(Though the chapter on Prayer has more to it that what I have posted, I will conclude this chapter with the following post. Then I will only a publish a couple more posts on the final two chapters of Brokenness to Beauty. Your feedback is valuable to me! Was this clear? Was it helpful? Leave your comment at the bottom of the page.)
Prayer is our lifeline, our direct line of communication with God the Father. Certainly we cry out to God when we are in need, when we are hurting, whatever form that hurt may take. My suffering, for the most part, has been physical. Others have experienced rejection, abuse, loss of a loved one, economic uncertainty, persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ, or ________________. Fill in the blank. Regardless of the trial, he is a compassionate and gracious God, a God who is “abounding in lovingkindness” (Exodus 34:6, NASB), and he acts in mercy and grace towards us, hearing us when we cry out to him for he is the God “who hear(s) prayer …,” the One to whom “all men come” (Psalm 65:2, NASB). We can gain great comfort and confidence from this; comfort for our hurting hearts and confidence to come before him because we are learning how good and loving and kind he is, in the midst of our trials.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle” (Psalm 103: 1-5, NASB).
Charles Spurgeon said, “Let us learn to think of tears as liquid prayers …”[1] Many times—daily—I cried out to God. Pain especially makes me vulnerable to tears. Fear has a similar effect. My default response is to pray, talking—often crying with tears—to God. To this day I work hard at holding it together emotionally in public, but in private, just me and God, I hold back nothing from him. I know I can unload my fears, my uncertainties, my anxieties, my tears on him and He will understand. He can take it. We are always accepted, never rejected. We can be vulnerable and open with the Lord for no one who comes to him in that way is ever rejected.
I also know he is the only one who can do anything about my hurts and fears. Having a friend or loved one’s shoulder to cry on, someone to hold our hand in the hard times, is important and immeasurably valuable, and I in no way diminish how important this is. But the truth is we dare not lean too heavily on any person. There is only One who can bear, and has borne, our sorrows, our pains: Jesus. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15, 16, NKJV). I take that literally. I lean hard on Jesus! He has never collapsed in fatigue. He has never failed to keep holding me together. He can and does work to change what I cannot change.
[1] http://spurgeononline.com/tears-are-liquid-prayers/
As you feel you coming to a close on this chapter… do you feel complete. Do you feel ready to put the pen down. Reread it a few times and see what you heart says. It feels right to me…but I’m a benefactor not the inspired writer. It’s a blessing as it is… already.
In my chapter on prayer I have said much more in my manuscript, sections which I decided not to post on my blog. I want to save those for the book! Same with the next two posts covering my two last chapters. Thank you for helping me to define what I want to do! I appreciate you.
This was a very inspiring and helpful chapter. Keep it up.
Thanks for your input, Dale. I appreciate it!