The Spirit calls me today with yet more of an invitation to ask "whatever" I want according to the promise of John 14:11. With such an extravagant invitation, the human mind starts to salivate with all the possibilities. But then the sensible parts of the mind start to "qualify" the great promise leading to a dark catacomb called "unbelief".
What a dark oppressive wet blanket gets thrown over our hope when we think about our desire and the potential answers to all our prayers. We become convinced that God makes such a distinction between the quality of our prayers that we begin to debate what we should ask for. Soon the debate gets frustrating and eventually we just stop asking except in the most dire, life and death issues of crisis' that touch our lives.
The Holy Spirit taught me a great lesson long ago and reminded me that nothing has changed. It happened at the end of a day in the fall. I had to deliver a rush order in another city. I was on my way with little time for any "snafus". The dark evening clouds were about to let go of some rain and I needed a break.
The 4 lane highway stretched out before me and I took advantage of the fast lane. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a helicopter over my head. Thinking I was somehow being tracked for speed violation, I decided to slow down. The sound still continued so I changed lanes. Then the sound seemed like it came from somewhere inside the vehicle. I pulled over into the slow lane, trying to assess the source of the noise. It appeared to be coming from my car so I pulled off the freeway onto the shoulder, a safe distance from the lanes to check out what it could be.
I soon discovered that I had a blown tire on the right front. I was praising the Lord that the blow out didn't cause me to flip or swerve going at such a fast pace. That was such a miracle in my mind and I was so thankful for my "guardian angels".
I know how to change a tire so I set out to do just that. I jacked up the car, praying that no one would stop to help. (I have this fear of being assaulted or abducted off the side of the freeway when disabled...too many murder mysteries being watched, I guess). "I am woman ...hear me roar..." was my battle cry until I got to the lug nuts, which seemed to have been tightened by a machine. They would not budge. I sat there at the side of my car, and set up a "flare prayer" for more strength so I could remove the lug nuts. All I needed was to get the lug nuts off then I would be home free. I got up after praying to search for my manual to find where the spare tire might be located and to allow the "supernatural" strength to flood my weak arms.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere that I could see, a man appears from behind me and said, "You look like you could use some help". I looked around, there was no car. The "man" had walked up from somewhere, perhaps a service road close by. But since he was volunteering, I accepted his kind offer, explaining that I couldn't get the lugs nuts off the tire. He told me to get back in the driver's seat, put my foot on the brake and he began to take them off.
I got out of the driver's side, returned to the tire and watched while he placed the lug nuts in the hub cap. He said, "Do you think you can take it from here?" Self reliant me said, "Sure, thank you so much." I surveyed the tire, the lug nuts now removed and when I turned around he was gone.
What a wonderful miraculous answer to that flare prayer. God had sent His angel to help in answer to my prayer. But now I am faced with the challenge of finishing the job. I just thought to myself and then mentioned to the Lord, "I wonder why I didn't just ask for all that I needed; the flat tire changed. Why was I not thorough in laying out the entire need?" Why was I so "self-reliant?
I was mentally and spiritually kicking myself for not asking for what I really needed since the Lord had sent someone to help, when suddenly another man walked up from behind me. I looked around; again no car brought him. He said, "You look like you could use some help." The exact same words as my first "helper". This time I responded with, "Yes, I could sure use some help changing this flat tire."
He asked how I got the lug nuts off and I told him the story. He then asked if I thought it strange that the "man" didn't change the tire but only removed the lug nuts. I told him that it was all I had prayed for. By then the Spirit was starting to help me connect all the dots. Partial requests bring partial results. Ask and you will receive...I had to confess that the first "man" had done exactly, but only what I had asked him to do.
As the second helper finished changing the tire and I was about to go on my way, I asked him if I could give him a ride since he didn't have a car or pay him for his help. He responded with, "No thank you, I am just going to go sit under that tree over there."
As I am driving away with the entire event about to explode in my mind:
The love of a Father to have sent, not one, but two, Divine messengers to help and in their own way deliver this all important lesson on prayer.
The situation (after the blow out) was not life or death. The "need" was not a great heavenly priority when compared with other things I might ask my Father to send, nothing AAA couldn't have come to fix. The "quality" of this prayer was simply a flare prayer sent up in the frustration of my human weakness. But in that short space of Earth's time, I learned an eternal lesson. One that has spoken to me over and over again.
My Heavenly Father loves me and cares about all the details of my life. My Savior fulfills His promises and the Holy Spirit tutors me to ask for all that I need.
The lesson was close to home and personal. But it has been a memory that provides exciting expectations for more Divine encounters when the supernatural intersects with the natural and answers to our prayers flow liberally from our Father's Throne.
Ask and you will receive.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
What a dark oppressive wet blanket gets thrown over our hope when we think about our desire and the potential answers to all our prayers. We become convinced that God makes such a distinction between the quality of our prayers that we begin to debate what we should ask for. Soon the debate gets frustrating and eventually we just stop asking except in the most dire, life and death issues of crisis' that touch our lives.
The Holy Spirit taught me a great lesson long ago and reminded me that nothing has changed. It happened at the end of a day in the fall. I had to deliver a rush order in another city. I was on my way with little time for any "snafus". The dark evening clouds were about to let go of some rain and I needed a break.
The 4 lane highway stretched out before me and I took advantage of the fast lane. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a helicopter over my head. Thinking I was somehow being tracked for speed violation, I decided to slow down. The sound still continued so I changed lanes. Then the sound seemed like it came from somewhere inside the vehicle. I pulled over into the slow lane, trying to assess the source of the noise. It appeared to be coming from my car so I pulled off the freeway onto the shoulder, a safe distance from the lanes to check out what it could be.
I soon discovered that I had a blown tire on the right front. I was praising the Lord that the blow out didn't cause me to flip or swerve going at such a fast pace. That was such a miracle in my mind and I was so thankful for my "guardian angels".
I know how to change a tire so I set out to do just that. I jacked up the car, praying that no one would stop to help. (I have this fear of being assaulted or abducted off the side of the freeway when disabled...too many murder mysteries being watched, I guess). "I am woman ...hear me roar..." was my battle cry until I got to the lug nuts, which seemed to have been tightened by a machine. They would not budge. I sat there at the side of my car, and set up a "flare prayer" for more strength so I could remove the lug nuts. All I needed was to get the lug nuts off then I would be home free. I got up after praying to search for my manual to find where the spare tire might be located and to allow the "supernatural" strength to flood my weak arms.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere that I could see, a man appears from behind me and said, "You look like you could use some help". I looked around, there was no car. The "man" had walked up from somewhere, perhaps a service road close by. But since he was volunteering, I accepted his kind offer, explaining that I couldn't get the lugs nuts off the tire. He told me to get back in the driver's seat, put my foot on the brake and he began to take them off.
I got out of the driver's side, returned to the tire and watched while he placed the lug nuts in the hub cap. He said, "Do you think you can take it from here?" Self reliant me said, "Sure, thank you so much." I surveyed the tire, the lug nuts now removed and when I turned around he was gone.
What a wonderful miraculous answer to that flare prayer. God had sent His angel to help in answer to my prayer. But now I am faced with the challenge of finishing the job. I just thought to myself and then mentioned to the Lord, "I wonder why I didn't just ask for all that I needed; the flat tire changed. Why was I not thorough in laying out the entire need?" Why was I so "self-reliant?
I was mentally and spiritually kicking myself for not asking for what I really needed since the Lord had sent someone to help, when suddenly another man walked up from behind me. I looked around; again no car brought him. He said, "You look like you could use some help." The exact same words as my first "helper". This time I responded with, "Yes, I could sure use some help changing this flat tire."
He asked how I got the lug nuts off and I told him the story. He then asked if I thought it strange that the "man" didn't change the tire but only removed the lug nuts. I told him that it was all I had prayed for. By then the Spirit was starting to help me connect all the dots. Partial requests bring partial results. Ask and you will receive...I had to confess that the first "man" had done exactly, but only what I had asked him to do.
As the second helper finished changing the tire and I was about to go on my way, I asked him if I could give him a ride since he didn't have a car or pay him for his help. He responded with, "No thank you, I am just going to go sit under that tree over there."
As I am driving away with the entire event about to explode in my mind:
The love of a Father to have sent, not one, but two, Divine messengers to help and in their own way deliver this all important lesson on prayer.
The situation (after the blow out) was not life or death. The "need" was not a great heavenly priority when compared with other things I might ask my Father to send, nothing AAA couldn't have come to fix. The "quality" of this prayer was simply a flare prayer sent up in the frustration of my human weakness. But in that short space of Earth's time, I learned an eternal lesson. One that has spoken to me over and over again.
My Heavenly Father loves me and cares about all the details of my life. My Savior fulfills His promises and the Holy Spirit tutors me to ask for all that I need.
The lesson was close to home and personal. But it has been a memory that provides exciting expectations for more Divine encounters when the supernatural intersects with the natural and answers to our prayers flow liberally from our Father's Throne.
Ask and you will receive.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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