From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

Yesterday’s blog spoke on prayer and how interested God is in each and every one of us. Today we’ll address our persistent, nagging disbelief about that! C’mon, admit it, when you see injustice, horror, terror, disease, natural disasters, etc., we get pretty shaken. Some start right away with “where’s God?”, “has He forsaken me?” etc. We need to look at Jesus’ example. Don’t you think He too saw some terrible things in His day? There were lepers with their flesh rotting away, banned from a normal life in the village. There were injuries, cruelty, divorce, drunkenness, anger, etc. He never lost a wink of sleep over it and never was He shaken in His trust of God. He left all of the earth’s concerns in God’s hands and went about tending to the people and the plans of God in His daily existence.

Jesus’ prayerful intimacy with God is our example. Jesus walked in peace and rest because He knew without a doubt that God is faithful; never sleeping nor slumbering and can do all things. Times of trial came to Jesus and will come to us that will challenge and test that belief. Our response must be as His…cry out to God to renew your trust in Him.

God desires an ongoing relationship with each of us; and He does that through prayer. God wants to close the chasm between Him and humankind; and He does that through prayer. Don’t worry that your prayer may be imperfect. Duh, you are imperfect! God doesn't care…just go to Him, He’ll take it from there. He knows how to “translate” what you really mean, weave it into what you really need and produce a plan that has His holy outcome…in spite of ourselves!

Don’t be discouraged now if some prayers may go unanswered (meaning God didn't do what YOU wanted!), or if you don’t “feel” God’s presence as strongly each time. There’s still a lot of mystery involved this side of heaven! Keep on praying, keep on pressing in, for as Paul said, “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. Translation: “You can run but you cannot hide!” God wants you, often times more than you want Him. What a ride, heh? Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

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