Prayer

Through the Storm

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. Acts 27:23-24

Everyone goes through storms; whether self-inflicted  blunders or ones over which we have no control like sexual abuse. God doesn’t give us much guidance in how to live storm free, but the Bible is chock full of ideas on how the make it through them.

beach black and white clouds dawn

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Paul found himself in just such a situation as he was being shipped off in chains to stand trial because of his faith. He discovered the helplessness we all experience when we are not the captain of our ship. As his ship sailed off to sea Paul was to the outward observer the person least in control of the ship. The ship’s owner was in a hurry and the captain decided the weather was fine. The sailors hoisted up the sails and the paying passengers just enjoyed the sunshine on the deck. But no matter their position in that ship, they all were headed towards the same storm.

People use all different ways in facing difficulty. The Owner yelled at the captain to get things under control. The captain yelled at his crew to work harder. The soldiers aboard probably complained that the sailors had no idea what they were doing and the passengers huddled in fear below decks. But when the waves came sloshing into the boat Paul just kept doing the same things he did on sunny days. Paul served God and prayed. The question isn’t what kind of storm we are facing, but  can find a way to keep praying and serving God right in the middle of it?

A Glad Heart

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25 NKJV

My Grandfather’s words “It’s not what you know but who you know that counts.” reflected his experience navigating a naval career during consider that prayer offers us the opportunity to put in a good word for someone going through a tough time?WW2. That holds as true today as much as at the War Department in the 1940’s; because having just the right person put in a good word still makes all the difference.

When people tell us about their problems our natural tendency is to try to cheer them up based on “what we know”. We say not so smart things like “It can’t be that bad!” because based on our experience their situation seems okay. But we are missing the unique opportunity that God gives us through prayer to put in a good word with the only one who can really make a difference. Of course we should still offer encouraging words when we see those closest to us in the pits and depressed. But “who we know” will trump what we know, every time in the long run. Only God can ultimately make a heart glad. Only He can put a smile on a face that will light up a life again!