Last Thursday I had an oral board exam to complete the qualification requirements for my current job, a culmination of my last 6 months of studies. Needless to say, I was pretty well stressed out by Wednesday night, so I asked God for four specific answers to prayer, and He clearly answered all four. Here they are:
1) Allow me to fall right asleep. This never happens unless I'm in class, or really tired, and definitely not when my mind is running through potential board questions for the next day! So, it would be nothing short of a miracle if this happened.
2) Allow me to wake right up, be alert, and mentally awake as soon as the alarm goes off so I can be mentally preparing for the exam. (Yes, at 4 AM.)
3) Help me to sleep on the bus. (OK, so this one's usually a given, but not if it's cold, windy or I can't stop thinking.)
4) Give me clarity of thoughts and calm my nerves during the board.
So... how did He answer? This is exciting...
1) I read for a bit, turned out the light, and went right to sleep. Of course, I had to force myself to GIVE UP my worries and give it to God, BELIEVE that he would answer my prayer, and leave HIM to do my stressing for me. This required CONFIDENCE in God. Based on experience and all the stress I've put Him through in the past, I knew He could handle this one:) But, if I didn't allow myself to TRUST Him, I guarantee I would have laid there for at least a couple hours stressed out, thinking about the exam.
2) So I'm on my fourth sit-up after getting out of bed (the key to a strong back) and it hit me... I'm WIDE AWAKE!!! Of course, I had completely forgotten about my prayers the night before until I realized how awake I was! Now that got me excited! I was in the middle of God's answered prayer.
3) The bus was toasty warm when I got on, making for some great sleeping conditions, and no one sat next to me, which only happens on Fridays! Praise the Lord!
4) I wasn't stressed at all, felt great about the oral board and just took the questions as they came... much better then I had anticipated. Once again, I can only give credit to God.
Now... as soon as it was over, I was all stressed out again, got a headache, etc. Kind of like the tide that God was holding back just collapsed in on me. But you know what? At that point, it didn't matter because I was done with the exam, and God knew I could handle it.
So I ask again, Does God answer prayer? Have you tried it? Don't forget the trust and confidence we must have in Him, that comes from our relationship with Him.
Switching gears, I recently finished reading Holiness for Ordinary People by Keith Drury.
Now, if you think you're extraordinary, I suppose the book might not be for you. But if you're an average Joe, this just might be encouraging. It is written for young people, making it a very easy read (my kind of book)! The book starts out by answering many of the typical questions regarding holiness: What is holiness? Is it just a goal, or can it be a reality? Do I really need it? What does entire sanctification practically mean in my life and how will it change me? Will I still face temptation and struggles? What if I decide against it? Can a sanctified person sin? What happens if they do? How can you know you are entirely sanctified? What if I don't feel any different? Is it for young people, or only old, white-haired saints at church?If you are tired of your bent towards wrong doing, and would like power over sin and a renewed energy for serving God and others, or power and effectiveness in service, I encourage you to get hold of this book! (You can borrow mine.)
As a side note, successful completion of my qualification oral board starts the clock on my 1 year assignment in Idaho!
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