“V” is for “eVening, morning, and noon…”

by BetsyFaithPosted on No Comments

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”–Psalm 55:17

When a tree falls in the forest, and there isn’t anyone around to hear it, does it actually make a noise? This rhetorical question prompts us to ponder some deeper thoughts than we might typically consider. It reminds me of this verse in Psalm 55; when I pray and yet I don’t see any movement in a situation, should I ask if God is listening? Sometimes when life gets overwhelming, I start to live like God doesn’t hear my prayers or care about my situation when in reality, I know He does. I have to constantly revisit this truth: It doesn’t matter what time of day or night I cry out; He hears me.

In this chapter, David refers to the fact that he has suffered a betrayal, and not from a known enemy, which would not be surprising, but from someone to whom he was close–a dear friend, perhaps. This fact changes the entire dynamic of the betrayal. David is calling out to God for justice; he asks that those who have perpetrated wickedness against him be punished. In this verse, he is acknowledging that God hears him whenever and wherever he prays. It is a declaration that despite the pain of this betrayal, God is always present and available and so incredibly much more than any earthly relationship can ever provide.

Speaking truth not only to those around us, but also to ourselves is one of the most powerful ways to break the hold of destructive thoughts. It is easy to fall into the traps of doubt, denial, and self-pity when we disregard the truths that we should be standing on. I am writing to myself here. I can’t even number the times I have detoured down a road of living under an assumption that just because I don’t see God moving, He isn’t concerned with what is happening. Matthew 10:30 states that He knows the number of hairs on our heads; what a poetic way of saying that God cares about even the smallest of details in our lives! Speak the truth to yourself and pray with the confidence that this line from the song “Waymaker” so simply states: “even when I don’t see it, You’re working.”

“I” is for “If you ask anything…”

by BetsyFaithPosted on No Comments

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” –John 14:14

This verse has always seemed so simplistic, yet the most complex to understand. God is not a genie in a lamp granting wishes; there are heavily interwoven factors regarding His will and purpose, as well as the direction and intention of my desires. The bottom line is this: prayer is powerful. When we go to God with our struggles and corresponding requests, we don’t typically see an instant response from Him, but regardless of what we “see,” He is always working toward an end–bringing about an objective. 

I am struggling as I write this week; I am facing challenges mentally, physically, financially, and relationally. Under the weight of these circumstances, I am prone to start listening to the lies of the evil one, but I won’t give credence to those lies by even acknowledging them in words here. I feel like Peter when he was walking on the water and took his eyes off of Jesus (Matthew 14:29-31). “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” Matthew doesn’t record Peter’s response, if he gave one. For myself, my response comes back to those lies I referenced. At least, Peter instantly turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, save me!” For some reason, I revert to trying to fix problems myself and don’t always turn to Him as a first response.

More times than I care to revisit, I can relate to floundering about, struggling to keep my head above water–by myself, though Jesus is standing right there. Lately, I’ve faced many “winds” that leave me off-balance and unable to stand with stability…on my own. I can’t see how any of these issues are going to be resolved, and that has always been difficult for me to accept; I want answers. I want to know the plan. I don’t even know what words to pray, but I can take a cue from Peter and pray, “Lord, save me,” and allude to John 14:14, “in Your name.”