Joyful Transformation

I mentioned earlier that I was reading John Eldridge’s “Waking the Dead”, actually I think I said I was working my way through it.  What was wrong with me?  This is a great book.  It is speaking to me right now in so many ways that I need.  Last night I was reading the chapter that said God speaks to us if we just listen.  No he didn’t mean through “The Word” he means literally.  Like he was leaving for a mission trip in 2001 and his flight was supposed to leave on Sept 11, but God was telling them to leave early so they rescheduled for the 10th….otherwise they would have been grounded and not got to go at all.  I have felt this kind of talk before, yet largely I am so busy telling God what I need to do and what He needs to do that I am afraid I haven’t been listening.  I know that I am NOT a good listener.  My brain is always in overdrive, thinking about what I need to say, what I need to do.. you get the picture.  “Be still and know that I am God” Psalms 46:10.  I think that God is speaking to me now.  I am not trying to be cute with this.  I desperately need God to speak to me in my life, I must learn to listen.  I have been trying so far today and let me tell you what happened.  I have been struggling with a certain area in my life that I am trying to resolve once and for all.  But it is a struggle.  I was praying for my daughter in law and my grandson who should be born tomorrow!! While praying this sin problem surfaced and I was very emotional and broken.  I looked up in my tears and read a snippit’ from a calendar that I had placed at the base of my computer screen.  It reads as follows:
            Satan’s tactics seem be as follows:  He will first of all oppose our breaking through to the place of a real living faith, by all means in his power.  He detest the prayer of faith, for it is an authoritative “notice to quit”.  We often have to strive and wrestle in prayer before we attain this quiet restful faith.  And until we break right through and join hands with God we have not attained to a real faith at all.  However, once we attain to a real faith, all the forces of hell are impotent to annul it.  The real battle begins when the prayer of faith has been offered.   -  James O. Fraser
 
Lord, I know and believe you and you alone can help me overcome the weaknesses in my life.  You can help me to become the person I want to be through and through.  Please give me the extra measure of strength I need to overcome.  Please continue to bless Mary and the baby.  Be with them the next two days and please Lord, let everything go well with the labor and delivery.  I love you so much.  Continue to mold and make me and most of all keep me still where I can hear You.