My Journey 7/28 -7/29/2010

God's insight to me:

Both of these devotionals deal with prayer. The first is about persistence. Keep on, keep on, as they say. Mine and your prayers will be answered. I like what Jake Kampe writes, "We don’t always completely understand God, and most likely never will." I remember one time in my life I prayed for "ten years" before my prayer was answered. It is in God's timing not mine. But my prayer was answered and I thank Him for all the one's He has answered and those He is still answering.

As I read Jake Kampe's second devotional I felt a sadness in my heart for many, many times I am asking for myself and not thinking of others. I love this statement "focuses on something greater than ourselves". That my friends is what I think Christianity is in a nutshell. Jesus many times said, "Father not My will but Thy will be done".

Here I Am Again Lord

Here I am again Lord,
praying on bended knee.
So many issues in my life
that are really bothering me.

I want to be healthier,
though I don’t eat like I should.
I want to have more money,
but wouldn’t work for it if I could.

I want to have more friends,
though I don’t talk to the ones I have.
I want my family to love me more,
but when I’m with them they make me mad.

So God I am still waiting,
for You to answer my prayer,
and if You decide not too,
well, I think it’s not very fair.

Now the moral of this poem is
unanswered prayer we’re always asking why?
See, God is waiting to bless us,
once the focus is off the “I”!

E. P. Shagott
7/29/2010

From God's heart, to mine, to yours,
Ed Shagott

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7/28

From a devotional 365.org
by Jake Kampe

"And he said to them, 'Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him." And he answers from within, "Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything." I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.'"

Luke 11: 5-8

Have you prayed for something very specific, waited for God to come through, but heard only silence? You continued to pray over and over, and it seemed as if your prayers were disappearing into space with no sense that you have been answered? But you continued to pray. Each day you fell to your knees in desperation, begging God to reveal something that will let you know God was there. “Have I done something wrong?” you ask yourself. “Is it because of some sin in my life?” “Are you really there, God?”

Let’s face it, we don’t always completely understand God, and most likely never will. God's answers to prayers are usually not what we think they will be, and many times God doesn’t respond with a simple “yes” or “no.” Sometimes God’s answer is a frustrating, “Not yet.” And that is usually the last thing we want to hear, right? Waiting on God is not something that comes easy for most of us. But one thing is for sure, God never ignores our prayers. Be patient. Be persistent. Continue to pray and in the stillness of the moment, hear God whispering, “Not yet; but keep asking.”


God, I know that your answers to prayers are not always what I might expect. But I know that you hear them and answer them according to what is best for my life. Give me the strength to keep praying and the patience to wait for you to answer. Amen.

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7/29

From a devotional 365.org
by Jake Kampe

"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

Luke 11:9-10

What motivates your prayers? Is it about what you can get, or what you can give? Is it for something temporary, or for something greater? Is it motivated by what will bless you, or what can be a blessing to others? Do you limit your prayers because your focus is on your world, rather than the world beyond you? Let’s say you had one wish and could ask for anything you could imagine. What would you ask for: an endless supply of your favorite drink from Starbucks, or clean water for every living person? Peace in your family, or a solution to the conflicts in the Middle East? That new job, or a cure for cancer?

Now, I’m not suggesting that God doesn’t care about our deep personal needs. God does care! But is it possible that prayer is so much more than just getting what we want? Prayer involves motivation that focuses on something greater than ourselves. It involves looking at the big picture and seeking the impossible. Think about what we have at our disposal. The God of the universe wants to give us what we ask. What might we ask for?