Your Father Knows what you Need

I was listening to a podcast this morning while I was running by Eric Johnson from Bethel Church called God of this City and it brought so much joy and revelation to my heart this morning.

I love those subtle moments when God speaks to me. It's just a thought that comes to my mind, and as the statement is created in my head, it's not that big of a deal. And then the progression begins…. I start to think about the statement and I realize that I probably didn't come up with it on my own. And then I ponder it and realize that God was so gracious to allow me to see what it is that He is saying…. and then I start to think about why He would want me to hear it… and then begins the life change. It's a beautiful thing!

For part of the podcast Eric was talking about our prayer lives from Matthew 6 and how we ought to have this secret prayer life with God. This little thing that I feel like God spoke to me about was from the verse that you have probably heard….

. . . For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him….

Eric kept reading but my mind stopped right there. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. My prayer life consists mainly of me telling God about my situations, thoughts, problems, etc. and it pretty much stops there. Sure, I pray for other people a little and other things that may be going on, but seriously, much of my prayers are asking for breakthrough in areas of my life and for things that I need.

But why am I doing that if He already knows what I need? In my heart it just know that my prayer life needs to be altered a little bit. I think it's such a good thing to ask God for things, for breakthrough, for the desires of our hearts, but my heart is stirred today to be more engaged with blessing Him and just being with Him.

I think that this little verse has given me peace to know that God IS going to give me what I need while I'm abiding in Him. And I can be confident that as I'm with Him, so He is with me. And when He is with me, He gives me what I need.

Nothing new, just a different perspective and hope that my prayer life will be strengthened and that my heart will be changed.

Psalm 68

The LORD . . .

Is a father to the fatherless

A defender to the widow

In His holy dwelling

Rides on the clouds

Sets the lonely in families

Leads forth prisoners with singing

Gives abundant showers

Refreshes the weary inheritance

Provides for the poor

Reigns at a mountain

Daily bears our burdens

Saves

Thunders with a mighty voice

Gives strength and power to His power


Do you fit into one of these? There are many promises for you today

Praise be to God who is worthy of our praise

May the righteous be glad and rejoice; may they be HAPPY and JOYFUL

stop trying to work things out

Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time. When something comes to your attention, ask Me whether or not it is part of today's agenda. If it isn't, release it into My care and go on about today's duties. When you follow this practice, there will be a beautiful simplicity about your life; a time for everything, and everything in its time.

A life lived close to Me is not complicated or cluttered. When your focus is on My Presence, many things that once troubled you lose their power over you. Though the world around you is messy and confusing, remember that I have overcome the world. I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have Peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, John 16:33

Jesus Calling, March 29

I Want You

I WANT YOU TO BE ALL MINE. I am weaning you from other dependencies. Your security rests in Me alone - not in other people, not in circumstances. Depending only on Me may feel like walking on a tightrope, but there is a safety net underneath: the everlasting arms. So don't be afraid of falling. Instead, look ahead to Me. I am always before you, beckoning you on - one step at a time. Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate you from My loving Presence.

Deuteronomy 33:27; Romans 8:39

Jesus Calling - Sarah Young

I'm Camping Out

Waking up could not have been any better this morning. I woke up at 5 to go on my run, only to find that it was lightening and thundering up a storm, not raining yet, but know that about 5 minutes after I would've begun running I would've gotten poured on.

So, I got back in bed and layed there while the rain came pouring down. I finally got out of bed at 6:00 and came downstairs to the amazing smell of my beloved coffee maker! I got to read, pray, think, and write an email to a friend, all the while listening to the most relaxing music from Pride and Prejudice.

Mornings like this are so necessary for me! Why is it that I love waking up early so much and having a long morning all to myself? Usually it's because God is always so kind to encourage me or to speak new things into my life.

As I was reading this morning about the Moses leading the Israelites out of Egpyt to their promised land, one of my favorite parts is after they have been traveling in the wilderness for 3 months and come to Mt Sinai, "the mountain of God." If you look at a map, you see that Canaan, the promised land, is VERY far away from Mt Sinai. God has been leading them through the wilderness, for several reasons. But mainly because he knew that if they took the easy route to get to Canaan, they would crumble in times of war and would loose hope in God, and go all the way back to Egpyt, the very place that held them captive for all those years!

So God has them camped out in the wilderness, at this mountain. Far from their destination - their promised land - land flowing with so much tasty food and water that they have been deprived of for so long. They have come to a place in their journey where they have to have 100% total dependence on God.

Wouldn't it be interesting, when faced with a "wilderness journey", a difficult season of life, or a time when we are needing answers, if we just camped out right in the midst of it all? I wonder what would happen if we, instead of trying as best as we can to get out of the situation, camped out in front of it asking God to what He wants to do for us in this time? I bet there is something to be gained that is far greater than getting the answer we want.

As for me, I camping out in front of my mountain today. I know the Lord wants to reveal Himself to me in a way that will change my life forever.