You Have Direct Access to the Father – Use It
Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray . . .
(Luke 18:1 ESV)
And so begins Sunday’s sermon.
Which kind of slides over me because, really, who doesn’t already know that we ought always to pray.
Monday evening my Bible teacher reframes Jesus’ encouragement.
You have direct access to the Father.
Use it.
I jot down her words.
Then underline them.
Direct access to the Father . . .
That mental image is not sliding over me.
“Use it,” she repeats.
Use. Your. Direct. Access.
I go back and double underline.
Exhale deeply.
And rest my pencil.
Because I’m off to a week in Hilton Head with my cousins.
Which is tons of fun, until I hop into my car for the return trip.
A light on my dashboard shows one tire is low.
Unwelcome news.
Embarrassingly, I do not use my direct access to the Father.
Instead, I ask my GPS to take me to the nearest gas station.
After tapping my credit card on the air pump the air comes on, but the pressure display panel does not.
I have no idea how much air I’ve injected.
Once again, I do not utilize my direct access to the Father.
Instead, I panic.
Until I’m so distracted by what-if’s and oh-no’s that I impulsively jam the valve cap into my pocket and drive off.
Figuring I’ll find another gas station later.
An hour down the road I begin looking for that fantasy station.
And that’s when I notice . . .
My wallet is missing.
In my distracted state I must have set my wallet down.
And left it.
Full of cash, credit cards, driver’s license, library card . . .
Uh-oh.
If there was ever a time to utilize direct access to the Father, this is it.
So I do.
Then I phone my cousins who haven’t left yet.
Unbelievably, they find my wallet.
On the ground near the air pump.
Right where I left it.
Over an hour before.
Cash, credit cards, driver’s license, library card . . . all there.
A wallet miracle.
Yet I’m feeling some self-judgment.
I should have started praying earlier.
From the get-go.
Right?
Imagine my astonishment when I meet someone with a similar tale.
Achsah (AKE-saw).
Literally one step away from setting off on her honeymoon, she leaps from her donkey.
To approach her father.
Instead of surprise, he registers delight.
Arms open wide.
“What is it? What can I do for you?”
(Joshua 15:18-19 TLB)
Her concern involves his wedding gift to her.
A parcel of land.
Which is a desert.
She comes straight to the point.
“Give us some springs too!”
Surely Achsah hasn’t just noticed her parcel is a desert.
Yet she’s waited until the last minute to ask her father for what she needs.
Should I judge her too?
Her father doesn’t.
Then he gave her the upper and lower springs.
More than she asked.
A picture of his heart for her.
Maybe prayer is less about what the Father does for us, and more about what He’s doing in us.
When we approach Him about all things.
Experience who He is.
And His heart for us.
From the get-go.
Or later . . .
You have direct access to the Father.
Use it.
See you in a couple weeks.
Love,
I love it I love it on the ground for more than an hour with God protecting it just for his precious daughter! Why are we so hesitant to wait to pray? Thank you for this message and great reminder this morning!
I really believe He hid my wallet from the eyes of anyone who might have glanced that way. His care amazes me. I was so glad to have my wallet back because I didn’t have enough gas to get home. I was going to need to borrow money from my cousins.
Ditto sweet Rosalie!
So often I have to admonish myself for the very same thing, Cindy.
I, too, appreciate the timely reminder. ♥️
Thank you Cindy for a wonderful time together and for our amazing lesson about praying. It was a miracle that while it was still there untouched!! just use Him❤️
there is actually more to this story when Cindy called she said she didn’t know what gas station it was but the air pump was in the back of the station. So I decided to pray and I put in my GPS “closest gas station” six popped up and I prayed and ask God to send me to the right one. I got to the right one with my sister first a very busy gas station we went to and behind our car was a trash truck that was about to empty the dumpster right next to her wallet. Miracle /Gods hand and protection ❤️🙏
And there you have it – the rest of the story of the best God and the best cousins!
It sure was a wonderful time! Can’t wait until the next cousin reunion – CR4.
I’m trying to remember my own message and pray right away. . . but it’s easy to think “okay I’ve got this” and not pull God into the situation until I’m in over my head.
What a great reminder!
To me too!
Amen to lessons learned. Blessing was the fantastic and amazing outcome. You are loved.
Love you too, Carol!
Now this is a story that anyone can visualize happening. That makes scripture come alive in techniccolor. Yep, He is so so good!!!!
I love the part, and I didn’t include this, but the part where Achsah asks her husband to talk to her dad and then she leaps off her donkey to get the job done herself. I guess he wasn’t moving fast enough for her. Welcome to married life, buddy.
What a blessed ending to your cousins week!!! So glad all went well.❤️
I own a compressor that plugs into my cigarette lighter, but I don’t keep it in my car. I keep it in my pantry . . . where nothing ever needs air. Lesson learned! It’s in my car now!
Oh my Cindy! So glad you got your wallet back! I agree, we all do that sometimes….a good reminder to pray first, ask questions later. Love you lots
I was so glad to have money to get gas to get home . . . and not to have to go through the hassle of cancelling credit cards and getting a new drivers license. God is beyond good!
Thank you for a practical reminder that we do often overlook. Pray to God first! He does have all the answers.
Sometimes easier said than remembered . . .