I am thankful that our God is a God of fresh insights. For some time now, I have asked the question and have encouraged others to ask the question, “Where is God in this”? This can be a helpful and worthwhile question when trying to understand how God is at work in any particular circumstance. Just this past week, I was challenged to consider this from a different angle and it brought some deeper insight that has been influencing my prayers ever since. The invitation was to rather than try to see God in our stories, look to see our stories in God’s. “God is the larger context and plot in which our stories find themselves.” How will that change our outlook and approach if we prayerfully determine to consider God’s story and how he invites us to step into that story, His story? Scripture from Jeremiah 29:11-13 expresses God’s story and God’s purpose, “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” This brings to my mind, an image of a play that is being performed. I step on to the stage thinking that I know my lines and where I am to stand. I discover that the stage is so much larger than I imagined and that there are several more people who are part of the action than I would have expected. God’s story is a huge production that involves day to day life and how we call on God and pray for God to guide us. We do find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts and we also find all the other individuals who are wanting to find their place in God’s story. Could we focus our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER this week on prayers to discover our stories, our purpose in God’s story? This opportunity is ours as we set aside tomorrow, Wednesday April 14th at 1 pm for prayer.
Praying with expectancy for us to discover our stories in God’s story, Lola
Our God, we continue to give thanks for all the ways that You smile on us with Your love and grace. When we get caught up in our stories and miss Your story, You persist with Your plans to give us hope and a future. When the questions that we ask do not bring us closer to You, thank You God that You are willing to alter our direction. God it is good that You have a clear view of Your plans for each of us. It is promising to know that You are persistent in Your story unfolding. The times when we miss Your cues, do not derail what You are doing. Forgive us for when we either think that our role is more or less important than You know it to be. It does require extreme courage to step into what You are doing and to trust You for the ways that You will use us. You are able to use us well in Your story when we call on You and pray and listen. Please give us the reassurance that You do listen to us. We will call on You when we are convinced that Your story matters most and when we want to rely on You to guide our stories. We will pray to You and place every outcome in Your hands when we come to the end of our own resources and choose to ask You to provide our strength and security. God, it is amazing that when we come to the end of ourselves and our abilities that we find You. When we feel like we have nothing left with which to write our story, You are with us. You God allow us to recognize again that it really is Your story and our prayer needs to be to find our story in Your story. Our God we praise You that You have had a story to write from the beginning of time. You were there at the outset orchestrating all the characters and all the dialogue. Forgive us for trying to compose the script without You. It is such a better plan to let You be the Writer and Director of Your story in which we have a small part. God, we do encounter You when we are seeking You with all of our hearts. When we are reluctant to step forward and to speak the words You have given us to speak, please keep our dependence centred in You. Please be at work in our hearts. This is where You write Your story. Give us insight to see how our stories are meant to weave together to tell Your story. When our insistence on the way we want our stories written interferes with the way You want Your story written, make that clear to us. We will need to be rerouted through humble prayer to want what You want, not what we want. These prayer times are significant opportunities for You to advance Your story and we want to support that entirely. We give all of ourselves to You. We are seeking You God with all of our hearts and we are finding You as You said we would. Thank You for others who are seeking You with all of their hearts. Thank You for those who will seek You with all their hearts and find their stories in You and Your eternal story. Thank You that we can trust You and step into Your story. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.