I realize I need to Beware the Month of March!
Last March I had an interesting experience. I had been running with some friends who talked me into doing a half-marathon. (I also need to beware who I hang out with! :-)) We had been training for a while. The week before the half-marathon our local community had the Race for Faith. We decided that would be a good prelude
10K, about 6ish miles.
No biggie.
Been doing 6 miles for quite some time.
Piece of cake.
OOOPS! Forgot to Proceed with Prayer!
And I got my tail whipped!
That 6 miles had to be the worst 6 miles I had ever run! By mile four I was ready to shoot anyone who mentioned a half marathon!! And then I got super nervous! If I couldn't run a dinky 6-mile race, how on earth would I finish a 13.1 mile race?? So, before the 13.1, of course, I
Proceeded with Prayer! I prayed like crazy that next week, asking everyone I knew to pray also. And then came the half. Now, I'm not one who enjoys running for running's sake - really. I enjoy the company and fellowship, and the fact that people get me out of bed to exercise. But that half marathon really was a spiritual experience for me!
- My fears were taken care of
- Each mile ticked off quickly
- It was hard, but I actually enjoyed the running
- I had a 13.1 mile conversation with God
- He allowed me to run and not be weary, and walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31)
As I processed my races, God brought to mind the story of Joshua in the Old Testament. Joshua led the Israelites in the great battle of Jericho!
Big, strong city.
Fortified beyond belief.
Not easy to conquer.
However, God fought for them, and they won in amazing fashion! YIPPEE!!
Next on the list - dinky little town of Ai.
No biggie.
Got this conquering thing DOWN!
Piece of cake.
OOOPS! Forgot to Proceed with Prayer!
And they got their tails whipped!
There's a difference I see between the Battle of Jericho and the Battle of Ai.
- Before Jericho, lots of conversations between God and Joshua are recorded (Joshua 1-6).
- Before Ai (Joshua 7), no conversations between God and Joshua are recorded until the Israelites got their tails whipped (kinda like I did in that Race for Faith!!).
I saw the parallel in my life.
Little stuff - Got it.
No problem.
I can handle this
on my own.
WRONG! Forgot to
Proceed with Prayer!
The problem is, I rely on my own understanding, thinking, etc. instead of God's, which is exactly what Proverbs 3:5-6 tells me NOT to do! And every time I get my tail whipped!! You'd think I'd learn my lesson, but I just had another experience this March where I jumped right into making a decision without Proceeding with Prayer! What happened, you ask?? You guessed it - I got my tail whipped! See why I need to Beware the Month of March? :-) So hopefully by having a written record of these mistakes, I'll learn to Proceed with Prayer, no matter the situation. Ask me how it's going!
Do you have any situations where you're tempted to not Proceed with Prayer?
Any times you've Proceeded with Prayer and God's done amazing things?
Leave a comment and share your experiences!
Thanks! :-)
