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Does Prayer Really Work? | Day 21 of #30DaysOfBlogging

September 29, 2019 · LIFESTYLE

I thought I knew all there was to know about prayer.

Growing up in a Christian community, I prayed often. I learned the Lord's Prayer as soon as I could speak and said it every meal time with my family. I went to private Christian schools where requests were made and prayers offered all the way through my senior year of college. Then I went on to teach in a Christian school where I was now the one leading prayer time with my students and contributing prayers at home with my husband.

But then we hit a season that made us feel like our prayers went unheard. I've talked about my miscarriage openly - but actually, that pregnancy and subsequent loss had brought us closer to God in prayer than we had ever been. While we waited in between appointments, we prayed constantly, fearing the worst could happen. And when we lost that child, we prayed about everything - for opportunities to open for us to tell someone, for sustained faith, and for the strength just to make it through another day without breaking down in front of our coworkers. Now this story is a testament to the fact that God does indeed hear and answer prayer.

It was the season of waiting before that pregnancy that had us questioning whether our prayers were actually heard. Praying for a baby became a nightly routine for us as we waited and watched other families grow. And the longer we waited, the more bitter, jealous, frustrated and hopeless we became. As the weeks and months flew by, we would pray that same prayer over and over, but nothing changed. I wondered why God would encourage covenant families to have children so often in Scripture, then refuse to answer that prayer for us.

Does God really hear your prayer?

That small seed of doubt caused bitterness and tension in my relationship with the Lord. Make no mistake - the enemy does not want you to believe that God hears you. And when we were going through this season of waiting, Satan caused me to question what I knew to be true about prayer - that God hears me because of Christ and is powerful and loving enough to do exceedingly more than I ask (Ephesians 3:20).

Because of what Jesus has accomplished for us, we can trust that we now have full privilege to pray, knowing that God lovingly receives that prayer. Our prayers don't need to be fancy. We don't need to use uncommon words to make them seem worthy. We simply need to bring our hearts - whether they are broken, joyful, relieved, frustrated, disappointed, or grieved. He already knows the needs and desires of our hearts, but He desires fellowship with us in prayer. Be confident that when you pray sincerely in the name of Jesus, God hears.

What if my prayer isn't answered?

When we finally found out that I was pregnant, I felt reassured that God really does answer prayer. I couldn't wait to meet this little one and to raise him or her to know the faithfulness of God. But sadly, we lost our baby at 9 weeks - just enough time to prepare emotionally for this new life, only to have it taken away.

Was this a sick joke? Did God play the waiting game with me just to give me what I asked for and then take it away so quickly? I felt like my prayer was answered, and then it wasn't.

I was so wrong.

You see, God doesn't play games with our hearts. He is mighty and merciful and is, indeed, doing exceedingly greater things than we could ask or imagine. If I hadn't waited on the Lord (Psalm 27:14), if I hadn't experienced how the Lord gives and takes away (Job 1:21), I would have never been able to write this. I would never be able to share my story of waiting, loss, pain, and bitterness with others who are walking the same path. God has provided a way for that to happen.

I still don't know the joy of holding a newborn in my arms for the first time, and I don't know when I will. God didn't answer my prayer the way I thought He would, but He provided a space for me to speak truth to those who long to hear it. Our prayers may not be answered the way we think they will, but God is writing an unseen story that is greater than what we've asked for.

I still pray the same prayer. Motherhood is the desire of my heart, and I believe that the Lord may answer that prayer in due time. But until then, I wait in confidence, knowing that prayer does work - more than I could ever imagine.

Dancing in the Rain | Day 14 of #30DaysofBlogging

September 22, 2019 · LIFESTYLE

Doesn't rain make you want to hunker down indoors?

As the rain poured outside my window today, I already looked forward to my afternoon Sunday nap. Something about dark, stormy days just makes me want to retreat to my safe, warm bed. Why do so many love songs make mention of dancing in the rain?

But then I remembered a time when, during my regular walk through the park, a random cloudburst sent rain pouring down out of nowhere. My walk quickly turned into a run so I could get home and dry off as soon as possible. As I ran, I passed a couple of teenagers who, instead of running for dry shelter, danced playfully in the rain. I kept running, but a smile spread infectiously across my face. I wished in that moment that I could be like them again.

When it Rains, it Pours

Rain is inevitable in nature and in life. A random cloudburst of rain might put a damper on the plans you made for yourself. And sometimes, it seems like when it rains, it pours. One small problem can quickly reveal a much bigger underlying issue, and it can feel like your whole world is flooding.

In times of trouble, we find it much easier to shelter ourselves and try to push through the rain, don't we? We choose to complain about our situation instead of recognizing the ways we should be grateful. We choose to grumble about our wet socks and run, rather than dancing in the rain.

Dancing in the Rain

James 1:2-3 encourages this: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." It may feel counter-intuitive to rejoice when we lose our job, suffer a loss, or go through a rough patch in our marriage. And of course, there is room for grief, remorse, and confusion when we face trials. But even through a downpouring of difficulties, we can confidently dance for joy because our faith is growing and the Lord is faithful to provide.

The rain will fall, and we will struggle through it; but joy is ours through the promise of hope that we have in the Lord.

Comfort in an Age of Anxiety | Day 7 of #30DaysOfBlogging

September 15, 2019 · LIFESTYLE

Anxiety doesn't seem like it should be part of the Christian life.

When we suffer through life's difficulties and struggle internally with anxiety, many wonder why we put our trust in a God who clearly doesn't care about His own creatures. It seems utterly foolish to the world - but oh, how He loves us, and how He knows our hurting hearts.

Fear is a real threat for everyone, including Christians. The belief that God directs all things does not place Christians in a bubble, shielded from the darkness of this world. We are susceptible to horrific, tragic, aching realities - and our anxiety about it is real. It's important to acknowledge that anxiety about how we're going to face another day is a real threat that can't simply be "prayed away" or "fixed." Jesus himself experienced deep, aching anxiety in Gethsemane as he prayed for another way to complete the Father's will.

It's important that we empathize and acknowledge when a loved one is suffering through a difficult trial or anxiety. We need to come to terms with the fact that this life is hard - especially for those who have faith. It can be tiresome to profess our hope in the "not yet" while still living in the "now."

Yet, we can rest knowing that God hears our hearts.

Psalm 56:3 says "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You." When we rest on the promises God has given us in His word and pray for comfort and strength, we can put fear and anxiety to rest. We serve a God who keeps a record (verse 8) of our petitions made and tears shed. He hears and knows our hearts and is faithful to provide the strength we need to withstand each day. His grace and goodness is sufficient for all of the worries we carry around.

That doesn't mean that once we pray, we'll be healed for good from all our trouble. We will still experience a cycle of distress and comfort - that's the reality of living in the kingdom of God that has come, but not in its fullness. We look ahead to a day when tears and pain will pass away in the eternal presence of the Lord. Yet, we live in a fallen and broken world - and we are called to suffer, even as we profess the goodness and faithfulness of God.

This way of living is a light in the darkness.

Often I find myself most inspired by those who have professed the goodness of God through the most unimaginable circumstances. In the church where I grew up, a devoted couple lost their daughter in a horrific murder. Yet they forgave her murderer's terrible crime and publicly glorified God, even as they grieved the loss of their daughter. I think about them often when I'm faced with a mountain that seems too impossible to climb.

God is sufficient to carry you through every season of your life, even if the pain never really goes away. And in our steadfastness and unrelenting praise, God's glory and power are evident to those who may not yet know Him. He is able to relieve us from our burdens - and He will complete the work He has begun in us. We need only to put our hope in Him.