"Just"

Sitting in bible study discussing guilt vs conviction got me thinking...

There are a lot of promises and gift the Lord gives His children that I don't claim for myself...I testify to others that guilt and condemnation are not from the Lord, that grace and mercy are OURS in abundance and that we are fully pleasing to God just as we are...

BUT...

I do not own this truth for myself. I get caught up in condemning myself for wrongs; thinking of all the shoulda, coulda, woulda's and thinking that my own sin is outside of God's grace to forgive.

This revelation came full circle at choir practice when we were praying and I repeatedly said, "Lord, I just pray...and I just ask..." Think about kids or even adults (yes even myself): we use "just" to help make our case for an exception ("I'm just going to have one bite" "I just want to play outside for a minute." "I just want one new dress for the summer.") Scripture tells me to put my requests at the foot of the cross, to go BOLDLY to the throne (Phil 4:6), that the Spirit himself testifies FOR US (Romans 8:16), and most of all that we have the POWER of the Risen Jesus living in all of us (Galatians 2:20)! So WHY am I asking the Lord for "just" anything?! I don't want my one answered prayer to be the exception; I don't want anyone's answered prayer to be the exception. I want to BOLDLY lay my request at the foot of the cross, PRAISE him for allowing me to do so and then wait expectantly for them to ALL be answered. Regardless of the request, I don't just want them answered...I want the Lord glorified.

So, I'm challenging myself to be BOLD and not "just pray" but to PRAY! It has only been a few days since I issued myself this challenge....but it's amazing the power that comes across in my prayers when I take out this small little word!!

--RMN