Last week, I mentioned crying out to God, but today I want to share a little more about prayer. Oh, and “Naked Prayer” is bearing your soul to God, so there is nothing left unseen. He knows it anyway, but it’s as if He wants you to reveal it and give, or surrender it to him, like a child, who doesn’t know to hide their heart truth.
In John 10:10, where it says, “Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy…” the Greek word for “kill” doesn’t mean, “take your life”, but it actually indicates you “giving your life, or surrendering something to the devil.” That means you give up hope. It indicates you are giving up on God, and when you are convinced God is not going to answer your prayer then Satan can sweep in and gain a stronghold into your life.
“Prayers don’t expire,” says Robert Madu
Your prayers don’t have an expiration date on them, or have a statute of limitations with God. He can answer your prayer anytime He wants to, and He knows when the answer will work out best for you. Also, there could be a good reason, to God, for not answering your prayer, and that is when faith is the most difficult.
A miracle, is still a miracle, no matter how long it takes.
Perhaps God knew if he answered a couple of my prayers before now, I would not have meditated on this subject and have written these words to hopefully help you, or encourage you. The truth is; I don’t know, but that is where my faith and trust in him comes into play. I am confident that God knows best, He has heard me, and will work in my life, and through my life, regardless of an answer to my request. For that I say, “Thank you, God, and thank you for loving me.”
Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.
Remember going to your mother, or father, and asking them to kiss your boo boo? To make it go away? Or do you remember your own child asking you? My son, when he was about one year old, fell on some hard plastic toys, and hurt his bum. He cried as he climbed up on the sofa, laid back holding his legs up in the air and said, “Mommy, kiss my butt.” We know a kiss from a loving parent didn’t do anything, but there is something comforting knowing one who loves you, knows you are hurting.
It happened last week, last year, or even longer ago, but the memory of the hurt and pain can still rise to the surface so fast. A word, a name, a song, a phrase can trigger the instance to come back. You feel those emotions…again. You say you have forgiven the offender, you even tell yourself you have moved on, so then why does it still rise up and bite you, and at times with the same emotions you experienced when it first happened?
I notice patterns. I also see common denominators. I can’t help it. It’s the way I am made. I think I could have that disorder: Denoterns. Anyway, perhaps many others have it as well, but I have noticed several times in the Bible where it took three days to change someone, or something.
There once was a lady, no, not from Nantucket, who was a daughter, a friend, a wife, a mother, a worker, and a church goer. Yes, she seemed to once have a strong love for God, family, people in general, and especially children.
Have you ever wondered why you do things and it doesn’t go like you thought it would? I mean you roll played it in your head so many times and not one of those times did it go like it did in real life. What actually went down, you never ever imagined. You’re hurt. You’re angry at God. You don’t understand how it wound up like this. Let me tell you why it did.
You finally drop off to sleep, and when you wake up the next morning you have a few seconds of peace before the pain of your current life situation comes crashing back into your mind like a tsunami. You lay there and say to yourself, “Oh yeah”. You force yourself to get out of bed, but if it wasn’t for having to go to the bathroom you would more likely pull the covers over your head and try to go back to sleep.
I used to drive fast. I mean, really fast, or perhaps I should say, “stupidly fast!” In the early eighties, in Massachusetts, I was driving my Chevette. Okay, you can stop laughing now. As I was going up a hill and into a sharp turn to my left I saw a car coming fast, straight for me in my lane. It was going to be a head on collision and I said to myself, Oh this is going to hurt! But right before the point of impact I shut my eyes hard, and screamed, “Oh God!”
brady, mark a. 