Interesting Time
I’ve had an interesting couple of days and I’d like to share some of it with you. It started last Saturday…
My music group was playing a Christmas concert (I know, Christmas is over but they rescheduled to early January due to illness that their residents had) at a nursing home and I was getting ready. One of the players had messaged earlier in the week to say she wouldn’t be able to perform with us because her husband was in ICU. When I got the message, I immediately responded that I would pray for them (and I did). For whatever reason, I realized I hadn't heard how things were going with them as I was getting ready.
I was about ready to jump in the shower and I wondered if there was a message about how when you tell someone you are going to pray for them (and you do) does that facilitate you keeping them forefront in your mind to follow up with them (it certainly did with me since within 3 hours I had messaged her and found out her husband was out of ICU and was needing a little rehab but things were going well). This triggered the thought of how God’s plan fit in with my prayers, a potential roadblock for me.
Suffice it to say, that I reached out to Patrick and did further research to assuage my dilemma (Patrick may not like me volunteering him but he is a wonderful resource that I certainly appreciate). Each of my searches gave me certain pieces of the puzzle to help me resolve my concern.
I found an article entitled ‘The Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man…’ by Douglas Kelly that put most of the pieces together for me. “The Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man …” from Ligonier Ministries https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/the-fervent-prayer-of-a-righteous-man
Pastor Kelly clearly states (in the second or non-introductory paragraph) that humans have “never been able fully to comprehend exactly how these two biblical truths fit together (I.e. divine sovereignty and effectual believing prayer), it is precisely when both truths are held together in faith that the most powerful praying springs forth and the greatest glory descends.”
He dissects two passages in the Bible to support this. Here is the one is from Daniel: “…in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” - Daniel 9:2 ESV
It’s obvious that Daniel, in referencing Jeremiah, knows and believes that there is a defined limit to their captivity in Babylon. Believing that and knowing that the time was near for their return, Daniel prays that God’s plan is fulfilled soon. He prays so hard that he is visited by an angel: “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.’“ - Daniel 10:2-3, 10-14 ESV
Pastor Kelly explains that “when believers pray to God to fulfill His promises, something is going on that is much bigger than they can ever imagine.” This tells me that my prayers are important and God is sovereign and has a perfect plan for the universe.
As I examine my doubts (come on now, admit you have some from time to time), I find great comfort in knowing that God chose me and, while I might not understand everything, serving him is what I want to do. That includes prayer, early and often, as the saying goes.
