Lately times seem tough for everybody. People are struggling, hurting, stumbling in their faith, or hardening their hearts toward God's love and toward all that God has for them. People are not choosing faith and hope. People are suffering. People are dying.
During this time, my heart is aching. Aching for those who don't know Jesus. Aching for those who do but who are struggling. Aching for those who are unable to do what's hardest: simply have faith.
I thank God for these times. I thank Him for the sadness in my heart for others!! It creates a fire in my heart to witness. To share God's Word. To simply love. To let the Holy Spirit take over. And a fire in my heart to pray.
There is a growing sense of desperation in me. People are desperate for God. Desperate for help. I am desperately in need of God. And so I pray. With a heart filled with desperation and faith. I pray for hearts to be changed, I pray for eyes to be opened, I pray for my own selfish heart. I pray specific requests for friends, family members, and random people. I pray filled with faith because I know faith is what it takes for God to move.
And when I'm filled with sadness for those who are still hardened, God has told me in His Word to keep praying. Even harder. To trust Him. He's working in His perfect timing. Opening the Word has filled my heart with joy even more over God's great Power and the power of faith in Him.
"While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. 'Your daughter is dead,' he said. 'Don’t bother the teacher anymore.' 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.' 51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. 'Stop wailing,' Jesus said. 'She is not dead but asleep.' 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, 'My child, get up!' 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened."
-Luke 8:49-56
When reading this, I was filled with joy. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that those whose hearts I am praying to be opened to Him, those struggling in faith whose eyes I am praying to be opened to all God has for them right now, those who I am praying for to just simply have faith are merely asleep.
Prayers prayed full of faith that God actually WILL do what we ask are powerful. Start praying for the impossible. Ask God to work in people's hearts. Trust that God is working as you speak. Don't give up. Be relentless. These people are not dead. Only asleep!!!
... Okay. Oh my goodness!!!!! I wrote this a month ago. And I've known I've had it in my notebook waiting to type up this whole time, but I know why God was waiting until now. God has truly answered prayers. He has truly worked in people since a month ago. I've especially seen visible change in the exact two people I was thinking about when the Holy Spirit revealed to me while reading the Word that they were merely asleep. Those two people have both had breakthroughs. Huge breakthroughs (and healing.) And that is only a tiny bit of what God has done. God has done a lot of other little things that I've seen each day, and I have faith He's done even more that I haven't seen. God has given me amazing times with people, especially family members I was praying for, to witness and share. And their eyes and ears have truly been open to learning about God while we are talking. It has been beautiful. Wow, God!!! ...Read the the little paragraph above this one again. My answered prayers proved it right!
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