What We Already Have

My friend, Victoria Gaines, posted the following article over at her excellent blog entitled Windows To My Soul.

"Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." ~ Mark 11:24

Something hit me as I read this verse today. So many times I've prayed for peace, patience, strength, victory - whatever- when all along they're readily available to me in Christ. Fear and pain may cloud this truth, but grace opens our eyes to remind us of His keeping power to sustain us through the most difficult situations.

As I see this more and more, truth changes the way I pray. Instead of begging for all these things - which are never given apart from Christ anyway - my prayers can now acknowledge His Spirit's work in me. Confessing my need and dependence on Him is the first thing I do, trusting His Life to come forth moment by moment, grace upon grace, as I go about living.

The more we spend time knowing Christ through His Word, the more His Spirit increases our faith. His grace makes everything possible, even to believe.

Wondering how to pray for someone? Without knowing each other's circumstances, we can always pray like Paul prayed for the Ephesians when he said:

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." ~Ephesians 1:17-19

Trusting the eyes of our hearts, not just our minds, to be enlightened all the more as we abide in Him, our very Life source and Peace in troubled times.