The After

I think we are all gearing up for this fast paced holiday season, whether you are into trees and bling or just the comfort of family, good food and hopefully time off from work, most of of enjoy the holiday season.  This Season started a little different for me and it has nothing to do with being an empty nester for the first time in 31 years or moving 2200 miles from friends and family.  This season started with a thought that The Lord brought to me about prayer.  About prayer requests and as I heard it in my mind, "the after."  I think I knew this on some level of my spirituality but I know I had never thought of this in such a crystallized fashion.  I want to share this with you and keep it simple.

When we pray and ask and receive it is much more about the "After" than it is about the answer.  We can pray for a new job,  a new car, health, a spouse,  a child, a loved ones' needs' - the list is endless.  But after the prayer is answered, after we ask the Lord to get involved in the situation and He does, do we keep Him involved?   We need much more than the answer ,  we need the anointing and that only comes when we keep the Lord involved and centered.  When we ask God to work on our behalf, we need to let him keep working on our behalf in that request.  When we do, His presence ( the anointing) continues in that answer.

This thought has changed my praying and it has increased my thanksgiving.  I look at something I desire and pray now with long range vision.  I look at my requests now as a permanent invitation for the Lord to come and abide in the request. When the ten were healed only one came back to entreat and thank the Lord, he asked the man, where are the others? The others did not allow for the Lord to stay involved in their healing.  The one who did, received "anointing" - and was made whole.

Hannah asked for a child and was granted a son, she gave the boy back to the Lord and the anointing remained.  So many, many instances to illustrate this.

I can think of many examples in my own life, what started out as a simple request grew over time and the with Lords anointing grew into tremendous blessing.  I can also look back and think oops, I think I dropped the ball in that situation. We all can.

In 2016 I am going to strive to make my requests known and to offer them as not just a request but as an Invitation to the Lord to have more authority and more presence  in my life.


I have a verse for you to illustrate this, from Karen Murray and Word Art Wednesday:

and a coloring page of this classic art piece
Angel with a flagilot.



Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Ginny 





Comments

Beautiful. He uses you to influence others! Thank you for sharing!
Shelly Schmidt said…
I love your writing- yes, I think it is easy to feel relief when a petition is answered postively, and it is easy to forget to continue to include God in our lives with prayers of Thanksgiving and for future guidance. You are an inspiration. LOVE this angel image : )
Thank you for this perspective - it is timely for me too.
Thank you also for the art work
Blessings
Maxine
Ginny Maxam said…
Thank you Shelly for your kind and encouraging words! xoxox
Ginny Maxam said…
Thank you Maxine, I Love that no matter how long we have wlaked with the Lord, he always has more for us!
Hugs,
Ginny
Ginny Maxam said…
Thank you Gracie, I appreciate your time and blessing!

Popular posts from this blog

How to Make Sweet Little Paper Dress Cards!

Tutorial: Making Napkin Cards

How To Restore A Vintage Rubber Stamp