365 Days of Prayer
It was July 1st and it started like any other day. I was at work, so was my husband, Jon. We had no idea our lives would change that afternoon. Suddenly, Jon received THE call. In the company’s restructuring, after eight years of service, he seemed to have been “restructured” out.
We were hopeful, we knew God was in control of all things in our lives and He must be working a bigger plan. One week later, we received another significant blow; Jon’s father was diagnosed with cancer and given 6-12 months to live. In the 365 days that lay ahead of us, we would crawl on more days than we would walk.
Taking the first steps
The subsequent months brought two painful deaths as we lost Jon’s father and also my grandmother. We experienced more frustration than clarity in God’s plan for us. One day, as Jon shuffled resumes to some of the biggest names in the industry, he commented that he couldn’t help feeling like he was “barking up the wrong tree”.
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We started faith walking to find out if teaching and coaching was what Jon really heard God calling him towards. Sports were instrumental in his life and the lessons he learned about teamwork and discipline truly made it more than just a game to him. However, to step away from the lucrative business world in which you are so comfortable, and consider starting over at square one in a brand new career was pretty scary for both of us. Once, I remember waking up and just starring at my sleeping husband. I silently cried and prayed to God, that if this was the desire of Jon’s heart and if it even remotely aligned with God’s will, that God please just give it to him. Hadn’t he had enough after losing his career and his father? At this point, I didn’t care what we had to do financially; I simply wanted my husband to be happy and fulfilled.
Getting the call
July 1st, exactly 365 days from the moment he lost his job, my husband signed a contract with the School System and was the newest High School teacher and football coach. But, now for the rest of the story.
On the day of his 3rd interview with the school system, I was working at home. I checked the clock and it was 9:57am. I wanted to start praying right at his interview time of 10:00. Suddenly, the phone rang. I read the caller ID and my heart dropped. I couldn’t pick it up, because I didn’t know what to say.
A few months earlier, prior to his decision to move forward with teaching and coaching, a major bottler was recruiting Jon. He really wanted the position; it was very similar to his former job and seemed custom made for him. The day we received word they filled it internally was a tough day, it was a position he really truly wanted. Yet, it seemed God had closed the door and we didn’t hear from them again.
So, I didn’t pick up the phone. Why? The Caller ID told me it was the major bottler, whom we hadn’t heard from in 6 months. I remember looking up and saying, “God- what are you doing?” In that moment, I just knew this had to be the final test. So, I let the answering machine take the call.
Seeking God’s direction
When Jon came home from his interview, I didn’t tell him about the call. I just let him talk on an on about everyone he met, the principal, the athletic director, the football coaches. Then I asked the question of the day, “are you positive you feel God leading you to do this?” He responded that he felt comfortable and just knew God wouldn’t open the door to all of this, if he didn’t want him to go through it. I told him what was awaiting him on the answering machine.
We both had a moment where we just sat in silence. In those minutes, the past raced through our minds, we remembered the position, the paycheck, the perks and the prestige of a well-known company. The old Jon would have jumped at the call, but my husband was not the same man from one year ago. The new Jon sat quietly, silently weighing his options and the direction of God.
We talked, we prayed, finally we came to this conclusion. It was as if God himself had left the message asking are you really, truly willing to trust me about where we were going. Do you trust me to take you there? Do you trust me to impart the skills you need to accomplish what you have never tried? Do you have faith in things unseen? Or, will you go back to what’s comfortable, what you know, what you built, what might be more prestigious, and just so happens to have a better paycheck?
We felt it was a test. We could not imagine God bringing us through all this, just to go back to all of that! Aha — the sweet sound of breakthrough! About one hour later, we received a call from the school system, it looked like a deal, he was hired. Imagine that, I think we had just passed our final test.
“What would you have me do?”
Why does God take us through these things? I don’t really have an answer other than to say it must have been His plan for this to be a part of our testimony. It takes a recovering alcoholic to speak to an alcoholic, so maybe it takes two recovering relentless career-pursuers to speak to others who are similarly minded, to God be all glory if it does. Relentless pursuit of career over God leaves you unhappy and unfulfilled.
Once you get back to the point of truly asking God, “what would you have me do?” He opens doors to things we never even considered. Maybe we aren’t even in touch with the desires of our heart anymore because we are so deep in the rut we have made for ourselves? Here’s what we were missing: we never stopped to think that God had anything else for us. We had our entire lives planned out. It’s no wonder God had to shake us so violently, it would have taken that to have forced us to deviate from our to do list. Where will we be 5 years from now, proudly we say we have no idea! Our only response, wherever He leads, we’ll go. Let’s face it… life is hard! But He is God who works all things, even the hard things, for good.
God doesn’t ask us to live this life alone. Evangelist Billy Graham says that 90 percent of all Christians in America live defeated lives. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, adds, “You may have a heart for God. You read your Bible faithfully, you pray, you witness, you are active in your church; yet year after year you continue to fight a losing battle.”
Why is that? What do 10 percent of believers have that enables them to fight a winning battle? God’s Word declares that when we submit our lives fully to the Lord, the Holy Spirit controls our lives, and over time, He will naturally produce fruit in us. We can’t do it on our own.
We ask God to direct our lives. He generates the fruit. And people around us harvest the benefits. God wants to be our leverage in living, empowering us to feel better about ourselves, more excited about our future, more grateful for those we love and more enthusiastic about our faith.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you live life according to His perfect plan. Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Why not pray this simple prayer and by faith ask Him take over the reins of your life?
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Lord Jesus, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. Father, I thank You for forgiving my sins through Jesus’ death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, we would love to hear about it!
