Every New Day

It’s amazing to me how when I am lacking in some way, God has means of putting it into perspective from multiple angles. Recently, I have become stuck in a rut of relying on my own power to get things done. By the word “recently” I, of course, mean: “for as long as I can remember.” From what you can imagine, relying on such personal power has left me feeling drained, tired, stressed, and ultimately frustrated when my power fails me. But it also leaves me prideful, conceited, and egotistical when my power pushes me along. So either way of looking at it is bad. So why rely on myself? Good question… I still haven’t found that answer. Other than the atypical response of, “everybody else does it.”

So what do I do? Do I continue to walk the path of my own destruction? Do I admit defeat and cower beneath my rock of shame? Rather, do I ask for help in my endeavors and pray that such a help will revitalize my resolve and tip the scales in my favor. But how do I begin to request such help and from whom? Surely any other mere mortal would fail just as I would. Then therein lies the keywords, mortal and prayer. No one on the planet, including myself, has the power to do anything and everything. But God does. How do I request the help of such a powerful entity? Through prayer.

You see, the last few weeks has been nothing but a constant reminder to me that God is powerful and that God can deliver me from myself and the only way to plea to God to intervene is through prayer. Anyone reading this is probably thinking, “OK, that’s a good concept Randy and well done for figuring that out but it’s really no secret.” Which is entirely the point. When we lose contact with God, even the most simple and obvious of actions seem to escape us.

In this realization, I have found a new fire for prayer. I don’t say this to sound pious or to show off my walk. Quite frankly, many who make such statements make me question how well their walk really is, but that is not my topic as of now. I say this to get it out in the open and make it so others will see this and hold me accountable. If you so feel the need to, ask me how my prayer life is going. Ask me if I am holding true to it or if I’m venturing off on my own again. Ask me if there is anything in my life that I need prayer for and offer up things for me to pray about for you. We cannot fully grow together as God’s people if we aren’t willing to talk to each other and talk to God together.

Frank Weller is the new Senior Minister at South Lansing, my home church. He has made several trips to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission in his old ministry, which is an awesome twist seeing as how South has sent several people to that same mission, including myself. When I was in Haiti, they had a tower at the top on the mission with a room specifically design to be a prayer room and when groups were there every person was given an hour shift to pray in the prayer tower and the rotation was constant. So for the entire two week span of the trip, somebody was always praying. Which was a neat idea that someone was always in touch with God. But according to Frank, at 10AM everyday, everyone at the mission stops what they are doing for a few minutes and prays together. The whole mission in unison prays to God at the same time everyday. Frank charged us to join with our brothers and sisters in Haiti by praying everyday as a church at 10AM. Because even if we are not together in body, we are all together in spirit and we are all standing before our Almighty God. I have decided to do this as well. So far I have prayed at 10AM everyday since Sunday, which I know isn’t long but I am determined to stick with it. I ask that you all join me as well. Wherever you are at 10AM… you can bow your head and know that you and your brothers and sisters in and around Lansing and in Haiti are all in assembly with you before God and not even the barriers of distance can keep you away.

God Bless,

Randy