Center of a Star

I went to our ladies Bible study Friday night. Our group is called 'Evergreen'. There is a great story behind our name, which I will explain another time. For now, I want to talk about our topic of discussion, 'Hope in Prayer'. I went to the study with no expectations. I left completely blessed.

Romans 12:12 says, "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer," I spent a majority of the time there listening, yet wondering what exactly 'hope' meant. Granted, I knew the meaning of the word, but how did it apply in prayer. What was shared was this; hope is not a wish, or a wanting, it is an assurance, a knowing, a waiting. God WILL answer your prayer. Be it with a 'yes', a 'no', a 'wait', or whatever other answer He may give you; He will give you one.

As for tribulation, well, we live in a fallen world, we WILL have tribulation. And , as Americans, we have so little of it really. We are blessed beyond measure. We have all of our physical needs at our fingertips, and all of our spiritual needs there for the taking w/o any fear of real persecution. We know some tribulation, yes, like the loss of a loved one (in any way), illness, etc. but for the most part, this tribulation thing is almost foreign to us, at least in the way it was to Paul. 2 Corinthians 6:10, "as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things." We can suffer, and be sad; sorrowful, yet our joy should be rooted in Christ, not our circumstances.

Another verse we looked at was 1 Thess 5:17; "pray without ceasing". This goes along with 'devoted to prayer' in Romans. Now I know we've all heard this verse. And if you're anything like me, it has overwhelmed you. I can barely walk my Christian walk 'without ceasing' , for I stumble all the time, how can I pray without ceasing? The answer was simple. It simple means pray regularly, consistently, continually. Do not offer merely random, sporadic, occasional prayers that just fill in some cracks of your life.

Some one shared some words, and these are the things that touched me the most. Zealous. Fervent. Ardent. That is how we should be praying. One of the meanings given for one of those words was 'like the center of a star'. That just settled on my soul. The words I lift up to God should not just be 'oh, help me through this mess' as I struggle w/ some situation or another, and left at that. (although there is nothing wrong w/ those kinds of prayers, for they, too are answered) But to pray ardently. To speak to my creator with zeal. To be like the center of a star! How else can I be when I come into the presence of my Almighty God?