It Doesn't Just Happen

As I began my prayers tonight in the quiet of the chapel, I prayed for good things to happen, and bad things to be alleviated, according to God’s will.  I trust, trust strongly, that He knows the best way to do this, for reasons I don’t expect to understand.  I accept that He is God, and I am far from it.  But then I found myself praying for people, all sorts of people, in all sorts of life.  And I realized I was praying for them to be at their best at this time. God has given many people many great talents, great blessing

As I began my prayers tonight in the quiet of the chapel, I prayed for good things to happen, and bad things to be alleviated, according to God’s will.  I trust, trust strongly, that He knows the best way to do this, for reasons I don’t expect to understand.  I accept that He is God, and I am far from it.  But then I found myself praying for people, all sorts of people, in all sorts of life.  And I realized I was praying for them to be at their best at this time. God has given many people many great talents, great blessings, I prayed that they would focus those talents as He would will, as He provide them for.  So, I prayed the lab people wouldn’t miss some subtle test result, while they were watching their phones.  I prayed our government leaders could calm their anxieties and not just react, but decide using all their God-given wisdom, and seek cooperation not in their reactions but in doing their well-reasoned plans.  And I prayed for all the good people, loving people, of this world, that they would not be anxious or overwhelmed by the growing needs, which might cause them to overlook a person in need; I prayed they would love as they ought, very deliberately, with passion and resolve, yet calmly, knowing God is in control.

As I prayed for these people to be at their best, as God created them to be, I recalled that I had once prayed those exact prayers for myself, because I realized that at one time I was far from the best I could be, far from whom God had given me talents to be.  I was far from being a son He could be proud of --- or even a servant He could be satisfied with.  And I saw that I had to change; I had to will to change.  Change like that, change in your heart, change of who you ARE, doesn’t just happen.  And when I realized who I really was, in my heart, I prayed:  Change my heart, oh Lord, change my heart.  I want it to be like Yours.

I spoke, off the cuff, to a friend tonight, that I felt that God was wishing the world would use this time of chaos, this time of anxiety, this time when things are brought to a pause, to use this time to reflect on who we are, where we are, in our life, in our relationship with Him.  All those things   that I had prayed for the world, that I prayed for people, won’t “just happen”.  This is a time of pause --- a time for each of us to reflect on who “I am”, a time to look into our heart and be honest about who I am.  If all I am is about me, if all I am is about getting what I want right now and I have no desire to change, I myself will never become one of those people I prayed others would become.  I was really praying for others to be, or become, the best that they can be --- for this world, not for themselves.  I need to pray that prayer, in this time of pause, for myself.  I need to decide, to resolve, to be a better person, with a focus of my heart on the needs of the world, not just on my wants for myself.  I need to desire to be someone God would be proud of and perhaps say: “Look who I created; see how wonderful they are.”  I need to resolve to change my heart. And it doesn’t just happen.  In this time of pause I can pray: Guide me, Lord; show me Your will, and walk with me.  And I need to resolve to start out, to seek opportunities to begin.

And in that walk, going forward, never forget that you are not alone.  Set a firm daily prayer time, even as you learn to casually speak to Him in the moment.  Ask Him; look for His answers --- not the ones you want --- and trust He is there.  Without Him we are all walking blind. 

“What is it that you would ask of Me?  That I might see, Lord.”

There is a God out there Who intensely loves you.  Won’t you give Him the time of the day?  He waits, waits for you.  Won’t you stop being the prodigal son?  Won’t you change from a focus on what you want, to a focus on who He created you to be?  This is a time like we have never had in our lives.  What will we do with it?

Even one heart changed, can change the world.