March 2011 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

    Does God answer prayer? And why does it seem to take so long for Him to answer?  How does God’s sovereign plan and the desires of our heart work in this process? Many of those yet to know Christ have these questions.  And if we are honest we also entertain them from time to time. I know many of us have prevailed in prayer and labored to seek answers or direction from the Lord.  Perhaps we have been disappointed that nothing changed, or that it took so long.  Sometimes our heart cries out, “Lord, did you hear my cry?” Yes, prayer can sometimes be hard work!
   
Psalm 37:4-6, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Notice that although David spoke of the desires of his heart in this passage, Gods’ answer speaks more about what He will do in David’s life to help him grow in righteousness.  It does not speak specifically to the expressed desires of David’s heart.  But as he begin to allow God’s desires for him to become his desires, “…his righteousness did shine like the dawn”…just as God had promised.  David needed to be assured of the love of God, the power of God and the plans of God in order to believe that He could answer prayer and direct his steps in the way he should go. How easily we forget the desires of our heart don’t always match what God is allowing in our lives.

When Paul wrote his letters to the churches, he often began with telling them what he had been praying for them. Most often there is little mention of individual prayer needs.  It was not because they were not important, since they had many more pressing needs than most of us today. But Paul knew, as David learned in Psalm 37, there were essential beliefs that would strengthen them as they waited for God’s timing in answering their personal prayer needs.  So Paul prayed:

•    For them to love God
•    For them to learn more of God
•    For them to walk with and depend on God
•    For them to reveal and serve God

Of course we must pray for individual needs, for healing of diseases, for solutions
from God for the issues we face. But in the midst of all these pressing needs, these four areas will usually be tested and hopefully strengthened as we wait before Him for answers.

Over the last months of my back surgery and recovery, of my father’s illness, subsequent death and entrance in heaven, I have seen God begin to work these primary areas of belief into my life.   Early in 2010, God used Isaiah 48:17, “This is what the Lord says…your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go” …to prepare me for what was ahead.  The key words for me have been… “who teaches you what is best for you”, and “directs you in the way you should go.”  

God has helped me see that His sovereign will was the best way for me, and that He would direct my steps through the maze that was to come.  The desires of my heart had been that none of these things would have to happen.  But God begin to teach me that this was best.  Not only for me, but all those who would be affected by His plans. 

I began to love Him more when I saw that each detail I had not even thought to pray for was already being done by His hand. Before, anything that might involve pain did not seem very loving to me.  As I let Him teach me, sometimes through tears, I began to understand more about His ways and purposes.

Before I somehow had imagined that my way of handling these pressing needs would work better (and easier) than what He was allowing, and discovered that the desires of my heart had became more important than they should. I began to walk and to depend on God in ways I have never had to before. I had forgotten that deeper intimacy occurs when we are surrendered to His sovereignty in our lives, even when we can’t foresee the final outcome. We learn to know in new, thankful ways that we are in His hands.

Another critical area I saw in the epistles was that I was being offered new ways to reveal and serve God.  While some of the specific ways I prayed seemed not to be answered, He opened up a whole new world of people whose life He could touch through me. He has given me many opportunities to share His love with those people.

The Lord also demonstrated the love and care of the Body of Christ through so many of you.  Many shared how the Lord had deepened your walk as you prayed for us also. We saw these same areas being strengthened in others through many unexpected opportunites to serve my father in his last weeks.  God truly directed our steps….as we surrendered to His desires for us.

Where are you on your journey?  Are you willing to allow the desires of His heart for you to become the basis of your prayers?  Will you pray with me that God would continue to build these areas into all our lives as we continue on this journey… to love Him, to learn of Him, to depend on Him, and to reveal and serve Him….even in the mazes of our lives!

Again, we are so grateful for all the prayers, cards, e-mails, flowers, food and care. We have been overwhelmed by your love. 
 

                                                                                      By His Mercy and Grace,
                                                                                      Vollie, for Darrell too