1 Piece Out Of 5,000

I'm currently doing a bible study on one of my greatest weaknesses - prayer.  The study I'm doing is called "Living A Praying Life" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.  Prayer has always been a struggle with me for many reasons.  Not having enough time, forgetting to do it when I do have down-time, feeling awkward praying out loud by myself or if someone else is in the house with me....etc.  We all make excuses at some point, but I truly think that prayer is part of a strong foundation of having a close and personal relationship with God and living a blessed and fulfilled life according to His purpose.

The most recent teaching that reconfirmed my ideas about prayer, and I found encouraging, was how prayer plays such an important role in every step of our life even when you think your prayer isn't being answered or is being ignored.  Dean's example is this- imagine that you are handed 1 piece of a 5,000 piece puzzle.  Would you be able to guess what the puzzle was a picture of based on that one small piece?  Chances are slim that you would. Think of your life in the same way.  If something isn't going how you expected it to go, it is just one small piece of God's plan for your life.  He has intricately weaved all of our live's plans together, and he knows what is best for us.  Trust Him with your life, be patient, and wait to see where God gets you.

What is an example of a time in your life where you thought God was ignoring or denying your prayers, but in time you looked back to see that He was blessing you above and beyond what you had ever imagined?

Schloss Hurlach (Hurlach Castle)

One small example in my life from way back was after high school I really wanted to go to college in Germany.  It was a YWAM discipleship school in a castle outside of Munich.  I've always had a very strong desire to live in Germany (still do!) and I thought that this was my time to do it.  Besides, I was going there to learn more about God, church, discipleship, so why wouldn't God help me get there?  I got all the necessary papers in order, loans figured out, and all of the needed references....except for one.  That one (my pastor's!) never made it to them and I didn't get in.  I was so heart broken and couldn't understand how that wasn't part of God's plan for my life and how my pastor couldn't get the papers in!  This caused some resentment and bitterness, but I did get over it.

Looking back, I'm glad that I didn't go.  Because of the path I took I ended up getting a good degree, didn't need to take out a student loan, met my husband (man of my dreams!!!) and am now in a job that I love.  Even though there have been struggles and hard times, I'm so happy and blessed to be where I'm at right now and I know that I wouldn't be here now if I would have went to the YWAM school.

There are so many other life examples I could write about, but I'll just leave you with that one.  Remember- Jesus told us to "Have faith in God" - Mark 11:22.  As Dean says in her study - "When you place your faith in an outcome, you will often be disappointed.  When you put your faith in God, you will never be disappointed."  Don't put a period where God has put a comma.  He will always have more to bless you with if you let Him.