Pray In and Out of Season

January 23, 2022

“Every prayer today is a seed for tomorrow. Keep praying”

Praying: In season, out of season, short prayer, long prayer, standing prayer, sitting prayer, desperate prayer, calm prayer.

One thing they all have in common is that Yahweh hears them. We need to believe. One of the most beautiful things I’ve come to realise is that believing and trusting Yahweh is important. Believing that Yahweh truly delights in us and in partnering with us. Yahweh, thank you for hearing and answering prayers. I pray for this community, for your spirit to pervade through each home. We all have battles to fight, but I pray that we all talk to you in our battles and not away.

We see the cost of living going up, everything is getting more and more expensive but for most people the paycheck remains the same. For others the business may not be bringing in the way it used to. There’s so much that we are facing, but you are God and you care about what we go through. I pray that we will choose to honour you even during these times. I pray that as a community we will come together and support each other. I wish that it could just be for one perspective, but to come together requires all or most of us. I pray that we are once more, more than a community in just name. Thank you Yahweh, for who you are and for working in our lives.

Sigh. I keep realising that there are some things in life that we just accept as our lot in life. “Oh well, nothing much we can do about that” type of situation. I usually get this back pain monthly. No, not menstrual pain. This evening I’m trying to move as I write and it hurts. But it really hit me that it’s something I’ve never really prayed about. I’ve taken medication etc, but never really prayed. Yahweh, I bring before you my back pain. No lie, I do almost feel like an invalid on its worst days. I pray for healing, for the release of pain from my body. If there is something else that I need to do, help me to find what it is. Thank you for your healing. 

It’s kind of funny and part of me wishes it wasn’t so, but there are so many women who are trying to have children and can’t. And then there’s me who don’t want any and (most likely) can. Though truthfully, I used to think when I was younger that I would most likely have problems having children. The pain I used to be in twice a month was unbearable. But I suspect that if I wasn’t able to have children, it would have taken me down a different path. Yahweh, I pray for the men and women who desire children. Steph and Stephen. Restore their bodies and heal their hearts and mind. I pray that when their blessings come it will be welcomed with the same joy that it was prayed for. Let your will be done in their lives and may they honour you in all things.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This has always been a favourite text, for its sheer poetry. But it’s truly a major if – then statement. It is one of Yahweh’s conditional promises. 

If those who call themselves Christians/who Yahweh have called would: 

Humble themselves: 

1. Humble: having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s importance (hmmmm). 
2. Not thinking of yourself as better than other people
3. Not proud. 

(I honestly don’t like the first definition, because I am important to God. Just saying).

Pray: Talk with Yahweh (not to, with). Share your thoughts, your concerns and listen for his response.

Seek His Face: Teshuvah. Turn to Yahweh. We can talk with Yahweh, but not completely turn to him; it could be a side convo. You’re hearing him, but not fully focused on him. Your eyes are on something or someone else. (My heart, Yahweh is yours. I truly don’t want to desire anything or anyone more than you. If that happens please remove it. I’ll probably cry, but at the end of the day, if I don’t have you as my focus nothing else matters.) You need that true face-to-face connection that is needed in a relationship.

Turn From Their Wicked Ways: Once we seek Yahweh’s face there is an automatic turn away from our wicked ways. Not saying that things won’t try to jump in, but you can’t face two things at the same time that are in opposing directions. Consistently seeking Yahweh’s face causes a continual turn away from wrong. He will fill our vision and block out all else from our view. 

Then I Will Hear: FYI. Yahweh is NOT hard of hearing. But just as it’s easier for us to converse with someone face to face and understand what they are saying, so it is with us and Yahweh, though more for our benefit than his. 

Hebrews 11:6- Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever will draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Part of the reward of seeking Yahweh is him hearing our prayers. It seems weird since Yahweh is everywhere and knows all, that he does not hear all prayers. But time after time it says in scripture that the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. The paradox is that it is not that you have to “change” your ways before you can come to God even though he only hears the prayers of the righteous. You don’t. But we do need to humble ourselves. Once we take that first step the rest will follow. In humility he always hears us; in humility we can turn away.

Forgive Their Sin: He hears our prayers and knows that the most important thing is forgiveness. It doesn’t matter what else is needed, if the guilty verdict is still hanging over our head, it would all be for nothing. (Mark 2: 1-12)

SIDEBAR: Lest it be said that Jesus only heals after forgiveness, it should be noted that there are many times people have been healed with no mention of forgiveness. But there are so many times when our ailments, our droughts are a direct result of our wickedness and our turning away from Yahweh, that before he would heal, he would forgive.

Forgiveness clears away the very last obstacle between Yahweh and us. It places it all on Jesus and clothes us in his righteousness. Hallelujah! Thank you for what you did to save us from our own wrongdoing. 

Heal Their Land: [Confession, the scripture came to mind regarding the phrase “heal their land” and I thought about “elevated dirt“]

Yahweh will restore the land. The waters that dried up from the drought would return and the lands would once more produce a harvest. The land would be healed and so would we. We are made from this land and the healing also extends to our bodies.

Thank you Yahweh for your way. You’ve laid out a path for us to follow if we find ourselves away from you. You promised that anyone who seeks you will find you and for that I got to say thank you! That one small decision to seek you results in so much! You are indeed a good God and I am thankful for your presence in my life. Face to face. This is my desire. 

TODAY’S THANKFUL TALLY

1. Kite flying! (Okay, truthfully, kite watching!!)
2. A quietish neighbour. Yes, I am still giving thanks. Yahweh, continue to work on his heart so that he would humble himself and ultimately turn to you. He has got a loud voice. Imagine if it is used to sing/preach praises instead of curses: that would be amazing. May he truly humble himself and turn to you so that his land may be healed.
3. Answered prayers. 

We believe you. I believe you and your promises. Thank you for what you do. You can do the impossible! You heal. Amen.