground is sinking sand…"

In His precious Name I plead, and pray - Amen.

Prayer for our Nation

After reading Lamentations, chapters 4-5 this morning, I just began praying, and this is where it went...

Oh Father, I pray for this nation. I pray for the leaders of our nation. Today and every day, fill them with Your spirit and Your guidance.

Father, as we are going into a time of elections, as the debates and the “positioning” has begun… open our eyes as we seek whom we should vote for, lead us in our choice of leaders, and decision makers…

But oh Lord, even as we pray this prayer, as we cry out, we are afraid that You will give us what we “deserve.” That in giving us what we “need” You will allow us to be carried into “captivity” as You did those who bore Your very Name.

But in many ways, we are already in captivity - the captivity of our souls and our hearts. How? By the “prince” of this world? No, we don’t even recognize that there is such a person.

By the “things” of this world? No, for we “need” every thing we have… so we think.

Really?

Fifty million dollar yachts? Million dollar “second” homes? Several hundred square-foot closets!? Oh God! Forgive us!

And even for us to whom such spending seems vulgar - may we take a long and hard look at our own spending… for “he who is unfaithful in little, will be unfaithful in much…”

Father we realize that it isn’t the money, or the earning of money that is evil - it is what we do with it! We are entrusted with such a huge amount of the world’s resources, and yet… still… the world is hungry… And we must ask ourselves, is my neighbor hungry?

Please Father, don’t give us what we deserve. Don’t give us what we need. Have mercy on us, and forgive us. And lead us to elect a leader who will bring us back to the place of righteousness… unless we have gone too far…

God I pray for revival in this land, in our churches and in our own hearts. I pray that we Your people, who are called by Your name, will turn from our ways, and pray, and that indeed, You will heal our land…

In Jesus’ Name - Amen

Prayer for A Desire to Know God

God, as I sit reading Your Word, I begin to feel a stirring in my soul. And the farther I read the more troubled I become, until I can be still no longer.

Tears come to my eyes as I cry out GOD! - My God, and my Father. Teach me Thy Word! Teach me an understanding of Thy Word!

My soul is burdened Lord. Why is there so little emphasis in our church, put on knowing Thy Word? How else are we to know You?

Why Lord, did I get to more than 50 years old before I learned of “paradisos” - “the king’s private garden” - my King’s private garden… Your “paradise”…

Where is the teaching in our church, Lord? This is but one example of what we’re not being taught.

Oh God, I want to know You. I want to know Your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to know Your Holy Spirit. I want to serve You, my God and my Saviour! How Lord? There is so much I don’t know…

And if I don’t know - with the hours of study I put in, and with the desire I have to know, how much less do those know who have no desire to seek on their own…?

Does the fault lie within our pulpits? Or does the fault lie within the hearts of men (and women.) Which comes first, Lord? Must the pastors create the desire by the ever teaching of the Word? Or must the desire come first to seek out Your precepts?

Paul said, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?”

GOD! Which comes first… which… comes… first?

As I meditate on this I realize… Paul was right. He was writing by Your inspiration and the “breath” of Your Holy Spirit. One cannot call upon You without the stirring of Your Spirit in their soul. But how can they call upon You if they don’t believe that You “are.”

And how can they believe that You “are” without hearing of You? And how can they hear of You without someone telling them? And how can someone tell them unless they are sent, and how can they be sent unless they know and listen to You?

God, I pray for our pastors, and anyone who fills our pulpits or stands behind our lecterns. What an awesome privilege, what an awesome responsibility You have called us to. If we are called by Your name, we are called to share Your message.

God grant us an ever burning desire to know You more clearly, to love You more dearly, and to serve You more nearly - and then Lord, fill us with a burden to share that passion so that all the world may desire to know You as well

In Jesus’ Holy Name - Amen.