Are you still waiting for a magic wand to remove your problems, your headaches, your fears?
Newborn Christians depend on God for every need or wish and see no need to apply their own muscles and brain power to participate in their growth and development as a functioning mature child of God. Like any earthly parent, Our Heavenly Father desires our companionship, growth and obedience in learning more about this eternal inheritance He gave us. If we only talk to Him to ask for toys, it limits what He can give us to help us in the long haul through this bumpy world, leaving us prey to detours through desires, difficulties, doubts which can get us off track--at best distracted from our path or completely headed the wrong way!
In my youth I prayed a lot, but only for something I wanted NOW, and still I worried about everything--until I began to see I should be praying for God to give me what He sees I need to become more like Him. The future was not a dense fog I must avoid--God was waiting for me to walk through it, trusting Him!
Just as I had learned in science class, two different things cannot occupy the same space: therefore, Faith and Fear, prayer and worry, cannot coexist within me: I get to choose! As faith crowded out fears, there were various tests of course, for example--
Several decades ago, I was scheduled for surgery--a teeny gall bladder snip-snip. No big deal, right? But what if? I called a friend to drive me and suddenly she wasn't available. OK, no big deal--I'd drive myself and wait for someone to pick me up afterward and then make an extra trip to get my car home, less convenient but not terrible. Checked in, strolled calmly(?) to my room to wait. Saw the telephone and decided, why not call the church's prayer line, just for reassurance--not that I was nervous, but that's what it was for, right? Sitting on the bed, I picked up the phone and dialed the number from memory--got a busy signal!!!
Startled, I began to laugh. "Okay", I said, "It's just You and me, Lord, and that's okay!" And it was--just another test for faith rightly placed on my Savior, an important lesson: if my ride had been with me, the prayer line had answered, would I have been perceptive enough to see the reassurance I received from those sources a different way of God's presence and reassurance?
To possess the land, the Israelites were told they must first eject enemies (giants) currently dwelling there and were afraid to try. Replace fears and doubts by holding close the banner of faith. We can trade our fear for faith and lock Satan out of our journey.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
6Be anxious (worry) for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6, 8-9
