Has it Come to That

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&In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths&

From The Desk Of: Mickey G. Quinn

"Has it Come to That?”

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When you left your room this morning, did you think to pray? In the name of Christ our Saviour, did you sue for loving favor, as a shield today? Oh how praying rests the weary. Prayer will change the night to day. So when life seems dark and dreary. Don't forget to pray. When your heart was filled with anger. Did you think to pray? Did you plead for grace my brother, that you might forgive another, who had crossed your way? When sore trials came upon you. Did you think to pray? When your soul was full of sorrow. Balm of Gilead did you borrow, at the gates of today? Oh how praying rests the weary. Prayer will change the night to day. So when life seems dark and dreary. Don't forget to pray.

These are the words of a song I heard once and I thought them fitting to begin this little article as it seems that there are so many of God's children who tend to think of prayer as something one does when things get really bad and even then, their prayers are lacking confidence as they still can't let go of the fear and the worry of the circumstances that brought on the prayer. I heard a story once of a lady who was at the hospital with her husband, who was ill. When the doctor came to her, she said to him, "How bad is it doctor?". His reply was, "Do you know any good prayers?". Hysterically, she replied, "Has it come to that?". Friends, this is the attitude that so many of us take far too often when it comes to our prayer life. And when it is, it is no wonder that our confidence is found low. When I speak of confidence, I am not speaking of confidence in our ability or our worthiness to receive anything from our heavenly Father. The confidence I speak of is the confidence in our heavenly Father Himself.

First of all, our ability to pray has absolutely nothing to do with the answers to our prayers, because if we are truly a child of God, we have His Holy Spirit to assist or intercede in our prayers. It's what's in and upon our hearts as we pray that the Lord is interested in and not at all how pretty we can convey our petition. Secondly, our worthiness is not a factor as to whether we will receive anything, because if we are truly a child of God, we didn't get that way because of any of our worthiness. And it is in the name of Jesus Christ and in His worthiness and in the power of His shed blood that we are to pray.

Friends, if we truly believe in God and if we truly believe in Jesus Christ, who is God, and if we truly believe in His Holy Spirit, who is God, then there is absolutely no reason for us to doubt the power of earnest, heartfelt prayer. Then, if we truly believe these things, there is absolutely no reason for us to worry about God's faithfulness or His ability to fulfill His precious promises.

We all, who are God's children, believe that He is, but it's so easy sometimes to praise Him when the flood waters have begun receding. But we far too often find it very difficult to praise Him for His mercy and His love while those flood waters are rising around us. The reason for this is not because we don't believe in God, but because we too often let the circumstances around us to come between us and God. One very good reason for this is because we sometimes wait until it "Comes to that" before we go to Him in prayer. The first line of the little song at the beginning of this little article says, "When you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?". That is the key, my friend, to the peace that God gives us during the times of trouble. God expects us to, and we indeed should, go to Him when trials and troubles face us. But we shouldn't wait until then to approach His throne of grace. We should make prayer a regular part of our life. Then and only then, will we truly get to know Him. Sure, we can know all about Him and all His promises as we read and study His Word, but to really know Him and not just about Him, we must commune with Him regularly.

Friends, whether we realize it or not, it has already "come to that" and unless we find ourselves walking and talking with God on a regular basis, truly getting to know Him, we will never know the peace that He offers and promises so freely. I mentioned the flood waters rising and receding earlier and that's because we have just come through an event that the experts say was a once in a hundred years event. Well, God has been around a lot longer than that and He has not only seen a lot more than that, but He has always been in complete control of it all. Those floods were very evident dangers that posed a great threat to many. But there are dangers all about each and every one of us every day that we never even realize are there and God is in charge of those as well. All you have to do is to read the newspaper and you will see all the tragedy and violence in the world today. And it is by the grace of God that any of us make it through any given day.

When you wake up in the morning, you may think it was the alarm clock that woke you up, but it was really God. You see, there are even dangers while we sleep and it is by His grace and His mercy that we wake up to face a new day. We should make it a point to thank Him for that new day and even the challenges that it may bring. And to thank Him for the many blessings He has already shown us and the ones that we trust Him to show to us. If He has been so gracious as to give us a family, we should make it a point to thank Him for that family and to place them in His hands to watch over and care for as only He can do. If He has been so kind as to give us friends, we should make it a point to thank Him for those friends and trust Him to see them through this new day as well. We know that there is still work to be done or else we wouldn't have this new day. So, we should make it a point to ask Him to let us be a part of that work and to use us for His glory and to lead us and guide us by His Holy Spirit, that we may do our best at whatever He allows us to do.

When we pray, let us not depend upon or trust in any pretty words we could ever come up with. But let us trust in God the Holy Spirit to make that intercession for us. When we pray, let us not depend upon or trust in any righteousness or worthiness that we may have. But let us depend upon and trust in Jesus Christ and His righteousness and His worthiness as we pray in His Holy name and in the power of His precious shed blood. When we pray, let us not pray to a God that we know only about. But let us pray to the God that we know, who we can trust as we seek His perfect will. When He grants us that peace that passes all understanding, let us not boast of ourselves. But let us give Him all praise and honor and glory, because it truly already belongs to Him.

Dear Lord, I stand before a door
To a new day untried and new,
But I can step through unafraid
If I may walk with you.

So walk with me and talk with me
In accents sweet and clear...
That I may live within thy will
Throughout another day.

Bless those I meet along the way
And walk beside them too...
That all we do and all we say
Will serve to honor you!
Author unknown.

"Another Day"
God gives to you another day,
A day of minutes and hours;
And as you wait it's unknown tasks,
And face it's unknown ways,
Lo! every minute some treasure holds,
And every hour a new joy unfolds.
A fragment of eternity,
In which to gain and give;
So many seconds and minutes and hours,
To love and laugh and live.
What shall those minted buy?
How will you spend them as they fly?
They come all wrapped in silver at morn,
And shade to golden noon,
Tied round with strings of jeweled stars,
Or sealed with mellow moons;
If one brings cloudy skies and rain,
A rainbow follows it's train.
So all that comes of seeming ill,
And all that you deem good,
Are but God's precious thoughts of love
When rightly understood.
Another day, all fresh and new...
This my friend, is His lovely gift to you!
Author unknown.