Prayer, Presence and Phone

Our human tendency can be to  pick up the phone, not fall to our knees, when we have struggles in life.  We need to talk to a girlfriend for much needed  affirmation, empathy, encouragement and sympathy. We need to hear that things are going to be OK.

Our daughters pick up on this tendency.  Their first imitations of Mommy are usually talking on the phone. One of our first baby rattles was a cute, plastic phone.

But, that can build a dependency that’s not healthy if we don’t go to the Lord first. Girlfriends are HUGELY important, especially  to spiritually  help bear our burdens, but we need to tell the Lord first. We need to tell Him, listen to Him, accept what is working out in our lives for His purposes and be at peace with it.

He alone can provide the comfort we truly need. If a friend promises it is going to work out, that could be just her wishful thinking, maybe her fingers are crossed behind her back. She can pray for you, even offer verses from the Lord, but the power comes not in heresay, but from your direct contact with the God of the Universe. He loves you.  He’s your Father.  He wants to hear from you.

We don’t want one of our hurting kids go to a sibling with their problems and say, “What would Mom say?”  You want them to come directly to you.  We NEED to hold them.  WE need to kiss away their owies.  We need to take care of their damaged physical bodies and their bleeding hearts.  We were created to do this.

Even more so does the Heavenly Father long for us to come directly to Him, and allow Him the privilege of loving and guiding our hearts, bodies and souls back into the track of peace, love and faith.  This is why He is the Creator.  This is what He does for the creation He made in His image.

2 Corinthians 1: 3-4a, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our tribulation….”

A few encouragements on checking your heart condition during a trial.

1. Can you bless or praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? In the midst of your trials can you find something about Him to praise? If you can’t, do not speak to anyone else. Stay in His presence. Admit you have nothing to praise Him for because of the weakness of your flesh. He knows your heart, He just wants you to open it to Him with honesty. We want the Lord’s blessings, but we aren’t willing to open and empty the vessel through which He desires to fill us. We empty ourselves with humility, confession and adoration.

2. Do you understand His mercy? The definition from the Greek gives this definition, “a heart of compassion .” He hasn’t truly given us what we deserve. You may be thinking you don’t deserve this trial, but be honest. We deserve worse. We deserve a separation from Him forever because of our sins against Him. We deserve Hell.

3. What comfort are you truly seeking? Do you need to be coddled? Do you need to have justification that you are right and that you shouldn’t be in this situation? Or, do you want true comfort? Do you want to be drawn near to the Lord, exhorted and admonished concerning the truth of the matter at hand to be refreshed. 

We can comfort our children, while still reminding them the truth of the situation.

“I’m sorry you are sick honey, but we all get sick. Mommy would love to help make you feel better, but I can’t make it go away.”

“I’m sorry you hurt your knee, but Mommy has always warned you about going down the stairs in rollberblades.”

4. When you have blessed the Lord, understanding His mercy and you have sought and received His comfort, it is to be passed on.

2 Corinthians 1:4b …..”that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

When your heart is intertwined with His, beating in obedience and love, then get off your knees.

Run to the phone.

You have some girlfriends to call.