I used to ask the Lord to bless this or that. Intervene in this situation or fix this or that. I wanted Him to be a part of my life, and my story. I had it backwards. Then I learned that a more fulfilling prayer is to ask God that I may be a part of what He is doing; be a part of His-story. Now, through a book I’m reading by Jamie Winship, it takes that conversation to a new level. He encourages the reader to ask God what He wants you to know about a certain situation and what He wants you to do with it. I believe it is part of transformation. It’s a step by step process of learning to trust God and learning how to be trusted.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Thy Will Be Done
Praying to be a part of what the Lord is already doing, is the same as saying, thy will be done. It puts it in our words, on His terms. When we say I want to be a part of what you are doing Lord, it is surrender, trust and a open heart. I trust that you can use me Lord and I trust that I will know how to go and do the way you lead me. It was a game changer. That prayer moved us from our agenda to God’s. It felt risky and vulnerable; that prayer taught us a lot about the faithfulness of God. It taught us to be more faithful as well.
Prayers That Move Us
Walking through life surrendered to God and His plan can be messy and exhilerating at the same time. It can call you to things you are not ready for and don’t quite understand. Taking you where you have never been and showing you things you have never seen.
Moving from asking God to let me be a part of something He is doing, to now, what do you want me to know and do Lord, is a step of faith. Listening and obeying is the sum of asking Jesus, what do you want me to know and what do you want me to do about what you are showing me. It’s another step in intamacy in our prayers and in our walk with Jesus.
Trusting enough to have that kind of conversation and relationship, to be told things, and to be trustworthy with what we are told, is faith filled. If we find ourselves stopping short and asking God to show me this and show me that, but never moving after that, can close up the line of communication. Prayer is a two way street as Pastor Tucker said on Sunday. Finding the outlet for what God shows us, is the obedience part of the prayers.
This Stage
As I have traveled through this trip to Uganda, God has been faithful to show me the same thing in different scenarios. The threads in my life at home and here in Uganda are always closely related. When we had twins there, we had twins there. When I got a Jenay named after me; it happened here and there. First born son (smile) here and there, graduated college. Double baby shower last year, here and there. I’ve never understood why God is so good to keep it consistent, here and there, but He does.
Stages
Here and there, It’s been years of raising up young people through each stage of their life. It’s an honor and a privilege, and just like the beginning of this post, it has been messy and exhilierating at the same time.
The next step, this stage for me, is about asking what do you want me to know, Lord? I’m asking, but I’m also asking every younger than me person I can sit down with. I ask them what God is saying to them and they have answered me. They have been a little shocked by the question, and they think it is a tough question, but they have an answer. When I tell them there is no right or wrong answer, they feel free to share. Sometimes it falls flat, but most times it takes on a conversation that can grow and point us both to God and His word, together.
Line Up and Lean In
If what they are hearing lines up with Scripture, it’s a word we can trust and lean into. If it is a word that has taken a slight left or right turn we can look to the Word of God and know that we need to come back and start from the beginning. It’s how we learn, it’s how we grow. It’s how we lead and learn to follow.
I believe young people hear God, maybe better than most, but they aren’t as good at trusting God’s voice yet. They need more confidence and experience. Then, we get older and we can get hard of hearing. We can have a hard time listening to others, or we can’t hear God, or both. We need to hear both, to follow God and lead others.
Good Questions
Asking good questions; putting open ears into what is being said and shared will move us closer in our walk with Jesus. Hearing what He is saying and knowing what He wants us to do about it will encourage us both.
Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life
The best part of hearing from God, is that He already told us that He is the way, the truth and the life. When we want to know the way, be told the truth, and experience all that life has for us; all we need to know, is Him. Follow Jesus, listen to Him through his Word and through His Spirit. Obeying Him is the response, that follows the word.
We can’t lead someone where we haven’t gone before. On this trip and in this stage of my life, I believe I get to encourage, give courage, and guide the younger than me people. Making disciples doesn’t only mean I tell them what the Bible says. It means listening to them and helping them listen. Walking with them, sometimes ahead to show the way, sometimes behind to watch over them as they GO.
My Position
Seeing kids here and there, build their lives and families puts me in a wild position Humble prayers and crazy cheering are what I’m here for. The messy and the exhilerating days, I get to point to Jesus and point to the youger generation and say, “Listen here!!! It’s your turn! GO and DO your thing!! I here for it.”
