Don't have faith in your prayers, have faith in God

It was just last week that I entered the surgery center at Baptist East to pray with a dear church member who was about to have a procedure done to relieve her back pain.  As I entered the room, the nurse was  explaining that the surgery could not take place that day because her sodium levels were too low.  I could sense frustration and sadness filling the room.  "I just want to be relieved of pain. Isn't there anything you can do?" she asked.  The nurse replied that she would consult with the doctor but she was pretty confident that the surgery would not be able to take place that day. Laying there in the hospital bed, Ms Debbie (let's call her Ms Debbie) looked at me and explained with sadness how difficult it had been for her to even get there that morning and she shared that she was pretty hungry too.  I listened a little more and then I offered a prayer.  I prayed for a miracle and that her sodium levels would rise and that she would be able to have the surgery.  I left after offering a prayer and walked back to my car.  Within minutes I had received a text message from her daughter that said "Your prayer worked. The sodium levels are up enough for surgery, and they just took her back. Thanks for being here."

I sat in my car before driving away and I looked up to heaven and asked God, "Did my prayer really work?"  God spoke back to me with a verse of scripture from James 5:16 - the earnest prayer of a righteous person has power and produces wonderful results.  "Wait, God. I don't consider myself righteous.  I try my best to obey you but I definitely fall short."

I've struggled with this verse.  Me, righteous?  I grew up with an understanding that praying was for making a difference in me.  But something clicked that day for me.  The truth is - our prayers do produce wonderful results.  This scripture says that our prayers are powerful and effective when we are "right" with God.  To come to God in effective prayer, you must first come to Jesus by faith.  You must continually confess your sins and receive the righteousness of Christ that we have by faith.  1 John 3:22 says "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

I hesitated to write this blog because this verse can be intimidating.  Many times when we pray, we have faith in our prayers instead of having faith in an almighty God.  I realize that this still doesn't address the age old question of why God allows bad things to happen to good people.  I don't understand that but trust that God knows best.  In the meantime, however, my not understanding will not prevent me from fervently praying for the needs of my family and those around me.  I must trust this promise and know that if I strive to live a life of obedience, God does transform my prayers into wonderful results.

Make "it" happen

I am just loving the World Cup this year.  My youngest has developed a passion for playing soccer and we've tried to tune into almost every game thus far in the World Cup. Let's Go USA!  & Vamos Costa Rica! The World Cup reminds me that athletes understand the power of making it happen! 

Don't you want to be a capable leader that makes "it" happen?  What is your "it?"  My "it" is change - joining in the movement of God so that lives are transformed.  I want to care about the "its" that God cares about. Whether it concerns challenges with racism, education, heroine addiction or Louisville's homeless teenage population , I want to make "change" happen.

Our college connection ministry continues to be challenged in the ways we exhibit leadership and how we make a difference in our world! We as Christ followers should constantly be reminded of Luke 16:10 - those who are faithful with a little should also faithful with much!  

Those who are faithful with much rank high on my list of people I want to imitate! Yes, ultimately I want my life to imitate Christ but I also need leaders in my life who are constantly challenging me and raising the bar!

I'm thankful that I do have those leaders in my life! I also want to be a leader that constantly challenges others to raise the bar - to be faithful with little and to be faithful with much!

How have you been faithful with your little and your much?

Let Colossians 3:23 encourage you....Whatever you do - work at it with all of your heart! Be excellent in all that you do! Make "it" happen - whatever "it" is - make "it" happen!

Our College Connection will be talking about what it means to be a Capable Leader next week! The Catalyst Leader reveals 10 essentials for being a Capable Leader...

1.  Capable Leaders constantly push forward...

2.  Capable Leaders are team players...

3.  Capable Leaders own their mistakes...

4.  Capable Leaders take risks...

5.  Capable Leaders are constant learners...

6. Capable Leaders aren't entitled

7.  Capable Leaders are anticipators...

8.  Capable Leaders are persistent...

9.  Capable Leaders are trustworthy...

10.  Capable Leaders deliver

So....make "it" happen!

Commit to the Lord

Last night, I had the privilege of hosting a great group of college kids from Middletown Christian Church. We ate pizza, laughed, played volleyball and began our Tuesday summer discussions on what it means to be a Catalyst Leader in the world.

As we sat closely in our living room, I asked each person to write down 3 issues on a notecard that they would like to see changed in our society.  Then one student asked "do you mean our pet peeves?"  And I said, "no."  I further explained that I wanted them to think about society - to think about our world - to think about how people live and interact and to write 3 things down that have the potential to keep them up at night.  So, they started writing and so did I.  Then we gathered in small groups to discuss what was on our lists.  Here are a few that made the top of the lists:
1.  Education locally and globally
2. Environmental Issues
3.  Racism
4.  Criminal Justice System - Those falsely accused
5.  Food prices/Gas prices
6.  Child Abuse
7.  Treatment of Special Needs Children
8.  War/Veterans
9.  Affordable Housing
10.  Poverty
11. Homelessness/Hunger
12. Politics - Why can't the republicans and democrats come together?
13. Discrimination
14. Suicide
15. The Negative Impact of Social Media
16.  Distribution of Resources

Wow.  I was so impressed that our young college students care so deeply about people, society and the world.  I'm convinced that my group could have talked about education the entire night.

You see, we can't just keep talking about the things that bother us - we must begin to be the solution to some of these issues.  I know they are big issues but we must begin somewhere.  So, over the summer - we'll be looking deep into our hearts to discuss how we can become the catalyst leaders God desires for us to be in the world.  I closed the night with Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do and all of your plans with succeed.

Commit to studying hard in college.  If you want to be a teacher, be the best teacher you can be.

Commit to meeting with God daily. Seek your happiness in the Lord and he will give you your heart's desire. Psalm 37:4

Commit to making a difference in the area that will keep you up at night. Ask God to give you a vision of how you can begin to be a "change" maker!

I look forward to our summer together!