April 27, 2009 7:14 AM
Elisabeth Elliot on prayer/ Tripp update
One thing that's hard right now: even as Tripp is getting more mobile - and his knee is doing so well - the heavy duty meds he was on for six months have taken a toll. His equilibrium is faulty and he is dazed and confused by lights and transitions. He hasn't read a book for six weeks - and that is such a loss for a book-lover like Tripp - because he can't concentrate on the text.
Please pray for us. Pray that this will not be permanent and pray that we can graciously wait for and accept God's final answer.
The Weapon of PrayerNews came one day which indicated that a matter I had been praying about had deteriorated rather than improved. "What good are my prayers, anyway?" I was tempted to ask. "Why bother? It's becoming a mere charade." But the words of Jesus occurred in my Bible reading that very morning (and wasn't it a good thing I'd taken time to hear Him?): "If you, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him?" (Matthew 7:11, NEB).
Are you as often tempted as I am to doubt the effectiveness of prayer? But Jesus prayed. He told us to pray. We can be sure that the answer will come, and it will be good. If it is not exactly what we expected, chances are we were not asking for quite the right thing. Our heavenly Father hears the prayer, but wants to give us bread rather than stones.
Prayer is a weapon. Paul speaks of the "weapons we wield" in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. They are "not merely human, but divinely potent to demolish strongholds" (NEB). The source of my doubts about its potency that morning was certainly not the Holy Spirit. It was the unholy spirit, the Destroyer himself, urging me to quit using the weapon he fears so intensely.
As always, I'd like to encourage you to include Elisabeth Elliot in your morning reading. She gives you a lot to think about during the day. Subscribe to her daily devotions here. You can also see a bunch of my favorites here.
Posted in Elisabeth Elliot, Family, Inspiration | Permalink
Comments
Continuing to pray here, Barbara. Not being able to read must be sheer torture for poor Tripp. I'll pray not only for his healing and the reversal of the effects of the meds, but also for God to make you both aware in some special and specific way this week that He loves you so much and is with you in this suffering.
Mary Alice
Posted by: Mary Alice | April 27, 2009 9:12 AM
Please tell Tripp that I am praying too!
Posted by: Lisa | April 27, 2009 3:52 PM
This was so very good, as they usually are! And yes, we will continue praying for Tripp. ((hugs))
Posted by: kristy from germany | April 28, 2009 6:50 AM
