Thursday, December 1, 2011

Just Pray About It


Have you ever been annoyed or frustrated? Ready to give up on something or somebody?  Maybe a family conflict or just a situation that has yet to be resolved?   Have you caught yourself Complaining to your friends or anyone who would listen?

Have you ever considered that it may not be by accident that, such and such has bothered you so much?  Why is it that it bothers you SO much and others may not have even noticed it?


When I am mad, I FAIL at this.
- That's right. I'll admit it. I'm human and I get mad. Not only mad, I can get ugly mad. :)

This may sound like a duh' but think about it, 
Have you stopped and prayed about it?
 
This can be hard because sometimes you're mad and in a sick way, you kinda like it.
Ha! It sounds crazy but I'm serious. I'm not saying it's ok. I'm just saying it happens. And you don't want to hear from somebody that you shouldn't be mad. Or that you're being unreasonable.  You have all your reasons listed out as to why you're mad, how you've been wronged and how you see it you have every right to be mad.   

If I were reading this I would roll my eyes and ignore this because "I don't want to hear it."  I either "know it already" or consider "Just Pray about it" shallow, because "just pray about it" is a sentence that is SO overused in the christian community- it is a scape goat to Christians that don't want to get real with someone.
But if you are a child of God.  LISTEN!
For 25yrs of my life I heard that phrase and even said that phrase but never knew what "just Pray about it" meant.  So "That's" not what I'm saying.

When I say "Pray about it." I don't mean shout out to God asking Him if He's mad at the situation with you too. :)

Pray about it. Pour out your heart to God. Write it out in a journal, on a scratch sheet of paper or even on a napkin.  I cannot tell you how many tear stained napkins I've had in my life.


Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.- Phil. 4:6-7 (ESV)

I see supplication as a FIRM  yet humble pleading and it's not just stating your case. We do that so often.
At least, I know I do - poor husband.  :/

Sometimes I get so mad, I don't want a response. I just want to gripe and fuss.

But supplication is conversational. Like you're stating your case but you are begging for a response.
Friends we have to quit praying At GOD and begin praying with GOD.  What's the point in praying if you're not waiting for His answer.
Are you scared? I used to be.

(I would pray and think-Lalalalala.  I tell on myself alot :)

I would be scared to death that His answer would cut me to the core and my core was already hurting, so I didn't want to hear it!
That's not how GOD responds! His response is always gentle, and I've come to know HIS response because it always comes in the form of a question with a gentle finger pointing back at me.

I'm saying all this because This is what I'm learning. If something frustrates me, sometimes it's HE who has created me to notice it.  He's given me that passion, He's given me that burden and HE wants it BACK! He wants to turn it, and shape it into something
Beautiful!

When I say, "I'm GOD's" it's not just for salvation.  He doesn't just want my natural talents, that's junk to HIM. He made them. He knows exactly what I'm capable of in my own strength, it's fluff to Him! 

HE wants to show you what HE can do in your inadequacies!
 
He wants the ugly stuff too! No, HE really wants the ugly stuff. Because it's in the ugly stuff that HE shows you HIS character and exactly Who HE IS!  He wants to take our ugly and make it more like HIM.


If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.- James 1:5 (ESV)

See, I can't change people or circumstances and I canNOT change what's already happened. However, it is my responsibility to surrender my response to it!
It's time for us to Quit Complaining and Start Praying!  :)

HIS Clay~
Melissa

6 comments:

  1. WONDERFUL post! I quite literally laughed out loud throughout so much of it because so MUCH of what you described is so absurdly relevant in my life and walk with God.

    My friends and I have a phrase for praying AT God the way you described: we call it screaming and slamming the door - because that kind of prayer is really the equivalent of opening the door to His throne room just long enough to yell the problem at Him, and then slamming it behind you before He can get a word in edgewise. It's not conversation, it's not really even looking for His solution. It's just more venting, more complaining. But when we pray like that all we're really doing is cementing ourselves into the situations that we can't stand!

    And I say all that to say this - this post was SO SPOT ON for me. I used to be SUCH a drama queen - I could take the slightest insult, the smallest inconvenience or disappointment and stew over it for weeks or even months. I worried myself, worked myself up, stressed myself out, and talked about nothing else nonstop until the next "big drama" came my way.

    Thank God I don't have to live like that anymore! Thank God that He's taken me out of that vicious cycle and mellowed me out. He's really been so faithful in teaching me how to cast my cares over onto Him, to the point where most of the time I don't even let myself get ruffled over them anymore. I'm far from perfect, but I'm MUCH FARTHER from where I was. Praise the Lord!

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  2. Paula :) So glad I'm not alone in struggling with this, lol!
    Thanks Jenifer and Tanya- This post was really hard to write. :/

    I just love you guys!

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  3. All that ugly stuff -- so thankful God wants it! More thankful that He takes it and makes it more like Him.

    Blessings,
    Pamela

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  4. Hi! I'm coming over from Laura's blog and I love this! I admit too that in my frustration and anger when someone tells me to pray about it I just want to run the other way, but God is always so faithful to hear me and hold my hand!

    Also I LOVE the name of your blog! I have Isaiah 52:7 tattooed on my feet (The OT version of that same verse) :)

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