Susan
came forward for prayer after the morning worship service. She was a bit
hesitant with her request because she was afraid we might think it was trivial
or that she lacked the faith to be obedient to the Lord.
But
she had a need that was weighing her down and causing anxiety in her spirit.
She was leaving the next day on a missions trip to a reservation in South
Dakota. She looked ahead at the weather forecast and realized it was predicted
to be above 100 degrees for the week – and they were planning to work outside.
“I don’t do well in the heat,” she confessed. “I’m so worried.”
We
gathered around her and began praying exactly the right things. “Lord, give
Susan the strength to endure. Ease her anxiety. Flood her soul with peace.
Protect her from any physical stress that might cause her harm. Let her trust You
in this circumstance.”
But
my spirit was stirring as I listened to the prayers being offered on Susan’s
behalf. It’s not that the prayers were wrong; I was just sensing the Lord
wanted to do something different in Susan’s life.
When
there was a break in the praying, I looked at Susan and asked her a simple
question: “What temperature would you like it to be?”
She
looked surprised, but replied, “Well, 80s would be perfect.”
“All
right, then,” I said. “I would like to ask the Lord for 80 degrees for you.” I
then prayed a very short but specific prayer for Susan. I asked the Lord to
surprise her with that perfect temperature.
Susan
came back the following week, her missions trip completed. She couldn’t wait to
report the profound shift in the weather pattern – it was in the 80s the entire
week!
Don’t
Complicate Things
Prayer
is such a mystery. At times we get caught up in trying to pray the right
things, not wanting to suggest anything to God that might be “out of His will.”
We want to honor the Lord in our prayers, and we certainly don’t want to give
false hope or pray in ways that might cause people to be disappointed.
But
sometimes we just need to ask. God could have chosen to grow Susan’s character
by creating an opportunity for her to rely more on Him in the midst of
sweltering heat. He could have decided that now was the time to release Susan
of her anxiety by demonstrating that He would care for her regardless of the
circumstances. He may have wanted to use 100 degrees as a way to build Susan’s
character.
Instead,
God chose to delight Susan’s heart by answering a simple request. As far as
Susan was concerned, she believed God interrupted the weather patterns over an
entire state and region just for her!
I
was reminded of this story today, even though it happened a few years ago.
Sometimes you need to remember God’s faithfulness from the past and let your
hope for the future be renewed. I need some refreshed prayer hope!
Don’t
hesitate to pray your heart’s desires. It’s OK. Jesus reminds us in Matthew
7:11: “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Rather
than worrying that our requests might be too self-serving or maybe out of His
will, sometimes we just need to ask our gracious and loving God. Let Him
surprise you with abundant and good gifts.
