Last weekend I went with a group of women people to attend the True Woman conference in Indianapolis, which is a 4+hour drive from our homes in West Michigan. Following the directions given by the GPS voice we first located the convention center, then proceeded to our hotel less than a mile away. Our plan was to park at the hotel for the weekend and walk back and forth to the conference.
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| Photo courtesy of uinsteadofme and Photobucket |
Unfortunately, the GPS didn't know about the one-way streets that were all going the wrong way, or the entrance to a parking ramp disguised as a street! Not only did we not have a clue as to where we were - except that we had to be close - the GPS actually showed the vehicle spinning around. So much for any assistance from the GPS!
Crunched for time, our driver decided to go back to the convention center and park in a ramp. Pulling in, she our driver slammed on the brakes, remembering in the nick of time that our luggage was riding above in a car carrier and would not fit under the low deck. Whew! (Personally, I was quite impressed. I had totally forgotten we had anything up there.)
With no other parking to be had, we had no choice but to go back to the hotel. Looking on the bright side, everything looked more familiar the second time around... We soon learned we were less than two-tenths of a mile away from the hotel when we had given up the first time.
We were so close, but quit just short of our destination.
The building was actually in sight, we just didn't recognize it because the sign was blocked from view.
We wasted time scurrying around when, if we would have just continued on, we would have quickly reached our goal.
I wonder, how often we do this in our prayer life?
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ~ Luke 18:1
We quit praying because we feel we're not making any difference, when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. For most of us, we give up far too easily. Could it be that God is answering and we just don't recognize it?
How often do we grow impatient and choose to take matters in our own hands rather than wait on the Lord? We end up on a circuitous route that takes us far longer than if we had just stayed the course.
God has the power to answer our prayers immediately, but in my experience this is far from the norm. While we are obsessed with time, God is not bound by it. Looking back, I think delays are actually to my benefit. Quite often God uses the waiting time to make me into the person able to handle the answer.
What are your experiences with prayer? Are you perseverant, or impatient? Do you take matters into your own hands? Feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
Lord, Your answers to my prayers are often very different than I've envisioned them, and Your timing is rarely mine. I wonder how often, in my impatience, I've rushed right by an answer to prayer, not recognizing what it truly was. Help me to wait on you, and give me eyes to see the truth that you've placed before me.
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The building was actually in sight, we just didn't recognize it because the sign was blocked from view.
We wasted time scurrying around when, if we would have just continued on, we would have quickly reached our goal.
I wonder, how often we do this in our prayer life?
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ~ Luke 18:1
We quit praying because we feel we're not making any difference, when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. For most of us, we give up far too easily. Could it be that God is answering and we just don't recognize it?
How often do we grow impatient and choose to take matters in our own hands rather than wait on the Lord? We end up on a circuitous route that takes us far longer than if we had just stayed the course.
God has the power to answer our prayers immediately, but in my experience this is far from the norm. While we are obsessed with time, God is not bound by it. Looking back, I think delays are actually to my benefit. Quite often God uses the waiting time to make me into the person able to handle the answer.
What are your experiences with prayer? Are you perseverant, or impatient? Do you take matters into your own hands? Feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
Lord, Your answers to my prayers are often very different than I've envisioned them, and Your timing is rarely mine. I wonder how often, in my impatience, I've rushed right by an answer to prayer, not recognizing what it truly was. Help me to wait on you, and give me eyes to see the truth that you've placed before me.
Lisa
Linking up with "Write on Edge", "Spiritual Sunday", "Weekend Whatever", "On, In, and Around Mondays"
Those words from Luke are in my mind always! I am always praying and hopeful that even a small step in the right direction will be a new beginning for a lost soul. I work in a difficult office and all the non believers are really hard to take yet God has me there for a purpose. I hope you will pray with me about it!
Those GPS systems often give false info! Our office is on a small cul de sac and the GPS and internet driving directions all say the same thing, make a sharp u turn at Grant & Russell. If you do that you will most likely be hit from four different directions! I am unsure who loads this false info into these systems!
I keepa prayer list and often enjoy reading back in my prayer journal and seeing the results of prayer. Most often there are no quick fixes but when we trust Him, He never lets us down! Took me many years to learn that!
Thanks for sharing your story here! Enjoy the weekend!
I like how you linked your driving experience to prayer!! Nicely done.....and I'm a person who tends to get impatient!!! My prayer life tends to be the kind that is "unceasing" all day, throughout my day, when things come to mind...but when it comes to prayer for my SELF I tend to be very impatient...and in the past more than now, I have taken matters into my own hands..only to discover that God's ways are best....sometimes we DO have to wait on Him and just trust.....I'm finally learning that after many years! :) thanks for a great post!!
Beautifully said.
I only wish HE would answer my prayers NOW. Today. This moment.
I pray ceaselessly all day long.
Thank you for a wonderful post. X
Lisa, just goes to show that our ways are not his ways, our thoughts are not his thoughts. On prayer… I’m working on praying for the impossible. Yes, the impossible. I’m praying every day for my family, those suffering, and for our nation to return to its godly heritage – now wouldn’t THAT be a miracle? And yet, I’m trying to pray without attachment to the results.
Oh my! Just last week my GPS keep directing me to return home. I couldn't do that ( and was tired of the nagging) so I turned the thing off and prayed that there'd be signs directing me to my destination ( a convention hall). My prayers were answered in the form of South Of The Border-esque signs guiding my way pretty much to the entrance of the hall.
He does use those delays to teach us and help build character in us. I'm glad he knows what's best and I pray with you to help me wait on Him. I know he is faithful and can be trusted.
Blessings.
I had a similar experience in Atlanta at the Women of Faith conference with my daughter last year. (I have a love/hate relationship with my GPS.)
I often give up hope too easily. It's something the Lord is working on me about. So I appreciate this post and encouragement.
This is something God has been dealing with me heavily on in the past few months. I am now praying that He would help me to trust in the work He is always doing in the "unseen" realms. That perspective shift has helped me to "hold on" much longer--something I'm doing quite actively these days! :) Thanks so much for this reminder, Lisa!
Thank you, I so needed this today! Barbara
Good lessons in this post. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings,
Charlotte