So, there’s this “thing” that I had been praying for - for a while. Months, in fact. But I did not hear or see an answer. I needed saved, in a big way, but God was seemingly silent.
This “thing” was quite urgent and with every day, every month, that passed, things grew more dire. I grew more disheartened. I felt utterly abandoned. My faith was unraveling like a hand-knitted baby blanket trampled and tossed about in a hurricane. I was quite literally coming undone.
And then…..
Then, in one of my darkest moments, the Lord finally spoke. He said to me, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all this will be added unto you.” (Mt. 6:33)
At that, I realized I had my priorities out of order.
I was so focused on that “thing” that it began to take precedence over everything else. In some weird way, I began to covet it. It became a sort of idol that quite literally consumed my every thought, prayer, moment, and action.
Instead of praying and releasing it to God, I prayed and took it with me into my day… How could God do anything with it when I still held it in MY hands? I held on to it so tightly I nearly strangled it to death.
Not only that, but because I was so over-focused on this “thing,” I simultaneously lost focus on some promises that I made to God.
For example, the 24 hours. The Lord put it on my heart to record audio clips of the meditations on the 24 hours of his passion, as shown to Louisa Picaretta in 1882. I was strongly convicted that I had to do this. That it was a must. The Lord wanted it. He wanted to bless people - and draw them closer to Himself - through those meditations. So I told the Lord I would do it.
But I became so consumed over that “thing” I was praying for that I did not finish the project.
So when Jesus finally told me, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all this will be added unto you,” I knew exactly what He meant.
He meant finish the project. He meant refocus on my calling to serve Him and His people. He meant to get back to listening to Him, not talking “at” Him about some “thing” that I needed.
So I did. I let the “thing” go and I immediately got back to recording the remaining meditations on the 24 hours. After recording the last meditation, I exported the file.
It was complete. Finally.
Then God made good on His promise that “all this will be added unto you.” It didn’t take him 24 hours, though. No. God’s timing is incredible. Within five minutes of exporting that file, I received the “thing” I had been praying for.
Five. Minutes. Guys.
Five minutes.
Although, that’s not entirely true, I suppose. The “thing” I received was infinitely more grand than the “thing” I prayed for. I prayed for a pebble and the Good Lord gave me a boulder. In five minutes.
This morning I was reflecting on this and it occurred to me that someone else might need to hear this. Someone else might be praying for a “thing,” and hearing silence. Someone else might need a reminder to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all this will be added unto you.” (Mt. 6:33)
They also might need to hear to the 24 hours meditations, which you can find here: https://www.themilitiaofmary.com/community-clocks