But after work and during work, whenever you're alone or when you're exposed, there's this particular PROBLEM which is obvious to everyone else around you but not to you! I'm not talking about necessarily a BIG problem, a HUGE issue, or a HUMONGOUS thing - there's something particular about you, a need or a problem, an issue, that just bothers you or others! You try to think about it from this angle or that angle, try to solve it, ask for advice and people are kind and help you out of the goodness of their heart, and... still, the problem remains. Believe me - we will ALWAYS have problems and be problems: human beings never solve problems entirely; rather, when one problem is "seemingly solved", other 10 come up right away! This brings me to this,
One Meaningful Thing I Did Today - Praying My Problems Away: Glorious Freedom!
This post is not about "self-help" or "how to solve all the problems"; it's not about solutions in relationships or how to make a lot of money ;) - no, it's just my experience today with this particular problem that was bothering me. You can try your best to guess it - it doesn't matter what the problem / the need was; what matters is what happened (at least today). You know, you can even ask older ones with more maturity and experience, even some with professional qualifications, to help you with your problem. And it may get solved temporarily - but more than other 10 problems will come up! You meet one need and you're happy - but 10 more needs come up!
Today I discovered - or I should say, re-discovered - the key to freedom from problems: PRAYER! Yes, we need to pray to the Lord - especially pray over His word, who has the power to "discern between spirit and the soul"(Heb. 4:12) - and especially pray with a companion! We need companions, we need saints that we run to when we are happy or not so happy - just to open up, fellowship, and especially to pray! The best companion you can have is one who leads you to pray with him! Why do we try to do so much and really accomplish so little, when we can accomplish much more through our prayer than through our working!?! [adaptation from Watchman Nee] The best way to deal with the problems or to try to figure out how to meet the need is to pray.
I had this privilege both at lunch time(remember? Redeeming the lunch break time...) and after the prayer meeting (remember? The most meaningful thing on a Tuesday Night is the prayer meeting!) to pray with a companion and get mingled with the Triune God! Don't pray "for the problem" - focus mainly on your spirit which is mingled with the divine Spirit! Pray over the Word of God! Pray for God's economy to be accomplished! Pray for God's purpose to be fulfilled! Pray for the building up of His Body! Even pray for other saints, other people, the young ones, the church life, the Lord's work, the Lord's recovery! When you pray for God's interest, God's purpose - just like Daniel prayed 3 times a day towards God's city & God's house - God will meet His need and He will also take care of your need!
When you pray with a companion and open up, there's a RELEASE within! The problems will never go away and the need will always be there - but the burden of it, the weight of it, can crush you down and bring you to desperation and disappointment! The best way to deal with it is to ENJOY THE LORD with your companion, praying over the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit(Eph. 6:17)! This Word of God will kill the enemy in the air and the enemy in you, and you will be released from Satan's usurpation! WHAT A RELEASE the Savior gave me - Christ indeed has set me free! What a freedom, to "pray your problems away" with a companion!
Remember: before you get the answer, you get the Answer; before you get the things you asked for - you get the One! Before you get the object - you get the Person! Before you get the answer, you get the Lord! Problems are here to help you turn to the Lord and enjoy Him - He is the solution, He is the One who can release you, and He can solve your problems by giving you more of Him!(enjoy this wonderful song online) .... I just love Him so much more right now! Lord, I cast all my anxieties on You - I give them, I commit them, I throw them once for all! Lord, I throw my whole life with all its cares on You - because it matters to You concerning me(1 Pet. 5:7)!!!
Amen, very encouraging. Pray it away!
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