A new thing!

"Prayer prevails. It brings power. It brings life. It brings God. Let us dare to be definite with God; let us dare to lay hold of the promises and to wait in faith until the answer comes." Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Mrs. Cowman was the author of the one of the greatest devotionals of time: Streams in the Desert. Lettie Cowman and her husband were missionaries, but this devotional, their most enduring and powerful work, resulted from great suffering. When her husband became ill, Mrs. Cowman prayed and nursed him. But during this time of suffering and pondering God's will, she put together a collection of her favorite sayings and quotes. She hoped to use this little book to provide some small funds to support their missionary work. Little did she suspect that God would used this devotional to bless and encourage countless Christians for years to come. It is still in print over 75 years later--and it is one of my favorites (and one of my aunt Janie's favorites. My copy is the one she had by her bedside at her home when she died).

Who knows how God will use the deserts in our lives? I only know that I want to experience that power and life that only comes through prevailing prayer. Amazingly, yesterday in church part of the passage for the sermon came from what I assume was the inspiration for the title of the devotional. How these words encouraged my heart: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Is. 43:18-19

What great verses for a new year! Forget about last years failures! Forget about all those times you came up short or ran out of wisdom or love or faithfulness. Stop dwelling on the past--for as I said the other day, regret fuels worry. God is the Great I Am. Ever present. Ever active. Ever powerful. Ever forgiving. And He is doing a new thing in each of our lives. He will bring forth those living streams of water in the most barren, desperate places in our lives.

So the question is, will we choose to dwell on the past or will we look with hope and trust and prayerful faith to the future? He wants to do a new thing in our families, in our hearts, in our nation. And Lord, I want to be a part of it! So Lord, bring on those cool, life-giving streams in our lives and help us to boldly go forth with You. To God be the glory.