By Alex George
The TV meteorologist occasionally points to her map and says something like” I’m afraid that things are going to get worse before they get better”…. It does happen in every human life. Life can be monotonous where there’s no foreseeable relief from our burdens. We experience setbacks in life. When a storm is on its way, we get worried. We pray and cry out for help in order to overcome the situation, as we are concerned about our lives. True, we seek the Lord when we are in fear. We then remember to pray. Prayer is surely a powerful tool whether we pray alone or with others. It is a great way to put your fears to rest. It is an effective way to handle difficulties of all sizes. Paul told us use prayer in every situation (Phil. 4:6). It is a direct line to God.
Sometimes when we pray, God dispels difficulty as easily as the sun burns off a morning mist. At other times He shows us that our problems are much smaller than we had thought. But some obstacles are immovable, and we must learn to live with them. That’s when prayer becomes the channel through which God’s wisdom, strength, patience and love flow. Fervent prayer dispels worries. We need to kneel down and pray for every need. It is communicating with our heavenly father and it is the shortest route between your heart and God’s. “Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). He fills our heart with peace and we find real security in Him. He promised to be our refuge in every situation.
If you are humiliated, hurt and angry, turn to God for everlasting comfort because He understands you fully. Though He is invisible to our eyes, the Holy Spirit is with us every day. He keeps us focused and encouraged so that we too can glorify God throughout our life here in this earth. He wants to use our life in this world and He promises us a perfect world to come.
My transfer to Kuwait office was quite unexpected. The tension at the border was alarmingly high during that time of the year and I was not sure whether to accept the offer or not. But, it was purely God’s plan. When God called Moses to serve, he replied, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Our growth in power, courage and happiness depends on our relationship with the Lord. As Paul puts it, “When I am weak, then I am strong”. God uses weakness to reveal His great sufficiency. “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes: 3:1). “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Psalm 3:6).
The wonderful mercies of God’s redeeming grace need to be acknowledged as we continue our daily lives. We all need to learn to count our blessings no matter what our circumstances. We have many reasons to rejoice. Our plans need to begin and end with God. Our troubles seem smaller when we remember the greatness of God. Storms will not harm you; it will pass…. Keep praying and stay believing in HIM. He will provide.
The following prayer was received in my inbox on the New Year’s Eve and it gives me great pleasure to share the same with you all.
“Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to your leading. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend’s life. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask You to do these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
