Finding Rest and Peace

I pray that you are well and are finding ways to enjoy this “brisk” winter weather, and I ask your prayers and support for those who are struggling in these winter months, both physically and emotionally.

This Sunday past, I preached a sermon about the sovereignty of God as it relates to our prayer life and our prayers – about how God is not our “errand boy” when it comes to asking for what we want and how God is calling us to conform to God’s will, so we pray, “thy will be done” in the Lord’s Prayer. It’s important and enlivening to try to pray with God and see that the way God answers prayers gives us better clues about what God’s will may actually be in our lives and in the lives of the world around us.

I thought it was a pretty straightforward message and might prove helpful. After the service, a long-time and faithful parishioner came up to me to talk. They stated that they really enjoyed the message and appreciated the teaching and sentiments expressed (I liked the sound of that.) Then their tone of voice turned more serious and quiet as they asked, “How do you pray like that? I mean you have a seminary education and all, so it must be easy for you. I have never known how. Can you teach us so that we can pray with God?”

My heart went out to this pillar of our community and I drew them aside and told them this secret, “It’s not up to us. It’s up to God." All we have to do and all we can do is try to come to God. He will take care of the rest. Whether you read the Bible as a way to come to God or sit quietly and seek God’s presence; whether you read prayers or say prayers out loud or sing your prayers; God will come and make Himself known to you.

In other words, if you want to be in a relationship with God and find real rest and peace and fearlessness, seek God. Come to God. Be quiet with God. Sing to God. There are any number of ways, but the critical truth is that you and I have to come to God for God to be with us. God has this “thing” about not overpowering our free wills, that’s true, but if we will seek Him in some place in our lives, He will do the rest.

So, if you’re feeling a little fearful about your life or you’d like to have a living relationship with God or if you want to deepen that relationship, come to Him. He may not make Himself known immediately, but He will draw you close and you will know Him in your life.

Grace and Peace and good Praying.

WFA