This morning started out like many other days in our lives. We were off to work, enjoying the day, maneuvering through the traffic and hoping that breakfast energy kicked in very soon. It was several hours in to the day when my sister text us a very powerful praise report. It was a clean bill of health for an extended family member from a serious cancer diagnosis. Prior to surgery days before, this 35 year old man faced an extremely uncertain earthly future. However, in a few simple, yet extremely important moments of conversation with a physician, he was given the gift of health, peace and expectation of life.
As you can imagine, it didn’t take long for such a text to put this every day routine of life back in to perspective. I was quickly reminded of a very similar situation within my own life, when my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and after surgery received the same great news, for which we are daily grateful.
Remembering and personalizing our thankfulness also reminded me of something I have a feeling others might need help focusing on as well… It says…
“I still remember the days I prayed for the things I have now”.
Think about that line for a minute. How often have we wondered if and when our next prayer will be answered? I can confess a daily question of that about our home selling. Have I allowed myself to truly wonder if God still hears me? Yes. And in full transparency even after I know with everything that is in me that He is guiding my steps each and every day and that His timing and His alone is perfect.
So, after today’s most needed and vivid reminders, I am committing to a dedicated focus toward praise and thanksgiving for the many, many prayers God has answered for me and those I know and love. Focusing less on what is next or at the top of my list that I am waiting for.
1 John 5:14 says…“This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Confidence to ask ANYTHING and know we will be heard.
I sincerely wish I had been one to keep a prayer journal and acknowledge each and every answered prayer. The list would be very long. We often take them for granted or just don’t remember all of them. But wait! It’s never to late to start! Write them down. Talk about them. Celebrate them! It’s truly and deeply an abundant gift we should never take for granted.
AMEN?… And AMEN!
Selah is one of my all time favorite gospel groups. Their powerful, emotional, touching songs move people in many ways. A very important song in my life that I have performed many times for very special people, at memorable times is performed by Selah. This is a different version that I hope you enjoy as much as I do. There isn’t anything better that speaks to the power of prayer than how God taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer.