God Speaks

I love waking up early with my Lord. A few years ago, I was struggling in the morning. I was waking up very early in the morning and unable to go back to sleep. I would lay there tossing and turning until my very young children would wake. It was awful...I was nursing still and getting up during the night with my youngest son. I would get so upset when I could not sleep. Little did I know, but God was needing me to spend some alone time with Him. I shared my delima with one of my friends and she was God speaking right to me. She said, "Maybe you are needing some alone time with God, maybe He wants you to spend that time in the morning with Him." I looked at her like she was crazy! I was so tired. I had MS, I was always on call with my two young boys, I was still nursing (lets face it, that alone makes you tired). I needed my sleep. Well, a few more days of struggling and wrestling in bed and I finally gave up. I got up very angrily and began my mornings with God. I never said that I did things willingly. I was upset!!

Well, now it is several years latter and I look forward to visiting with my Lord, early in the morning. I need this time. I yearn for these few precious moments with my Savior. I get up get my coffee (have to have that), and begin my day with the only one who can help me get through that day. I don't have a set arrangement with Him, there is no formula. Some mornings I spend the majority of the time on my knees, thanking Him and asking Him to control my tongue, well begging Him to control my mouth, and basically just asking Him to make me a better mother, wife and friend. Other mornings I go straight for my beloved book and read what He has for me that day. It is amazing how each time I read it I can find something that I have not noticed before. It is truly the living word. It is also amazing how He can take me off of my normal reading path to something particular that I needed for that day. Or we can stay right on to the next chapter or book and it is perfect for what I need. It truly is amazing. I am so grateful for Him. I did not need as much sleep as I thought. He gives me the energy that I need to make it through that day. He makes my body well. He heals my soul!

I try very hard to listen when God is speaking to me, through other believers. The other day I was complaining to a friend about the price of bread. Her answer, "Do you have a bread machine? You can make it yourself." I was put in my place, very fast. Yes, I had a bread machine. I got it for a wedding present, but I had never used it. I did not want to use it! Now I am making my own bread. Next, He sends me another friend. She offers, "My mom has been here and we are canning Olatha corn for the winter. You can spend about $20 and have enough corn for all winter." Well isn't that just great! So now, she is coming over toady and we are going to can corn. For crying out loud! Here's the truth. I had been praying for God to show me how I can help my husband with finances. I have been praying for prosperity and what did He do? He gave me a house to clean!! Oh, and just the other day, I got this goofy shoppers survey in the mail. So what am I going to have to do? I have to fill that thing out so I can clip coupons.

Here is the point. God has answered my prayers from conversations with other people. My life is full because I have a good group of friends that He speaks through. They never could of guessed that they were actually answering my prayers. But God speaks to us in different ways. Sometimes is in during our prayer time. The answers just come. Some times it is in reading His word. Other times it is by the voice of His church, His people. How many of our prayers are not answered because we are leaving some sort of Him out? If we do not listen to His people, if we do not get on our knees, if we do not read His word, we are leaving part of His communication out. In the bottom part of my bible there are helpers with the passage. Things to help explain each topic. In Ephesians 4:15,16 the commentary reads, "How can we grow up in Christ? The answer is that Christ forms us into a body-into a group of individuals who are united in their purpose and in their love for one another and for the Lord. If an individual stumbles, the rest pick that person up and help him or her walk with God again. If a person sins, he or she can find restoration through the church (Gal 6:1) even as the rest of the body continues to witness to God's truth." It is by Him that my prayers were answered. Do you leave out any part of Him? How are your prayers answered? Are you willing to listen to His answers, no matter how they come to you?