Praying Praying Praying

James 1:2-4

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I feel like I have been down on my knees for days, asking God to intercede on my friends' behalves. There are seasons in life where you feel spiritual darkness more than other times. I don't know if it is just living in Japan and being a foreigner that makes it seem more intense, but for whatever reason right now it is very intense. There are so many battles and struggles going on around me that really need deep prayer. God is a God of answers and I am praying for answers for my friends and for myself.

I love to talk and share any wisdom that I have gained from my own life that might help someone else, but sometimes there just aren't words for the pain that someone else is going through. As I'm writing this a flood of situations surrounding me are coming to mind. I wish I had all the answers and I could make it all better, but I can't.

God is truly the author of our lives and while I don't believe he causes harm to us, I do believe he allows things to happen to refine us for his glory and for our work in this world. Lately I have felt like sifted wheat. There was a great analogy in my study this week on Daniel. It talked about how God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to become like a great tree providing for everyone with fruit and shelter. However, the King still didn't recognize the one true God as the author of his life and God took him down to a stump. He protected that stump and wouldn't let any harm come to it except what was good for building him back up to be fruitful and serve God.
I think that's what he does with us sometimes. He is taking us to a stump where we can only rely on Him to grow us back into the kind of children God wants us to be.

One of the hardest things for me right now is to be vulnerable in my prayers. How do you say, 'Your will be done' when death is involved? How do you trust when it comes down to precious relationships and precious lives? These are the questions I have had to ask God and even through asking Him I know my heart still says ' Your will be done'. I know He is perfect and His will is perfect. The Bible tells us to make our requests known to God and He will answer them. So, I am requesting on my knees and asking for His grace and mercy, but ultimately... YOUR WILL BE DONE!