I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief.

ABBA FATHER, where to start. . . Kent’s teaching on faith, the kinds of faith; personal, corporate, contact and beyond-belief faith. At the end I found myself praying that You would heal my faith. Everyone has faith in something or someone. The object of that faith can be true or false. I know that You are truth. I know that You have given me a true and sincere faith; that You are the object of my faith – but I know, too, that there are areas where I need improvement, areas where I need to let go and learn to really trust You. The storms come to grow us in faith, IF we can learn to find our security, our peace SOLELY in You and not the circumstance. It’s a hard lesson to learn, which is why I so desperately need You to heal my faith, in those areas that are lacking. Steady me Lord, and cause me to stand, to rest in You.

Some thoughts about storms . . .

In the storm remember Who is in the boat, the storm will end and that He will get you to the other side.

In the storm, there is the foundation of knowing that He is with me and that He will get me through whatever may come - in this I am confident. My fears or concerns are just how He will accomplish it. I know that He will sometimes allow suffering and hardships to touch us – I believe it is also for our good, but that it can be painful and quite honestly I don’t like pain. At the same time I know that when we (He and I) have made it through the storm, that I am stronger for it, more like Him and less like me and ultimately that is my hearts desire. (The medicine may tastes bad going down, but it is useful and necessary for my healing to be complete.)

There are some lessons that can only be learned in a storm.

The Lord does provide

Abba FATHER, I come this morning with a heaviness of heart, an uncertainty, a sadness that I can’t explain. I would much rather rejoice in You. On the Jewish calendar this is a season of mourning that culminates on Tuesday. A number of tragic events occurred on that date, two being the destruction of both the 1st and 2nd Temple. Today, there’s the economy and the sad shape the world seems to be in, the unrest and anxiety that seems so pervasive. In my own little world, there are the car problems, which in the scheme of things is rather insignificant. Within me, there is restlessness, a feeling that I should be doing more, and a kind of discontentment and loneliness. I think some of it, this heaviness, is because I’m too focused on me, rather than others.

FATHER, please change my heart and my attitude. I choose to trust You and believe You will provide whatever and whenever there is a need in my life. Show me, FATHER, what I need to know, what I need to do, to honor You, to please You. I don’t want to miss You because I’m too focused on me. I want my life to have meaning, to count for something, to have significance as a witness to You. I know I will never accomplish “big” things, but please, FATHER, let those things I do be things that will last. Let me live each moment as a sacrifice of praise to You, with a heart that is full and overflowing with love and gratitude to You, the lover of my soul. Keep me, LORD, in the center of Your will, under Your wing and close to Your heart. I need You so much.