Our travel begins…7/19/2016 (Tuesday)

A couple Sundays ago our pastor in his sermon talked about prayers not being answered, or so it seems. We frequently feel like our utterances to God seem to fall on a deaf ear. The enemy would like us to believe that God is not interested in us and refuses to heed our plea. However, God continually listens and speaks to us. In fact, we all possess a copy of His Word. In today’s technology with accessibility to the Scriptures in many formats, we can almost instantly have His Word at our fingertips on our phones, tablets and computers. The pastor stated that the predominate method of speaking to us is through His Word. Many times we will find the answer to our prayer in the midst of Scripture. I have had times when after praying about a particular concern, I am led to the Scripture where I will read the answer clearly and to the point. I must admit, those times amaze me and then I wonder why. Don’t I have the faith to take God at His word? The science training I have had tells me that was just a coincidence, pure chance. I disagree. Those events have happened frequent enough to verify in my mind that God indeed listens and He also answers. All I have to do is open His Word and listen to Him.

This pastor made this statement: “God speaks to us through His Word. We should pray and at the same time read His Word. Complaining about God not answering our prayers while our Bible remains closed is like complaining about not receiving text messages when your phone is off.” So true. How often do we pray with our Bible sitting on the shelf possibly covered with dust?

So, I want to start each day with some prayer and Scripture. I am convinced that this is the only way to effectively start each day, not only on this trip but daily…always.

My thoughts this morning as we prepare to travel to Miami and then tomorrow board the big bird and fly to Quito, Ecuador, is looking to God for safety and protection. As I prayed that this morning a picture came to mind that illustrates several passages in Psalms that talk about this protection.

Psalm 91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver your from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (NKJV)

Join me today in praying for our trip. Please pray for our safety in travel. We travel by car to Miami where we will stay overnight and then will be at the airport very early in the morning to process through security and then board our flight to Quito. We should arrive in Quito about 1 pm local time and then should be on our way to San Lorenzo, a 4 to 5 hour trip through some of the most scenic mountains I have ever seen. Pray also for our personal safety from illness, injury, and other health changes or problems that can pull us down and create roadblocks in our effort to follow Christ and serve Him in San Lorenzo. Pray for those wings of protection to be over us all the time and for us to recognize those wings and trust fully in them.

Father, Lord Jesus, I pray this morning for our trip, for our safety, for our health, and especially for Your presence with us continually. Please grant us protection while on the road. Keep us alert and responsive. Protect us from harm. Please cup us in Your hands as we travel together to Miami this morning. I pray also, Lord, to protect our health. Wrap Your arms of love and healing power around us individually and may we feel that love. Protect us, Lord, from illness and health changes that could affect our effort to serve You. For me, Lord, protect my eye as I have been dealing with a vitreous detachment and keep it stable. Protect my right lower leg from more problems from the Baker’s Cyst and the leaking into the muscles in the lower leg. Lord, I reach out to You to take Your hand and walk with You through this. Protect Ted and Howard as we travel today. Thank You Lord for Your continual love, continual grace, continual forgiveness, and Your continual presence. In You we place our trust, Lord, and to You goes all our praise! Thank You Lord. Amen.