Stay the Course

In prayer time this morning I came across the following passage.

“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.”  Galatians 6: 9-10

Pondering this passage I understood how these words spoke truth and gave me strength about two different circumstances and yet the same difficulties I was experiencing in my life.

A Natural Desolation

The world health situation we find ourselves in has shifted everything about what we can do, where we can go, who to engage with, and sadly, when we can practice our faith in Church.

Yesterday I watched the latest Covid-19 update from government officials and the senior medical health officer. How tiring it was to hear the same script being read day after day.

“In the last 24 hours there are X number of new cases tested positive. There are X number of people who are in hospital with X number of people in intensive care. There are X number of people who have died. There are X number of healthcare related outbreaks and X number of community outbreaks.”

Oh how wearisome this pandemic has become! I want to run, scream and throw away the chains of bondage related to this situation.

What can I say … it stops me from doing whatever I want! But having said this I also, and more importantly, recognize that for the good of all I need to stay the course.

A Spiritual Desolation

The wearisome experience I described is not unfamiliar to me. I’ve felt this same wearisome way about prayer. You see, it’s been 40 years since I’ve tried to develop a good and faithful prayer time.

Prayer… a sublime time of quiet, peace, joy, and listening for the voice of God in my life.

Has this been your experience? In all honesty, this hasn’t been mine.

Why? I don’t know.
Maybe I’m weak.
Maybe I’m in pain.
Maybe I’m distracted.
Or maybe God doesn’t want to speak to me.

And maybe He really doesn’t love me after all.

Are these thoughts truth or lies? 

In this earthly life weakness, pain, or distraction can be true. I’ve seen this in my own life where physical pain has impacted the ability to stay present to God in prayer time.

Do the thoughts “God doesn’t want to speak to me” or “God doesn’t love me” truthful? Not at all! Those lies come from the pit of hell when the evil one imposes his thoughts upon us. And the fact that these lies come into our mind does not make us bad people. That’s what I used to think!

You see, every thought that enters our mind must be discerned as to whose voice is speaking. Are these our thoughts, God’s voice, or the evil one’s voice?

Which voice will we listen to?

When we take the time to discern well it helps us to separate the wheat from the weeds. Truth from the lies.

Discerning the voices gives us permission to be okay with the imperfect human limitations we have such as weakness, pain or distraction.

We offer to God everything we have knowing He is faithful and accepting of who we are in our broken humanity.

When we do this we open ourselves in a posture of receptivity to the perfect love of God which He has promised us for all eternity.

If prayer makes you feel weary I invite you to hear the voice of God right here. Right now. “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6: 9.

Let us pray…

“Oh Lord, my God. How weary can I feel. Strengthen me, Lord, to do what is right. You have promised a harvest time of plenty if we don’t give up. So, Lord, I place all my weariness within Your heart. Care for me tenderly there. And teach me how to listen to Your voice. Amen.”