Eternal Prayers

I am one of those crazy people that believes that a prayer can last, that it can cover it all. What I mean by this is that I believe a prayer whispered or thought once concerning a subject is all it takes for God to hear it and run with it. Call me insane or present me scripture that says otherwise, I would like to hear it. But I believe, for instance, that if I say "Lord, bless my father." That that prayer could run throughout his life, that even twenty years after I've prayed this that the Lord will still be blessing my father in various ways because of that single sentence.

I believe that when Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians to "Pray without ceasing" that he didn't mean that God forgets so you need to pray the same prayer over and over because he must be reminded of what you have asked of him. No, prayer without ceasing is for our benefit, and reminding the Lord of what He has said is for our benefit. It is 1) to keep us in constant communion with the Lord and 2) to remind ourselves of who He is and what He can do. When the answer comes, you will know without a doubt that it was the Lord's doing.

Now I have been a Christian since I was very little, I vividly remember asking the Lord several times to come and live in my heart (probably because I just wanted to make sure the bases were covered... just to make sure he stayed there! haha). So in all of these years, I know I have prayed countless prayers. Some prayers when I was a "little bit" have probably carried me my whole life.

God is so funny how he can speak one thing to me and it be so significant and then seemingly says nothing else just leaves me to reflect on that one piece of wisdom. The other night at church I was reflecting on the seasons of life he has taken me through and the season that I am now. The season that makes me squirm, that makes me feel like an ant under his magnifying glass, that makes me want to run and stand still all at the same time, frankly I hate this season. Now I know I am the advocate for being thankful in every situation, but I am the advocate because it's a theme in my life, it's probably the one thing I must learn for this grand scheme of his to fall into place. And then in the midst of reflecting and wondering why, He said it, "Did you ever think that the season you are in is me answering a prayer you have prayed?" Oh Geez, God, you just opened a can of worms!

It doesn't really matter what prayer I prayed, this season could be a culmination of several prayers that were prayed. Frankly the only thing I can think of is "God, strip everything away from me that isn't of you." Wow, thanks for that one, Laura ! And the answer to that seems to be bringing everything to the surface in my nature and in my heart that is not of His Spirit. Then the next step is me wallowing in it until I can't stand it any more and leave it all to Him. Pretty good plan.

The Road to Restoration

Jeremiah 33 (The Message (to Laura, that is :) )

Things You Could Never Figure Out on Your Own

 ¹ While [Laura] was still locked up in jail, a second Message from God was given to [her]: ^2-3"This is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.' ^4-5"This is what God, the God of Israel, has to say about what's going on in [your life], about the [common things and the mighty things] that have been demolished, about all the ravages of [spiritual and emotional] war and the killing [of your spirit] by the [enemy], and about the [things around you I have destroyed] because of my raging anger—about all that's happened because the evil actions in [your life] have turned my stomach in disgust.  ^6-9"But now take another look. I'm going to give [your life] a thorough renovation, working a true healing inside and out. I'm going to show [you] life whole, life brimming with blessings. I'll restore everything that was lost to [you]. I'll build everything back as good as new. I'll scrub [you] clean from the dirt [you've] done against me. I'll forgive everything [you've] done wrong, forgive all [your] rebellions. And [you] will be a center of joy and praise and glory for all the countries on earth. They'll get reports on all the good I'm doing for [you]. They'll be in awe of the blessings I am pouring on [you].
 ^10-11"Yes, God's Message: 'You're going to look at this [life], [this] empty and desolate [spirit of hers], and say, "A wasteland. Unlivable. Not even a dog could live here." But the time is coming when you're going to hear laughter and celebration, marriage festivities, people exclaiming, "Thank God-of-the-Angel-Armies. He's so good! His love never quits," as they bring thank offerings into God's Temple. I'll restore everything that was lost in [her]. I'll make everything as good as new.' I, God, say so.
 ^12-13"God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: '[What once was desolation to you will] become [life]. ... God says so.

A Fresh and True Shoot from the David-Tree

 ^14-18"'Watch for this: The time is coming'—God's Decree—'when I will keep the promise I made to [Laura]. When that time comes, I will make a fresh and true shoot sprout from [her tree]. [She] will live [her life] honestly and fairly. [She] will set things right. That's when [she] will be secure and [she] will live in safety. The motto for [her life] will be, "God Has Set Things Right for [Me]." ...  ^19-22God's Message to [Laura]: "God says, 'If my covenant with day and my covenant with night ever fell apart so that day and night became haphazard and you never knew which was coming and when, then and only then would my covenant with my servant [Laura] fall apart ..."
 ^23-24God's Message to [Laura]: "Have you heard the saying that's making the rounds: 'The [daughter] God chose he disowned'? And have you noticed that my [daughter is] treated with contempt, with rumors afoot that there's nothing to [her] anymore?
 ^25-26"Well, here's God's response: 'If my covenant with day and night wasn't in working order, if sky and earth weren't functioning the way I set them going, then, but only then, you might think I had disowned [my daughter] ... But as it is, I will give [her] back everything [she's] lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on [her].'"

For a long time now, I have heard these words in my spirit "The Road to Restoration", and I, being the nerd that I am, would always think that that's a pretty good book idea, but I never got any more words to go with it. Just "The Road to Restoration", those words alone are enough to bring hope, but too quickly the enemy seeks to steal the seed that is planted and too quickly do weeds spring up to choke the life out of what God is trying to grow. Too many worries and excuses try to take its place and as quickly as it comes, the light of hope is snuffed out.

Sometimes when God cannot reach us with comfort, with hope, he will reach us with a harsh reality. The reality is this: Take the road to restoration NOW, or suffer the road to destruction. Whatever you had, whatever you think you have now is gone; it has run out and you have deceived yourself to think that it will last you forever. In other words, whatever fruit you had has dried up and fallen off the tree. You cannot sustain a tree that you don't allow to grow in the light of the Son or nurture with water from the Wellspring of Life. Your life is a barren waste.

Regardless of the harsh reality, regardless of the image reflected back from the mirror God holds to your face,  there is yet a sense of hope. God is offering His hand, first with a light slap on the bottom, but then as a means to help you get to your feet. "Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God!"

Down whatever road you go, whatever path you stray down, God continues to offer a fork in the road to lead His children back to Him and back to the life and purpose that He has for them. I know God is calling me to restoration, and though it will be difficult, I will walk this out.