Don't You Want to Know?

If we were to make a list of the things that we all pray about on a regular basis, how long would that list be? Too long to measure, that's how long! I made a list for myself, just to get an idea.

Things I Pray For:

Kids: Safety, healing, attitudes, their futures, their happiness, their future spouses, their house cleaning ineptitude, their academic success, their friendships, their walks with God, their unwillingness to EVER sleep, etc. This list is potentially endless.

Husband/Marriage: Unity, relationship issues, blessings, health, attitudes, his career, his talents, his relationship with God, our calling as a couple, our happiness, etc. Also, . . . an endless list.


Family: Salvation for unbelieving family members, marriage struggles, and all of the various things we hope for, for those we love.


Myself: (This can get crunchy!) The usual things like, impatience, jealousy, unforgiveness, doubts and fears always top the list. However, it seems the longer we walk with God, the more we see areas of our personality that are not so . . . holy - areas that send us to our knees regularly. So, again, very likely, this list (if we are honest seekers) never ends.

ETC.: The catch-all list. Prayer for government, church leadership, poverty, missions, the single mom down the street, the sad, sad things we see on the news. You know . . . etc.


What I have noticed, and maybe you have clued in to this as well, is that, for the most part, my prayers are mostly "reactive" prayers. Prayers that address things and situations that are already broken (or well on their way). Reactive prayers seem to focus on 'fixing' what is already broken. Thank goodness Jesus Himself tells us to pray about these things, because our lives are full of them. We never seem to run out of "prayer fires" that need to be put out or that need to be answered by the Father.

What I'm wondering though, is what would happen if we occasionally changed up the 'prayer-as-usual' habit. What would happen if we regularly put aside our brush-fire prayers and purposefully decided to simply sit quietly with the Lord? What would happen if, instead of always being needy children (I am usually first in that line :), we chose to sit at the Father's feet simply to hear what He has to say to us? What if our conversations/prayers are always so busy and full of needs that we never hear what the God of the Universe has on His omnipotent mind? What if the Alpha and Omega has been waiting for years to whisper some truth into your ears that only YOU will be privy to and only YOU have what it takes to bring to fruition?

Long before the creation of this planet, long before the foundations of the earth were laid, God knew you. The Word says,

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." (Jeremiah 1:5)

"I knew you?" What did He know? What plans were forged in His mind concerning your life on this planet? What specific calling, talent and/or gifting was placed inside of you when God lovingly "knew you" so long ago?

There's really only one way to find out, Friends. We must regularly sit at his feet without personal agendas. We have to learn to nurture and honor the relationship God longs to have with us. And that will come only by spending time in His presence. . . just like every other personal relationship we have.

Don't you r e a l l y want to know what God has on His mind today concerning you? It may just cause our "prayer lists" to pale in comparison. Who's with me?

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Father, thank You for holding a place for each of us at your feet. We are so grateful that You never stop waiting for us. You never stop calling us to Yourself. We wait to hear,"Great and mighty things which we do not know."
Jeremiah 33:3

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In Him . . .


Visit Darnelle at her personal blog: All Things Work Together...