I just texted one of my children-“When its hardest to pray. KNOW its time to pray!” The alternative to prayer? “PRAY lest you lose heart.”-{Luke 18:1}…
ON A PERSONAL NOTE;
I am now in fifth week of experimental treatments, and I am exhausted but pain is down for some hours, but the weakness is overwhelming, weeks, turned into months, years spent primarily in bed… apart from that I am the poster boy for health:).
At times I long to be able to get up and go….anywhere… but for now this is my position, this is where I am, and in it He provides opportunities with medical people, who are my mission field. How encouraging Phil 1:12 is for us all, “Brothers, I WANT you to KNOW , MY Circumstances have worked out to advance{further} the Gospel.”. From been confined Paul, was “shut in” but not “shut out” from talking to the LORD on behalf of others-Phil 1:36; 9-12. He was “shut in” but not “shut out” from Evangelizing those in his circumstances- v 13…. he was “shut in” but not “shut out” from encouraging the brethren to speak the “Word of God without fear” and this they did ‘because of my imprisonment”. -v14.
They were encouraged by His presence and what about this for a statement of faith and confidence in his LORD, “…knowing that I am APPOINTED for the defense of the gospel.”-{Phil 1:16}. The word was used of a soldier who was strategically placed with a specific assignment!! Paul knew he was in these circumstances, not by accident but by Divine appointment! With Divine assignment- praying, evangelizing, encouraging His people and with Divine perspective he could say “Brothers, I want you to KNOW, MY CIRCUMSTANCES have worked out to advance the Gospel.”
Your circumstances may not be as you would like or have chosen, but in them you too like Paul can advance the Gospel.
Look around you, who is it that is in your circumstances that you can
* PRAY for…
*EVANGELIZE…
* ENCOURAGE…
If you look at the above three, they are all OTHER ORIENTATED…
I am reminded of the verses, “…Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, “-{Phil 2:3-5}. It begins with us THINKING and considering the LORD JESUS and adopting His attitude and not merely looking out for our own interests BUT ALSO the INTERESTS of OTHERS.
ASK HIM to help you and me to become Christ occupied and as a result to become OTHERS ORIENTATED that we too can KNOW we are “APPOINTED” for the sake of the Gospel and that in our circumstances, “…I want you to KNOW…, MY CIRCUMSTANCES are working out to advance the Gospel.”
When its hardest to pray, KNOW it’s time to pray… for your circumstances can work out to further the Gospel because He has you there and in those circumstances if you look around, you have people to pray for, evangelize and encourage others to speak the Word of God. He will use you to encourage them as he did Paul by strategically placing you there, for the Gospel sake!