A MIDNIGHT PRAYER
Dear GOD,
Am I awake, now, because You Warn me or because I worry? Am I afraid of the future, or am I aware that a change is required: a change that I have difficulty making?
How can I be still & know You Are GOD?
Many BIBLE verses and many Wise Words Teach me to praise You and serve You rather than succumb to impatient worry. What if the bother is not worry? What if it is Urgent Alarm advising of stumbling blocks and dangers ahead, stirring the soul to action or inaction? Can the one headed innocently down a path leading to a trial or difficulty not find the warnings rather to be disconcerting signs? How does one know? When do I take heed? Adjust my course?
Could the concerns and misgivings, along a course You Bless, serve to steer me gently down Your Chosen Way as I am Molded in the rapids of a rocky path that Builds memories and Teaches lessons to Gird my strength? Have You Shown me What Is next, but my plan is to wait because it looks uncertain to me, even mistaken? Is my fear of being mistaken causing me to take diverting pathways that are themselves mistakes? Am I trapped in misgivings and doubts that steal my attention from What I must enter to conquer my fears?
Lead me, Oh GOD, through enough experiences and journeys to Shake the dislikes from me enough to Turn my fears into Your Joy Unspeakable & full of Glory, I pray. Let me trust and obey, Oh GOD!
Thank You, Jesus!
Amen!
SCRIPTURE ANSWER
PHILIPPIANS (WEB) 4: 6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which Surpasses all understanding, Will Guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
After worrying over loss of an important and expensive item, I woke early and pleaded with GOD to Help me Find or Know What to do about my lost item. After an hour of pleading (really, that long!), the inaudible Voice of GOD Said to me, “You have prayed and petitioned, will you just accept My Peace.“
Instantly, I remembered PHILIPPIANS 4:6. As I pondered those verses, I thought, “Oh! I did pray. Oh! I guess my petitioning was nearly an hour of grumbling and complaining as I imagined all the bother that could ensue. Oh! He Gives me Peace! I just have to accept it! His Word Is True!” I did accept His Peace. Realizing He Did not Say I had Thanked him, I repented and began to thank GOD for His Timing, His Omniscience, His Omnipresence, His TenderMercies, and for His Taking care of my problem.
With great Joy flowing from His Peace, I realized that in accepting His Peace, I had Given my problem to THE PROBLEM SOLVER. Hallelujah! Who Better to Answer my prayer than The Living GOD! Wow! I was not doing any good in finding my lost item. I did not know where it was, and, I did not know what to do or even when: in 48 hours, in a few days, in a week? But GOD! Of course, He Knows! He Is Omniscient!
Aha, His Scripture Does not say He Will Solve my problem my way. He Does not Say He will Do what I think. He Does not Say I will understand Why His Answer Is. He Will Answer my prayer, my petition, His Way, maybe, in seconds, or maybe in days, or maybe in years or never! He Says What Matters MOST: He Will Hear my prayer, and He Will Listen to my petition for which I can thank Him. His Will, not mine. What He Will Do Is Give me His PEACE. His Peace Surpasses my understanding. All I have to do is accept His Peace! Moreover, His Peace Will Guard my heart and Will Guard my thoughts In Christ Jesus! Wow! Is Accepting His Peace by Trusting Him how I can Be Still and Know?
I am His Sheep. As His Sheep, I hear His Voice. Jesus Died for my sins. He Won Victory over death and the grave. After He Arose and Walked this earth again, Jesus Gathered His Disciples and Ascended into Heaven to Sit at the Right Hand of GOD to Intercede for me! For you! For each of us! He Told us He Will Send Holy Spirit to Dwell in me, in you, in each of us! We are His Temple!
What does that mean?
It means that I can TRUST Him Completely to Tell me What to say and to Show me What to do. Now, that I have received His Peace over any problem that I have, I just need to Trust Him: He Will Tell me and Show me!
Wow! God Has my problem! He Gave me His Peace, and I can Trust Him to Lead, to Guard, to Guide me!
What could be better than that?
- Pray. Tell GOD your problem.
- Petition. Share with Him your concerns, your fears, your worst and your best outcomes, your need, your desire, your hope.
- Thank. Pour out your Thanksgiving to GOD that His Timing is Perfect. I know now about this, not sooner and not later, but now. Thank Him that He Hears your prayer, and He Listens to your petition. Thank Him for Jesus, Holy Spirit, and Father! Praise Him! Sing His New Song and Pray in the Spirit as He Leads!
- Receive. Say Yes to His Peace! Receive His Peace that Passes understanding! Yes!
- Trust. Now that The Problem Solver, best ever, best always, Has your prayer, just Trust Him. Let Him Be GOD. Let His Peace Calm your mind and Ssxteady your heart. How exciting to know GOD Has this. He Will Show you What and When to do or not to do Whatever Is His Will. Peace and Trust with ThanksGiving! Hallelujah! Yes!
FYI: After I gave up being anxious “for nothing” He Led me to the lost items. I just laughed because my lost item was found after my anxiety and worry were gone. When He Bade me accept His Peace! For Good! Now, I remember the five steps! I have a journal where I write down the five steps of any concern or worry or anxiety that I need to Give to Him. While the initial Instruction was over an important lost item, I am learning His Promises and His Instruction are for every situation that causes us to worry from small irritations to illness, persecution, abuse, and betrayal.
Receive His Peace because by Trusting Him to Guard and Guide Your steps. He Will Tell you What to do or not to do!
Super! Divine! Glorious Father!
The Problem Solver!
Glory Hallelujah!