Can you tell where my heart has been lately, with all these posts on prayer? In our Bible study on Tuesday mornings, Priscilla Shirer has been talking about the wilderness. Did you know that God led the Israelites into the wilderness? Did you read that…God led them there? (Check it out in Exodus 13:17-17.)These hard times, the times that we struggle most, God led me here?
God didn’t lead us into the wilderness for us to “figure it out,” as Priscilla Shirer shared yesterday in our video. I am such a “fixer.” I want to know WHY I’m struggling, figure out “triggers” and make sure I NEVER come back here again. Oh, but is that what God wants for me? If he led me here, there is purpose. He is pruning me. He is drawing me to Himself.
Could it possibly be that He is giving me this beautiful season of prayer? Could it be that He is teaching me how desperate I am for him that I need more and more communion with Him? When He draws me to Himself and when He says, “Come, all who are thirsty…” He is talking to me. (Isaiah 55:1.) And lately, I have been going to Him. A lot. But I need to change my prayer a bit. Instead of, “Lord take this away, make me normal” I need to be praying… “Lord, if this is your will, I am Your servant. (Luke 1:38) Use me. Change me. Fill me. Hear my cry…and I know You do. Thank You. I trust You. I trust You, even in the wilderness. I trust Your Hand of Sovereignty in my life. I trust You to mold me and do what You need to do in me. No matter how it hurts.”
Well, Ann has done it again…written a fabulous post on prayer.
She talks today of building a house of prayer, going through each of these things listed below.
excerpt:
Lord, cause us not to work to consume or to climb, but to engage in the true work of building houses of prayer, places where You are at Home. Come, find Shelter here, where we find Shelter in You….
To Build a SHELTER of Prayer:
S-Short
H-Helps
E-Establish a Place
L– Lists
T– Together
E– Establish a Time
R– Reminders
Wow, this really hit home. I, too, look for all the triggers that bring me into dry places. But He leads me there. He wants me there. He is with me there. And He has a plan and a purpose for me – THERE. Wow.
Our pastor has been speaking on this lately as well…and then also, they said they wouldn’t go up, if He wouldn’t go with them…
Yes, don’t we want Him with us…especially into the wilderness…
especially anywhere…sigh…
Thanks for sharing this, Candace. Praying for you!
I so appreciate your thought that he “leads us there”. Because he knows what we need more than we do. He is to be trusted. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing Candace! I will be back to read it again when I can focus more.
The desert place of my wilderness, the most difficult time in my life, a time of crucifying my flesh. I would do it over a million times, because it is only when we are truly crucified that we can be resurrected in His glory.
Blessings to you from Costa Rica, you blessed me today.
Sarah Dawn
Beautiful post…the wilderness is not a place I enjoy, either; but He does draw us there, and do great works if we allow Him to, as we wait on Him in those dry desert days.
Blessings,
Catherine 🙂
It is SO nice to meet you. You have a beautiful blog and an adorable family!
It is so nice to be part of this prayer group over at Ann’s Blog! Don’t you just LOVE the way she writes!
Thank you for the post. I can so relate! I am a “fixer” too… I just need to be still before God and let Him refine me.
Love,
Traci
“I trust You, even in the wilderness.”
Let that be a part of my prayer too. Thanks for sharing your heart.
Ann’s post is beautiful, as always, but so is yours! Thanks for sharing your heart, Candace!
I went through the ‘why’ stage too. Beth Moore said this about the Israelites. “God led them (the Israelistes) the longer, harder route even thought he knew there was a shorter easier one because he knew they were not ready for the battles they would face in the possessing of the land. He was concerned that when they saw the enemy, they might run back to Egypt, so He took them the harder way to teach them who He was and that they could not depend on themselves.”
How true, how very true!
Blessings!
Cherry Blossom