Pray First

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

It may seem like a little thing to you – but I seemed to always be losing my keys. My wife got me in the habit of hanging them up as soon as I come in the door and that has really helped. In fact so much so that last week I thought I left my keys at a church where I was speaking. I had everyone looking and they were nowhere to be found.

I had planned to run out to the church myself to look. I wasn’t frustrated, but I finally prayed about it. “Lord, You know where those keys are! Please help me find them.” That night when I came home from the office, I went to hang up the “borrowed” set of keys and there were the originals! Duh! I didn’t realize that the habit of hanging them up became so much of what I do that I never even thought to look there.

Sharing that story with my grandson, Tanner, he reminded me about the time I lost my cell phone. We had gone to the movies and when I came home I couldn’t find my cell phone. We looked everywhere. I was frantic.

Tanner said, “Pop, let’s ask Jesus to help you find it.” Smack! Double-smack. So we did. I then decided to call the theater to see if anyone turned it in. Nothing. I really felt compelled to drive to the theater to see if it was still in the area we sat.

When we arrived the ticket taker said I couldn’t go in since the movie was already started. I pleaded and he finally said yes. Thankfully there was no one sitting where we had sat, but it was sure darker than I thought.

Down on my hands and knees crawling with the muck of soda and spilled popcorn, I felt around and nothing. Seconds later my phone went off – it was on vibrate – but it lit up like a Christmas tree. I was excited enough, but Tanner yelled, “Yeah, Jesus!”

I really think that Abba Father wants to show us more of His power even in the small stuff of life. Why is it that we wait until we are desperate to pray? I want to get to that place where the FIRST thing I do is pray – not the last thing. Maybe my missing keys will be that constant reminder to PRAY FIRST. — Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Jeremiah 5-6; Proverbs 23; 1 Timothy 3

Motivations: God designed it this way; He intended that His great power, wisdom, and love should become visible in very ordinary and otherwise inconsequential people. Ray C. Stedman

Practice to Remember: Level 1:James 2:5; Level 2: James 2:1-5

Powered Up:  Prayer is asking for rain. Faith is carrying the umbrella. Robert C. Savage