Be specific…
Rise and Shine, precious one!
Good morning, good morning, good morning!
Lem and I just returned from a sweet anniversary trip to Charleston, SC.
After almost contemplating not going due to the weather forecast, we decided to go anyway.
Days before we left, I kept praying that we would have a wonderful time with no severe weather interruptions.
Y’all!
The day we arrived, on Monday, the concierge told us that the weather was so bad the day before that some of the streets were flooded! Some were even kayaking down King street!
We had no idea it had been that bad. None.
Oh, but in God’s great mercy, we had the most beautiful weather all week long!
I am still amazed at how The Lord answered my prayer about that trip. Specifically the weather!
Honestly, I think back to years past where I would have felt silly praying for good weather. I would have thought that God doesn’t really care about those kinds of things.
I would have thought it was a bother to Him to ask for something seemingly selfish.
Oh, but my heart has done a total and complete 180 degree turn on this.
Certainly, He loves specifics and detail.
Look at His Creation! The details, upon details.
Nothing escapes His attention.
I think big and vague prayers often feel safe.
If He doesn’t answer them than we are not so disappointed.
However, when we risk pouring our deepest desires and detailed prayers and petitions out to Him, something special happens.
The intimacy, the personalization, the details…
They build our faith!
When we see the answers to those deep and intimate prayers, we are blown away by Him!
Our hearts are filled with faith, belief and overwhelming awe!
Often, I think of Joshua and his army marching around Jericho.
The specific prayer from Joshua was to breach the walls of the city and overtake them.
God answered in a very specific way…
He told them !to march around Jericho once a day for 6 days.
On the 7th day, God instructed them to march around Jericho 7 times and the walls would collapse.
Guess what?
That is EXACTLY what happened!
We see this time and time again in God’s Word.
God’s miracles and answers to prayer unraveling…in detail.
There is a reason that Paul tells us to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
We should pray about everything. Every detail. At all times.
Nothing escapes God’s eye. NOTHING.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar... Before a word is on my tongue—You know it completely, O Lord! Psalm 139:2-4
Recently, I began to write my prayers on note cards.
I spread them around on the floor every day and pray over them.
( I learned this from King Hezekiah in 1 Kings 19-14-19!)
I also date them so that I can keep up with how long I have been praying these prayers.
These prayer note cards are a physical act of faith to my heart.
They build my faith day by day.
Even when I do not see answers yet to these prayers, I know that He sees them!
I know that He deeply cares over every last one of these prayers.
I know that He will answer in His perfect way.
I know that His ways are higher and so are His thoughts.
I know that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to Him.
I know that He never forgets a prayer.
How about you?
Are you specific in your prayers?
Are you expectant and hopeful as you pray?
We can trust His plans.
We can trust His answers.
We can trust His timing.
He is Faithful through and through and through.
laying out my prayer cards,
jill
