Central Truth

Praise and prayer in the midst of adversity places our trust and confidence in God, not self.

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Reflections

During my marriage the longest I have ever lived in one place has been 5 years. The first move in 1991 was to Nagoya, Japan. Our family struggled with an unfamiliar culture and language, driving on the opposite side of the road, and a school located more than an hour away. As a country girl, I didn't think I could endure this lifestyle for 3 years.  

I remember praying for days, hoping for someone to come along and be my friend. One day the doorbell rang and I wondered how I was going to reply to someone in an unknown language. Imagine my surprise to find a young American lady who brought cookies to the door!  A further blessing was finding she lived just two floors above me!  She had children slightly older than our two boys and our families quickly became acquainted.  She and I became best friends, sharing our lives and finding we had so much in common.  Once a local even stopped and asked us if we were sisters, we looked so much alike!  

Paul and Silas were in the inner prison and must have been hurting from having been beaten and then placed in the stocks (Acts 16:22-24). Yet at midnight, they prayed and sang hymns of praise to God and the other prisoners listened (Acts 16:25). Wow, what a powerful witness for Jesus Christ they must have been! Their praise and prayers brought them even closer to God in the midst of hardship. The earthquake that opened the prison doors and released the prisoners' chains (Acts 16:26) proved that God was in control. Psalm 50:15 says "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you and you will honor Me."

Japan is a fond memory now, but remains the hardest family move I have ever experienced. Yet my trust, faith, and hope in God is so much stronger now.  I am thankful for the opportunity He gave me to move me out of my comfort zone and into a stronger dependency on Him.

 

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Discussion Questions

1. Are you trusting God today to be one step ahead of you providing every need?
2. What challenges are you facing? Have you tried praising God and sing hymns during this time?
3. How have you seen God respond to prayer when you've faced a personal crisis?  Have you told others about how He helped you?

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