I just finished reading my good friend Ben Sadler’s blog on praying.  I know that he and Heidi have been excited about bringing a prayer class to Grace in the fall’s journey.  More importantly I know that God has really been convicting Ben and Heidi that they need to seek God more fervently in all that they do.  They have, and this new dependence on God has brought about some incredible answers.   Ben and I have talked a lot about this- I don’t speak for him, but I know that we are fed up with doing things through our own strength and we really have this incredible desire to see God move in the lives that we are connected with.

That said, you know that I have struggled with prayer in my life.  I find that one of my greatest temptations is to do life on my own  (like I have it figured out) and come up with my own answers and make my own decisions based on how I see things.  At times giving into this temptation has caused me to hurt others by addressing issues that I thought needed to be addressed, long before the Holy Spirit spoke to them.  My reasoning has been that I’m a pretty smart guy and I could really help them see things differently.. now I am talking about good people who love the Lord and people for whom the Holy Spirit is active.  Lately though, I have been impressed with the need to rely more on God’s spirit then on my own.  I have seen Him move in counseling sessions where we pray for wisdom… and then low and behold he answers.  I’ve seen him answer weird almost forgotten prayers.

Not too long ago, a dear friend had been on my heart.  I’ve known this guy for over 17 years but lately I have noticed several character issues that seem to be contrary to the Spirit’s movement in his life.  Many times I have talked to him about them and many times he has put up walls of defense and said in not too many words, don’t boss me- you do not have anything to say about me and my life.  And so, just out of desperation I have been praying.  Praying because I really couldn’t do anything about what I was seeing.  I tried and he rebuffed my help.  I really prayed, I was like Jacob on the banks of the river holding onto God because I knew that if He didn’t bless this man then nothing would happen.  And it happened, the other day as we were talking he was telling me some of the things that God was doing in his life… and they were in direct answer to prayers that I had prayed!  God was convicting him of sin, God was creating desires in his heart that only He could put there.  Wow, if that didn’t increase my faith.  I’ve got to tell you, I am encouraged to continue praying fervent, “I can’t do it” kind of prayers.  I am more convinced today then yesterday that God is not only God- creator of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them but He is also my shepherd and concerned about the things in my life and the things that I am concerned about.  I am going to continue to pray.  Would you join me?  Would you trust God to work in your life today?