Forget Me Not.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

 

Just glancing at my fridge calendar made me tired last week.  There wasn’t room for one more thing.  I was sure of it.

Famous last words.

I’d just finished bathing the kids and ran downstairs to get dinner started.  Sawyer, my 3 year old, was standing at the top of the steps screaming.  Not injured.  Just a temper tantrum.

Amidst the chaos, the foreboding chime of our doorbell pulled my attention.  Rather than run to the basement, I peered outside and saw the bright smiles of two Jehovahs Witnesses standing at the end of my walkway.  It was their 3rd attempt at a visit.  Quickly assessing my options, I realized this was going to happen.  So in they came.

Sawyer remained at the top of the stairs crying for I don’t know how long.  The oil I’d left heating on the stove eventually began to burn and, at some point, I let go of the fact that I was in my PJ’s, sitting at my dining room table with total strangers.

While I didn’t know the details of their religion, I figured they were wasting their time on this house.  I already love the Lord with my whole heart.  Surely, once they saw this, they’d high-five me and that would be that.  45 minutes later, I realized we were farther apart in our faith than I’d anticipated.

As I sat trying to remain calm, the Holy Spirit in me was building momentum.  They showed me their website; I showed them mine.  They talked about scriptures they believe disputed my faith; I miraculously had a few up my sleeve to leave them stumbling.  When it was clear we weren’t making progress, I asked if it would be alright if I prayed before they left.  What a testimony it would be to pray for God’s great grace to continue to teach us all.

Backing away from me, their eyes grew HUGE. “NOooooo!”, they said, while waving their hands in a we-don’t-want-any-of-that motion.

I was genuinely surprised.  Why?

Because we pray to Jehovah. 

I have no problem praying to Jehovah.

But we don’t pray TO Jesus, we pray ‘In The Name of Jesus.’  

No problem.  I also pray in the name of Jesus.

But you are a woman and you can’t pray for a man.

Well, if that’s the way it has to be, can I just pray for the lady instead?

They would not let me pray for them.  With a perplexed and saddened heart I said, “The power of prayer in my life is unmistakable.  If you believe in God and can’t share in a moment of talking to Him with a fellow believer, we’ve gone as far as we can here.”  I led them to the door lamenting the irony of their belief system, which was preventing a group of believers in Jehovah from having a conversation with and among Him.

My now-starving kids had dinner, and I had a glass of wine.

Friends:  PRAYER MATTERS.

At least that’s what we say.  But when is the last time you stopped and thought about if it’s what you actually believe?

I felt so badly for those strangers because they’re missing out on a great gift we have as followers of Jesus Christ. However, since that encounter, I cannot help but wonder:  Am I, too, missing out?

I love to pray…quietly, loudly, in private, in public… And when I pray, I truly believe God hears me.  I speak to the enemy with authority and approach the throne boldly for miraculous things to happen.  Or do I?

Independent of my JW evening, that week I received an email from my traveling husband.  He told me he felt that we should make a list of all the things we’re asking the Father to do in our lives this year.  A “FORGET ME NOT”, of sorts. We need some God-sized favor in this transitional time, after all, and Steve shared with me a list he’d begun, while asking me to fill in any gaps.

Here’s the goal:

1. Recognize together what it is we’re praying for.
2. Give God the credit when He does it.

Pretty Basic stuff, right?  Maybe.  But the enemy loves to trip us up in the simple things.

For instance, I need to find a house.  And I’ll have one month to do it.  I can look on Zillow.com from now until I land in America.  But this home is more than a business transaction.  It’s a dream of mine coming true.  I don’t want any good enough house.  I want THE house.  And as nice as Zillow is, a website doesn’t make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).  God does.  He’s the one who can give John Doe an awesome promotion in another city so he moves his family out of the house I’M meant to have.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6

Make your requests known.  This requires action.  Part one is to pray and recognize what it is we’ve prayed for.  Part two –the real shocker– is to expect an answer to those prayers.  Because God does answers our prayers.  I mean He answers them ALL THE TIME.  And you know what we often do when it happens?

Nothing.

Normally we don’t recognize the answer came.  We don’t see that God’s the one who’s done it.  We might even assume it wasn’t Him.  We don’t give Him a word of thanks.  We don’t give Him an ounce of glory.

Nothing.

This Forget Me Not List is the start of a great testimony in my life — I know it.  It will begin to train my family to give credit where it’s due.  As we tick those boxes, I don’t care what it looks like in the natural… my Father is making a way for me.

This is the year my grateful heart will NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING.  And WITH PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION I will talk to God about my life, asking Him to guide my steps, while I expect that He is working.  And with THANKSGIVING I will praise Him for His steadfast faithfulness.  That is, at least, my deep PRAYER.  I already feel the warm breeze of change coming.  I am expecting He will answer it.

To those two Jehovah’s Witnesses who wouldn’t let me pray for you at my table: I’m praying for you now.  While it wasn’t their intention, they reminded me that the power of prayer in my life is unmistakable.  And I love that God brought these unlikely folks into my chaotic night in order to plant my feet deeper in the truth of His great power.

It’s a challenge I now pass to you:  Make a list.  SEE what happens.

YOUR testimony is waiting.