“Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
(Character of God in “Evan Almighty”)
Opportunities. For the past year, I have been searching for them everywhere…and until I started praying about it, the search lead to stress upon more stress. What opportunities were I missing? What hadn’t I done right? If only, if only…
When I heard the lines above in the movie “Evan Almighty,” my mindset began to change. As I prayed, I began to ask God to open my eyes to possibilities. Instead of praying point-blank for things like health and love, I started to pray for ways to bring healthy living into my life and chances to bring meaningful connections into my heart.
It is so easy to get caught up in doldrums and despair when times are tougher than usual, and refocusing my praying has helped me reevaluate what it really is that I am trying to ask God for. Looking to God for opportunities and guidance, instead of the frenzied focus of missed opportunities via email or Monster.com changed my life.
Every day I pray, and every day I still continue to search (and yes, I do still search Monster.com, but with a different perspective), only now my searching has focus and the hope and peace that God’s plan for me is there, and I have the power to put it in action.
Prayer: Heavenly Lord, as we spend the Lenten season preparing to commemorate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, guide us in opening ourselves to the possibilities around us. Help us to see why you have brought us this far in our lives, and what opportunities we can be exposed to in our lives and in assisting the lives of others. In your holy name, we give thanks and praise. Amen.
Amy Zimmer
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