This is the Truth Network. Encouraging Prayer God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On encouraging prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James.
So how do you pray when God gives you a wake-up call? You know, when life is going along more or less as usual, and then something happens to remind you. that you're not going to be on Earth forever. And exactly what do you do with that?
So James, you had a wake-up call just yesterday afternoon, right? Yeah, I did, Robbie. Yesterday afternoon, I just finished working in the yard when a storm rolled in and the bottom fell out. But it was the thunder that made me pack things up. You know, you could tell it was getting closer, and I was just.
Closing the doors of the shed when it happened. You know, I'd put the last tools away, I was about to head inside. And you know how when it storms, You count the seconds before the lightning between the lightning strikes. and and the thunder to tell how far away the storm is. Oh yeah.
Yeah, well This time there was no counting. I mean, it was just wham right overhead.
So close, my ears are still ringing from it. And it, you know, knocked out a circuit at our neighbor's house and cable at our house. And I'm standing up the hill from all of that. And it immediately felt like God is trying to tell me something.
Something like, Get out of the storm, fool.
So, yeah, you know, James, we'd have a hard time explaining that one at your memorial service. A pastor, and author, and prayer guy get struck by lightning. I know, right? I mean, you got to wonder, what did he say right before it happened? I mean, so.
So I run inside and I'm soaked, and my wife and my very wise, 95-year-old mother-in-law are standing there at the door. My wife's holding a towel, and they're just looking at me, you know, like, what on earth were you thinking? And the truth was, I wasn't. You know, I'm just so task-oriented, I wanted to get it done. But this time it did make me stop and think afterwards, you know, God gives us wake-up calls and And, you know, it man Uh Yeah.
Just It it made me think about About How do I respond when God gives me one? And it made me think about, okay, what biblical examples? And my mind immediately went to David when he's confronted by the prophet Nathan after his adultery with Bathsheba. And David knew he had done wrong. And do you remember what his response was?
Yeah, he he humbled himself and he fasted and prayed. That's exactly right. And I think about, you know, how many times in my life have I been foolish? and turn from God and And of course, sometimes it's hard to say, well, God is allowing this to happen because of something I did, because. After all, in Christ, we're under mercy and not under judgment.
But the same New Testament tells us in Hebrews 12:6 that the Lord disciplines those He loves. Basically, you know, those whom God loves, He also chastens. And so there's something to this. And if you think about it, We know this, don't we? I mean, haven't we all experienced it?
Oh man. Yeah. every single day I have.
Well, it's a very personal thing, and I think the Spirit of God shows us, and you know. You know, you get this sense that God is wanting you to grow, that He's wanting you to change. And something happens, and you realize: okay, there's some meaning to this. And the spirit kind of. Points you in that direction.
And that lightning strike, actually, for me, it was like, ooh, you know. Make sure you're ready. Right, it's like the whole concept of God pruning us to make us more fruitful. In Hebrews 12:11, it tells us, No disciples No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. And later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
You know, that's interesting. I never thought about the um the correlation between the word disciple and discipline. But It makes sense, doesn't it? Oh yeah. You know, I I think that part of that training is Yeah.
To just We're unto God. you know to to repent of our sins to understand that our happiness is really found in him. And that's the beauty of Obedience and learning to do God's will, it results in this deeper sense of God's presence and peace. and we really will be happier, but sometimes You know, the roads that we go, I mean, we have to learn the hard way, don't we? Oh, I I know I do, and and really that's where David what what he did really makes sense.
Yeah, step back, reassess, take the time to get quiet with God, and He'll show you. But then be ready to follow and ask for strength to follow and understand that underneath it all. This is really about love. He really loves you, and that's. what this difficult season Is about.
God isn't angry with you. He's a good father, and what good father? Don't need to correct his kids.
So, if you sense in your spirit, you know, that's really what's going on. I'm going through a time of correction from God in this. Then Yeah, this this is a time to to lean into him. And the Bible tells us to humble ourselves under his mighty hand. And he will lift us up.
And of course, sometimes you know, we don't know if our circumstances are such Because sometimes things happen that are just so hard. And it may not be in those times that God is chastening us, disciplining us. And I think this is where it's just good to you know, bring it before him and say, Abba Father, is there something you want me to learn from this? But the main thing is that we just Turn from Anything that's not him, you know, especially anything we were doing that we know was wrong. and then turn to him in love.
Oh, yeah. And what I often find is since I'm in two or three of those right this very minute. Is it man? What do I do? This caught me so off guard.
I did not see this coming. Lord, help me interpret it. Help me to see, you know, and understand, but also give me wisdom and. What's my next move other than obviously pushing into you? You know, it seems like these seasons, as we face them, come with so much.
desperate need for wisdom and Which again leads us right back to him. It does. And if we make it about love, You know, if we just, Abba, Father, I'm going to love you. I'm going to love you in the middle of this. Yeah, this would be a good time to pray, I think.
I think so.
So, Lord, we do need you. We especially need you in these difficult times. And help us to recognize: wow, wow, this is an opportunity to turn towards you in a new way and enter perhaps a new season of. Mm-hmm. Fellowship, but also intercession and all those things that go along with that, Lord.
Lord, we know ultimately you are the one. That we're searching for, we need your face. We need it even much more in this moment. Lord, help us to seek that. Help us to find it.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
This is the Truth Network. Yeah.
