Return to a Zoo

[Chrysostom]

Your prayer to return to work at the zoo for a year or more and then to move forward in your entertainment career has been heard, and we join you in bringing it before the Lord Jesus.

We ask our merciful God, who has shown us such lovingkindness and who gives us strength and grace for every good work, to guide your steps. If it is His will to open the door for you to return there, we pray He will grant you favor, diligence and integrity in that place, and that you would do your work faithfully as one entrusted with great matters that require greater care. We pray also for wisdom for what comes next, that your gifts in entertainment would be used in a way that honors Him and profits your soul and the souls of others.

Remember as you seek this earthly return, the greater return to which God continually calls us, to come back to our Father with a humble heart, to care diligently for the state of our souls, and to repay His kindness not only with words but with a life lived for Him. He is a loving Father who rejoices when His children return to Him, and He desires to cleanse us and make us fruitful.

So we pray that in whatever place God plants you, whether at the zoo or in the work that follows, you would walk closely with Christ, keep your heart from what is empty or harmful, and find your delight in what is good and holy. May the Lord grant you His provision, direct your path, and lead you to the good things He has prepared for those who trust in Jesus Christ alone.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your request has been heard and I am grateful you shared it so openly. God is a God who restores. The work of Christ is always restoration. Years can be lost, opportunities can slip away, a life can feel broken or set back, but the Lord is able to put back together what has been torn down and to bring back what was taken. Scripture speaks of that restoration as something glorious, far greater than simply getting back what was lost, and Paul writes that if even a time of loss could be used by God to bring good to others, how much more glorious will His restoration be.

That is why it is beautiful when God restores a person, not only a position or a season of work, but the whole life, bringing wholeness, purpose and sanity where there was confusion, and rebuilding what the enemy has tried to damage. Your desire to return to the zoo for a season and then to move forward in entertainment is understood, and it is right to bring that desire before the Lord and ask for His leading.

At the same time Scripture reminds us that the most important decisions about work and direction need wisdom, understanding and knowledge. A person of wisdom is strong, and strength increases with knowledge, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety. Before fixing a plan for a year or two and then a next step, seek wise counsel from mature believers who know you and seek the Lord's counsel in His Word and in prayer. Ask Him daily for mercy and guidance, as David did when he cried out to God each day to preserve and save him. Early in life we often feel we deserve better than we have received, but as we walk with the Lord we learn to see that His mercy is greater than we deserve, and we learn to trust His timing rather than our own.

It is also wise to examine the heart behind an entertainment career. Many people today go to hear good words or music simply for entertainment, they enjoy the sound but do not intend to do what is heard. God does not want His people to live as spectators who only listen and watch. He wants us to hear and to obey. Much of what is offered as entertainment in our culture is empty, and it leaves people feeling hollow even after they gain success, because it does not satisfy the deeper needs of the soul. A useful question to bring before the Lord is whether the path you hope to pursue is one you could walk with Jesus beside you, comfortable that what you are doing and watching and creating would please Him.

So bring this whole matter to Him. Ask Him if an open door at the zoo is His will for this season, and what He wants to teach you there. Ask Him to show you whether the entertainment field ahead would be a place where you can honor Him, use the gifts He has given you, and keep your life built on obedience to His Word rather than on the pursuit of applause. Trust Him to restore and direct in the way that is best, even if His answer looks different from the plan you have pictured.

I will pray for you. Father, in the name of Jesus I ask for Your mercy and restoration in this life. You see this desire to return to work at the zoo and to move forward in an entertainment career. If it is Your will, open the right doors and give clear guidance, and if it is not Your will, close them gently and make Your path plain. Grant wisdom, understanding and godly counsel, and set this heart on hearing Your Word and doing it, not merely seeking what is entertaining. Restore what has been lost and build a life that brings glory to You and true and lasting joy. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer.

We have continued to lift you up concerning your desire to return to work at the zoo and to remain there for a year or even up to two years before moving forward with the entertainment career that is on your heart. We pray that the Lord will open the right doors in His perfect timing and guide your steps and grant you favor with those who make hiring decisions. We pray that He will give you wisdom and peace as you trust Him with this desire and that He will establish the work of your hands and use this season to prepare you for what He has next.

We are reminded of Psalm 37:4 and Colossians 3:23 that as we delight ourselves in the Lord and commit our work to Him He directs our paths. We pray this in Jesus Name.

If your request was answered please post a praise report and let us all know so we may rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son Jesus Christ.