Praying the same prayer for years. Praying for that door to that dream to open. Have you been there? I think of the story of the persistent widow in the Bible.  Let’s read it again.

Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

 I read this quote, “Praying for rain is one thing, Taking your umbrella with you is another.” hum….

James says faith without works is dead. Believe when you do not see. Believe when the circumstance are bleak. JUST BELIEVE ~

Walking around with an umbrella during a drought. Isn’t that how we all feel at some point and time in our life? I think of Elijah and he prayed for it not to rain for three years and it didn’t. Then he prayed for it to rain and it did. James 5:17 once again shows up in my thoughts, Elijah was a man JUST LIKE US, He prayed earnestly ( with purpose, a sincere intent).

I think of Gideon, dumb to the majority of people  to take on an army spread out on the battlefield like  sand on the seashore… Not with 30,000, not with 10,000 but only 300 men.

Crazy. More like CRAY CRAY.

Unless…. UNLESS  YOU  believe God…

When you believe  in God, you will and can face your giants, whatever that is for you.

You can  take on that army in the darkest, deepest valley.

You do the impossible. Because greater is he that lives in you than he that lives in the world. I have to stop and remind myself of this on many occasions even though I have known God a long time. In this journey, sometimes our faith is stretched to what we feel is capacity. More like the old toy, Stretch Armstrong. BUT GOD, he knows what he is doing. The ultimate Physician knows right where to target and what to spiritually and at times physically surgically remove from our lives. For our good and His glory.

Sometimes people have to leave our lives to fulfill the calling he has for us to do. Sometimes the no to our prayers is really protecting us from what would be coming down the road. Sometimes, the dream is delayed because we spiritually are not ready for the dream just yet. We need more conditioning, Spiritual conditioning to be ready for when it all unfolds. The wait will all be worth it, just trust in the Master Plan. I hear many days the still small voice that says,  “Yes, Darla…. trust in me when you don’t know why.” Do I trust you Lord? Do I trust you?

God is who He says He is .  God will do what He says he will do. He is God before the foundations of the Earth were formed. He is God before and He will never change. The Alpha and Omega, beginning and end.

So …. This morning when you pray for your  children… your husband… family and friends.  When you whisper prayers to the Lord  for dreams to unfold,  for healing, for restoration,  for  wisdom and  strength to fulfill your purpose,  For boldness, grace and love for the only thing that really matters is faith working itself out in love.

Well, take your umbrella with you. The rain is coming ~  Time to dance in the rain !