I like to think of myself as a “prayer warrior”. I talk to the Father a lot. When I am joyful, I pray. When I am hurting, I pray. When I am confused, I pray. Before I make decisions in my life, I pray. When others ask, I pray. When I don’t know what else to do, I pray. So I find myself continually talking to the Father. But I had to stop and ask myself if I was TRULY praying in a way that reflected my trust in Him or was I just basically talking to myself? Was I praying in a way that turned it over to the Lord and trusted Him to work in my life? I had to stop and get in the word and do some true soul searching.
Prayer is not just about me talking to God, though that is part of it. Me, talking to Him is part of the relationship that I have with Him. Imagine going through an entire day without talking to your husband, even in his presence. It would not reflect a healthy relationship. We know that God is always with us. We even read in Psalm 145:18, that “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. To all who call upon Him in truth.” So I truly believe that we all acknowledge that God is with us, that He cares for us. I do pray knowing that He is there for me.
Praying to God is not just talking about me and my needs, wants and desires, God already knows those parts of me. It’s not sharing with Him so that He has a better understanding of me. That’s silly talk! He knows everything about me. (Psalm 139) Prayer is for me to show my trust in Him. My trust that He is indeed working in and in charge of, my life.
It’s easy to say that we believe, “and all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive” (Matt. 21:22), but is it reflected in our lives? Do I pray and turn my “worries” over to Him, trusting Him to know the right way to go? I read, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:5), and then I pray for His guidance. Now what? Let it go! Trust Him! Trust Him to work in your life! Trust Him to lead in your life! Trust Him to work in the lives of others!
“How?”, you ask. Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice! Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We have SO much to rejoice about! Even when we feel life’s burdens weighing so heavily upon us. Even in times of great sorrow. Even in times of sickness. We always have an abundance to rejoice about! Jesus died for us. We have hope through Him. So when you are praying about the “hard times”, hold on to the blessings, they are there for you. Rejoice!
So often when we pray we are listing off our worries for the Lord. We aren’t turning them over to Him, no, we want to wear them like an old favorite shirt. I know that I am a controller, that is a huge part of my personality. Believe me, it can drive a person crazy! When people in my life start making decisions that I can’t control, I hurt. When life spins out of control, I hurt. But I had to learn that I am NOT in charge, God is. I had to learn to be anxious for nothing! God is in charge. He loves us dearly and is wanting to carry that burden for us. (1 Peter 5:7)
When I finally learned to pray in a way that turned my heart and mind over to the Lord I received that promised peace. When I learned to trust in Him and let my worries go I received that peace. That peace that surpasses all comprehension. That peace that guards my heart and my mind because I am in Christ Jesus. How can I go through the struggles in my life and be joyful? Because I trust that my God is in charge and that gives me peace. Oh, I’m human, I still have my “controlling” moments, but my life has changed in ways I cannot even put into words when I learned to pray and trust that my Lord was in charge. I will be praying for you to have that peace as well! Say your prayers and let it go! Trust God to work in your life!
“Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8
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Welcome! We are so glad you stopped by. Come Fill Your Cup is a group of Christian ladies dedicated to equipping women for study and service. We know you are busy and that life’s hectic pace pulls you in so many directions, but you can’t truly be the woman God desires unless you take time to fill your own cup…not with spa days (though we love a good spa!) or the latest novel…but with God’s Holy Word. We want to help you with that! Our goal is to reach you in the midst of your busy day and give you encouragement, education, and fellowship as you strive to live the life God has laid before you. Our prayer is that we can help fill your cup so that you, in turn, can overflow to all those around you. So, as we like to say…come fill your cup, and let it overflow!
Thank you, Tami!!