One More Prayer--and Some Trusting and Obeying

This last week I've been praying for those of you who responded to my initial post asking if I could pray for you. Some of you I mentioned by name in the posts over this past week. That was because the request seemed to fit the topic of the day.

I have prayed for each of you whether or not I mentioned you in a post. As I looked once more today at the requests I was struck by how about half of us are seeking similar things--focus, clarity, renewed passion, direction and discernment.

This week I faced down some fears in order to be obedient to what I believe, as best as I can determine, was the prompting of God's Spirit. It was not easy, and it is not over yet. It is not likely to get easier anytime very soon.

I did not sense God's presence this past week, nor God's peace, exactly. I just became aware in a more specific way that I had to do something that I have been afraid to do. Perhaps I will share more in a future post, but for now I'll just say that my thoughts and prayers have been with those of you who, like me, long for more--more discipline, insight, focus, strength and wisdom.

As I struggled to take a frightening step of faith, I had an amusing experience. Some may call it coincidence, but I cannot. During the week of prayer, people were invited to come and spend some time in a little room designed for that purpose. There were candles, a Bible, and a small boom box that played quiet music in the background. Each day I turned the music on in the morning and left to go work in my office. Sometime each day I went back into the room for some quiet contemplation and prayer. Each time, the same song was playing. About the third time it happened I assumed that I had mistakenly set the c.d. player to "repeat" mode. I checked. I hadn't. The fourth time, when I heard the same song, I left the room and came back about ten minutes later, sure that it would be repeating. It wasn't. I checked the c.d. jacket. The player was playing through the c.d., exactly as it should.

Thursday night when I came in the room to set up a communion table before our scheduled prayer service, the same song was playing. I said aloud, "Holy Spirit, are you messing with me?"

After church today I visited with a woman from my church. She went to the bedroom to hang up my coat, and during that time I went over to her piano. A hymnbook sat open on the rack. Why did I care what page it was on? Beats me...but...there it was again. The same hymn.

The song, on the left side of the hymnal, was 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, the same song I had heard all week at the church. And across on the right was Trust and Obey.

I get it. I'm stepping off the cliff, so to speak.

Dear Lord, be with me! I do not want to crash at the bottom of a ravine. I pray for myself and for those who requested prayer for wisdom, direction, clarity, strength...all those things I am most longing for right now in my own life. We agree together, Lord Jesus Christ, in your name, that we will know your voice, however it comes to us, that we will have the strength to trust in your goodness and mercy, and that we will obey your instructions to us. We give your our lives, once again, and we say "Do with us as you will." Amen