Thursday, February 14, 2008

Emergency Rooms

Unfortunately I have been to the St Luke's Episcopal Hospital's ER twice in the last 6 weeks because my father has been very ill. He was re-admitted after being released 3 days earlier to a skilled care facility which did not take care of his medical needs. Occasionally I find myself (after 4 or 5 hours) listening to other people's conversations whether it's medical staff or family members in the waiting room. I don't mean to do so, but I suppose I am bored and have lost focus. I have heard some of the most glorious Christian testimonies as well as some of the poorest theology known to man. I have conversed with some of the dearest people and listened to people blashpeme the Lord and thought Lord, get ready I am going to ask You to bind that guy's mouth because I am tired of the curse words. Then I feel the conviction to pray for the person because the Lord is not real to the person, He is their favorite curse word.

Many people pray in faith and expect miracles. Many people pray without faith and expect nothing from the Lord. I have also heard people say miracles are not for today they were for the early church. I don't believe that for a minute as my family and I have received miracles numerous times.

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." He also said this about the persistent widow, "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

He also spent time with His Father in prayer. These are just a few reasons I believe the Lord answers prayer. He may not answer the way we expect and or advised Him to answer, but He answers. He knows what He is doing, He really really does not need our advice. He was after all able to create the heavens and the earth without us. The point of all this is - Pray Pray Pray, He loves us, He answers prayer.

2 comments:

Steph said...

I desperately want to be a woman of prayer. I have been reading and praying and asking and reading and listening...hoping to understand more about prayer. I want to honor God with my prayers, no? But, sometimes prayer is still a mystery to me...and perhaps, that's what God intends...but, there are some things that I have prayed so diligently for, believing He can do what I ask, believing He ALONE can do what I ask, but for now, the answer is still, "no." So, I am left wondering, do we lack faith? Are we asking the wrong way? Why does He delay? I don't think there's doubt behind these questions...just an awareness of my small understanding, but still I long for answers.

In the mean time, I'll pray on...
Sorry for the lengthy comment. Thanks for the post!

Anonymous said...

I really like the perspective - always something fresh from you! :]