Feeling Dry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjNZf878ISQ

Oh My Soul ~ Casting Crowns

 

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

~ Psalm 43:5 NIV

 

Have you ever had a good day, but then suddenly, for no apparent reason, you felt sad, like to the point of tears? We’d had a good day, but suddenly, I felt like crying and couldn’t explain why. I did try to explain it: maybe I’m overtired; maybe it’s because I’m a girl; perhaps it’s hormones. Who knows? I certainly didn’t.

 

After everyone had gone to bed, I sat down with my Bible and journal and flipped to Psalm 43:5 and began writing the verse. As I began to write, God did a beautiful thing for me; two things, actually. The first, was that He washed His peace over me, and I no longer felt anxious or sad. The second, was that He allowed my eyes to drift into the next column and see where I had previously underlined Psalm 42:2:

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?

That was the answer to my emotional tizzy: my soul was needing to meet with God.

 

Due to several things, I had an immensely hard time waking up this morning, which left my quiet-time choppy (at best), as I juggled the girls' needs, instead of keeping my “date” with Jesus. And I (clearly) needed that time. I needed to allow God time to hold me, Holy Spirit to speak to me, and Jesus to lead me. But because I didn’t take the time at the start, something in my day left me feeling dry…until I sat and met with God. It’s an amazing and beautiful thing what entering His presence does for you.

 

If, throughout the course of your day, you find yourself feeling dry, take the advice given in Psalm 42:5-8, (MSG):

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,

. . .
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God’s prayer.

©Heather Potts 2022

Where Were You?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH0PmaKxOtA

Too Good to Not Believe ~ Cody Carnes

‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ ~ John 11:21-22 NIVUK

Recently, my prayers felt dry, empty. One morning, I asked Holy Spirit to help me to pray, again. Then, in the way that only He can, Holy Spirit led me to my answer.

John 11 opens with the news that Lazarus is ill. Instead of going to Lazarus immediately, Jesus doesn't begin the journey to His friend’s home till after Lazarus died. Before He’d even arrived, Martha ran out to meet Jesus and said, “Lord...if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” (v.21). In essence, “Where were You?” 

Have you ever asked that of someone? Have you ever asked that of God? Where were You in my need? Where were You in my suffering? Where were You when we were praying for healing? Martha’s attack, though out of pain and anger, was not unleashed upon a stranger, but on a very close friend. That realization answered my questions about my prayers. Because I know that God is with me and He hears my prayers, I expected Him to answer when we prayed fervently for Brad’s sick friend, and again when we prayed for another friend’s mom, and again when we prayed for someone else. But when each person either passed away or kept getting worse, it became harder and harder to pray and believe that my prayers were being heard.

Jesus was not troubled by Martha’s attack, nor is He by ours. Only someone who cares about the relationship cares enough to ask, “Where were you” in their pain. Instead of rebuking Martha, He redirected her focus to the truth: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (vv.25-26). The most important answer is not Jesus’ reasoning for how He answered our prayers, but our answer to His question: Do you believe? Do you trust Me? 

The Lord has done His job, and He continues to remain faithful and trustworthy. Our job is to pray fervently, walk purely, and believe wholly. If you’ve been feeling dry in your prayer life, it’s time to ask yourself, “Do I trust Jesus? Do I believe?”

©Heather Potts 2021