Dare I ask when I am in need?
Dare I admit that I have need? That I cannot handle life on my own? That sorrow, frustration, anger, impatience, guilt. They wash over me endlessly.
I cannot cope. But dare I confess it?
To admit that every moment is beyond my ability to even live, for my very breath itself is a gift and not of myself?
Dare I ask of God to wake me, sustain me, fill me for today? To not allow me to float adrift in a wild world and in my own wild sin?
How silly to ask these questions. Of course, I dare ask. I must ask!
Yet every day that I wake and begin my day without prayer, without communing with God, are not these the days that I pretend I have no need? Are not these the days I forget that I am just a branch and begin to fancy myself as the vine?
I must never forget that if God is the Giver of all things. I must not only acknowledge the gifts with gratitude, but I must also acknowledge my endless need with prayer. I must profess my love, confess my sin, and ask. Ask!
I must ask the Giver to give me life today. This day. For yesterday’s manna cannot be saved for today. Yesterday’s breath is no guarantee that there will be breath today. I must ask!
Amazingly, God mercifully gives me breath on the days I do not ask. This makes the asking seem unnecessary, doesn’t it? When you are a branch, it is so easy to take the vine for granted.
Yet, in order to remain on the vine, I mustn’t take it for granted. I must recognize my connection to the vine through prayer. And I must ask for the sustaining power of the vine. Every day. All day.
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. – Psalm 143:8
Dare I ask?
How dare I not?
In hope,
Shelli
About Shelli Bourque
Thank you for this post! I needed this conviction- though I know that was not your intention- just the Holy Spirit’s work 🙂 I have been sleeping through my morning quiet time this week. Relying on the other reading I am doing throughout the day (Bible in 90 Days) to fill my “time with God quota.” How sad! And I am seeing the effects of not abiding, praying, worshiping. So off the computer I go to get to bed early enough to get up on time to meet with Him tomorrow!
I hope you woke up to a great time with the Lord! 🙂 Truly, this was a message I needed for myself! But I am so glad it helped you, too. It’s so hard for me to slow down long enough to really pray; I am always go, go, go, rush, rush, rush. I think about God all day long, but am I really abiding in Him? God is surely working on me in this area.
Shelli… I love your posts! Sometimes I think you are writing them just for me. Thanks for the encouragement and I love your new blog! Curious, tho, why did you switch to wordpress?
Thanks, Heidi! Switching to WordPress is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It wasn’t long after I started blogging that “everyone” seemed to be switching. I’ve owned my domain name for a year and made my Blogger blog look non-bloggerish, which was easier once they beefed up their template options last year. On the one hand, I didn’t really need to switch (I am not using my blog for income, and my stats don’t warrant the switch), but I liked the look and features of WP blogs, and the security that I wouldn’t just lose my blog someday if Blogger had a server failure. Once I looked at the real cost, which wasn’t too bad since I did it myself, I decided to make the switch. Sort of an early birthday present, and my husband was very supportive. I actually really enjoyed the process of doing it – playing with the template and figuring out the html; I’m still tinkering with it and having fun!
“When you are a branch, it is so easy to take the vine for granted.” – I so hear you on that!! Thank you for sharing. It’s definitely where I’m at today!!
thinking of you… you have been on my heart. God is faithful. Rest in Him… as I tell myself too…
I was reading over at Lindsay Nobles blog and she said to Lisa-Jo… “I know you, well kind of .. well virtually know..” I just love that and how we have connected and we do love one another… iron sharpens iron and I pray that I encourage you…. as you do me so often!
Hugs