Desperate prayer is one of the most important criteria needed when making a tough decision. God’s Word says, “Ye shall seek Me and find Me when you shall search for Me with all your heart.”[Jeremiah 29:13] Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.[Matthew 22:37] In other words, we are to be whole-hearted in our love for God. Jesus also said, “Seek and you shall find.”[Matthew 7:7] God has promised in His Word to hear our cry and answer when we call upon Him with whole heart. Hold God to his Word. Claim His promises. He says “Call upon Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”[Jeremiah 33:3]
Sometimes fasting food and or television or anything else which might hinder one's ability to concentrate on hearing God's voice, may be helpful. Never doubt for a moment that God will answer. Be desperate for His answer, and guidance. You won’t be disappointed. His Word says, “Before they call, I will answer and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”[Isaiah 65:24]
Another aspect of getting answers in prayer when making decisions is to get one's own will out of the way. We need to ask God to show us His will. Because in the end, that’s what we are really seeking to find, God’s will for us. Apostle Paul admonishes us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, that He might transform our minds, in order that, we can find His good and perfect will.[Romans 12:2] Reading God’s Word can be a big help in moments of decision. God's word can have a cleansing effect. It can help lift the fog we often have when we are trying to make a difficult decision. God can even speak to us through His Word, showing what decision is the best one to take.
I have found in my own life that, once I commit something to the Lord in prayer, I need to trust, that whatever happens, is within His will. He is in control, even if I cannot see or understand how.
An example of desperation from my own life happened in my last year of High School. To my dismay, the Vietnam Draft Lottery gave me a low number. A low number signified I would be drafted into the military when my college studies were finished. A dark cloud of despair hung over me as a result. The next four years of college were not fun and parties like many of my friends experienced. The United States of America was in the midst of a social upheaval against the war. When my college days were ended, what would and what should I do? Should I go in the military and do my duty, like the Catholic Priest and Protestant Minister with whom I had asked council from suggested? Should I go to Mexico or Canada, like many young men were doing? What was the right action I should take?
Not having the answers, I started searching for them in books, magazines, and journals. Even though I was an agnostic at the time, I still wanted to do what I felt was morally right. I was against the war like men young people were. Joining the army was out of the question. Some friends encouraged me to go in as a conscientious objector or a medic. But for me, joining would be a compromise. I did not want to be killed, or want to have kill some other poor guy. I did not want to help the war effort in any way.
I read many books and articles to strengthen my conviction against the war. Finally, the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament gave me the conviction that I needed. I would resist the draft, and face the consequences, whatever they would be.
My mother called me in the beginning of November 1971 explaining how the FBI had been to our home to arrest me. They had talked with our neighbours. They would be coming for me soon. I was in another state some 800 kilometres away. I got down on my knees, and cried out with tears to God with all my heart, soul and mind. “God, if you exist, please help me.”
Two weeks later, I picked up two hitchhikers. They led me in a simple prayer to accept Jesus as my Saviour. Thus, began my new life as a Child of God. I didn’t join the military. I didn’t go to jail. I joined a Christian missionary training centre and learned how to follow God. I dedicated my life to God. God, as a result, did the miracle. He saved me out of the mouth of the lion, out of the hands of the American Military machine. Since that time, I have been serving God, in some form or the other, for the past fifty-five years. He heard my prayers. He will hear yours, also. Call upon Him with all your heart. Have desperate prayer. You will not be disappointed.
Originally published November 28, 2013.
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