Are things changing?
Does it seem like there is an almost palpable change taking place? And that it’s going to lead to more and more changes?
Sort of like we are all just waiting for the other shoe to drop… but the state of the world has changed so much since the spring of 2020, the second shoe dropping could turn out to be almost anything at all.
It feels like nothing would surprise us; the bottom has fallen out on the shock value. And yet, something heavy is hanging in the air.
Things have changed so much in recent years, and things will continue to change. That much we all seem to know.
What are we to do with all this change, and all the impending change that seems to be looming on the horizon?
Pray.
What we do, as followers of Jesus, is pray.
When I get too focused on the unknowns & the what-if’s, I start to lose hope. And when I start to lose hope, I don’t pray big, bold prayers.
And I don’t encourage others to hold on to hope, believe God’s promises, and pray big, bold prayers.
It’s a downward spiral that I need to fight against.
How do I do that, exactly?
Recognizing that I hamstring myself and shackle my faith (keeping it small and unexpectant) when my focus is on all the very real, but not-so-great things happening in the world is key in moving me back to an unshackled, hopeful prayer life.
And I’ve found that I also need to be aware that I don’t shackle anyone else’s faith or hinder their hope by focusing on all the downers and concerns that come from living in this current day and age. The era in which I find myself is the point in time the Lord chose for me to be alive on the earth, and I need to trust Him with my day-to-day life and with everything that may (or may not) happen in the future.
By always opting to go back to what the Word of God says & by choosing to believe that God’s promises are true, sure and trustworthy (because He is true, sure and trustworthy), I maintain hope. My faith grows. Which, in turn, impacts how I pray and how much I trust God for.
It isn’t helpful, or hopeful, to make excuses as to why things haven’t changed yet, why God hasn’t moved every mountain I want Him to move… And it doesn’t help other believers when I gripe & complain incessantly. Since it isn’t good for much of anything, I need not waste my time on it.
It shackles my own faith, as well as the faith of those around me, when I try to reason out why God hasn’t done “my bidding” and given me what I want.
I don’t want to do that anymore.
I don’t want to shackle anyone’s faith or hope.
Hope, I have learned, is contagious.
And God’s promises offer us tremendous hope.
How can we maximize & capitalize on that hope?
How can we throw hope around like confetti?
By boldly proclaiming God’s promises.
For me, that often happens in a more public setting - via my podcast, or through one of my books or at a speaking engagement.
For others, it may be a bit less public - during family devotions or during discussions around the dinner table, perhaps.
I guess my clarion call for each one of us today is this: Let’s hope better, stay unshackled in our faith, & pray big, bold, daring prayers based on the Word of God.
I can’t think of anything more needed at this moment in time.
And I can’t think of anyone better qualified to spread hope, fan faith into flame, and pray the biggest prayers possible than God’s people.
Thanks for reading my thoughts on prayer.
But more than that, thanks in advance for changing lives and honoring God with your prayer life.
If you’d like to connect with me, you can join my email list here (and also grab a free prayer resource I recently put together). You can also find me via my podcast, The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. It’s available on all podcast players such as Spotify and Apple Music, as well as at my website - Jan L Burt.
And I also have a couple of books available on Amazon (one of them is a prayer journal for parents).
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