A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER

[TexasOaks]

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own! ,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I mightenjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.
I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

[mudhead1s wife]

I have never heard that one before, is it yours? It is a very beatiful prayer. I am working on a retreat with some of the other ladies at church right now. The older women in our church do a retreat every year for us moms that have kids at home, so in return we are doing one for them to show our appreciation. I have 2 devotions prepared. The first is in Ecc. 1-3 and the second is 1Cor. 2:2. I still have a bit of work to do on the first one. I need to bridge a gap since Ecc. is Old Testament. But I am always looking for ideas. Prayers, stories, ect. Feel free to give any input.

[TexasOaks]

ORIGINAL: mudhead1s wife

But I am always looking for ideas. Prayers, stories, ect. Feel free to give any input.

Its not mind, I found it on the internet and liked it so I share it whenever I can. Any help I can do I will try.

[wildlifeartist55]

i really like that prayer and it rings true... i bookmarked it to share with my family and friends... thanks so much for sharing it! God Bless.

Karolyn

[leafriverlizzie]

TexasOaks,
that is a good prayer. I have put that in our church bulletin before because it helps us to reflect on the whole of the picture instead of just circumstance.

Mudhead's wife, what kind of gap do you need to bridge? Scripture is scripture whether it be old testament or new. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is profitable. Back in Paul and Timothy's day the Old Testament was the only scripture they had so I would assume that was the scripture Paul was talking about when he said "all". Or maybe I'm misunderstanding your statement about bridging the gap? And the Lord Jesus himself says, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" in John 5:39, again referring to the Old Testament scriptures.

Anyway... welcome to the forum! I find myself posting on this forum less and less but every once in awhile I log on and respond to something.

[Rebel Hog]

Thanks Brother!

[mudhead1]

Leaf, by bridging the gap I mean that in my devotion Ihave used the first 3 chapters of Ecc. In the chapters Solomon is looking back on life and he finds that without God everything is done invanity. He uses his experiences as an Illustration to what God is telling him. At the end of my devotion, I focused on Ecc. 3:15-16, when we look back on our liveswe don't just pull up the good memories but the bad pop up also. I feel these 2 verseswere not just a warning but givento us for comfort also. I am only 26 and I have things in my life that I have not completly dealt with, and for15 years I had a hard time seeking justice. The wounds are healing but the memory remains. I have known a lot of people that have been in the same spot. So the intent is to add (maybe bridge the gap was the wrong wording) some of Chist's promises and comforts. This is the first devotion I have ever done and am kind of nervous. These ladies have taken me in and cared for me better than my own mom has. I just want to show them how much I appreciate them and give a little back. The second session deals more with appreciation, the first is to show them how much I appreciate everything they have taught me. I know I have a lot to learn which is why I ask for all the help I can get. Next year should be easier because now I now to ask them what topics they want to be addressed. I don't think I can teach these ladies any thing new, just want to show them the love our Fathers so graciously gives us.

[mudhead1s wife]

sorry did it again my husband was just on and was just checking, saw your post and forgot I wasn't logged in!

[leafriverlizzie]

I am only 26 and I have things in my life that I have not completly dealt with, and for 15 years I had a hard time seeking justice. The wounds are healing but the memory remains.

You know mudhead's wife, whether good or bad, memories will always stay with us. I remember things from when I was two years old, most of which were bad memories. Maybe I remember them especially because they were bad memories. The thing is to not allow those memories to cause us to wallow in self-pity or to cause us to become bitter. Memories come from things we experience. We can either learn from those experiences and become a stronger person or we can allow those experiences to destroy us. I used to ask myself "why" all the time. I used to ask God "why" all the time. But then I came upon 2 Corinthians 1:4 "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
God had allowed me to experience things and overcome them so that I in turn could be a comfort to others that might be facing those very same things.

Somehow though, that doesn't compare to Solomon's memories. You see, Solomon drifted away from God and started to pursue different ways in life to find satisfaction. That is when he realized that he couldn't find satisfaction in any of it. The only place we will ever find complete peace and satisfaction is in God. Solomon's bad memories came as a result of his bad choices. He understood this which is why he ends Ecclesiastes by saying, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).

I have had to forgive a lot of people from my past. I used to want to confront some of them just for the sake of proving that I had made something out of my life. But I realized that I didn't have to prove anything. All I had to do was forgive, and hand all those past hurts over to God, especially if I wanted God's blessing on my life. This brings to mind Job. The Lord did not restore Job's losses until after he prayed for his friends that had added more grief to his already sorry situation. His friends were clearly in the wrong, God himself was not pleased with them. Job could have allowed himself to become bitter against them. But he didn't. He prayed for them. And God blessed him for it.

By the way, my husband's huntingnet name also starts with leafriver, so to avoid confusion, most people call me Liz.

God Bless!

[mudhead1s wife]

Thanks for the post. I did put my devotion on a thread to explain. I won't go into detail but the justice I saught was imperitive to the well being of others. God got me through and has lifted a weight.