by Donya Dunlap | Sep 2, 2016 | The Spiritual Life, Write Hard Things
Giving thanks for answered prayer is a joy when the answer is yes. But God’s answer doesn’t always come to us in the form we request. Sometimes God answers in an unexpected turn of events. And sometimes He simply says, “no.”
Fifteen years ago I thought I had my life all planned out. I was going to marry the man of my dreams and have a family and be a faithful servant in our local church. I didn’t understand why God let it all fall apart.
Three years ago I moved to Charlotte to start a women’s ministry. I thought I might stay there forever. God had other plans.
Six months ago my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I wanted her to stay here. I wanted her to be well. God said no.
Blessings in disguise
These three seasons of prayer reflect extremely difficult times in my life, but looking back, I can truly give thanks for what God has done. My life as a single has brought amazing gifts I could never have imagined and opportunities to serve God that others envy.
My time in Charlotte was full of challenges and blessings. I learned so much and I grew in my relationship with Christ. I don’t regret one minute of my short time there.
Now, I wish more than anything that I could hug my mom again and talk with her. The pain of her absence is with me every day. But she’s with Jesus and I wouldn’t take her away from Him if I could. Her body is whole and she is with people she loves who have gone before her. I’m happy for my mom.
Prayer changes us, not always our circumstances
Above all things I pray that God will honor His promise in Psalm 37:4 to give me the desires of my heart. But before He does, I ask that He first align my desires to His will. I have learned I don’t always know what is best for myself. But if I surrender my will to His loving hand, He will work all things together for good—both for my benefit and for His glory.
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! – Matthew 7:11
When I was young and my tender heart was broken I couldn’t see the good. Still, time has shown God’s promises to be true. God does give His children all good things. The difficult thing is to remember that Matthew 7:11 is true whether or not our circumstances appear to be good.
Even in the midst of our darkest days, God’s Word is true. Trusting in His promises can give us peace and hope to carry us through the trials we all must face. If we choose to run to God in our pain, we will be protected from the bitter thoughts, anger, and fear trying to rob us of our joy, health, and testimony.
The Great I AM can be trusted with little me
I wish I knew 15 years ago what I know today. I wish I had trusted God more and been more faithful during difficult trials. Those things that brought me great pain I now count as precious in my life. Even in my current grief, I can find reasons to give thanks. It’s not always easy, but I know that God is at work, even in the death of my mom.
As I look to the future and the uncertainty of what tomorrow holds, God’s faithfulness in the past and His promises for the present give me courage. Regardless of whether or not my prayers are answered according to my plans, I will choose to be thankful. I will remember Romans 8:28 and I will trust the Spirit who is holding me up before the throne, seeking God’s best for my life.
by Donya Dunlap | Jun 10, 2013 | Making a Difference, The Spiritual Life
Have you ever wondered what made Paul the man that he was? How could he set aside the guilt from his past and go on to rock the world for Jesus? How could he stand before kings and share the gospel without fear? How could he remain joyful despite being literally shackled in the harshest of circumstances? I think he shares the secret with us in the book of Ephesians.
I have been especially enamored with Ephesians the last week or so. One of the passages that amazes me is almost a PS of sorts. It’s at the very end of the book where Paul is wrapping up his letter to the church and says, “Oh by the way…pray for me.” That’s a pretty normal request. But what isn’t normal is what he asks prayer for. He doesn’t say, pray that I can get out of these chains. Pray that the rulers will understand that I’m innocent. Pray that I can get a good night’s sleep in these uncomfortable conditions. Paul doesn’t say any of that. Paul asks for prayer, “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.”
This seems ludicrous to me. If I were to request prayer for boldness, that totally makes sense. I’m a big chicken. But this is Paul—Master Missionary, Preacher of the Gospel, Apostle to the Gentiles. This guy wrote half of the New Testament and he’s asking his friends to pray for him to be bold? Why would Paul feel weak in such an area? The answer is in the preceding verses.
Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and takethe helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
There is so much darkness in this world. So much pain. So much evil. But every physical manifestation is a fruit of the unseen spiritual force that is running the show.
We have to stand up to the darkness. We must use our voices to speak for the unborn, the abused, the impoverished. We each have God-given passions on behalf of those in need. But what we need to realize is that we aren’t just fighting against violence, trafficking, abortion, and poverty. We are fighting against the forces of evil. And we can’t do it alone. Even Jesus and Paul needed prayer. They didn’t attempt to do God’s will in their own strength and neither should we. We need to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might,” and the only way to do that is through prayer.
God places us in unique positions (like prison in Paul’s case) to reach those around us with the gospel and thereby spread light that can defeat the darkness. So yes, raise your voice in the area God has called you to. But do so in the power of the Holy Spirit, motivated by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hand out food and necessities to the poor. Drill wells of fresh water where there is none. Reach out to frightened young mothers. But keep the main thing the main thing.
Pray for boldness. Pray for wisdom. Pray for discernment. Pray for opportunities. Pray, pray, pray for yourself and for others in the fight. AND THEN jump in the fight and share God’s love—the only thing that can provide true healing and make a lasting difference in this world.
Photo credit: Lawrence OP / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
by Donya Dunlap | Jun 4, 2013 | The Spiritual Life
This is the final installment in a four part series on the love of God and our response to that love.
Missed the earlier posts? Follow these links to get caught up: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Yesterday I shared a life-changing thought that I received through a video of Louie Giglio speaking on God’s Passion for God’s Glory. I won’t repeat everything here, (because you really ought to read the post and watch the video) but the essence is that God wants the very best for our lives, which is Himself. And the best thing we can do for ourselves is to give glory to Him, which fulfills the purpose for our creation.
Today I want to share the secret for changing your heart from a glory-seeker for yourself and into a glory-giver for Jesus. Are you ready for this?
ASK HIM
Jesus will give you an abundant love FOR Him and a close, intimate relationship WITH Him if you ask Him to.
It’s kind of a strange thing to pray for God’s help to love Him, but you have to realize that we are corrupt. Our sin nature prevents us from loving as He created us to. In order to overcome this problem, we must have Jesus’ help. Revelation 3:20 says (words are in red – this is Jesus speaking) “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Jesus is very polite. He isn’t going to invade your space. He’s going to wait until you invite Him in.
Now if you’re like me, and Jesus was at your door you would want to clean up the kitchen and straighten the bathroom and make sure all the beds were made before you let the Son of God into your house, right? He isn’t worried about all of that. Keep in mind that Jesus has x-ray vision. He knows what is on the other side of the door of your heart. He sees all the junk. He sees the bad habits and the sinful thoughts and the wrong attitudes that you have. He’s not going to walk in the door and go “Oh my goodness! What a mess! I can’t stay here!” No. It’s not about that. It’s about a relationship. Meals in Bible times were significant. You didn’t just grab a pizza with anybody you wanted to. Sharing a meal with someone meant you accepted that person. It was personal. You never really were friends with someone until you had dinner together. It was a serious thing. Jesus is inviting you into a personal, intimate relationship with him. It’s like our version of Starbucks. Two people sitting close to each other pouring their hearts out over a couple of cups of steaming caffeine. Sharing secrets and dreams and those little hurts that are so personal that you can’t share them with anyone else…Jesus cares about all of those things and He wants you to share them with Him.
He’s promised in Proverbs 8:17 that anyone that seeks after Him will find Him.
If you begin a habit of asking Jesus to help you love Him things in your life are going to be different. It’s not going to be a magical, poof, I LOVE JESUS kind of a moment. As with any relationship, it will take time. But slowly, the Bible will begin to come alive to you as you read it. Things that you never noticed before will start to jump off the page at you and will make sense. You will begin to see God at work in every area of your life. Big things and little things.
Jesus is the only person that will never be taken away from you and the only thing that gets better with time.
Possessions break, wear out, get lost and fall apart. Jesus never will. People die, move away, disappoint you, break your heart. Jesus never will.
So in thinking of all that we have covered in the last four posts, I ask you again. Do you love Jesus for what He has done or for who He is? If you can’t honestly say yes, I encourage you to begin praying today for God to give you the love for Him that He desires.
Photo credit: Valentina_A / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
by Donya Dunlap | Jan 18, 2013 | The Spiritual Life
The most intimidating place for a writer to be is in front of a blank computer screen or empty sheet of paper. Inevitably one of two things happens. Either your mind races with ideas and you can’t seem to narrow them down enough to write, or (the more likely scenario) your thoughts mirror the emptyness in front of you. The blank slate can be terrifying both in writing and in life. We are all at the beginning of a new year full of possiblities. Our minds race with dreams and goals, but how do we begin? Where should we focus first? What if we fail at our resolutions again? Is goal setting even necessary? Is it better not to try at all?
Um…
I understand well the fear that accompanies a new beginning. 2013 for me is the beginning of a new year in a new city, a new church, a new ministry, (hopefully) a new job, new friends, a new home, and the release of a new book. It’s exciting, but with each new thing comes a mountain of doubt. What if I fail? What if I can’t find a job? What if my book release is a flop?
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
So how do you and I overcome the blank slate so we can begin chasing our dreams?
We begin by beginning.
Pastor Mark Baterson says in his book, The Circle Maker, (read my review of the book here) that the keys to seeing prayers answered and dreams come true is to “dream big, pray hard and think long.” He calls goals “dreams with deadlines” and recommends…
Ten Steps to Setting Goals for Your Life:
- Start with prayer. “If you set goals in the context of prayer, there is a much higher likelihood that your goals will glorify God, and if they don’t glorify God, then they aren’t worth setting in the first place.”
- Check your motives. “If you set selfish goals, you would be better off spiritually if you didn’t accomplish them.”
- Think in categories. “My goals are divided into five categories: family, influential, experiential, physical and travel. The obvious omission is a category for spiritual goals, but that is by intention. All of my goals have a spiritual dimension to them.”
- Be specific. “If a goal isn’t measurable, we have no way of knowing whether we’ve accomplished it.”
- Write it down. “If you haven’t written down your goals, you haven’t really set them.”
- Include others. “Nothing cements a relationship like a shared goal.”
- Celebrate along the way. “When God answers a prayer, throw a party. We should celebrate with the same intensity with which we pray.”
- Dream big. “Big goals turn us into big people.”
- Think long. “If you want to dream until the day you die, you need to set goals that take a lifetime to achieve. And it’s never too late to start.”
- Pray hard. “Goal setting begins and ends with prayer.”
He sums up his list with these two powerful paragraphs:
The sad truth is that most people spend more time planning their summer vacation than they do planning the rest of their life. That’s poor stewardship of right-brain imagination. Goal setting is good stewardship. Instead of letting things happen, goals help us make things happen. Instead of living by default goals help us live by design. Instead of living out of memory, goals help us live out of imagination.
Goal setting begins and ends with prayer. God-ordained goals are conceived in the context of prayer, and prayer is what brings them to full term. You need to keep circling your goals in prayer, like the Israelites circled Jericho. As you circle your goals, it not only creates God-ordained opportunities; it also helps us recognize God-ordained opportunities.
So as we finish up the first month of the year, I challenge you to dedicate your blank slate to Christ and His purposes for your life and then plan accordingly. Let’s determine to live for Christ out of our imaginations and accomplish great things for His glory in 2013!
Have you made a list of life goals? How has goal setting been beneficial to you? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.
Photo credit: Carlos Fenollosa / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
by Donya Dunlap | Sep 30, 2012 | Guest Posts
Do you struggle with being afraid?
I am guest posting today at JosephIregbu.com. I hope that you will drop by his site to read the post “Do It Afraid” but also stay awhile to be encouraged by Joseph’s writings and his story of hope. (Which is pretty incredible, I might add.) Sign up to receive his posts via e-mail and you will also get his free e-book, Lines of Impact. You might also want to check out his 90-day devotional called Selah: A 90-Day Journey of Grace and Peace. It’s a great encouragement and available on Amazon. Joseph has been a personal encouragement to me and his writings have blessed my heart. I plan to have him guest post here soon, but for now, please get to know him on his home turf.
Click Here to Read “Do It Afraid”
Photo Credit: Vorakorn on freedigitalphotos.net
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