Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Dealing with Life through Prayer
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Not To Us by Chris Tomlin; Glory by Hillsong; Rescue by Desperation Band
Read: Philippians 3:8; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Romans 8:28
Think: In this past weekend's sermon, Ben called out one of the hang-ups of prayer is not being sure if it matters. When we pray and don't get the outcome we want, it may be tempting to think of prayer as in-effective. My father-in-law is wheel-chair bound with MS, a disease he has suffered with for over 20 years. He is a believer, and over the years has had countless numbers of people pray for him for healing, but has not been healed. It would be tempting in this situation to view prayer as a waste of energy. But through prayer, God has done something far greater in his life than physical healing. In the 20+ years of wrestling with the continuing physical loss from MS, he has become a man of deep faith and has come to intimately know Christ. Through prayer, he has found something he views as far more valuable than the ability to walk or be physically whole. Recently in a conversation with my wife, he made the comment that given the choice, he wouldn't change his 20+ year struggle with MS because of the depth of intimacy it has brought him with God. While we sometimes don't get the outcome we are praying for, we can have faith that "all things God works for the good of those who love him." (Romans 8:28) Sometimes prayer is more about what God wants to do in us than what we want Him to do for us.
Do: Continue to share with God your heart and your desires, and ask him to show you how he is working in every situation, no matter how hard or painful it is.
Pray: God, thank you that you love me and want to hear my voice. Thank you that you want me to share my struggles and pains and burdens with you. Help me to trust that you have my best interests in mind, even when the outcome is not what I'd planned or hoped for.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church. |
