Since the beginning of the race, and even more so just the last couple of months, God has been teaching me more about prayer and giving Him full control because I really can’t do anything without Him. Last month in Uganda was pretty rough at times and I really began to learn to rely on God’s strength alone. There was a lot of witchcraft in the area we were in and we could really feel the darkness all around us as we walked through the different neighborhoods. We constantly had to pray for God’s strength and peace to surround us. Even though it’s so easy sometimes in America to forget to rely on God to provide for us, it’s really evident in the lives of the people here that the only thing they can do sometimes is to rely on God’s strength alone. Whether it’s for a job, school fees, or even where they’re going to get their next meal to feed their children.
It’s easy just to pray and ask God for things when you are going through a hard time or you want something; the hard part is learning to listen. To just sit quietly and really listen to God. It seems easier to just keep talking and talking to God without listening since we can’t actually see Him. With my family and friends, though, I don’t just talk the whole time without giving them a chance to say something. It’s the same way with our relationship with God. He has things He wants each one of us to know and He wants a real relationship with each one of His children.
As I was preparing a message the other day, for the evening service at the church we are working with this month, I began to pray and ask God what I should teach about. Then I just stopped talking for a while and really tried to listen. The past couple of months when I had to prepare other messages, I didn’t always ask God what I should talk about, I just wrote something I thought would be good and then asked God to bless it. This time I really didn’t have any ideas so I did the only thing I could do, I prayed and asked God to give me the words to say.
This is what I got-
I grew up going to church ever since I was born, and both of my parents go to church as well. Ever since I was young I believed in Jesus. I believed that He died on the cross for my sins, that He loved me so much, that He wants a relationship with me, and that one day I can spend eternity in Heaven with Him. But I didn’t always act like that’s what I believed.
About seven or eight years ago I was really sick. Around this time was when I found out I’m allergic to milk. I was sick for about a year without telling anyone because I wanted to try to fix myself and have control, I didn’t think I needed any ones help. It didn’t even cross my mind at first to pray and ask for God’s help. So I was admitted to Children’s Hospital in Seattle for a few days, because I had lost so much weight, and they did a whole bunch of tests to try to figure out what was wrong. One night in the hospital I finally realized how sick I was and how much weight I had actually lost. I finally realized that trying to fix myself wasn’t working and I really did need help. I knew I had to give God control over the situation and over my whole life, not just some parts of my life. God reassured me that He saw me, and He knew what I was going through. He gave me a peace that everything would be okay. He is the only One that can provide all of my needs and give me strength each day.
Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Many times in my life I’ve tried to make my own plans and rely on my own strength, but it never works out. God created us to be in a relationship with Him. He created each and every one of us and He knows us by heart. He loves us so much and He wants to provide us with all of the love, joy, peace, and strength that we need.
There are many stories in the Bible that talk about God providing for people and giving them strength. One of them is the story of David and Goliath. David was a shepherd boy and Goliath was a giant in the Philistine army. During the story the Israelites are battling the Philistines. Goliath was nine feet tall and he wore armor that weighed 125 pounds. He also carried a spear and had someone else walk in front of him with a shield. Goliath shouted over to the Israelites and told them to pick a man to come and fight him. He said if that man won and was able to kill him that the rest of the Philistines would serve the Israelites. All of the Israelites were terrified. Each morning and evening for forty days Goliath shouted the same thing to them, and they ran away full of fear.
Now David had three brothers who were old enough to fight. He visited them one day and brought them food. He heard Goliath shouting over to the Israelites and offered to go and fight him himself. No one believed he could defeat Goliath and they told him he was too young and too small. David knew that only God could give him the strength he needed to defeat Goliath, that he couldn’t do it on his own. He said in the past as he was watching his sheep sometimes lions and bears would come and attack. Each time God helped him kill the lions and bears and rescue his sheep. So he knew God could provide for him again.
David didn’t put on any armor, he just grabbed a sling shot and five stones. He marched right down to wear Goliath stood and told him that in the name of the God of Israel he would defeat him that day. Goliath didn’t believe at all that a small boy could kill him. David took out one stone and slung it and hit Goliath right on the forehead, and he fell to the ground dead. David said that all who were gathered there that day would know that God is real and only He could have provided him with the strength he needed.
Many struggles we face each day seem huge. We may feel small like David trying to fight a giant twice our size if we try to face our struggles alone. God gives us hope that we don’t have to fight on our own. He wants to provide and fight for us. He wants us to look to Him for the strength we need each day.
I challenge you to ask yourself what struggles you’re trying to face on your own. Ask God to reveal them to you, and to give you the faith to give Him total control. Continually pray for renewed strength each day.
Side note about my title- Here in Tanzania each time one of us gets up to speak at church the pastor says “it is now your time.” I got the nickname Pritine in Kenya from the doctor that treated my malaria. He didn’t know how to say ‘Brittany’ so he called me ‘Pritine,’ he even wrote it on the little record he kept when he checked on me each day. So last month in Uganda, and this month in Tanzania I’ve stuck with Pritine because it seems to be easier to say. The pastor we are working with this month can’t quite say it so he’s been calling me ‘Protein.’ Then as I got up to give my message the other day he said “It is now your time Proteiny.”
