Grateful Prayer

^{John 20: 19-20 the message} 

Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." Then he showed them his hands and side.

The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."

 

Thursday night, we told the story of the Passover, and talked to Ryan about the cross, the grave and the empty tomb.  Ryan is getting older, so we did not hold back from expressing how brutal the cross was.  Ryan, being the sensitive guy he is, started getting very- very disturbed.  Frankly, I don't see that as a bad thing.  He was particularly alarmed at the picture of Jesus after the resurrection.  Jesus still had the holes in His hands, and Ryan asked me if He would still have them when we see Him in heaven.  I said "yes." 

Afterward, when going to bed, Ryan asked me "Why did Jesus still have those holes in His hands?  Couldn't God just fix those?" 

Well, good question. 

Later that evening Robert and I watched the Passion movie.  I cried all the way through...but kept thinking about those scars in Jesus' hands.  Why DID He keep those? 

Maybe it was to show that He was alive and flesh.  Maybe to show that He was not an impostor, so more people would believe. 

Or maybe it was to show us that scars are the human condition, we commune with each other through them.  Most of us have them, either on our body or hands or face, or more commonly on our hearts, minds and souls.  We are damaged goods.  We are broken and we are healed over, but the wound site remains. I have a C section scar I will keep forever. It allowed my son to be born.  Without it, he and I would have died.  

I don't know why Jesus kept the nail marks.  But those scars healed me. They heal still. Without those scars, you and me and the rest of the world-we are dead in every way.  Jesus understands our hurt and shares it. Scars are a testimony of how we have been healed. 

Whatever the reasoning, I am so so grateful and have spent time in grateful prayer,...thanking God for Jesus.  For what He did on the cross.  How He healed me and heals me still.  He makes beautiful things out of dust and ashes and blood and scars.  I am thankful for my own scars.  And thankful there is evidence of healing. 

Friday was sad. But Sunday, Sunday is almost here.  I plan to be up early in grateful prayer.

Thank You, God. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the simple and profound salvation You have provided to anyone that will accept. 

 Thank You. 

Praying for opportunities

I skipped a week of blogging, no excuses really, just waiting for inspiration.  I plan things to blog and it seems like those things never work out correctly.  The blog is started then discarded.

So waiting for inspiration is probably better.

As I was praying this week, I decided my focus was a bit off. So I prayed the opportunities prayer.

Ok, let me explain.  When Ryan was around 3 years old, we started praying together.  He would listen (he did not speak until after age 3) and I would pray.  I was trying to show him that Jesus loved Him and that we were called to a higher purpose and that purpose was helping people in need.  I was a stay home mom, and rarely did things outside the home, then mostly with other moms that were already Christians.  They were stable and had everything they needed.  How was I ever going to show Ryan what we were called to do? I was stumped.

So I started praying the opportunities prayer.  This is how it went.  "God please give us chances to serve You today, and make it clear to us where and whom you want us to serve.."  We prayed and prayed that prayer.

Well, pretty quick, I noticed there were little chances here and there.  I would have missed them, but the prayer made me very sensitive to the world around.  There would be a lady at the grocery store with lots of kids and we would put her basket back for her.  Or the new mom in need of someone to do her laundry. After a year of this prayer, the opportunities became more pronounced and the calling became a little harder.  At times I did not want to serve the way He was calling me to.  I still prayed the prayer though, and every time I ignored the pull, Ryan would notice and call me on it.  (wow I hate it when that happens!)

Then one day we were passing by a homeless man.  Ryan asked me if that was a chance to serve, I said yes, but I had no money that day.  He chimed up "mom, I have some cash!"  He handed the man a dollar bill.

God does have a sense of irony.  I was trying to teach my child purpose and prayer and he taught me instead.

All of that to say, God gives us many chances to serve when we ask Him. Those are the prayers that are closest to God's heart. They use us as a vessel to show His love.  Those prayers are blessed...we are blessed as we serve and God is glorified.  God sees all those little ways we serve, then blesses us with more and more ways as we obey the Spirit.

so my  plan tonight is to ask for chances tomorrow
..if by some chance I miss them, I know Ryan will make sure I follow through.