CoffeePods
A series exploring Christian healing in a handy coffee-break sized podcast. Plug yourself in, pick up your mug of coffee, and let's go.
CoffeePods
Navigating the Waters of Prayer: Trusting in the Power and Timing of God the Healer
Have you ever found yourself questioning the power of your prayers when faced with a loved one's grave illness? It's a journey that we have walked at Acorn, and in our latest episode, we open our hearts to the struggles and triumphs of faith. We navigate the choppy waters of doubt and perseverance, sharing insights into the importance of not being daunted by the enormity of our pleas, but instead, holding onto the limitless capabilities of God. Join us as we share stories that shed light on the challenges of praying for healing, the temptation to give up when answers seem far away, and the unyielding power of persistent prayer that could be just on the brink of a breakthrough.
The episode takes a gentle turn as we wrap ourselves in the comforting embrace of trust, discussing the profound peace that comes with believing in God's impeccable timing. We reflect on the serene moments when divine assurance washes over us, granting joy and relief from our deepest worries. We converse about the liberating act of releasing our burdens after laying them at the feet of the Almighty and the gratitude that bubbles up when we surrender control. Pour yourself a cup of comfort as we offer companionship to anyone seeking solace in faith and the strength that comes from a community that believes in the power of unwavering prayer.
all right. Another big question where's here at coffee pods? Are you ready? Okay, yeah, come on, let's do it okay, um, so this is a uh, listener question. It says I have a friend who is really ill and I so want them to be healed. But it seems to be such a big ask how can I believe that god wants it too? That's a good one, gosh, that is a good one, isn't it? Yeah, I mean truthfully.
Speaker 2:So I mean we probably are everybody listening and all our teams and others, mary and I, we've got people who would come under the category of God. This is a big ask yeah and do you know, I think the thing that has encouraged me is god doesn't respond by whether I can sort of live up to the size of the ask. Do?
Speaker 1:you mean you?
Speaker 2:know, um, you know, a little ingrowing toenail is just a little ask. And we you know I'm ingrowing toenails, although if you've had an ingrowing toenail, apparently it's been quite very painful. But actually if it's something like cancer or whatever, or multiple sclerosis, then that feels like a big ask and you think, yep, I'm not up at that level and the great thing is god doesn't actually need you to be up at that level, because that level doesn't really exist.
Speaker 2:I think the question and I think I love about this question is um, how do I, how do I believe, how do I trust in God? And and I always think that it's not the size of the problem that I see in front of me, that is the issue. It's the size of the God I see in front of me. That is the issue. And I want to say to some Christians your God's too small, that that's the problem.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And I think the other thing is, sometimes we feel we can't keep praying for this same thing. You know, because there's been instances where we have we've prayed multiple times, whether it's in a 20 minute prayer appointment or whether it's over weeks or months. So is it OK to just keep on praying?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean, I think I think you know if I, if I try and and psych myself up to believe for, for what looks like a big ask, humanly without having, without, and and actually is it interesting? In the fitting of the five thousand, the disciples focus on the size of the provision of only five loads and two fish and the size of the crowd five, you know five thousand men plus women and children.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's what they focus on. Jesus, on the other hand, focuses on the father, because he looks up to heaven and he says father, thank you that you hear me. And actually I think the way to to approach any, any need is not to look at the size of the problem, but look at the size of the provision. Start by looking at jesus and saying look, yeah, but look how great he is. He's conquered death, he's raised the dead, he's done this, he's done that, he's coming back, he rules in heaven, he's praying for us. It's a whole host of things you could say. Focus on the provision that the father has got, not the problem that you have, because that's the best way to look at it, because actually, you know, as you look at the problem, it just gets bigger. But actually look at the father, he gets bigger. You know our understanding, our connection with him.
Speaker 2:And when people say, is it okay to pray? I prayed for people a number of times and for some people you just keep praying and and I think there are two ways of praying. There's a way of praying which says god, a wall is built one brick at a time, and today I'm adding another brick to this wall. Or there's another way of praying which says God, I'm praying because I don't believe. You heard me last time and I don't think you're going to hear me this time, and you're probably not going to hear me the next time I pray either, and this isn't going to get any better, but I feel guilty. So I'm going to keep saying the words and, actually, for me, the things that I've had to keep praying for. Again, looking at the Father, it's about saying God, I'm moving this problem one degree nearer you.
Speaker 2:I'm pushing it one yard nearer you. Today in my prayers, I'm bringing it up one more step if you like today, and it might seem there are like 150,000 steps to go, but I'm bringing it up one more step, if you like, today, and it might seem there are like 150 000 steps to go, but I'm bringing it up one more today.
Speaker 2:and no prayer is ever wasted and one of the best bits of advice I ever said is don't stop one prayer short the answer you know, because you could get all the way and just think it's not going to happen and literally just be one step away and I just and I know it's hard, that's why you have to look at the father yeah, you do have to.
Speaker 1:And, and just on that, then, have you ever felt like giving up?
Speaker 2:when you've been pregnant yeah oh yeah, because, because we're all human yeah but that's when I start to think can I fix this and what have I got to do to fix this?
Speaker 2:And when I start believing that it might be down to me, and when I sort of start saying, god, you know, this isn't moving quick enough, so I'm just going to, you know, wade in.
Speaker 2:But also it's very difficult, lisa, isn't it? When it's your family or your friends, yeah, and you feel the deep emotion of it, yeah, which is why sometimes it's really easier to pray for people that you don't know or you're not personally involved with, and so what I would say is, if you've got somebody like this, who is really close to you, a personal friend, and you're praying for their healing, and it's just, you know, what I would do is, if you've got somebody like this, who is really close to you, a personal friend, and you're praying for their healing, and it's just, you know, what I would do is find a friend and swap, say, hey, if you've got a really big need, let me pray for that one and you pray for mine yeah, yeah okay, because, I don't know, sometimes emotion gets in the way yeah, of course, yeah and so actually, you know, you say okay, well, just swap over, just say look, I'm praying for andrew and caroline.
Speaker 2:I tell you what? Why don't we say you pray for andrew, caroline and I'll pray for dave and mary. Okay, and I'll take your place with them and you take my place with andrew and caroline that's a really great way of doing it, yeah yeah, because then you can believe a bit more yeah, you can you certainly not personally involved.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no, that's really helpful. Um, I'm trying to think of anything we can add.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and yes, I have been um, in the place of feeling you know god I'm, I don't sort of feel God is hopeless. I tend to look at myself and think where's your hopeless If you were a better super Christian, you know. But then I realized actually that's just a lie, because it was never about us anyhow.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's usually a bigger picture going on, isn't it? And you've spoken at the academy about receiving and giving. Um, and we need to be. You know we haven't got time for it now, but being in the right place and there's so many different things, there is, yeah and I just want one thing.
Speaker 2:I remember praying somebody just recently praying a really big need and the person who's involved wasn't willing to to really be, you know, have any interaction with, with god on it, and I said you can't change their will. What you can do is pray that they will be willing to be made willing okay, yeah you can say, lord, I can't fix the need, but actually I can ask you to change the context in which this is happening yeah, so that change can come in Jesus name yeah, that's really helpful.
Speaker 1:Um, a really quick question that's just come to mind. Have you, when you've been praying for somebody, maybe for quite some time have you ever felt God say stop praying now you know like your part in this is done. Have you ever had that, or is it always? You just keep going?
Speaker 2:um, you always want to see something through? Yeah, absolutely. But actually there are times when god will say, okay, I've got this right. And then that is the act of faith, of trust in him, to say, okay, god, I'm not going to keep badgering you about this anymore. When god says, hey, I got that, and it's normally accompanied with a sense of joy oh, that's lovely yeah you just think, yeah, god's got, it's okay, and it's like yay, all right, yeah, brilliant, cool.
Speaker 1:Oh. Thank you, it's been a good discussion and I look forward to well, I will see you regularly, but catching up over coffee pods next month that'll be good wonderful. Thanks everyone bye.