There are life lessons to be reminded of when shovelling snow. Like some of you, I had occasion to be clearing snow from our driveway with the latest winter storm. There was a great deal of snow, some 30 cm or more. I was reminded of the importance of a steady approach. When I look at all the snow, it can seem daunting. However, working away, a shovel at a time, it does eventually get cleared. This is such a helpful insight about our faith in God and our approach to praying and looking for God’s will and God’s way. This is us, “standing on the promises of God.” Our prayers can be like shovels full of snow. One prayer after another, we look for the way that God will act to move obstacles that impede the way forward. Sometimes the things that we bring to God in prayer can seem daunting and we wonder if we will have the strength and determination to keep on praying until God does provide answers and clears the way. In I Corinthians 15:58 we can read words of admonition and encouragement, “Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” Prayer, like shovelling snow is hard work. We need to stand firm in prayer and not let anything dissuade us from reaching out to God in persistent prayer. If we are to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, that will include prayer. And we can know that none of our labour for the Lord is in vain. When a task seems to big for us to handle, we may be tempted to give up. If we give up when shovelling out a driveway, we are prevented from getting anywhere. If we give up when praying, we are also prevented from getting anywhere. These days, I am realizing how imperative it is that we stand firm in our prayers for God to bring answers to the COVID crisis. This pandemic has stretched on and we cannot stop praying and giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord and God’s intentions in the midst of the challenges we face. Tomorrow, February 17th at 1 pm, we can unite for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER. We will commit in continued, concerted prayer to stand firm in our conviction that God does hear us as we pray and will clear the way for His will to occur.
Our God, we know that You understand our need to stand firm in You and the importance of giving ourselves fully to Your work. We also know that You recognize that we do experience fatigue and at times feel that we do not have what is needed to stand firm and to keep on praying. We want to stand on Your promises with conviction. Thank You God that praying is not an act of desperation. It is a determined decision to seek what You want. We want to address in our prayers the things that can shake our faith or threaten to move us from where You want us to remain. We are continuing to bring to You every detail of what we hear on the news and read about the COVID crisis. We admit that there are things that seem to contradict and even having a clear and accurate view can be difficult. Rather than become distracted or conclude that it is too much for us, please keep our focus on living for You each day. Our God we are asking You to show us what work You have for us as individuals. We have learned that labour in You our Lord is not in vain. You lead us to give ourselves to what matters. Your perspective is for things eternal. What is happening now in our lives and in our world is only a small part of the much wider view of what You are accomplishing. Please help us to stand firm and to keep on praying with expectant hope in You. We do stand on Your promises. Today, we are wanting our efforts in prayer and all to which we give ourselves to be labour in You, our Lord. Over time, we have seen that as we pray, You do cause good to happen. When there is a tendency to compete or to argue with others, we are asking instead that we will be shaped by our prayers into people who do cooperate together for Your purposes. In this, we stand on Your promises. This could be a time of seeking to advance self interest and we pray God for that danger to be removed and for us to be transformed by Your love. Like when we are shovelling snow, we long for the work to be finished. Yet we know that as long as we are given the gift of lift here, that we will need to keep on standing firm in You and we will need to keep on labouring, working for your kingdom. Please send the refreshment of Your Spirit for our bodies, our minds, and our souls. We ask You to use us to speak uplifting words that will invigorate others, who like us grow weary, at times. May we be inspired to grasp that when we stand firm in faithful prayer and when we labour in You Lord, it is not for nothing. It is not in vain. Right here, right now, we stand on Your promises. We pray that the effort we expend to serve You will result in us seeing answers to our prayers. Thank You God for answers to prayer that we have already witnessed. We now invoke Your overcoming power to right what is wrong in our world and to lead us in Your way everlasting. These prayers we offer up to You, as we stand on Your promises, our Lord and Saviour. AMEN.