This post originally posted Nov. 24, 2010. Ironically, in the 25 months since it posted we have been on the trust/not looking to the future/not planning for the future ride of our lives. It’s amazing how God knows just what we need and when we need it, isn’t it? Those feelings of peace, joy, and centerednes I mention below are still with me, and I’m still able to calmly leave the future in God’s hands. Thank you God for the power of prayer!

It’s amazing to me how God just clicks ideas together like puzzle pieces locking into place. I’ll hear a sermon, I’ll read a book, I’ll look at a scripture, and though they’re all from completely different sources they’ll just all click.

Recently that’s happened as God is deepening my understanding of prayer. He’s been showing me how much we limit His power in our lives by our doubts and unbelief, and one of those avenues is through prayer.

Consider: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” -James 5:16b-17

When we pray do we really truly believe it has that kind of power? Or do we feel those things happened in Bible times and can’t happen now? I ask you, when did God change? The way we access Him changed between the Old Testament (OT) and the New (NT), but God didn’t. More so, God’s presence was in a temple in the OT and now the Holy Spirit lives in us, how does that translate to less powerful and God being less evident in our lives?

Again, I’m not talking about miracles, though when God shows up in those ways it is awesome and amazing to experience. Instead I’m talking about deepening our relationship with Him. Experiencing His power as He works to help you overcome a sin, heal from past hurts, develop Godly character, and find freedom from a perpetual struggle.

I recently experience the latter. One morning during my quite time I felt led to call Natalie and have her pray for me. She didn’t use an “O, God, how are thou…,” but as a result of that prayer, I have seen the Holy Spirit poured out in a greater measure in my life. Specifically relating to trust and stress. If you know me (or have read my first blog post), you know my middle name is stress. I stressed about everything, especially planning for the future, and tense muscles were just a part of life. This stress came directly from a lack of trust in God, which I have struggled with for years. Not just, “Oh, I’m having trouble trusting God in this situation.” But knock down drag out fights with God over trusting Him and His ability to care for me.

As soon as Natalie prayed, I felt so much Joy, Peace, and Centeredness. Not normal surface emotions, but deep, to the core, more a state of being. Since then even though right now we have little idea what is going to happen to our family in a few weeks much less months, I feel CALM and at PEACE. The trust issues that I have struggled with for years are simply gone. Because I have tried for so long to trust but have found it so elusive, can I say without a doubt that it is God’s Power through His Spirit that has made the change. PRAISE, God!

This same power is available to you, too! If you’re not, become a Christian. Then seek God’s face daily through Bible reading and prayer, believe that His Spirit does live in you and can work in you, and follow His guidance and promptings. Just wait, and God will show up.