I'm re-reading a devotional I have read many times, and have many times shared in here, Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson. I love his stories that he shares and how they can apply to specific situations. The one I read today is no different. It's on shameless audacity.
What is it? Shameless audacity is (in this case) praying for something that you have hopes of it happening, have no idea how it can happen, everything in reality is against it happening, and yet, you believe that God will answer - because His Name is on the line. Now that is my definition.
Like what is going to happen today. We are praying for mercy. We are going to God with everything we have, and calling on His Name, and asking with shameless audacity for a miracle. Because His Name is on the line. So much is on the line today and what happens today in the electoral college sets the future for our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren.
Lord, please have mercy on our nation. Turn our hearts back to You, for without You we are but dust. Break the curses put upon our nation, Lord, and restore us back to You. Your prophets have declared truth in Your Name; Your Name is at stake. For such a time as this, Lord, will You answer? Will you have mercy on us?
A song has been running through my mind since I got up this morning...."Be still and know..." which comes from Psalm 46:10. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.
To share some things from this day's reading.... When we pray, we relieve ourselves of responsibility. We let go and let God. We take our hands off and put our concerns into the hands of Almighty God. And trust me, He can handle whatever we put in His hands. Sometimes we're afraid of praying for miracles because we are afraid that God won't answer, but the answer isn't up to us. We never know if the answer will be yes, no, or not yet. But the answer isn't up to us. It's not our job to answer; it's our job to ask. And Jesus exhorts us to ask. "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." These three words - ask, seek, and knock - are present imperative verbs. In other words, they aren't something we do once; they are actions that are repeated over and over and over again. Keep asking, Keep seeking, Keep knocking.
God doesn't answer prayer to bring glory to us; God answers prayer to bring glory to His Name. Have you been praying about this day? Your prayers may be what is going to turn God to us. No matter what the electoral college does, how we respond is even more important. We do know that if it is in (what we believe) God's favor, we will rejoice in it. But we also know there will be an outpouring of violence, because that is how dark this nation has become.
Yeah, I needed to delete that paragraph that I just wrote. I have my own opinions, and I must trust God that He will intervene in the darkness of this nation and give us hope in the future. Oh God, please look down upon us and give us mercy!
Changing subjects..... one of my bosses had sent me an email Monday evening that her mother had COVID and it didn't look like she was going to make it through the night. Her mother has had COPD and has not been in good health, so this may take her. And it would be COVID taking her life. Did I pray for her mother? Yes, and in shameless audacity, I did ask for her mother to be healed. Was she? Will she be? I don't know. I didn't hear anymore yesterday, and I will text my boss' husband later today if I haven't heard anything, to see how she is. Do I believe that God can heal her mother and restore her? Yes I do. But will He? I don't know. I may get on the computer this morning and read that she is gone. And it's sad, for I'm pretty sure this 80+ year old woman in Wisconsin does not know Jesus personally. Which means her children do not know Jesus personally. I know my boss doesn't. I amuse her when I talk about Jesus and when I preach at the RV parks. I can tell I amuse her just by her comments.
When you don't know Jesus personally, you have no idea what a difference He can make in your life. You may think you have succeeded all on your own, but He can take it away with just a glance. Or He can bless you abundantly and give you all you need, and more. Yes, I believe that.
For some reason the thought has occurred to me of when I suffered from migraines back in my 30's and 40's. Only a few times did I take to the bed for quiet rest. But I can remember getting on my knees to pray and my head would be hurting so bad that I could hardly think - and I would ask God to remove the pain, and help me to function throughout the day. And He would. Eventually He healed me of the constant migraines and I rarely have a headache now that could be considered a migraine. Sinus headaches when our atmosphere gets upset - yes, I get those. But those that send me to bed, no, thanks to God's grace. I sought Him, I asked Him, and I pounded on the doors of heaven for relief - and He gave it. Thank you Jesus.
Well Hallelujah! I just got a text from USPS that my package should be delivered today between 2:30PM and 6:30PM. Are you kidding me? 10 days later and my 3 day delivery package may be delivered? Could it be? I reckon I will know when I get a call from my sister that her package has arrived!
And that's my God. Just when I have given up, He makes it happen. Yesterday it showed the package in Phoenix. Today is shows being delivered in Indiana.
Seek Him, Ask Him, Knock on the door of Heaven. Keep seeking, keep asking, keep knocking. He will answer. Trust Him.
Blessings!
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