By Lisa Wilmore
Dear Hearts,
You may have heard the sung sang, “prayer will fix it every time” by the Chicago Mass Choir. You may have even listened to sermons on “how to pray”, “the essentials of praying” among other messages dealing with pray. Interestingly, nearly all of us are familiar with the Scripture, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (1 Chr, 7:14). Well, my friends, it is TRUTH. The question to ponder is Are you using God’s best recourse for your dilemmas? What is your first reaction when you know someone has wronged you? Hopefully, it is prayer.
As an illustration, most recently, two young ladies called me approximately 9:00pm as I was preparing for bed. When I answered the phone, I could hear, slightly, a voice of disappointment mixed with anger. The young lady who was speaking asked if she and her friend could come to talk to me-they needed some advice, quickly. Of course, I shared it with my husband and told them they were welcomed to come. When they arrived, I could see the seriousness in their body language and the hurt in one of the ladies’ voices. She was disappointed about something her spouse had done and was seeking revenge to hurt him. However, her call to me indicated that she was looking for a way out. So, after listening to her concern, I was able to convince her that there is always another way to handle her disappointments. She asked, “how?” I said to her, “Prayer”. I know my sisters and brothers, sometimes you do not want to hear that, but that is the “best resource for your dilemma”. I believe that she and her friend knew the right thing to do but needed reassurance that God is in total control.
“Pray about it!” “Take it to the Lord in prayer!” This is what people need to hear.
As I recall this moment with the two you ladies, I am reminded of Nehemiah who was approached by his brothers and others who shared with him the conditions of Jerusalem’s wall, and the plight of the Judeans after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Remarkably, Nehemiah did not react when he heard the news, instead, he first, prayed to God for help (Nehemiah 1-2). “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven…” (Nehemiah 1:4-11). The wrong response to your dilemma is a “reaction”. Nevertheless, the best recourse for your dilemma is prayer.
