September 22, 2015 Issue #114

Prayer secrets from 56 years' experience

It's frustrating because we ask for good things but don't get them. Most of us are not asking God for money or fame or even a new car. We're asking for a spouse, good health, a job, or help with some sin we're battling. What's wrong with those?

In this month's feature article, I'll reveal some of the secrets about prayer I've learned in 56+ years as a praying Christian. Yeah. I know. That's a long time. Some of my prayers have been answered but most have not. Or should I say, most have not been answered the way I wanted.

When you get my age (64), you're able to look back and thank God he didn't answer some of those prayers the way I wanted. Yikes, would I have had a messed-up life! He has yanked me out of the path of more than one bullet, if you get my metaphorical drift.

Some of these prayer secrets will be hard for you to take, as they were for me. Others will not seem like secrets at all, but they are because they're the truths people stubbornly refuse to acknowledge.

After you read this article, I hope you'll be a more mature Christian. And if you're not a Christian, hey, what are you waiting for?

I can't guarantee that these principles will make your prayer life any less frustrating, but I do hope they help you understand what's going on and where you might be spinning your wheels.

Take a look at these time-tested prayer secrets.

Often I think

I want what I want and I want it right now,
and that's what I say in my prayers.
I can't understand why God doesn't obey.
I wonder sometimes if He cares.

That's what I thought for so many years,
but now my hair's peppered with gray.
I'm beginning to see why God only smiled
and didn't give me my own way.

I've had plenty of trouble and could have had more
if God had obeyed my commands.
Instead He withheld and I'm glad that He did.
I was always safe in His hands.

'Cause I never was as smart as I thought.
And the best way has always been His.
Often I think I'm glad I'm not God
and I'm very thankful He is.

~ Jack Zavada, 2015 ~

Back to Oswald for September's quote

What is it we want, ultimately? It's happiness, joy, contentment, fulfillment, and love. We chase after people, possessions and power, believing they will bring us happiness, joy, contentment, fulfillment, and love. But all they bring is a counterfeit of what we really want, a third-rate imitation.

Chambers was on to it. What we really want, what we really, really want, is God himself. After you go through a lifetime of being disappointed with poor imitations, you'll recognize this. You will, I promise.

It's God. Your soul wants God and won't settle for anything less. As the old ad used to say, "Don't settle for substitutes." Go for the best. Go for God himself.

Here's hope if your life's not getting better

It's a common pattern with singles, but when you have something to hope for, life takes on new excitement. Hope for Hurting Singles shows you how to climb out of that rut. It reminds you of the good things you can make happen with God and hope and work.

I wrote this ebook out of more than 40 years' experience as a single person. I made some mountainous mistakes, but I also got some things right along the way. In Hope for Hurting Singles I point out what worked for me, and what didn't.

You'll find real world advice to help you rise above:

* Loneliness,
* Shyness,
* Rejection,
* Depression,
* Low self-esteem,
* Fear,
* Frustration and bitterness.

Had enough of the stinky "same old, same old?" Check out the details on Hope for Hurting Singles.

Jump-start your life with these hope quotations!

Meanwhile, encourage your heart with these quotations on hope:

If it were not for hopes, the heart would break.
Thomas Fuller

The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is the name of God.
Warren Wiersbe

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
Psalm 62:5

Jesus gives us hope because He keeps us company, has a vision and knows the way we should go.
Max Lucado

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.
Desmond Tutu

The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Psalm 147:11

Blues are the songs of despair, but gospel songs are the songs of hope.
Mahalia Jackson

All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.
Alexandre Dumas

The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.
Bernard Williams

My philosophy in life is, Decide what you want to do. You have to have something to hope for.
Lou Holtz

What gives me the most hope every day is God's grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.
Rick Warren

While there is life, there is hope.
Jules Verne

Don't give up on prayer!

Prayer is your lifeline to God. Even if you can't make yourself talk to him right now, just turn your heart to him without words. He knows what's going on with you better than you do. The Bible promises the Holy Spirit will take your silent prayers to God's throne and pray for you.

In a future Inspire-O-Gram, we'll talk about the invisible world. What we see and experience is only the tip of what's really going on. God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. He always acts out of love for you.

If you'd like to offer a comment on this issue or ask a question, your email can be in my inbox within minutes thanks to our pain-free contact form on our "about-us" page at the site.

Thanks for reading September's Inspire-O-Gram, fellow singleton. I hope you enjoyed this unusual topic. The single life is difficult at times, but I hope the important things are becoming clearer to you through this newsletter and the web site.

Remember, when you can't find meaning in life, you can find it in God.

Until October,

Jack Zavada