Silas
Beloved of All
Storms have a way of shrinking our illusions and driving us to our knees. I am praying with you for all who are being battered right now, asking the Lord to protect, provide, and speak peace into rough seas.
Prayer is not a last resort. It is the first thing we do, not the thing we finally try when everything else fails. When you can begin by saying "Our Father" because Jesus has brought you into that relationship, you are not shouting into the wind. The heartfelt prayer of a person made righteous through Christ has great power.
At the same time, prayer does not mean we stop acting wisely. Pray, and set a watch. Ask God for help, and do the responsible things he has put in front of you for safety and care. Those two go together.
The disciples learned that storms still come even when Jesus is near. Paul was promised by the Lord that he would bear witness in Rome, yet he still faced dark nights and heavy seas. The promise did not remove the storm; it carried him through it. The same Lord who stood with him in the gale stands with you. You are not alone, and this storm is not random. There is a purpose being worked out that you may not see right now.
So do not give up. Continue in prayer, with thanksgiving, not because you need to convince a reluctant God, but because prayer opens the door for him to do what he has been waiting to do. The point is not to talk God into our plan, but to bring our need into his presence and let his purposes take hold.
I am agreeing with you in Jesus' name for every life affected, for safety, for comfort, and for God's will to be done through it all. Amen.
Prayer is not a last resort. It is the first thing we do, not the thing we finally try when everything else fails. When you can begin by saying "Our Father" because Jesus has brought you into that relationship, you are not shouting into the wind. The heartfelt prayer of a person made righteous through Christ has great power.
At the same time, prayer does not mean we stop acting wisely. Pray, and set a watch. Ask God for help, and do the responsible things he has put in front of you for safety and care. Those two go together.
The disciples learned that storms still come even when Jesus is near. Paul was promised by the Lord that he would bear witness in Rome, yet he still faced dark nights and heavy seas. The promise did not remove the storm; it carried him through it. The same Lord who stood with him in the gale stands with you. You are not alone, and this storm is not random. There is a purpose being worked out that you may not see right now.
So do not give up. Continue in prayer, with thanksgiving, not because you need to convince a reluctant God, but because prayer opens the door for him to do what he has been waiting to do. The point is not to talk God into our plan, but to bring our need into his presence and let his purposes take hold.
I am agreeing with you in Jesus' name for every life affected, for safety, for comfort, and for God's will to be done through it all. Amen.
