We are crawling our way back to civilization. Our Governor has re-opened Hair salons. I know there is about to be a stampede! There is a light at the end of this tunnel, but that makes me a little afraid. Let me explain, I'm not afraid as much of the germs as the return of complacency.
I have prayed for time for my family, I have prayed for a reboot, a resurfacing of our hearts, I have prayed for a revival for our country. What I am most afraid of now is that this time might pass without change.
We humans are so short-sighted. I ,myself, am a most forgetful creature. I pray for little mercies every day and rarely acknowledge their answers as if I simply wished them into being with my prayer. Why is it so hard to keep our eyes focused on God’s goodness? Why is it so easy for a complaint to roll off my tongue? Sometimes, I can’t see the forest for the trees.
I have been on display for my children to watch 24/7. We are literally living in a fishbowl. What are they going to learn from me? What will they remember from all of this? What will Corona 2020 mean to them?
Do you know what I desperately want them to learn? I want them to see prayer and confidence in God. I want them to see that when we don’t know what is coming and when we are uneasy or fearful, it’s our answer. More than that, I want this time to teach them that God is what we depend on and where we turn. We don’t depend on the stock market, our jobs, or even our ability to find toilet paper. It’s amazing what we find out about ourselves when our normal is threatened. I am surprised at how shallow I can be. I’m ashamed to tell you that I was immediately worried about my coffee. There it is, I said it, I have a coffee idol!
As our perceived need lessens, our actual need doesn't. We still need God. We still need healing. We still need miracles.
I guess what I am saying is that this time has made me pray more urgently, and I don't want that to stop. This time has given me perspective that I don't want to lose.
I've been stopping at noon for the past 6 weeks now to pray diligently every day. I have an alarm on my phone so that I can't forget. I have been stopping every day, when the alarm on my phone reminds me, and I go to my room or the bathroom or anywhere quiet. I physically get on my knees (I need the reminder and the humility). I’m praying for God to search our hearts, and to start with me. I pray for our county, I pray for our president, I pray for mercy to stop this virus, I pray for my family and my friend’s protection, I pray for our courageous medical heroes who are risking their lives for us every day. I pray for people who have no hope to find Jesus. This uncertainty may be the only thing that will bring them to the end of themselves to Jesus feet. I don't want to forget this. I don't want to be lulled into complacency. I want to live urgently. I'm asking that you join me. Set an alarm on your phone for noon every day and pray with me that change finds roots in our hearts. Let our persistence in prayer become a beautiful sacrifice to God.
I'm leaving you with this challenge :
Keep asking, Keep searching, Keep knocking…God will open a door. He promises that everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7&8).