Sometimes I wonder if my experience as a fisherman reflects my experience in prayer.

Because I have failed so often to catch fish, I am not a confident fisherman. That is, when I put the line in the water, I can’t be confident that I’m going to catch anything. And yet, I keep trying, and always wondering if there’s something different I should do to hook that elusive game.

Because I believe in God, I have been able to find things to be happy about without landing fish. I love being beside a body of water and basking in the beauty that God has created all around. Usually over water the sky is bigger, and there are to be seen the eagles and egrets and all sorts of other fishing birds that you don’t see in the woods. The movement of the water can be mesmerizing, and it often compliments the movement of my soul.

Standing there, until I must sit down and untangle line, I’ve even found myself praying as I think Peter might have during a long, fruitless night,[1] “Lord, if there are fish in this water that have my name on them, I sure could use your help to catch them.” I wonder if I really needed to catch fish to eat if he would give me the fruit of my line-twisted labor there beside the water. But then I return home without having caught anything. The last 8 years here in New York have been a complete bust for catching fish!

So why keep trying?

When it comes to prayer, it often is the difference between fishin’ and abidin’. When I have approached prayer as a fishing expedition, that creates confidence problems. The thing about prayer is that I’m often asking for things that I hope to see happen (fishing), not asking for things to happen that I might see God’s good plan revealed (abiding). I hope my perspective can change and with God’s help it will. Because I truly do want to see the power of God revealed in my life and I don’t want to struggle to pray with confidence that God is moving, and God will be seen —that God hears and answers prayer, and he is exalted in whatever good thing he is creating in response.

Holy Desire…Confidence…Hope…

This morning, I’ve awakened recognizing a holy desire in me. I realize that the foundation of my prayer life, believing that God is moving and will answer, is still too shaky. And my desire is not necessarily that God In this moment will destroy the wickedness rising in America or that Israel would be delivered from her enemies and be a peace, but that I would have unshakable confidence in God —that he IS working a righteous deliverance and vindication of his people who have chosen to believe in him.[2]

I realize that the problem lies very deep and perhaps in the dust of earnest prayers I’ve prayed over the years with deep longing to which the answer remains largely hidden. I prayed with Julia for her to be delivered from IPF [3] and she prayed with me that I would rise free above negativism of spirit. We prayed together that weaknesses in our bodies, that kept us from loving each other the way we wanted to, would go away. But the full, completed answers to these prayers and many others remain hidden from my view.

IN MOMENTS LIKE THESE, I know God has been calling me to abide in His presence while I wait to see the final fulfillment of these prayers.

I think it’s time to put fishin’ prayer away for good. Don’t you agree?

I want to be the confident Christian who can walk into a situation believing that with God anything is possible —fully believing anything good is possible, even though so many situations in life seem to have ended up partially completed or hidden. [4]

I desire this because of what I know…

• God is on the throne, and he is all sovereign.
• Christ rose from the dead and is preeminent in Glory. He will return and set all things right, making all things new. 
• God is the one who created a world that works together beautifully in spite of all the evil we’ve done against her.
• God is the one in whom exists no shadow of turning or darkness. There is NO evil in his heart. He does all things with justice and mercy.
• The chief end of me, in my prayers, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, so if I’m not abidin’ when I’m prayin’, I ain’t prayin’, I’m fishin!’

I choose to trust and abide in my prayers. And I choose to keep my heart open to the hope — from His Spirit abiding within.[5]

I believe, help my unbelief, oh God!

His answer in the words of His Spirit rises up within me…

“I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“I CAN”

TRUSTING CHRIST DELIVERS ME FROM…

I can’t
I might
I don’t have
I won’t be able to

AND CALLS ME TO DECLARE…

I can
I will
I have enough
I will be able to

“BECAUSE IN ALL THINGS”

Doing all things I’m given to do
All things great or small
All things in pain or joy
All things wise or silly

“ABIDING IN CHRIST”

Knowing him
Receiving his mercy
Following him
Trusting him
Being his hands and feet
Reflecting his heart
Enjoying his full acceptance
Resting in his love
Sharing life with his own

“WHO”

Humble servant
Man of sorrows
Sovereign King
Resurrected Lord
Mighty warrior
Prince of Peace
Ruler over the unseen and the seen
Upholder of all things
Author and finisher of life
Promise keeper
Shepherd of the sheep

“STRENGTHENS”

Giving me hope
Giving me peace
Forgiving my stumbling
Lighting my path
Sharing my tears
Promising all be well
Captivating my thoughts
Filling my love

“ME“

David

Nothing Is Impossible When You Put Your Trust in God! [6] In prayer let’s keep abiding in Christ, not fishing for answers we can see. And when He does reveal the full, glorious answer, the catch will be more than the boat can hold! [7]

Shalom

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[1] John 21:1-14; Intimacy, authenticity, simplicity – Andrew Peterson

[2] Psalm 18:31-42

[3] “Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis”

[4] Matthew 19:26, Genesis 18:14, Job 42:2, Jeremiah 32:17,27, Mark 14:36, Luke 1:37

[5] Romans 15:13 ESV, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

[6] No Impossible With You — I am They; Nothing Is Impossible When You Put Your Trust in God! — Family Harmony Mumbai (Song by Eugene Clark)

[7] Unstoppable God — Elevation Worship; John 15:16; Psalm 20:7 – Commentary from Athletes in Action