i have been in somewhat of a spiritual dry lands lately. uninspired and very passive about too many things. not a good place to be. but God showed me something noteworthy the last two nights i tucked the kids in bed...
i wasn't in the mood at all to be spiritual much less teach. i didn't even feel worthy of reading to them considering the day i had. but God had mercy. he sent me to a scripture that lets just say "broke me" my cold heart warmed up just a bit...
the next night, after a day of going from ok to bad to worse again i sat with the kids ready or i should say not ready for another night of reading and prayer. i chose what i thought was something safe...the gospels. i knew the lessons Jesus taught too well. He wasn't going to break me tonight...i was just going to read and get on with my again cold heart. but God had something better in mind. He took me to Luke 11. i began thinking Jesus is teaching the guys about prayer, safe enough... i know about prayer, right?
so now again i sit crying, realizing two nights in a row God has been trying to get my attention while i have been determined with my sour, displaced attitude. i heard Him with so much force i had hope. it sounds a little silly but when you are in a bad place, hope makes you laugh. you could care less because your faith in thin. surely you have been here.
so i tried what this scripture suggests and i prayed. not the way i had been. the one's i had been offering were so emotionless and lacked spirit and heart. this prayer was my first prayer of faith -of true faith in days. i was direct with God, not wistful. and today i have this confession and vision again. i am coming out from the covers and more thankful than i have been all thru the past week of -dare i admit, thanksgiving.
i want to encourage anybody who is reading that may be in the dry lands to keep on reading the words from Jesus below. don't give up. don't underestimate God. just ask.
Luke 11...the message.
Ask for What You Need
1 One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, "Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
2-4So he said, "When you pray, say,
Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil."
5-6Then he said, "Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don't have a thing on hand.'
7"The friend answers from his bed, 'Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.'
8"But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
9"Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
10-13"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"
