Here’s something I don’t want to let go. I found myself awake and on the bed, praying this morning. I found it liberating to just let out what I had in my mind, lifting all my concerns, no matter how big or small, all up to the Lord. I found in my heart that God is faithful to His word, especially where Peter mentioned to cast all our cares upon Him, for He is always thinking about us.
See, that’s the thing. I was focused on the ‘always thinking about us’ part, but it felt like I was keeping all my burdens to myself. It was just like how I preached one time – I said that you can either keep it in and explode, or let at all out, and flow. This morning, I had to let it flow.
It was no accident that Pastor Joedy talked about the ‘secret place’ last Tuesday. I’m not going to lie and say that his words had no impact on me; no, I was reminded of the power of prayer.
All this time I’ve been preaching a good deal about how the unseen is infinite and eternal, while that which is seen is finite. I’ve been preaching a good deal about how we see things upside down nowadays – we’re amazed by Christ and His finished work, and all the infinite and eternal implications it has on our being, and we’re no longer impressed by the wonders of this reality, nor are we completely overwhelmed by the troubles of this world. I thought that was all there was to know, but this latest revelation reminds me of that running Truth – that we’re never going to know everything, and that makes learning so much sweeter.
Here I was thinking that writing was all I needed to be clear, just like what Francis Bacon would say. But I see that it also has its flaws, particularly in how I couldn’t write everything in my mind to share – sure, I could write and keep notes here on Evernote or on a physical notebook, but that’ll be as far as I leave those thoughts. I was reminded, last Tuesday, and then today, that’s what we have through Christ – the gift of prayer. In prayer we could release anything and everything we have in our mind, from the personal to the petty. As we release these more intimate thoughts that brood in our head, we clarify them, which would always work to our advantage (by ‘our’ I mean all of us, but I also mean US, as in Christ in me and me in Christ).
But I do find it important for us to take in what Pastor Joedy pointed out. Prayer is entering a secret place. Prayer is us getting intimate with God – all our focus on Him, enjoying Him intentionally… and this’ll sound like a work, sure, but it really is more about us taking in how God intentionally focuses on us and enjoys us. It’s amazing to see this aspect of the infinite power and presence of God – He hears ALL of us in the body of Christ, and He gives everything, listening to a Father to each and every one of us, with His full and complete attention. No such thing as ‘undivided attention’ with Him.
The way I see it now, I suppose I see one side – While I say that this finite world is secondary to the infinite, our beings are STILL in this finite world, so even if I say we aren’t as impressed or as overwhelmed as we used to be, we are still affected. Now I’m not sure if I’m contradicting myself in the same article, and I’d be happy to back to it or for anyone to call me out, but right now, I’m just flowing. I’m saying that in prayer, we take what affects us in this finite world and lift it to our infinite God. And when I say one side, I suppose the other side is us taking in what our infinite God has to share to us, so as to affect us in this finite world.
It is as Pastor Joedy pointed out – Prayer brings us to a secret place. This secret place is where the finite and the infinite meet. Where we just take in just how small we are before a magnificent God, and where we also take in how this same great and mighty God is mindful of us.
Nothing magical here, nothing for us to do, but to enjoy. As always, Christ paid a great price for us not only to know that He is always thinking about us, but also for us to cast all our cares upon Him.
We thank Jesus for the privilege of prayer.
Before I forget, and this is more for me than it is for anyone else – I’m going to be writing all my concerns down, and I’m not going to be bashful about it. Past experience and wisdom from others tells me that it’s good to put all of it down and somewhere I could see it and see how things progress, either by my hand or Christ’s. I’m not saying this would work for everyone, but it’s certainly an option I’m going to be taking here on out… because, honestly, it does feel cool to say that we’re no longer impressed or overwhelmed by this world (not like we used to be, anyway), but the truth is it still does get to us. I’m embracing this now, not to say that what we’re holding onto is any weaker; no, in our weakness, I believe we shall be duly reminded of how Christ’s power is made perfect. It’s a Truth we shall always behold, whether in this finite reality or in eternity.
I thought I’d end this with a stanza of a familiar song, but seeing the beauty in its words and composition, I had to share it all.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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