Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     In the darkness moment you’ve experienced did you turn away from God or turn to Him?

2.     How did that affect your healing?

3.     How did it affect your next hurdle?

4.     Why do you think we doubt the Lord so much in the face of His faithfulness?

Share: When another dark moment comes into your life, how will you hold onto God?

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Hebrews 11:6, “….without faith, it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

For those who have met You Lord, or even had a glimpse of You, I doubt one would ever really deny Your existence. In my darkest moments that idea has never once taken root in me and yet there are questions that bring so many doubts, so many ‘but what if’ possibilities to block me from truly recognizing Your ability or Your willingness to act.

What if I am not welcome or not worthy? What if You exclude me because of my sin, or my selfishness? What if You see through my shields of hypocrisy? What if You can’t really help?

A desperate father brought to Jesus the plight of his son, his history since early childhood, the inability of healers to help him, the inability of the disciples to cure him and begged Jesus as his last hope, if you can—please help. And then his heart wrenching honest cry—“I do believe, help my unbelief.”

Often our faith staggers. We desire to walk in confidence and boldness. To bless and to be blessed according to God’s plans. But we focus on our own inadequacies instead of His power and grace. And create impossibilities before we even hear God’s reply.

Help me, Lord, help us, to come seeking Your will in faith, acknowledging the excuses we try to hide behind. Because You answer in spite of our feeble hope and in the presence of our failures that mock us. Please strengthen our faith into trust that really changes our lives as we daily walk in expectation.   

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 78:22-24

“Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation

Yet he commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven;

And He rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them food from heaven.”

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Walked

Methuselah is known

worldwide—his longevity

the prize record held.

Not connected often

with famous grandson Noah

another universal story,

great feats—family

heritage. Does anyone

remember that his father

Enoch, “walked with God.”

Not much else said

besides genealogy and reputation

“and then he was no more

because God took him.”

A heritage not repeated

in biblical annals,

but to walk with God

how can we ignore.

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     Do you think of yourself as being able to walk with God as Enoch did? Why or why not?

2.     Whom do you trust humanly more than any other person? Why?

3.     Is there someone that you give those same gifts of relationship to when you walk with them?

4.     Are these gifts that can only be shared spontaneously or gifts that can be nurtured?

Share: What is most special to you when you can walk with a close friend or loved one?

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’”

Every time I come to this verse, and the one it refers to in Genesis 5:24: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him,” I find myself silent and a little stunned at the words.

What would it be like to walk with God? Did he get to walk in person like Adam and Eve in the garden? Did they walk in silence like long time friends often do? Or were they so excited to be able to share their day and feelings that the conversation skipped from subject to subject and time passed into a blur?

And this happened long before the law, long before Jesus’ sacrifice to remove the barrier of sin that keeps us from fellowship. Scripture says so little about Enoch, but we do know he was a man and therefore not perfect—not righteous—not holy. Only Jesus can make that claim. And still, Enoch walked with God.

Richard Foster reminds us that the gift of Simple prayer is the freedom to pour our heart out before Him. “We do not try to conceal our conflicting and contradictory motives from God—or from ourselves.” We are fortunate when we find trustworthy friends with whom we can share with complete honesty and know they will listen all the way to the bottom of our garbage and stay with us until we recognize it as well.

Yet this miracle of fellowship to walk with God is His gift to each of us. Enoch recognized it and accepted it. Lord, help us to receive this wondrous spiritual heritage. Deepen our faith so that we willingly remove any barriers that keep us from walking with you.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 62:8

“Trust in Him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.”

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Success

Our success is marked

by accomplishment it seems

whether by worldly standards

of wealth, health, longevity;

or within ourselves a step

taken, a goal met, known

perhaps only to ourselves, gives

sense of satisfaction and

life is good.

Then we read that a man

died, a faithful man in God’s

eyes—a righteous man who

lived faithfully.

Which measure truly succeeds?

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     How can we determine if we are choosing to live by faith when all is going well?

2.     What practical steps can we take to turn towards faith when life becomes difficult or confusing?

3.     Do the faith words we speak to ourselves match the faith walk we take in public?

Share: What is your measure of a good day?