Summary from message from Sunday 1 December 2024 meeting. I have been a born again believer since my pre teens but one thing I have always struggled with is taking my problems to God especially during difficult times. Naively, but rather arrogantly, going to God in times of trouble, demonstrated that I was approaching God with a list. I wanted God to know that in spite of my troubles l loved him all the same. We all experience peaks and troughs in our our lives so during my peaks I would be seeking God and telling myself during the troughs that I had previously invested so would seldom spend time in prayer. I am not sure how I developed that theology, but up until recently years I was practicing that. Whether, I was subconsciously building barriers to prevent myself from experiencing overwhelming pain and hurt, I am yet to fully analyse that long episode of my life where my prayer life was attacked during difficulties. About 18 months ago, I heard God calling me to pray, talk to Him about everything and spend time in His presence whether in joy or in sorrow, and in the good times or bad times. Initially, I found it hard because that call came when I was going through an especially challenging time. Easily, I found myself replying to God that I was in a tough time, feeling overwhelmed and did not know how to express myself and for Him to look at my prayer bank to make the situation better. As clear as day, I heard Him say that, he wanted me in the here and now, forget about the past prayers and stay in His presence . In that wrestle, I again heard His voice clearly that he would wake me up even when I was tired to spend time with him. I grudgingly agreed. He is a loving gracious Father who runs to meets us and embraces us when we take a step towards Him. I can joyfully say that He has been true to His word. He has consistently woken me up to spend time with Him. I have suddenly found words to express myself to Him because He has enabled me to. I have found joy in situations which I had felt overcome by. In various situations, He has demonstrated His power. I have now learned to respond to Him. For example, when I’m woken up, I go along with what he puts in my spirit. It can be a hymn so I will sing it over and over, meditate on the words and pray it back to Him. It can be a scripture. It can be a person who drops in at the time of waking up. That is the Holy Spirit prompting me to bring that soul before Him. A few months ago, after waking up at 4am, my thoughts were suddenly on my son. He came shortly after that to say he was doing an airport pick up. I felt I needed to go on my knees and pray for Him for preservation of life. 10mins after doing exactly that, he called me. He had been involved in an accident and His life had been spared.God saved and protected Him. God answers our prayers instantly. I have learned that God helps us to discern things that might happen when we seek Him so we can declare His goodness into those situations. I am a bit of a dreamer too. However, for some years, the dreams dried up. During these moments that I am seeking God, those have returned. Sometimes they are cryptic. I am certain God wants me to spend more time in His presence by giving me these tasters. My response is “Lord, speak to me clearly to me as I walk alongside you”. I yearn to hear His voice as I daily walk with Him. I have learned that spending time in prayer helps us see our Father in personal dimensions that we are yet to imagine. I would like to encourage everyone to make a commitment to daily and consistently seek God. We do that not in our own strength nor intellect but waiting on Him to lead, asking Him about what He wants to do or tell us, how He wants to order our steps daily to the glory of His name. He is the Master Gardener who cultivates in us a praying spirit so that we pray without ceasing as well as gives us the utterance to pray and what to pray about only when we allow Him to. We are dependent on Him to work His will in us. Hallelujah! ‘For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.’ (Phil 2:13, NLT)
