"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.." - Psalm 30:11 (NIV).
Here is a quagmire. You have this burden you take to the Lord persistently. There you pour out all your heart, as you leap out anxious cries. At what point do you stop crying and start praising God?
Once there was a barren woman called Hannah in no less than grim circumstances. We know, "Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (I Samuel 1:7-8). Then one day something happened. Eli, the priest took note of her sad situation, heard her prayer and then said, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him" (vv 17).
Nodding to the priest, "She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast" (vv 18). From that point on there is no record of Hannah weeping anymore.
Hannah took the word from the Lord for granted and her outlook completely changed. One chapter of weeping had passed to one of praise. And that was a key to her eventual success. For, "in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him" (vv 20).
Your situation could be no more different. You have carried this burden in you heart that has long made you restless, filled with heartaches. Day and night you weep for that cherished answer. Then one day in your deep of hearts you hear the Lord say, "Go in peace, your request has been answered!" Would you weep anymore!
The time for praise has come. Stop weeping and start praising. For the Lord has answered your prayers!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, I know my sorrows are no more, for you have heard my requests and answered me, so I now rise in praise of you, this I pray in Jesus's name.
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17/05/2024 - 18/05/2024 All day“And I in righteousness I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Psalm 17:15)
One of the defining aspects we see in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He began the day with prayer. “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). As he was always surrounded by crowds and after such a busy day before of preaching and engaging the Pharisees in debates this must have been a therapeutic moment for Christ when he would have some good time to himself.
But there was also more. For Jesus being away in a secluded place would also mean a chance to pour out His heart to God, meditate in quietness, plan for the day ahead and listen to the Father. Jesus must have looked up to this moment every day knowing its benefits. Conversations with His Father must have been real and intimate, bringing a certain soothing and uplifting of His spirit. You do not wake up and stick to something on a daily basis that is a drag – this must have been his best time of the day!
Martin Luther the leader of the protestant reformation is reputed to once have said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Here is the point. In the olden days before the arrival of locomotive transport those who were setting out for a long journey on foot had to start early with the first cock crow before the punishing sun came out. One of the things they had to start with also was a good meal, which was fuel needed to give them energy through the long walk to their destiny.
There are no rules about waking up to pray as first thing- or even saying prayer at a defined hour of the day. God is everywhere and ever with us. He is accessible at any time of the day. But there is something special about prioritizing our lives that the first thing we do is to talk to God. Just like the early traveller we need fuel, for the long day ahead!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a joy and privilege to make time at the start of any day, talk and hear from you, for the power I need through the day, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
