Eyes Wide Open

"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous peopled longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."  Matthew 13:16-17


       Its easy to forget the magnitude of what we have been allowed to see in this generation.  Its easy to be far more fascinated with the shiny new technology or the external beauty of temporal things.  Its easy to be so filled up with blessings we forget the greatest of blessings.  Its all to common to be shaken by circumstances or thrown off kilter by difficulty and forget who we really are.  Its easy to forget the simple yet overwhelming power of the Gospel; to forget to gaze and give thanks for the shining One who has overcome all our difficulty.

        And yet, its our everything.  In the midst of blessings, distractions and circumstances, One Thing remains true.  If we see as little children, if we remember who we are in the midst of the swirl, we win.

         Who are we?   According to the verse above, we are a privileged and blessed generation if we see with our spiritual eyes and hear with our spiritual ears.  This is because many LONGED to see Him who came before us, yet did not see it. If we want to, we get in for free! The doors are open and the invitation is for all who want to see Him.  Its for anyone who longs like the ancients did.

         I want that longing in me renewed.  I want to long for Him as they did, those who came before me.  I want to remember who I am today, in the midst of decisions, difficulties, sorrows and shakings.  I want to see a little more of who He is.  I want my eyes open a little wider and my heart fascinated a lot more.


A Prayer for Today:

      Lord, help me in the midst of the stress and the mess to sit and gaze a little longer.  Help me to know how privileged and blessed I am to know you and see you.  Open my spiritual eyes today to know you more.  You are the longing of the generations, in the past and those to come.  Be the longing of my heart today.

Open up my eyes, Lord.

       

Our Weak Love

               Have you ever tried to buy something for someone who already has everything?  It is a near impossible task.  You could ask yourself, "Is my gift really good enough?"  or "Are they actually going to use this?"  or "Why am I doing this?  They don't really need this anyways."  I have found myself in this conundrum a few times in my life.  

              It's impossible.  


              We could easily feel the same way with God.  "He's got it all.  What could I possibly bring  Him, the God of the Universe, that He doesn't already have?" or we could easily fall for the lie, 

     "I am a mess.  There is seriously nothing I have to offer."  

             But there is something He wants that only we, in our uniqueness, can offer.   There truly is something that undoes His heart.  It causes His heart to explode with a rush of delight and overwhelming joy all in one fell swoop.


             It's our weak love.  

             Yes, we can give it to Him on the mountain tops, which maybe seems easier.  Loving Him and seeing Him as the source of our blessings instead of cherishing only our blessings can be a test of our love.  

             But what is most challenging is to keep loving Him in our valleys;  In our mess and our stress. It's in our deep pain, sorrow and disappointment; when it feels hopeless and like all is lost.  We can all relate to trudging through those seemingly endless seasons. 

     
            What does loving Him look like in the most difficult terrain?
             ~ getting up in the morning.
                ~uttering a weak "yes" in surrender.
                ~ whispering under your breath "I trust you." when its all shaking.
                ~telling Him how you really feel.

         What it evolves into:

                 ~ singing
               ~praying
               ~holding onto His Word
               ~forgiving

        This undoes His heart.  The smallest effort to turn to Him in our pain and weakness melts Him.  I can just imagine Him exclaiming with delight, telling the angels, "Look at her, she still trusts me!" or "Look at him, He still hasn't given up!"  

             He seeks to strengthen that one.  He is drawn to our weakness.  He isn't afraid of it.  



       And we need to hold onto that truth: We all have a gift to bring.  Everyday, all of us.  We have something to give Him that no one else can give.  Its our weak, yet unique love.

                   

Daniel offering me his unique gift. Still undoes my heart.

My prayer for today:

          Father, help me offer you the gift you offered me first.  Only I can give you this gift.  Make me as consistent in my love for you as your are for me.  Help me to trust you in the darkest of valleys and on the highest of heights.  Help me offer you the gift of my weak love. 


"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Chronicles 16:9




           

Peace in the Storm

          He isn't in he waves of emotions and the fleeting, anxious thoughts.  Nor is He in the swirling winds of confusion or the gusts of uncertainty.

          Wait for the peace, like Elijah who stood on the mountain.  He had just been through his own emotional storm. He had fled swift driven by fear, after a malicious death threat shook his soul. A storm, earthquake and fire all came before that tender whisper he was desperate to hear. Don't move until you hear that tender, kind whisper that settles your soul; that puts you in perfect peace, resounding repeatedly deep on the inside.  It's not always what you want to hear but it's always what you need to hear. 

      There was an obvious lesson for myself I apparently needed to learn again.  Recently, I had been through a storm.  The spinning thoughts and topsy turvy emotions had attempted to hang a heavy dark cloud over my soul.  But God's love is brighter.  His peace is stronger. Like Elijah, He didn't want the storm to have a grip on me, but for me to have authority over the storm.  And like Elijah, He wanted me to realize God's voice, though tender,  was still more mighty and tenacious than the fiercest of life's storms. 

          Read 1 Kings 19:9-18

      Prayer for Today:

                Lord, help us find you as our peace when the storms of this life-our circumstances, our emotions and confusion-try to rattle us.  Help us not give way, but help us find You as our place of peace, even in the midst of the storm.  Help us not act in haste, but to wait on your peace to move forward. Don't let the storms of this life have a grip on us. Show us the Truth: Your gentle voice is much more powerful and your grip is much more tenacious than any storm.

       

         

     
       
       

Storm over the Ozarks

The Sky is the Limit: Praying Bigger Prayers

        White knuckle prayers of safety. Hail Mary's (referring to the last minute football play, not the catholic prayer). Whatever you want to call them. 

        You know what I am talking about.  We have all prayed them.  And if you are a mom you have prayed them several times a day. 

        And they work.  They really do.  God hears them. 

But I think that there is more. Let me explain.

           The other day I was praying for someone in a difficult situation.  In my heart I prayed a weak, fearful begging type prayer,

                        “Oh God just help them.”

        Then I was able to take time to get away and pray.  As I quieted myself, I could hear that gentle tender whisper.     

          “Molly, your prayers are too small.”

         I knew I needed to forget my fear and leave timidity in the dust.  

                        “Lord forgive me.”

            Suddenly a download occurred.  You know it’s when you have these incredible thoughts fill your mind.  And you know its God because you don’t typically think this way.

         I suddenly knew He could give this person more than just a little help.  He could give this person divine exponential favor.  He could give supernatural influence to lead others to Himself through their situation.  He could exalt himself through this itty-bitty problem in ways I couldn’t imagine.  He could give them supernatural peace that surpassed understanding. He could reveal the heights, depths and widths of His love for this person in a second.  

       Instantly, I knew what God was saying.  I was only praying from an earthly perspective of fear.  The situation was bleak.  But when I sat in stillness in God's presence, I instantly knew He was Lord over the situation.  God wanted me to see the resources of Heaven were behind my prayers.  He wanted to give so. Much. More.

         We are His kids and this is His Kingdom.  He likes to give His Kingdom to His Kids. He likes to move mountains, reveal His glory and provide lavishly.  He’s not afraid to use little old us.  He’s not afraid to involve us.  He is the Lord of the Universe.  All the vast stars, planets, moons and far away galaxies were created with just the breath of his mouth.  He spoke and it came.  He said it and it happened.  He’s better than a genie in a bottle or Santa Claus.  Way Better. 

A Prayer for Today:      

        Lord give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know you.  Fill us with all boldness and help us pray God sized prayers.  Help us know you so we can believe for big things.  Forgive us for our unbelief and our small mindedness. Help us know you, really know you. 

"The Sky is the Limit" Praying Bigger Prayers from a Godly Perspective

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20