Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!
I love when You place things on my heart Lord… I gain so much perspective from those moments.
As You know, I’ve been in “worry mode” lately Father; worried about the business not doing as well as I’d like, worried about the kids being prepared to go back to school, worried about not having medical insurance at the moment, and worried that all this worrying is getting in the way of my hearing You clearly. And although I’m usually able to squelch those feelings by focusing on the many Blessings in my life, I’ll admit to having allowed those negative emotions to overwhelm me more than once in recent days. This morning was one of those instances.
Thankfully, You decided it was time to get my attention.
Driving to an appointment this morning, my thoughts were churning; systematically cycling through all of the complications the past month had brought. I felt weighted, and edgy, and my temples throbbed in sympathetic rhythm with my pounding chest. I’d almost reached my destination, when You abruptly interrupted my train of thought…
“Turn your worries into prayers.” You whispered.
“But I have prayed about them…” I thought to myself. “Haven’t I??”
And then the light bulb went off… Ouch.
I realized that although I’ve been praying Father, it’s not always been from the right perspective. Instead of first giving You thanks, and then praying for Your direction in fulfilling Your desires for my life, I’ve instead allowed my worries, fears and anxieties to dictate my prayers. I’ve prayed for what I believed would be the best solutions to my problems, when I should have placed these situations fully in Your hands, and listened for Your guidance as to the proper path to take. I was praying for what I wanted to happen, instead of to be a part of what You wanted to happen.
I hadn’t realized I was praying in arrogance Father… Please forgive me.
Heavenly Father, please fill me with Your divine perspective that I may look to Your counsel first, and then act on Your behalf. I’m very much a work in progress Lord, and my deepest desire is to grow closer to You with each passing day.
More of You Father… Less of me.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
PRAYER is indeed a GIFT.
Amen! A most powerful gift!
Have a Blessed Day!
Phil, this sounds like the conversation I had with God when my son was late for work. I thought that God would answer my prayer by making sure my son didn’t oversleep. But who am I to tell God what is best? His ways are not my ways. I just need to pray and trust Him to do what is best, for all of us. Philippians 4:6 says we aren’t to be anxious about anything, but pray about everything, with thanksgiving. Great encouragement!
It’s certainly a struggle of perspective sometimes… Isn’t it Lisa? Our natures tell us that we know what we want, and yet that’s not always what God desires of us. We need to focus our prayers on His guidance, and then be diligent in listening for a response.
Have a Blessed Day!
As I have read your postings over a number months now, Your messages from all you are learning have become very clear. I have learned many things on these postings, from the power of prayer, forgetting my worries to place them in His Hands, strength from Above, Love, and the knowledge He is keeping me in His Grace and walking me down my path.
Praying has become a regular ritual, my prayers now are only to help me hear, see, learn, and place me on his path with the gifts I have been granted.
The ability to pray His knowledge graces me in my journey has been the hardest of prayers to hear answered. To understand the arrogance of human error in our prayers is a great lesson to learn. I can only hope my prayers are not done in arrogance but in the hope He points me down the correct path and I hear him.
Wonderful enlightenment
Thank you so much Dy… Our brokenness affects many parts of our lives, and prayer unfortunately is no exception. Focusing our prayers on God’s guidance and will for our lives isn’t always what our first inclination is, but it’s the path to His grace all the same.
Have a Blessed Day!
Phil,
I think many of us have been having the same conversation with God lately, I will tell Him what He needs to do in my life and then at the end, just to sound all Christian like I will add in a little, “if it is Your will”, at the end. Thank you for being obedient and writing about this, I needed to hear to get my perspective back. You will be in my prayers that He uplift you and see you through this time of complication,I know He will work it all out for the good, but I understand that it is kind of stinky when you are going through it.
Blessings to you Phil.
It’s an easy “trap” to fall into, isn’t it Kandi? Thankfully, God knows our hearts and nudges us in the direction we need to go when we open ourselves to Him.
Have a Blessed Day!
Great perspective! Seeing things from His perspective is always eye-opening!
Amen Allison! Thank you!
Have a Blessed Day!
Ouch.
I can totally relate. I can think of many times recently that I have prayed for God to do it my way instead of putting my faith in the One who knows what He is doing. Great encouragement!
We all do it Jenifer, and wow, was I humbled when God pointed it out to me the other morning. Thankfully, He’s a patient Teacher, and knows our hearts… 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
I have struggled with this too. With prayer in general… I try to pray for what I think we need and I end up stopping short because I don’t understand how our needs fit into Kingdom business. I think this is a type of arrogance too… thinking I know what God has planned through my answered prayers. He’s going to use whatever He wants in my life… maybe what I ask for and maybe something different for His purposes and that’s information that I’m not always privy too. I need to just pray and be in relationship with Him over everything. Thanks, this goes right along with what I’ve been getting 🙂 Off to “turn my worries into prayers.” Blessings!
It’s a careful balance, that’s for sure Heidi. Thankfully, God knows our hearts, and adapts accordingly! 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
God understands us when we pray He knows the heart of each of His children..we all at times pray with wrong motives and perspective the key is to recognize it and ask God to forgive you and to help you pray with a pure heart..amen
Exactly Desiray… More of Him, Less of me. 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
More of you and less of me is one of my breath prayers, I wouldn’t describe myself as a worrier until my kids told me otherwise. HA! Deep down I wasn’t letting go my fears and anxiety into God’s hands. You call it Arrogance, Phil. OUCH! You are so right. The ego interferes again. Good lessons for all of us.
Thank you Jean! It certainly was an “Ouch” moment for me… So thankful for His understanding and patience with me! 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
Lyrics to a song I wrote. Wish I could sing it to you but the words for now will do…
Cast all your cares on him; I know he cares for you
There is no need to doubt he’ll always see you through
No matter what life has dealt, how burdened you have felt
There is no need to doubt the Lord is looking out
He sees every trial you face, sufficient is his grace
The righteous he will sustain, he feels your every pain
When you don’t believe it’s true, he has his hand on you
And when you don’t feel he’s there, he hears your every prayer
He’s able to keep you from falling, present you without blame
He’s always there when you call him, keep calling on his name
Tell him the way you feel, his love is always real
He’ll help you in time of need; he hears your every plea.
The end!
~ Blessings and peace
I wish you could sing it to me as well Debra! 🙂 This was lovely…. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Have a Blessed Day!