At the end of the film it shows the Father Nectarios dying in a hospital and sharing the room with a working man who fell off a cliff and became paralyzed from the waist down. The man who is paralyzed said, "I don't understand why God didn’t let me die when I feel off that cliff. I don’t understand why..." Then Father Nectarios says, "He has a purpose for you my brother." The man responds confused, "A purpose?! What purpose?? I can’t move my body. All I can do is lay here. I can’t take care of my family. I can’t feed my children. I can’t do anything......I don’t know why am I here?" Father says the most profound response: "Every one of us should ask that question, you are just forced to do it."
With the start of a new year - consider getting a pen and paper and asking the Lord that question. Why am I here? What did You make me for? What is my purpose?
One way to know what you were made to do is to find what makes you come alive inside. What is that gift you came with that no one has to coax you into?
Consider asking the Lord to give you a word or phrase for the upcoming year. We do this each year as a family. Last year I got the word "Pillar" and I saw myself holding up our house. Not many months after this my husband broke his leg and the one who has all the strength in every way now needed me to hold things up.
When you ask the Lord for an advanced word or phrase for the year, upon receiving that answer consider asking more questions: Is there more You can tell me about that word? Is there a spiritual gift I should ask for to help me with this word? How can I use this word to draw closer to You? In what ways are You asking me to Spiritually mature? How can I best prepare for what will happen in my life in 2025? What spiritual gifts should I seek after to help me with what is coming for me? What good things to You have for me this year? What things do I do that You would like me to stop doing? What relationships would You like me to focus on? Who do I need to forgive? What is keeping me from having a closer relationship with You?
Now is also a good time to look at relationships in your life and ask yourself if they are enhancing your life or depleting you of life. Consider asking the Lord what to do about those relationships that are causing you stress and how to best manage them. Ask the Lord about websites you frequent or channels you subscribe to or social media you consume. How much is dross that can be discarded for more time with Him?
I recently felt to give more time and attention to my children. And I already felt like I was an olympic gold medalist at time and attention to my kids but the Lord showed me another area I could sacrifice in order to be better present for them. A few weeks ago one of my children started talking about a problem they were having (which they'd vocalized many times before). This time I prayed in my heart for help. I realized that if this child is still bringing it up, then it's only getting worse and not better. After offering a quick prayer I saw in my mind what questions to ask and how to approach each area of the conversation.
Then...I did what I saw to do. The conversation took about an hour but when it was over it felt like a dam broke and the River of Life poured into that room. Something had been shattered and I felt air fill my lungs in a new way that I can not describe. I felt the Lord ask me - "If I had offered you the chance to come to My throne and see Me in My full glory or to have helped this child...which would you have chosen?" And I said immediately in my heart - "After today now I know I would have chosen to help this child. Thank You. Thank YOU for today!!"
When you are living in a Godly fellowship, be it with your friends or family, coming to their aide in their darkest times of need....there is nothing greater. Walking and being at one with Him is everything.
I have a friend I've been praying for for about 7 years. They are nearly bedridden and doctors do not know how to help them. This person is strong and independent in the extreme. To see them suffer makes me suffer. A few years ago when I was praying for them to be healed, the Lord said, "They will be healed - when it's time." I told this to my friend and they said that was an almost verbatim quote from their patriarchal blessing. But still I persisted in asking the Lord for them to be healed. This seemed the best thing to do. But last weekend I realized that I needed to ask the Lord - "what is the best thing that I can pray for my friend? Is it healing?" What I learned was that all my prayers had been counted unto them for righteousness but that the greater thing I could pray for was "patience in their suffering".
I have another friend who stopped believing in God and their spouse was heartbroken. I have prayed over and over that they would start believing in God again. But then I asked the Lord what the best thing I could pray for this person was. And I learned this was part of their journey and part of the cleansing of their bloodline. The Lord showed me that the miracle that will awaken them to God is so beautiful that I would never, ever want to take that from them because it will make them love God more than I ever thought possible. And so I felt to pray that they could bear this burden and then to focus my prayers on their spouse and to pray to strengthen them to be able to bear this weight.
Ask the Lord about the things that you are praying for. Is there something better you could be asking for? Maybe you want healing and it's not coming....so what is it that you need to ask for in this valley? Maybe you want an experience with the Lord but, as I experienced with the healing of my child's issue, that wasn't the greatest gift I could have asked for at that time! Sometimes we get our minds set on what we think will solve the problem but the Master knows what is best. Ask Him. Trust Him.
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