I remember one year in 5th grade I received a small little red bible which contained the new testament. I read it and read it and read it. I really got into reading that bible. It was small and easy to understand. I remember being captivated by each story and I told myself that I wanted to be like the people in the bible. I wanted to have their faith. Those people in the bible seemed to have had such faith that I wondered could I also have that kind of faith.
Then it came to me that this was the bible and these things happened then and it was for those people of bible days. Lord was I wrong. I remember one day I needed something. Whatever it was I do not remember but this is where my faith started. I had said a prayer just to see would God answer, Nothing happened. So I said another prayer in regards to something else and still nothing happened. I started to be confused. I wondered, " did God only answer the prayers of the people in the bible because I have said 2 prayers and he did not answer them. I remember feeling sad, and empty thinking that God does not answer prayers and he only listened to the people of long ago. I started to have all kinds of thoughts and wonders. I would ask myself " is God capable of answering prayers? I remembered that in the whole bible in the book of genesis it says that God created the heavens and the earth, so I said to myself that if he created the earth and everything in it then he is capable of answering my prayer, but why is he not answering me. One day as I was thinking about God and his existence I told myself that if he created the sun and the moon which were really huge things in the sky that I can see, then he is able to answer my prayer.
So I had a third situation of praying, this time I knocked down the curtain. I had never put up a curtain before and had no idea how to put one up. I was totally unable to fix it. I did not want to get into trouble so I was getting anxious to fix it. I was praying and I actually said out loud " why you not answering me. I don't know what happened because I had been trying to put this curtain up for at least half an hour and all of a sudden it goes on smoothly with absolutely no effort. So now I am overjoyed and feel that this prayer was answered.
On my journey to learning about God and trying to increase my faith I started to see that God really does answer prayers, and he reads our thoughts. I found this out after wondering about things and receiving an answer shortly afterwards. It frightened me. Well to be honest it scared me and I stopped reading and I wasn't praying often like I use to. I grew into adulthood and found myself praying only when I really needed something. As I look back at myself I see how awful that is to treat someone much less God. He sent his son to die for us, because he loves us so much and I only call on him when I need him. I believe we all have run into that kind friend or person who only comes around or call when they need something. Lord forgive me.
Lately since I have been going through the going throughs I have come to understand that not only do I need to pray when I need something but I need to pray to give God thanks. I must pray when the going is good and when the going gets ruff. Many psalms tell us to sing songs of joy and praise to our God. Jesus said for us to pray morning, noon and night. In the book of Daniel, Daniel prayed 3 times per day.
I am getting back in the groove of praying more often and not being afraid to pray. Over the years I have prayed for others until one day I heard someone in the entertainment industry said that she does mot want anyone praying for her. I found it disturbing and stopped praying for others. I know that prayer works and only now am I back to praying for others and asking the Lord to intervene in their lives and believing with all of my heart that my prayer is answered. I am now listening to my reggae gospel music which I just love and can never get tired of hearing. If I don't know what to pray then I just say the " our father" prayer which Christ told us to pray. I am learning to just give thanks because who wants an ungrateful child, since I am his child.
James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Matthew 21:21,22, And Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do that, which I have done to the fig tree, but also if ye say unto this mountain, Take thyself away, and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done.
22 And whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, if ye believe, ye shall receive it. Praise the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment