As I went to sleep last night, my want and need for reading the bible doubled. I was frustrated that I couldn't keep my sleepy eyes open enough to focus on each word of James. We began talking about it in church on Sunday to wrap up our series on the power of prayer. I have realized that I have been praying for things I feel I need.
Clarity, understanding, strength, wisdom, love, comfort, calming and rest.
And many of these things have been blessed to me over the last few weeks. But I haven't prayed thanks often. God knows what we need, we know what we want. But what does God want for us? What is his will at times I wonder, but it can be very obvious in some cases (Perhaps "obvious" isn't the right word... but anyway).
James 5:13-18; Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was a human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
He wants us to keep praying. Everything that's on our hearts, it is what we both know and don't know. But he wants us to tune out from ourselves and our constant solving ambition, to give it all to him.
My thoughts have been drifting to Utah lately. A year ago today I will have begun my week long journey to California to where I stopped in Utah to speak and stay with my dear friends, Matt Dodge and his wife Mindy. They were trying to convince me that I should move to Utah and get a job with the county after my season in the Redwoods ended in November. I was highly considering it because of the perks that came with the job. Money to pay off my loans, a new car and skiing galore. I was hooked... Until the day I arrived at Alliance. Then I knew I'd be staying put for a delicate few. This is where God has led me. And now the thought of Utah a year later for different reasons, like serving a different kind of community and connecting with Christians in a different state while seeing where that all might lead... With perks of skiing on the side. It all has been entering my brain more often these last couple of weeks. Mixed thoughts of not working in camping ministry after a year of swimming deeply in it has me wondering if I should venture onto other tasks in the world. Another part of me says yes to find out if ministry is something that you are supposed to spend your time doing.
Utah. My time and thoughts continue to tick away as I continue to learn how to surrender again... and again... and again.
Keep praying friends.
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