Discipline, Encouragement, Forgiveness, God's Promises, Hope, Judgement, Love, Obedience, Peace, Prayer, Restoration, Sin, Struggles

Prayer – Communication with God

This month we will be focusing on prayer. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (ESV) But if we read further, God makes other promises. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.   I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:12-14 ESV) I love all the communication God makes.  

Communication is not just a one-way road; it requires conversation from both parties. That means not only are there spoken words, but there is listening also. God promises He will listen when we pray. God not only listens, but He also answers! When we go through times when it seems like He is distant, He tells us that when we seek Him out, we can find Him if we seek Him “with all your heart.” That is such a comfort, especially when life throws us a curve ball. Sometimes it seems like we are doing all the talking, but if we listen carefully, we can hear His response to our prayers just by being quiet before Him, reading His Word, and being aware of the Holy Spirit’s nudging, that “still, small voice” inside of us.

God promised the Israelites that His plans for them were for their good and to give them a future and hope. Israel was in captivity at this time in Babylon because of their disobedience. The Enduring Word website states, “The exiled Jews lived in the experience of God’s judgment upon their nation. It was easy for them to think that God was against them; that He intended evil for them. Through Jeremiah, God assured them that His thoughts toward them were of peace and that in His heart and mind, He had a future and a hope for them.” He needed to reassure them that He had not forgotten them and that He was easy to find if they only would reach out to Him. He promises to hear them, answer them, and restore them. I can imagine how the Israelites felt being in captivity for 70 years! They must have thought that God had abandoned them. But He knew exactly where they were and just what they needed, and He was ready and willing to answer them when they were ready to reach out in prayer and seek Him in devotion to Him and His Word.

When we actively seek God’s help in prayer, we can be assured that He is listening to us even when it seems like our prayers are going no higher than the ceiling. When we feel like we are in a period of waiting to hear from God, we can have the assurance that He is not distant, He is right beside us. He will answer when the time is right (2 Peter 3:8-9)  All we need to do is ask, listen, and then obey.  I encourage you to continually communicate with God in prayer.  He loves you and is a Father who cherishes each of His children.

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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