Strengthen Your Faith

When I got on God Girl for the first time, I was really looking for a way to strengthen my faith. I got on right around the time I started reading Devotions for the God Girl. And it was while reading that book that I found an answer to my prayers. It's only the ninth devotional, so for some of you it may be old news. But for anyone who's forgotten or hasn't read it, this is what I read that struck a note in me:

Prayer is a direct link to God. It strengthens your faith.

God answers prayers. The more you pray, the more your prayers are answered, the more faith you have, the more you want to connect to God.....and from there it loops. This has really put some hope in me! If you're not sure, I'll tell you a quick story about something that happened very recently in my life.

I have a pen pal. Her name is Melise. She has 6 brothers and 4 sisters.

Interested yet? Here's the thing: Up until July 30, 2012, she had 5 brothers and 4 sisters.

Her family had their 6th son July 30, 2012, around 10:00 am. But the thing that they've known for a while, that I've been praying for a while about, is that a day or two after his birth he would need surgery. I prayed and prayed and prayed that he would be alright ("he" is Elias). The day of the surgery was August 1, 2012. So, 2 days after being born, Elias had surgery.

Surgery on a 2 day old baby - maybe more like a day and a half! I know there have been other babies, some even younger, that have had surgery and survived, but I was still nervous. So, I prayed and prayed and prayed, and...the surgery went perfectly! No problems, no concerns...perfect! And I have no doubt that God was there. :) Because of faith and prayer.

There's one more thing to add, and I'll try not to ramble on too much. But, while prayer is always thought of as a link to God, I want to quickly point out that God is everywhere. You don't need to be formal, get down on your knees, etc. to talk to God. You can talk to him in your own head, communicate with him that way! The pastor at my church once pointed this out, and said, "When you ask God what you should do, pay attention only to the first thought. That's him speaking to your mind; that's you hearing the voice of God. But don't listen to your second thought: it contradicts your first thought, and it's the devil trying to convince you not to do the right thing." At first I thought it sounded kind of strange. God AND the devil, speaking inside your head? It sounded ridiculous. But I think he was right!

I've tried it. Whenever I listen to the first thought God gives me, it's the right thing to do. If I listen to the second thought, it ALWAYS contradicts my first thought. I have one warning, though, when you're using this method. Make sure that you're talking to God, asking his opinion and not your own. Because it really is like a form of prayer. You want his opinion, not yours. So be careful!!!

Guess I did just make that really long. :) Oops!

~Reagan