What changes everything? Well, think about it, there are events in our lives that become "watershed" moments that completely change the course of our lives. When we decide where to go to college, when we decide we are REALLY getting married, when we decide to have kids or buy a house or change jobs. Those are the types of things that are usually within our control. Real "watershed" moments are those events that are unexpected that change or alter us from that moment on and we have no control over what just happened.
Like what? A car accident, a war injury or a choice to help someone in danger and you are hurt in the process, a death in your family, a bad doctor's report, a fire, a robbery or a disaster (natural or man-made). Think about it… depending on how old you are you probably remember right where you were and what you were doing when JFK was assassinated, when the space shuttle, Challenger, exploded, when President Reagan was shot, when the Berlin Wall came down, when the World Trade Center Towers fell, when New Orleans flooded. Those are watershed moments – they probably changed your world forever. What if…
What if, instead of waiting for those moments to occur, you could do something to spark "watershed" moments in your own life? Or in the life of your family? Or in the life of your friends? Or your co-workers? What would you do?
Paul talks a great deal about praying and requests prayer for himself a few times but they are interesting prayers. Paul does not ask for prayer for his safety or his protection (although in Romans 15 he does ask to have them pray that he is rescued from the unbelievers so that he can continue his mission trip). He doesn't ask that God remove the oppression or that God would give him all that he needs. You see, Paul knows and trusts God enough already to know that He will provide for the needs and that His will is accomplished in His time, but look at what Paul asks people to pray about:
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel," - Eph 6:19 (NIV)
"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." - Col 4:3-4 (NIV)
He wants to boldly and fearlessly speak about Jesus. So do I! He wants to see an opportunity develop for him to share the message of hope in Christ. So do I! So let's pray that way. Let's make these prayers our prayers. Write them down. Memorize them and use them as reminders. Pray them aloud back to God. In addition to these two prayers – here is another one that Paul prayed to ask God to pave the way.
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." - Eph 1:18-19 (NIV)
Do you want to see a watershed moment happen in your life? Begin praying like Paul prayed and expect God to do something great! When you pray these prayers and begin to see people as God sees them – your watershed moments will happen again and again! When you pray like this – your heart will begin to break for the same things that break God's heart and it will change you forever!
What's next – pray and pray and pray - (P.U.S.H. – Pray Until Something Happens) then click here and tell me about it – anonymously, if you want.
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