We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.

Her little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, ‘Mom let’s run through the rain,’ She said.

‘What?’ Mom asked.

‘Let’s run through the rain!’ She repeated.

‘No, honey. We’ll wait until it slows down a bit,’ Mom replied.

This young child waited a minute and repeated: ‘Mom, let’s run through the rain..’

‘We’ll get soaked if we do,’ Mom said.

‘No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning,’ the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom’s arm.

‘This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?’

‘Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, ‘ If God can get us through this, He can get us through anything! ‘

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn’t hear anything but the rain.. We all stood silently. No one left. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.

Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child’s life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

‘Honey, you are absolutely right. Let’s run through the rain. If GOD let’s us get wet, well maybe we just need washing,’ Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They got soaked.

They were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran.  I got wet.  I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories…So, don’t forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday.

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.  Pray like you mean it, and live like you believe it.

I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

The Rabbi is doubtful, but the Pope insists that he tries it out and, indeed, he is connected to the Lord and chats away with Him for a while.

After he hangs up the Rabbi says. “Thank you very much. This is
great! But listen, I want to pay for the charges I have used up.” The Pope doesn’t want to take the money, but finally gives in, checks the counter and says: Allright! The charge was 50,000 Lira,” which the Rabbi gladly pays.

A couple of weeks later, the Pope is in Jerusalem on an official visit. In the Rabbi’s chambers he sees the identical phone he has with a direct line to the Lord. The Pope asks if he could use it, because there were some urgent matters he needed to consult with Him.

The Rabbi gladly hands him the phone and the Pope chats away. After he hangs up, he says: “Now I also want to pay for my charges on your phone.” The Rabbi looks on the counter and says: “1 Shekel 50!” The Pope looks surprised: “Why so cheap?” The Rabbi smiles: “Local call.”

Prayer works! It doesn’t matter where you live:

 But certainly God has heard me; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. – Psalm 66:19

What does matter is that you pray. If you don’t pray, don’t expect results! But if you do pray, expect results!

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them. – Mark 11:24

 ²³ When [Zechariah's] time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

I think it’s great that we have another story of prayer answered in this passage. God hears us when we cry out to Him.

Many people have “unanswered” prayers…at least they think they do. Remember that although the answer to a prayer may be “yes,” that other prayers will be answered “no” – especially if they are not within God’s laws and desires. Yet, still other prayers will be answered “not yet.” Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for children for a long time as evidenced by this entire passage (vs 7-25). Yet, God didn’t forget their prayer.

Interestingly, the answer had previously been “not yet.” But now, during Zechariah’s temple service in obedience to God, and even more so – during prayer and service to God for THE NATION - NOT for his personal needs – God answered his personal prayer.

Wow!  God answered during a time when Zechariah was putting the needs of others above his own needs. He was being obedient to God in obeying His commands, and placing others before him. Then, and only then after years of praying for a child, Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayer was answered.

Makes me stop and think. What have I asked for that God is waiting on me to pray the “right” prayer before He answers it…. What about you?  Is there something you have been repeatedly praying for, but need to stop and pray for what God wants first?

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.” (Luke 1)

I love this part of the story. The Lord has promised Zechariah a son. I can relate to how he’s feeling at this point, because the Lord granted me a son also.

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. – Psalm 127:3

But that’s only part of the reason I love this Scripture.  The larger reason for liking this passage is because of the truth it reveals: “your prayer has been heard.” God HEARS our prayers – all of them. In the case of Zechariah’s prayer, the Lord granted Zechariah’s prayer.

Unfortunately, we don’t all receive answers to our prayers when we think we should. But God has a GREATER plan than we do. We need to practice patient obedience as we live our lives. It’s NOT that God doesn’t hear us – He does! But we need to remember that God can see much more than we can and His plan considers many aspects that we don’t think about or possibly don’t know.

So always remember this (put your name in blank below):

Do not be afraid, __________; your prayer has been heard.

I was on the middle lane of the interstate, north of Atlanta Georgia, travelling about 70 mph when “all traffic” in front of me came to an abrupt stop. Well, all traffic except the car about 50 yards in front of me. A young man named Shawn* was driving that car and took his eyes off the road for a split second. When he saw that all traffic stopped, he slammed his brakes on and jerked his wheel hard to the right.

Shawn’s car immediately turned right; then while he quickly turned back left, he began losing control. His car quickly spun out of control and crossed from the right lane all the way across traffic to the left shoulder and hit the guard rail. It then spun around, facing backwards and continued another 25 yards until it came to a rest against the guardrail again.

I quickly found myself pulling over to check on him. Although he as badly shaking up, he DID have a seatbelt on. And even more important, GOD had His hand on Shawn and the remaining parts of traffic. Thankfully, NO ONE was injured during the accident. God had protected me and everyone else during what could have been a really traumatic ending.

I spoke with the young man after I pulled over. Shawn was about 21, on his way to work at Captain D’s. A nurse also pulled over to assist, but left after finding us ok.

Shawn’s first thought was to check on everybody involved. I told him that no one else was injured and that God had delivered him safely to the side of the road without anybody else being in the accident.

We then prayed about how God had delivered all of us during what could have turned out to be a deadly accident. At 70 mph, I saw first hand how quickly a car can lose control and spin out wildly on the road. Thankfully, his car didn’t flip at all, and was only damaged slightly where it hit the guardrail.

We prayed for some time, longer than I normally pray – for God truly had his hand on both of us. I was in a company-owned vehicle, but God protected me and allowed me the sense to stay calm and talk with Shawn after the accident. I never thought to ask his last name and now regret that I can’t follow up with him. However, I did find out that Shawn is a believer and meant to go to church yesterday at North Metro Baptist. Instead, he chose to go to work. (*name changed to protect identity).

Today, I am reminded from the experience that we need to pray and seek direction for everything we do in life.

  ¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹ singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰ And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:15-20

Psalm 109

²⁶ Help me, O Lord my God!
      Save me because of your unfailing love.
 ²⁷ Let them see that this is your doing,
      that you yourself have done it, Lord.
 ²⁸ Then let them curse me if they like,
      but you will bless me!
   When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
      But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
 ²⁹ May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
      may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
 ³⁰ But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
      praising him to everyone.
 ³¹ For he stands beside the needy

¹⁷ “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
   that you give them so much attention,
¹⁸ that you examine them every morning
   and test them every moment?
¹⁹ Will you never look away from me,
   or let me alone even for an instant?
²⁰ If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
   you who sees everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?
   Have I become a burden to you?
²¹ Why do you not pardon my offenses
   and forgive my sins?

It seems as if Job has given up in this passage. He implies that God is not honoring His side of the bargain. But if we truly think about what is going on, it reminds me of the Amy Grant song: Better than a Hallelujah.  She sings that, in a way, our miseries cried out to God actually honor Him, because we are still recognizing that He alone is soveriegn and He alone has the power to fix things.

Do you believe that?  It’s true – only God can help us. When we are down and need lifted, God can lift us. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes those deepest lows that seem so hard to be lifted from. Hopefully this little acronym* will help you pray and remind you in the deepest valleys that God is still there – all we have to do is trust Him…

PRAY = P.R.A.Y. 

• P.  Psalm 46:10 (“Be still, and know that I am God”)
• R.  Remember God loves YOU and has a plan for you
• A.  Allow God to direct your life
• Y.  Yield to His plan not yours

* Acronym taken from George Clark, Executive Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN

An empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the woman
had been informed of his visit… ‘I guess you were expecting me, he said.

‘No, who are you?’ said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, ‘I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up..’

‘Oh yeah, the chair,’ said the bedridden woman ‘Would you mind closing the door?’
Puzzled, the minister shut the door. ‘I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,’ said the woman.

‘But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head…’

‘I abandoned any attempt at prayer,’ the old woman continued, ‘ until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, ‘ Prayer is just a simple matter
of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.. ‘Sit down in a chair;
place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair.

It’s not spooky because he promised, ‘I will be with you always’.. ‘Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now…’ ‘So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.

I’m careful though.If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.’

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil,
and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mama
had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?’ he asked.

Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock, she called me over to her bedside,
told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her .

But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before Mom died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?’

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said,
‘I wish we could all go like that.’
 
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.

I asked God for water, He gave me an ocean.*
I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden.*
I asked God for a friend, He gave me all of YOU…

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.