WHAT DID I LEARN?

Prayer

OPENING:

Hebrews 4:1–11 “Therefore let us fear, while there remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as those also did, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who heard it in faith. For we who have believed enter into rest, just as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter into my rest.’ ” And yet these works have been accomplished from the foundation of the world. For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,” and in this passage again, ‘They will never enter into my rest.’ ” Since therefore it remains for some to enter into it, and the ones to whom the good news was proclaimed previously did not enter because of disobedience, again he ordains a certain day, today, speaking by David after so long a time, just as had been said before, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had caused them to rest, he would not have spoken about another day after these things. Consequently a sabbath rest remains for the people of God. For the one who has entered into his rest has also himself rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. Therefore, let us make every effort to enter into that rest, in order that no one may fall in the same pattern of disobedience.”

WELCOME, ANNOUNCEMENTS, PRAYER REQUESTS AND TESTIMONIES

ANGIE’S OFFERING:

PRAISE AND WORSHIP

All during December, I was feeling a disconnect. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was like we were saying the right things and believing the right things, but there was no power - nothing was happening and I was losing my connection. I was praying for answers, but all seemed silent about this while others things seemed more normal. But this silence was deafening.

Is this familiar to anyone else?

Then just before Christmas, hell began to break open when Julie fell, lay on the floor all night and broke her hip - again. She went into rehab and while there, I went into emergency surgery, came home and 3 days later went back with another attempt on my life. Meanwhile, Julies rehab ran out and they started processing her for long term care - saying she could not live alone - all of this in the midst of tax season - I now have 5 sets of books to deal with and one is a disaster.

After getting home, I leaned back and said, “Lord, What did I learn out of all of this?”

The answer: “Very little. “ We have no control over most circumstances in our lives. We must know our Bible/God’s voice to respond well to set back and surprises.

I never once in the two weeks I was in the hospital, called out to God for help, or in fear or anxiety about my life or my future. I was only conscious of being carried by calm waters, floating, on prayers of those praying for me. I never prayed for myself or anything, just rested on the prayers of others. (at one point, I worried about the cost to the insurance company)

Kelly said I was saying “Jesus, Jesus,” going into surgery and coming out. I was, but I was saying that as a testimony for the benefit of those around me. It was a statement of faith, not a call for help. I was in perfect peace, floating.

What did I learn? Oh, I learned one aspect of the power of prayer! Prayer will carry you through when you can’t pray for yourself. Surround yourself with those who pray! I had my family, extended family, Power of Praise, and the Thursday and Saturday prayer groups, plus other friends all praying at all levels of prayer, making up the whole of what was needed.

I remember Harry Lee saying that he could feel the pain with every bump in the ambulance, then he would feel a wave of prayers and the pain would let up. After the surgery, I felt a lot of pressure which was very uncomfortable, but no pain! I had pain before I went in! There is a difference.

The Lord began to teach me that I already knew most relevant facts and had some wisdom on how to use them.

The Lord was saying; “Here is the disconnect. Now you need understanding.” I knew about prayer and the need to pray and sometimes, even how to pray, but I needed understanding about prayer.

Proverbs harps on, “Get knowledge; get wisdom and in your getting, get understanding.”

Knowledge is the facts - without which we have nothing to build on. The Fact that God is the only true God is a fact. Wisdom is the “how” to apply the facts. Understanding is discerning the why/ the love behind the facts and the application. Solomon dividing the baby is a good example of the use of all three aspects: he got the facts (the baby could not belong to but one of the women. With wisdom, he ordered the baby be divided. With understanding, he knew that the real mother would rather give up her baby than see it dead. Without understanding, he would have just divided the baby or wondered what to do next.

God wants us to go beyond facts and even wisdom. He wants us to understand His heart behind His words. Just facts and wisdom still lack the compassion, the love aspect of God.

Understanding: infer, observe, recognition, acquaintance with, advise, answer, appoint, be aware, for a certainty, comprehend, consider, cunning, declare, be diligent, cause to, discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, instruct, kinsman, let, make, know, have knowledge, learn, mark, perceive, privy to, prognostication, regard, have respect, surety, teach, foretell from signs or symptoms, predict, give indication, advance

We are saying the right things, believing the right things, but nothing is happening. Frustrating. Just going through the motions. Then all hell literally broke loose! I am thrust into having to act on Julie’s behalf - deciding things that no one wants to deal with for other nor do we want others dealing with these things for us. All of this happens in the middle of tax season and then I end up in the hospital with emergency surgery , come home and return to the hospital with bleeding ulcers, needing two unit of blood. Meanwhile, Julies rehab runs out and she is being processed for long term care in Fairmont while I am in the second time in the hospital. Her bills are piling up and her mail is literally a mountain - every day!

Here is where I have to put what I learned into effect. Did I do it. No. I hit the panic button and ran against a brick wall. Nothing I did worked and my computer wasn’t operating and the printer wouldn’t print! When I gave up, it was like getting the log that was jamming up the waterflow was extracted and things began to work - until I got into frustration, panic or overload mode. God was saying, “You didn’t consult Me, I could have told you what to do.” So, I asked, “Lord, where do I start?” He said to tackle my own tax forms first (this was the biggest single job) and by 2:30, Scott was taking me to the accountant with all my papers - it just came together. I like this and immediately jumped on the next project in my own mind and it wasn;t working. I needed to rest but was on a roll - my roll - and it didn’t work.

Now God took me to Hebrews 4:1–11 “Therefore let us fear, while there remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of it. For we who have believed enter into rest, just as he has ssid..... ” Since therefore it remains for some to enter into it, and the ones to whom the good news was proclaimed previously did not enter because of disobedience, again he ordains a certain day, ..... “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had caused them to rest, he would not have spoken about another day after these things. Consequently a sabbath rest remains for the people of God. For the one who has entered into his rest has also himself rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. Therefore, let us make every effort to enter into that rest, in order that no one may fall in the same pattern of disobedience.”

This is the disconnect. We have not learned to enter in. We are still in our own works or the works of God in our own strength. I want to go to

Genesis 2:15–25 “And Yahweh God took the man and set him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it. And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” Then Yahweh God said, “it is not good that the man is alone. I will make for him a helper as his counterpart.” And out of the ground Yahweh God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and he brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called that living creature was its name. And the man gave names to every domesticated animal and to the birds of heaven and to all the wild animals. But for the man there was not found a helper as his counterpart. And Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man. While he slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh where it had been. And Yahweh God fashioned the rib which he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said, “She is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; she shall be called ‘Woman,’ for she was taken from man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cling to his wife, and they shall be as one flesh. And the man and his wife, both of them, were naked, and they were not ashamed.”

Genesis 3:7–13 “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed together fig leaves and they made for themselves coverings. Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden at the cool, breezy time of day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. And Yahweh God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he replied, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid myself.” Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?” And the man replied, “The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave to me from the tree and I ate.” Then Yahweh God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

This is God and Adam and later Eve, all talking naturally to each other until they were banished from Eden. This is what we lost and this is what Jesus came to restore - where we walk and talk with God naturally, freely, unashamed and uncondemned.

This is the disconnect. We can’t see ourselves as totally redeemed to that state: bought back, purchased, to free from captivity by ransom; to release from blame or debt; free from consequences of sin (death); restore

We are not seeing this as totally done; completed in us. We need to see ourselves as free as little kids who don’t know or care if they are clothed or not because they haven’t been shamed. The work of the cross was to restore us to that state of innocence with the Father where we are conscious of His Presence and are conversing with Him about ALL things, seeking His instruction, delighting in His humor and favor - this is prayer. This is rest.

Whether you are asking, seeking or knocking or delighting in a sunset or feeding the hungry or settled in His arms listening for His heartbeat, that is rest; that is prayer that is saturated enough to move mountains.

CLOSING: James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much.”