a great post about prayer

http://anditmightbehope.blogspot.com/2009/01/prayer.html Check this link out...

As you all know... my recovery/restoration/rebound/renewal process has depended heavily on my faith in God. While checking out my dashboard I found a link to this link and read the post with my mouth open. For those of you who are not link-happy like me, here's the gist:

"...God cares more about our spiritual health than our physical health. Our bodies are going to die. Our souls are going to live forever. And God's ability to protect our souls from eternal judgment and eternal death is more significant than his ability to protect our bodies from disease or death. Trapped in these bodies and in this time, it is hard for us to grasp. So in our prayer requests for safe travel and physical health, and in our more desperate prayers amid great difficulties, we try to apply to our bodies his promise of protection for our souls, and we're left disappointed, accusing him of falling down on the job. But we will continue to be disappointed in him until our value system lines up with his, until we value the eternal life of our souls more than the limited life of our mortal bodies, until we understand that God's primary agenda is kingdom building. It may cost us our very lives, and he is okay with that." Nancy Guthrie, "Can I Really Expect God to Protect Me?"

The entire article is posted here: http://www.nancyguthrie.com/articles/articles_ct05.shtml

Truly, we are short sighted. We are living in so much comfort and beauty here on earth that we believe that what we have here is all that there is... and that's why we struggle so with comparisons and limitations and deadlines. Seriously, I think so often about being 40 and having to hurry up and meet Mr. Right since Prince Charming ended up not being... quite so charming after all... I think about how our bodies decay and how every day is precious and how we are limited by time and space and energy... and... I forget that I am immortal. I forget that the body that I both love and hate, the life that I live in that body is temporary. If I truly believe in life after death (and I do) then I have to believe that soul will go on and so it is not the fitness of my body that needs to be my primary concern but the fitness of my soul. I sometimes get the whole relationship backwards... as if God exists for my pleasure, instead of the other way around. I was put here for a purpose that He has ordained. The life I live here is to accomplish His will, not mine.

Nancy says "The truth is, we are much more concerned about having God on our side to protect our own interests and reputation than we are about being on God's side, seeking after his glory and ultimate victory." Wow.

There are these thoughts that persistently rise to the surface with me... "why couldn't he love me?" "what made her more loveable?" "what could I have done differently?" "will I be single for the rest of my life?" You know the thoughts... you have your own top ten list of concerns and accusations that plague you as well.

I was trying to play cupid for two friends of mine who have both had difficult journeys in life for different reasons and one asked me, "do you think this person would be able to accept the brokenness of my life?" My friend defined themself as broken. Successful, popular, attractive, healthy, wealthy, intelligent, spiritual... I'd use those words to describe them... but the word they found to define themself was broken.

I wrote back and reminded them that they are a precious child of God, the punishment that brought us peace is upon them, by His stripes they are healed. What brokenness? It's a lie.

I've got baggage. I've got trust issues. I've got scars that are visable. I shudder at the thought of ever putting faith in any man ever again. I worry that my life will be a constant struggle, a battle for victory over loneliness. I beg God to take care of my every day needs and yes, He cares for us, He wants us to trust Him with these things but... His priorities for me are so different.

I always use parenting as an example because it's something most of us understand. Austin would love to surround himself with junk food and do nothing but eat all day, watch tv and veg out on the couch. Instead, I limit his snacks, I set boundaries on his tv watching time, I make sure he goes to school to get an education, I make sure he goes to church to learn to be spiritually and morally strong... I know that I am forcing him to do things he doesn't want to do, but in the wisdom I have gained over the years, I understand that my way is what's best for him. His happiness is important to me but I know more about what will make him happy in the long run and so this is the path I try to keep him on.

Think about that for a minute... God knows what will make me happy for the long run. Is it possible that she did me a favor by charming my husband away? Is it possible that he did me a favor by shifting his attention to someone else? Is it possible that my year of wandering in the desert was meant to accomplish something far more precious in my life than marriage to him could? What if I had been perfectly content with life there? What would I have missed out on in my future that has yet to be revealed to me? More importantly, what would I have been prevented from accomplishing for God in my future?

Thanks to Jenn for sharing this post... http://homeschoolingonjuniperhill.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-do-you-view-prayer.html
and this link... I hope it will give you a new perspective, just as it has me!

Love and hugs, y'all!