At a traffic signal as I awaited the signal to turn green, I was distracted by loud and incoherent screams from the direction of the side walk. I glanced out of my car's window, an old lady was shouting random insults to strangers as she walked along the sidewalk. "Oh poor lady", I thought, and quickly whispered a prayer, "Lord be with her and help her". The signal turned green, my thoughts turned to the upcoming morning meeting at work and I drove on into the parking garage in front on of my office.
Later that evening, on my drive back home, I remembered the words of a remarkable 90-year old lady from a TV interview, an inventor, who revealed her secret of productivity and wisdom - "Praise, then shut up and listen and then obey". I decided to put that advice to test and as I drove home, sang true praises to God and asked God to speak to me for something that I needed correction in as I promised to shut up and listen to His voice.
He did speak into my heart ..
The mad, old, screaming lady from the morning came into my heart. The Lord said to me in the quietness of the car, "... that prayer you said in the morning about the old lady, that is exactly how you want to participate in My work in the world". He went on to say, "You just want to utter a 'help them' prayer and want me to magically go ahead and change things. Oh and I do, I do intervene supernaturally whenever needed. But have you considered that I want to work with you to 'help them'?"
The Lord taught me a simple lesson about myself. Stop being distant and cold to the suffering you see around you. Stop offering token prayers or even money without your heart invested in it. Pray with your heart, give with your heart and most importantly work with Me to help those who are suffering around you. When you do something don't even think "I did this for the Lord". I do not need anything from you. You don't have to do anything for me, I own the universe. But you can get off your couch and comfortable car and do something with Me.
If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
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