Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Lifeline



Unusual, frightening circumstances. I had answered the phone, anticipating a light-hearted chat with our daughter, Riley. Instead, she informed me that she was on her way to the emergency room with symptoms that mimicked appendicitis. What to do? It would take close to six hours to drive to the hospital, and the Weather Channel continued to warn of severe thunderstorms and potential tornadoes moving into our area.

Powerless to DO anything, prayer became a lifeline. God's Word offered me truth, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4:6-7; KJV). I placed my anxious thoughts at the feet of my Heavenly Father and prayed for wisdom for the doctors, and God's touch of healing and grace for our daughter. His peace followed.

Technology can be a blessing. Text messaging allowed us to stay informed about the doctor's findings. Riley was released from the hospital a few hours later. Her diagnosis a bit unclear, my husband and I headed off to bed continuing to pray for our girl's health and protection from the storms that were moving in our direction. Aside from the weather alarm going off a couple times, the night passed in relative calm. By morning, Riley's condition hadn't worsened, and the threat of devastating storms was gone.

Once again I was reminded that I'm not in control. Circumstances often occur in such a way as to draw me to my knees, dependent on the Lord to move in a way only He can. He invites me to cast all the things that concern me on Him, because he cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). I need to trust Him with each need.

The disciples were diligent to pray. Herod had put Peter in prison with the intention of killing him. The situation seemed hopeless, yet, "...prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him, " (Acts 12:5b). At night, as Peter slept between two guards, the angel of the Lord woke him up, and lead him out of the heavily guarded prison. When he realized what had taken place, Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John, where the disciples were praying.

Remember what happened? "And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished," (Acts. 12:13-16).

When the disciples knew they couldn't do anything to affect Peter's release, they prayed to the Almighty God who could do far more than they could think or imagine. Their response to God's answered prayer is almost comical. They were so deep in prayer for Peter, that when God's answer came, they nearly missed it! They almost left Peter waiting on the doorstep!

When I feel helpless, and circumstances appear hopeless, prayer connects me to the One who restores help and hope. His words remind me to remain in His presence, "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

What situation is beyond your control today? Take advantage of Christ's invitation to seek Him, and pray!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the invitation to come boldly to Your throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Forgive me when I think of prayer as a last resort. Help me to be a prayer warrior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

16 comments:

  1. This story touches very close to home. Our daughter (age 18) had her appendix out 3 weeks ago. A staple didn't hold, and 10 days later she had to go in for major surgery. We learned that feeling of powerlessness. Thankfully, she is on the mend! God is good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Forgive me when I think of prayer as a last resort." Love this.

    Hope your daughter feels better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Maria! What a night. You did the very best thing anyone could do. Poor Riley, praying for her.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Warren - Great to see you! Glad your daughter is doing better - can't imagine having to go through surgery twice. Know that I'll be praying for her (and you and Cheryl!). And you're absolutely right, God IS good! Have a blessed week!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sarah - Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for the well-wishes for Riley - I'll be sure to pass them along. In her opinion, the only up-side is getting to miss her Thursday college classes! But with finals coming up, I'm not so sure that's a good thing! Have a great week. God bless!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stef - Thanks so much for your prayers! She seems to be holding her own today. Just two more weeks til she's home! Glad Laura stayed safe on her drive in to work yesterday. Miss you Reeds! Love you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, I am so glad to hear she is doing better Maria! And yes, such a powerful reminder that prayer should always be on our lips!
    Have a good weekend my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Marja - Thanks for your concern! I'm thankful to be able to take any and all pray requests directly to God's throne! Have a wonderful weekend, too! God bless!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Maria -

    Those times are tough, aren't they? I'm glad your daughter is better, but I'll include her on the prayer list.

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Prayer is the key, really nice of you quoting out the bible verse as a reference point.I will keep your daughter in prayers wishing her steady health and speedy recovery.Great post.
    Meanwhile plz pass by my blogs page read,follow and comment to aid me improve my work too.Thank you.Lovely day.
    EBENEZER.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Maria,
    I hope you had a Happy Easter.
    I sent my best wishes to your inbox.
    I have stopped this day to say hello.
    Thank you sooo much for sharing the blessing of your wisdom with the world!!
    I truly enjoy reading your blog "Life Lessons."
    God may bless you, Maria, and those you love!!
    In God's Garden,
    Poet Starry Dawn.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a wonderfully touching post. It's at the crunch times that we must remember that GOD is the answer to everything. How is your daughter doing now?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Susan - Thanks for the prayers! Went down for the weekend to make sure everything was okay. It was great getting to spend time together and making some special memories! Appreciate you adding her to your list! Have a blessed week. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ebenezer - Welcome to Life Lessons! Thank you so much for your prayers for my daughter - she is doing better. I look forward to stopping by your blog. Have a wonderful week. God bless!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Starry Dawn - So good to see you! Appreciate your sweet words of encouragement! I look forward to stopping by your site. Have a very blessed week!:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. D.U. - A warm welcome to Life Lessons! Thank you for your words of encouragement. You're absolutely right that God is the answer to everything! Riley is doing better. I look forward to having her home for the summer! I was able to spend the weekend with her and make some wonderful memories. Once again, thanks for stopping by and God bless!

    ReplyDelete