I was thinking about my grandparents today. Their influence in my life remains profound. My grandmother would still be considered a master gardner by today's standards. She taught me about growing in faith through the lessons learned in her garden, describing the difference of the beginning years as a gardner to the later years when she planted the seeds into the ground. She said she moved from the fear that she might not have a garden when she planted seeds in the cold dark soil to seeing the the harvest of the garden when she planted the seed. She described the transformation of her mindset:
Grandma made it clear that we not only needed to be confident God is at work in a situation, but that the work would be finished. This requires an intentionality to living with faith rather than fear, giving up the need to take control, trusting rather than worrying, and ultimately living by the Spirit rather than in our own strength. It's what my daughter, Tricia, did when she printed and framed David's prayer for our family as a marker of faith. In the prayer, David confessed God would do what had been revealed to him.
Consider the power of the prayer of faith he had for his son and all the subsequent generations:
"You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. O LORD , you are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O LORD , have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever." (I Chronicles 17:25-27).
The more we pray by faith what God has promised to do, the more our faith will grow. We will move from thinking something will work to knowing it is finished. In some ways, prayer is like planting seeds into the ground: We're unable to see what's being done, but by faith we have confidence the seed will take root, push through the ground, grow, and produce a harvest.
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
"I think it will work."
"I know it will work."
"It is finished."So. How do we move from fear to faith when something seems impossible like harvesting the produce from seeds planted in cold dark soil?
Grandma made it clear that we not only needed to be confident God is at work in a situation, but that the work would be finished. This requires an intentionality to living with faith rather than fear, giving up the need to take control, trusting rather than worrying, and ultimately living by the Spirit rather than in our own strength. It's what my daughter, Tricia, did when she printed and framed David's prayer for our family as a marker of faith. In the prayer, David confessed God would do what had been revealed to him.
Consider the power of the prayer of faith he had for his son and all the subsequent generations:
"You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. O LORD , you are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O LORD , have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever." (I Chronicles 17:25-27).
The more we pray by faith what God has promised to do, the more our faith will grow. We will move from thinking something will work to knowing it is finished. In some ways, prayer is like planting seeds into the ground: We're unable to see what's being done, but by faith we have confidence the seed will take root, push through the ground, grow, and produce a harvest.
Pray with the faith that says it is finished.Learning to Kickstart the day praying with the faith that say's it is finished,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)