What You Pray!

James 1:
5 If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of good judgement to all who ask him; he will not resent it.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind;
7 and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way and then that. If you don't ask with faith, don't expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.    (adapted from The Living Bible)

Today let us consider how to come out of a rut in life:

Isaiah 58:
6 "No, the kind of fast I want is that you stop oppressing those who work for you and treat them fairly and give them what they earn.
7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor, and destitute. Clothe those who are cold, and don't hide from relatives who need your help.
8 "If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. All you need to do is to stop oppressing the weak and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors!
10 "Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
12 Your sons will rebuild the long-deserted ruins of your cities, and you will be known as 'The People Who Rebuild Their Walls and Cities.'   (The Living Bible)

There are times in life when we get stuck.
Life just seems to be going no where. And we can sense, this is not just the routine of life. No, we're stuck in a rut.
Sometimes we pray, "Lord, get me out of this rut! Please!"
But the prophet Isaiah in the passage above, suggests that instead of praying to come out of the rut, we should consider one of the methods God has already laid out for becoming unstuck! That method is fasting: going without food for a spiritual reason.

There are some who for health reasons should not fast without medical advice. But for many people, missing one meal a week; or going without food for one day a week, is quite manageable.
Fasting is one way of dealing with one of the problems all humans have: selfishness.
The Prophet Isaiah lists some things we must do when we fast:
stop oppressing those in the work place
paying those who work for us promptly and fully
share our food with the hungry
help the poor, helpless and destitute in our homes so our children have a right example to follow of how to treat fellow humans
don't hide from relatives who need our help.
feed the hungry around you
help those in trouble

Why should I get involved with these troublesome people, you ask?
Because that is the way out of your rut!
The Prophet Isaiah also lists ways in which our life will move forward if we put our inner environment right:
God's light will come into our life again
His healing will begin to flow through your body
right living will open the way before us
godly living will shield us from difficulties in the path ahead
God's glory will protect us from behind
the Lord will be able to hear and answer your prayers quickly
the light of your own life will be a blessing to those around you
you will begin to see the way ahead because of the light in your life
the guidance of the Lord will come to you easily
the blessing of the Lord will be on you in tangible ways
you will become healthy in body
you life will be rich and fruitful
your children's lives will be a blessing in society
your family will be known as those who are part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

What a way forward!

Prayer:
Father, make me a blessing in these ways, through the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.