Drops of Sunshine - Daily Bread

 

 

 

 

 

When we recognize God as omnipresent, then it is astounding to really embrace what that means. Every obstacle or challenge I face, God is not only with me during my journey, but he has gone before me as well. That means, that if my struggle seems too great for me, I can call out and ask him to deliver me. The same can be said in the journey alone. Ask God to guide and direct your path. Beyond the ask, follow his instruction.

 There is no situation in our life that is so messy that God can't save us. We have to have the same "come to our senses" moment as the prodigal son. Rather than remain in the mess, cry out to God for help and trust that he will answer. No matter your circumstance. It's not too dirty for him to cleanse you.

There is no love on earth like God's love. That should encourage us every day to look for the good in the situations we face because that's the type of Father we have. He won't withhold the good things from his children. That may not be an easy task in some of the situations we face. That is why we have to live seek him every day. Afterall, it's more difficult to hear and understand the voices of those we don't communicate with on the regular. Our prayer life is the same. 

Every day that we wake is a brand new day that God granted us. That means it is filled with brand new opportunities to do the things right that we may have slipped on the day before. We shouldn't take our days for granted. Instead, thank God for another chance and pray that he leads and guides you to make sound choices.

 Our ears are not on the side of our head for decoration. They have a purpose. Similarly, our spiritual heart should be on the same job as we regularly listen to understand God's direction. Make a habit of receiving full instructions before acting or responding. You don't want to have missed key information.

For some reason, it's still shocking when the ones who seem to be in the better position to be receptive to the word of God reject it. That can be a hard thing when it's our loved ones. It can be hard to shake the dust from our feet when we want them to "get it". Don't attempt to force feed those that don't want God's word. Plant the seed and keep moving. Let God do the rest.

We have an amazing gift in being able to communicate with God in a more direct way than they were able to in the bible days. Just think, God wants to hear from you. He is deeply concerned about us. That should encourage us to truly cast those cares his way and to be more intentional about our prayer time.

 I think that sometimes our prayers have limitations because we get caught up in our own limited thinking. But to recognize the power of God allows us to acknowledge what the verse Isaiah 55:8. God's ways and thoughts encompass all things and will always far exceed our own. So rather than trust confidently in our own words, trust that God will perfect your ask and provide exactly what you need. And, what you aren't asking or don't know how to put in words.

 When there is something we don't want to hear, we are quick to tune it out. Thank God that he doesn't do that to us. His station is always tuned in to us. With that in mind, we should be even more eager to communicate with him each day. Afterall, we also appreciate having undivided attention. So be more sincere about giving yours to God.

 I Thessalonians 5:17 says we should pray without ceasing. I grew up wondering how I could achieve that when there were so many other responsibilities that would often monopolize my thoughts. How was I supposed to pray all the time? As I got older, I came to think more about the many things there were to pray about. Furthermore, I began to think about the many ways I could converse with God throughout my day. Just as I make an effort to spend time with my family and friends, I have to make that same effort to spend quality time with God. 

In my profession, we're taught that we should listen to understand, not to respond. Even though it's our nature to be quick with a reply, thinking before we speak can go a long way to being clear when we finally do open our mouths. The same with our prayer time. Rather than ramble off a few words, slap an amen at the end and then hop off to business as usual, it's just as important to spend time waiting to hear from God. That's a conversation. Give and take.

I used to always hear people say, "Don't worry, pray". I used to struggle with that because I felt like something was wrong with me for battling those moments of anxiety. But one day I heard my father say, "Even when you worry, pray" and it completely changed my perspective. It's so simple, yet I realized that I wasn't doing it. In every situation we find ourselves (happy, sad, mad, or glad), we should always pray.

Two of my favorite words are Consistent and Persistent. They are on display in the bible with the parable of the persistent widow. If we trust God enough to make our request of him, then trust him enough to deliver. Don't give up because it seems like it's taking longer than you'd like. Exercise consistency and persistency. If you find yourself struggling in either area, guess what? You can pray and ask God for the help needed to develop.

 Years ago, I remember hearing my mother speak about the importance of being faithful with our ask. If I really want what I'm asking for, then my request is consistent. But there is another aspect to this when it comes to our prayer lives. What we do while waiting is just as essential as the request. If I trust God enough to make my requests known to him, then I need to live knowing he not only heard me, but is readying me to receive more than I can imagine.

Recently, I got a text message from a friend. I read the message and knew how to reply, but I forgot to do so. I'm sure we've all been there. I also have been on the receiving end of waiting for someone to reply to my message. This is at times what it feels like when we're waiting on that answer from God. Did He hear my prayer? Should I pray again? Why isn't He answering? Does this mean "no"? The same thoughts that plague our every day conversations with each other. We can be assured that God does not delay when His children are in need. We have to confidently trust that the answer is coming so that we are so busy looking for it that we miss it.