Persevering in Prayer, episode 90 (rebroadcast)

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,320
If you love a prodigal, you can discover help and hope for your wilderness journey right

2
00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:15,240
here at When You Love a Prodigal and also help and hope for your own life journey.

3
00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:25,320
Today, we will continue our wilderness exploration, looking for treasured gifts on a prodigal journey.

4
00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:33,200
Be sure to jot down any ideas you want to try in your wilderness journey so you don't forget.

5
00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,120
I used to think I knew how to pray.

6
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:47,640
Then this prodigal time of our lives, 15 years, with my wandering son required desperate prayer.

7
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:53,520
And I moved into a new dimension of what it meant to pray.

8
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:59,520
Now, I realize I still know so little about praying.

9
00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,240
Prayer is a wonder I can barely comprehend.

10
00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:09,040
Sometimes I feel woefully inadequate and terribly ineffective.

11
00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,160
Does anything happen when I pray?

12
00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:18,840
Yet I keep praying, often, even always.

13
00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,640
Here are some of the ways I pray.

14
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,600
Maybe these will be an encouragement and help to you.

15
00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,160
It's not a formula.

16
00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:35,760
There's no order because life in the moment often dictates how I come to the Lord, what I say,

17
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,560
and even what position I get in.

18
00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:45,400
We'll start with one of my favorite ways to pray, walking on the beach.

19
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:53,240
In our conversation with my God, with sand in my toes and the waves lapping my ankles,

20
00:01:53,240 --> 00:02:02,720
the ocean masking nearby sounds, I usually ask God, what do you want to say to me?

21
00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:12,360
And he usually responds with words of love, affirmation, comfort, new opportunities, and

22
00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,880
sometimes some admonition.

23
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:21,600
And then sometimes I start with, I have something to say, Lord.

24
00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,160
I almost always pray with great honesty.

25
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:30,600
I find it's good to tell God the truth because he knows it anyway.

26
00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:37,120
The beach is a good place to yell out my anger or fear or confusion.

27
00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,520
My home, when no one else is there, also works well.

28
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:51,800
God always listens patiently and responds compassionately, reminding me of truth I know, of what he is

29
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:57,920
like, of how I need to respond.

30
00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:05,560
Sometimes I fall on my face, literally, in awe, that the God of the universe would invite

31
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:15,440
me into his presence to talk with him, to share my heart, to listen to his heart.

32
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:22,560
I am so unworthy yet he treasures me and wants me with him.

33
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:30,360
Or I might drop to my knees and cry out begging God to choose to do what I know he can do.

34
00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:39,800
Can he please heal or rescue or provide or change things, change a mind or a heart or

35
00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,440
a situation?

36
00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:49,400
Jesus says that he responds to those who cry out day and night, so I do it.

37
00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:56,040
Many times, as David describes in the Psalms, my tears have soaked my pillow.

38
00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:01,000
Help me, Lord, or help my loved one.

39
00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,920
I also pray by myself and with others.

40
00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:06,920
I use scripture.

41
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:14,040
I pray through long parts of the Psalms, for example, and a lot in the latter part of Isaiah

42
00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:18,600
has been a great source of prayer for me.

43
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,280
I read aloud prayers written by others.

44
00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:25,680
I raise my hands in worship.

45
00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:31,520
Of course, I have interceded on behalf of those I love, friends and co-workers, our

46
00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:39,960
leaders, world situations, those needing justice, and many other people, needs, events, and

47
00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,040
for those who love a prodigal.

48
00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:48,800
Gratefully, one of my most frequent prayers is, thank you, Lord.

49
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:56,200
I have taken seriously the admonition to give thanks in all things, and oh, the difference

50
00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,240
it has paid in all the above prayers.

51
00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:05,520
If I can say thank you, I have a whole different perspective on it.

52
00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,920
So you say you actually thank him?

53
00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,640
Does he answer your prayers that you should say thanks for the answer?

54
00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,280
Well, yes, he answers.

55
00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:20,520
Sometimes my hearing is not so good.

56
00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:25,160
Often he says, no, not a good idea.

57
00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:32,440
Other times he says, yes, but it usually looks a little different than what I had in mind.

58
00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:37,240
Often he says, I have a better idea, Judy.

59
00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:45,920
He is rarely in a hurry, but always on time, from his great knowledge and his great love.

60
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:53,400
My saying thank you affirms that I believe he is God and he is good, and in my experience,

61
00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:58,480
those little words are like a key to open a door for God to work.

62
00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,840
I've experienced some amazing answers to prayer.

63
00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:06,040
I've seen people healed in heart and body.

64
00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,360
I've enjoyed remarkable community praying with them.

65
00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,920
Yes, sometimes God seems silent.

66
00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:21,160
But those times I feel like I know nothing about praying and I grow weary of waiting.

67
00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:28,680
Then once again, my Abba, Daddy, Father invites me into his embrace, into his heart.

68
00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:33,840
We talk and listen and cry and laugh.

69
00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:36,120
How sweet is that?

70
00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,000
Oh, yes, there is the waiting.

71
00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,920
I think wait is one of God's favorite words.

72
00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:49,600
I'm not a fan of waiting and probably you aren't either.

73
00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:57,640
But one of the realities that God seems committed to is that when we learn to wait, to be patient,

74
00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,360
to persevere, we will learn important things.

75
00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,840
I don't think I've ever asked for the gift of perseverance.

76
00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:16,000
I might desire persistence, fortitude, even patience or endurance, but not perseverance.

77
00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,200
Sounds painful.

78
00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:25,360
But that's a gift I have received often, especially during this prodigal journey.

79
00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:32,240
I wrote this sort of poetry in the midst of a very hard time.

80
00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,040
Never give up.

81
00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,600
Sometimes it seems to no avail.

82
00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,320
You love unconditionally as best you can.

83
00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,040
You encourage, affirm, look for the good.

84
00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,520
You set boundaries and enforce consequences.

85
00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:53,120
You forgive and forgive and forgive again.

86
00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:59,160
You pour out mercy and grace and they keep going their wayward way.

87
00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:05,200
They reject you, disappear from your life, or even when they make better choices, they

88
00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,560
take you for granted.

89
00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,960
The casual thanks they give hardly conveys gratitude.

90
00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:16,840
The offhand apology seems barely sincere.

91
00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:24,640
Coming around again with an outstretched hand, then gone again until their next neediness.

92
00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:26,000
You cry.

93
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,400
You pray.

94
00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,140
You reach out.

95
00:08:29,140 --> 00:08:30,440
You let go.

96
00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:32,440
You wait.

97
00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,000
Does this sound familiar?

98
00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,520
I bet many of you could have written those same words.

99
00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:45,080
I've had those thoughts and those questions wondering how will it end?

100
00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,680
When will it end?

101
00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:52,040
When will the asked for change happen?

102
00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:58,200
Perhaps our God, our loving Father, could write something similar about us.

103
00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:07,520
Surely, occasionally, we have the same attitudes, responses, words, actions toward Him that our

104
00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,440
beloved protocols have toward us.

105
00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:18,040
Yet, He keeps loving, correcting, encouraging, embracing.

106
00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,680
God gives out extravagant mercy and grace.

107
00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:23,000
He waits.

108
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,920
He perseveres.

109
00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:29,400
And so can we in His Spirit.

110
00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,080
So we have looked here at two gifts.

111
00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:36,960
One is just prayer in itself, that we can talk to God.

112
00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:42,440
That's just so amazing that He says, come on up.

113
00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,400
Come join me here at the throne.

114
00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:49,640
Let's talk about anything we can pour out our hearts.

115
00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:54,040
But then He does usually let us have to persevere.

116
00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,160
We don't always get what we want.

117
00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,920
Well, we don't always get what we want.

118
00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,320
But when we do even, it's rarely when we want it.

119
00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:08,600
And so one of our gifts is prayer, conversation with God Himself.

120
00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:15,760
But another one is learning to persevere, learning to wait, learning to not give up,

121
00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:23,720
because God is just as committed to doing a work in us as He is to answering our prayers

122
00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:31,640
about our loved one, because He wants them to grow, but He also wants us to grow.

123
00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,880
So I have a few questions for you.

124
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:40,640
What are some ways that you pray that you especially like?

125
00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:47,200
What are the ways of praying, or one or two that are very meaningful to you?

126
00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:52,400
And when have you found unexpected treasures in your praying?

127
00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,040
When has God revealed something to you?

128
00:10:55,040 --> 00:11:01,080
When have you understood, or when have you seen an answer that you really wanted?

129
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:05,520
And how have you been able to persevere?

130
00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,000
How would you explain it to someone else?

131
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:17,320
What's it like to keep hanging on, to not give up, to wait on God who is acting in His

132
00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,800
perfect timing?

133
00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:27,960
Next week we will wrap up searching for treasure in the wilderness with two more valuable gifts.

134
00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:33,200
I think you're going to love what we're going to talk about next week.

135
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:38,520
And I would be really grateful if you would tell a friend, probably if you have a prodigal,

136
00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,960
you know someone else who does.

137
00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,680
Maybe they would like to listen to this podcast as well.

138
00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:51,560
And while you're doing that, take a minute to rate it and even comment if you're listening

139
00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:53,440
on Apple.

140
00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,520
I will be praying for you.

141
00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:16,080
God bless you.