I am frustrated. I hear so many Christians talking about how busy they are. They rattle off a litany of responsibilities that they themselves signed up for. They do not take the time to spend with the Lord and wonder why they have no peace. They live on coffee and energy drinks and wonder why they are getting sick. They spend Sundays rushing from one task to the next, having forgotten the Lord's command to rest.
Many wonderful people whom I love dearly need to stop and rest!
When was the last time that you rested? When was the last time that you sat at the feet of Jesus and got lost in Him? When was the last time that you set yourself apart and worshiped in your home, tears flowing down your face as you expressed your great love and spoke words from you spirit that have no equal in any language? When was the last time that you spent with Jesus that wasn't on a Sunday morning at church?
I understand that we all have commitments. You have to go to work. If you have kids you have to care for them. If you are married you need to make time for your spouse. Everyone needs to have some fun and relaxation....but we were made to worship God. Our souls long to unite with Him. If you are short changing this pivotal relationship, you are hurting yourself.
"I can love God and still have a life!" you say quite indignantly...I get it, you are busy with "good" things, maybe they are even things that you are doing for church or in ministry for God, but if you are not investing in your relationship with Him, your life will begin to fall apart.
It's funny, one of the main things that many of my team members said at our last Malawi meeting was that they were so busy...that they needed to spend time with God....that they knew this, but still were struggling. It was difficult for me to hear. I know all people are different with unique personalities, but spending time with God is a discipline...it takes time, commitment, intention, and hard work. Spending time with him means not doing other things...it means saying NO!
A number of years ago I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (this was my third auto-immune disease in five years) I was in the hospital. I had practically every test done known to man. I was laid flat on my back for months, unable to do the most menial things. My heart raced at 160 beats per minute while sedentary. My breathing was uncomfortable and I had something called brain fog, which makes you feel disconnected and frustrated. Simple thoughts cannot find their way through the maze and daze of this disease and it is rather like viewing the world from a movie camera instead of experiencing it in real time. I spent many days crying after speaking to my children because it didn't really feel like I was present with them...it was a horrible time.
During my illness there was little that I could do...literally the Lord became what He should have been already, my best friend. I needed Him to eat (I had sudden allergy to many foods and substances) Every time I ate there was an underlying fear that this would be yet another "epi-pen moment". I needed Him to breath (there would be times that my inhaler did not work and prayer was all that I could rely on as I gasped and sputtered, trying to get a breath). I needed him to think (as I said before they call one of the symptoms brain fog which pretty much speaks for itself. The simplest tasks were impossible and my brain was unable to function properly, no driving, no reading, no speaking...completely cut off). As time passed praying and worship and trying to focus and read the bible were my only activities. When people meet me today and hear how disciplined I am and how much of my day is spent with God they seem annoyed ("isn't that kind of lifestyle over the top?" they ask me). Many Christian friends tell me that they just can't afford that kind of time...or ask why in the world would I get up at 5 a.m. every morning just to sit with God.
God had to lay me out, knock me down, and bring me to my knees. I needed to be that sick before I cleared my schedule and started asking God what I should be doing. Listen to me carefully...I was a committed Christian when I got sick. I was in ministry daily for my job and filled many important roles at my church. I was not however, giving my relationship with Jesus the attention it deserved and required! God did me a solid favor when He took away my health, He cleared my schedule for time with Him.
Recently I sent an email to my fellow team mates for the mission trip. I thought that we could bond better if we shared prayer concerns and got to know one another better. I sent the email in good faith after praying and feeling that this was something God wanted me to do. I have continued to pray for each team member. I sent the email on a Friday morning...(today is Monday morning) I have only gotten one response...it was from my own daughter! You see, I understand that everyone is busy. Many of them probably haven't checked their email because they were busy...others saw the email but haven't responded because they were very busy...and others might just not know what they need prayer for because they are so busy. It is nothing personal...and yet it is essential to our success in ministry when we get to Malwai. We must take this time to prepare, to hear what the Lord has for us to do. Believe me He has a specific plan for us as individuals and as a team. This trip is not just about the time we will be in Africa...it is about God's ultimate plan for saving the world...it is connected to many other things that we may never understand and may never see. It is a responsibility that we need to fully comprehend.
I continue to pray, asking God to help me encourage this group. I continue to desire unity and bonding so we can go as a unit able to handle whatever comes our way. We are going to encounter spiritual warfare (which is why so many people are so busy in the first place!) of many kinds, we may encounter dangers and sickness and unforeseen trauma...we need to be able to depend on one another.
I know that God says that we do not have, because we do not ask:
"You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure."
- James 4:2-3
James mentions the most common problems in prayer: not asking, asking for the wrong things, or asking for the wrong reasons. Do you talk to God at all? When you do, what do you talk about? Do you ask only to satisfy your desires? Do you seek God's approval for what you already plan to do? Your prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to His will for you.
" And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him."- 1John 3:21-22
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