Answered Prayer

A year and a half ago, I was thinking about what God wanted me to do with my life. A mentor/friend of mine instructed me to write down my prayer requests on a sheet of paper. Doing so, he said, would help me clarify what I was thinking in my heart. It would also help me to wait and trust God with those things, rather than worrying about them.

So I thought and prayer and wrote down 10 things, each of them driven by my passion of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. Months later, I met with my mentor/friend at a Mexican restaurant. After we munched on chips and salsa a while, I showed him my sheet of requests. He took my Bible and said this is where you put it. He opened my Bible to Psalms 91. "You put it there because you trust God with it. He hears you and protects you and your family." It was a moving moment for me. Here are some words from both Psalm 90 and Psalm 91.

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands." - Ps. 90:17

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." - Ps. 91:1

It is powerful for me--to think of God's promise and protection.

Some of those requests were: "Help me to lead an inspiring worship ministry. Help me finish ordination as unto the Lord. Help Erica have a healthy pregnancy." And God has been faithful to work these things out. Good Friday and Easter services this year were about as inspiring as any I've led. The ordination process has sharpened my mind and reminded me of the clarity of God's Word. Micah was born as healthy as a baby boy could be--and continues to be healthy. What great answers to prayer. Thank you, Lord.

One of the requests was "To make it abundantly clear when and how and if I should leave First Free Church." That was a hard one, because it would mean change. It, too, has been answered as after a conversation with the church leadership, I have decided to resign from First Free last week. It was abundantly clear.

There are several prayer requests left on that sheet that I am trusting God with. I trust that He knows what He is doing as we will be seeking His guidance for our next steps this Summer. Erica and I do so, knowing that He is the one who will establish the work of our hands. We seek God knowing that He is our protection. God does answer prayer. To God be the glory!