The Cry of the Heart

“Some prayers just happen; they are ‘the Cry of the Heart.’  No training is needed when it comes to this type of prayer.”- John Eldredge

In Chapter 3 (“The Cry of the Heart”) of Moving Mountains, John Eldredge tells of the time he and a buddy were on their way home from a fishing trip when they encountered hail on the highway.  Their van spun over those icy marbles, veered into oncoming traffic, and finally came to rest upside down in an irrigation ditch.  Shortly before the flip, John prayed the only thing he knew how to pray in that situation: Jesus!  John explains:

“”The Cry of the Heart just comes if you let it. . . . I think it will just flow for you, too, if you give it permission.  Turn the editor off; let your heart and soul speak.”

Mr. Eldredge adds that the Cry of the Heart is more than cries of heartache, sorrow, or distress.  Joyful spontaneity and triumph also are important aspects of this type of prayer.  You don’t have to arrange for, practice, or even learn the Cry of the Heart.  No religious language is required.

John does offer a word of caution:

“Be careful that your heart cries do not subtly turn into agreements with despair or forsakenness.  Do not let ‘Father- I feel abandoned!’ turn into an agreement with ‘I am abandoned.’. . . it is too easy to land in a place of heartache and call it authenticity.”

The way to escape the shipwreck of the soul is to turn your gaze to God.

Today’s question: How have you kept your heart-cries from turning into agreements with despair or forsakenness?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Effective prayer”

The Cry of the Heart

Human logic versus divine plan

In Chapter 3 (“Surrendering Your Focus”) of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley notes that an inherent battle occurs when we wait on God.  As our delay stretches to weeks, months, and even years, we struggle to decide whether our desire is aligned with His will.  Dr. Stanley observes that we sense an inherent conflict between what we pray for and what God has planned for us because our prayers go unanswered.

Although we try to have faith, despair gets the upper hand in our hearts despite our best intentions.  Dr. Stanley explains our problem:

” . . . our problem is that we focus on our questions far more than on the Father’s desire to answer them.  And the more we think about the desire of our heart instead of God, the more frustrated we become and the more tempted we are to take matters into our own hands.”

Even Abraham, a great man of faith, attempted to get ahead of God by trying to figure out His plan or somehow speed it along. Then Abraham faced the ultimate test.  Dr. Stanley addresses each of these aspects of human logic versus divine plan.  The first is covered today.

1.  The need to figure it out.  Just like Abraham, we allow the circumstances of our life to overcome our faith in God.  When there is no tangible evidence of God’s working, we use logic in our attempt to figure out what God would do.  Human logic cannot discern God’s divine plan.  When we spend time in the Lord’s presence, He will comfort and rescue us.

Today’s question: What Bible verses sustain your focus on God’s divine plan rather than human logic?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Anticipated blessing”

New addition to the Crown Jewels: “Genie or Jesus?”

 

Human logic versus divine plan