Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011
Weekend Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Blueprints for a Better Life - A "How To" Guide On Prayer
This eDevotional was written by a volunteer from Timberlake Church.
Read: Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 40:8, Proverbs 1:33
Think: I am one of those Christians that Pastor Ben mentioned on Sunday whose unanswered prayers led me to Jesus. It’s not that I didn’t believe, but it took some rather dire consequences in my life to see that God really does have my best interest in mind. But that’s a story for another time.
I have seen that pattern repeat itself in my life so that I now take note when I sense I am heading down a potentially hazardous path. How do I know when that is happening? It is generally through my prayer time. It is when I, as Pastor Ben put it, ‘tell God that I am committed to His priorities’, that I am more able to discern a wrong turn, make corrections and most importantly that He changes my heart and gives me peace.
As silly as it may sound, one such time that I was praying for God’s will was with my son’s college choice. He is a gifted student and we were in the angst of his applying to top private engineering colleges in the country. We were totally caught up in the ‘college race’. As the reality of him being accepted (or rejected) got closer, I sensed God revealing to me more about my own selfish desires and pride.
The day before the first notification was announced online, I got a startling wake-up call in my morning devotional. The day’s scripture reading was Isaiah 55:8-9.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
I knew when I saw this that a rocky road was ahead. The rejection letters came in one after another. Our dreams and more importantly our son’s dreams were being dashed. I kept reminding my son though that his value was not dictated by what these colleges thought. I helped him to grieve the loss of that dream and to place his hope in God’s dreams. It was a painful process to watch and to be a part of.
We ended up selecting the college that wasn’t even really on his radar. What has been so gratifying about this is that after we made the decision and truly surrendered our desires to accept God’s will in this, we all started to see the great opportunities that awaited him at this school. God’s ‘icing on the cake’ was our son’s receipt of a large scholarship shortly after we finalized the decision. It was one of those many moments on my journey when I really could be thankful even when things didn’t go according to what I’d prayed and planned for.
These spiritual markers remind me of God’s faithfulness, to trust in Him and to stay connected in prayer. I need His peace to navigate even my day to day activities.
Do: Spend some dedicated quiet time with God this week. Thank Him for the many blessings that He has given you. Ask God if there is an area of your life that you need to make His priority be your priority. Listen for His still, quiet voice. Be ready to take the next step of faith.
Pray: Lord, I want to live by your standards. I want to live in obedience to Your will for my life. Help me to see any area of my life where I may be living in ‘sanctified disobedience’. Help me to make any course corrections I need to make in my life and to not condemn myself for any bad choices I have made in the past. Grant me the peace that surpasses all understanding as I seek to live a life that is wholly pleasing to You. Amen.