What Have I Been Doing?

Where have I been since my last posting? And what have I been doing?

Well, for one thing, I have been concentrating on a painting as time permitted. In fact, a total of 23 hours and 45 minutes of time, spread out over a number of days, with many intervening duties and pleasurable things occurring. I must say, however, it seems like many more hours went into this particular painting! But I do not usually spend more than an hour at a time in a painting session.

I have never before kept a record of the time spent doing a painting, and people are constantly asking how long did such and such a painting take to accomplish. So, I decided to "take the time" to keep a record. Perhaps a more appropriate question would be over what span of months or even a year has it taken to finish some I have done. The ones I have painted purely for my own pleasure usually take longer in this regard, because their execution usually gets interrupted several times for intervening works for someone else. This is true at this time as well. I had been working on a particular painting for about a year. This was one which was inspired by the death of a woman who gathered and ate some poison mushrooms by mistake. More about this at some future date.

As my landscapes go, the one I have just finished was one of the larger ones, being 24x36 inches. I don't mean to make it sound like it has been a drudgery, because it certainly has not. But toward the end of a painting, my enthusiasm has a tendency to flag a bit and I want to get it done, and start something fresh. For instance in this case, I am ready to begin another one already. It is also a commission, and is of a totally different subject and having an entirely different color scheme. This will be a seascape with a lighthouse. More about this later also.

Prayer Changes Things

Whoever said that prayer doesn't change things has never prayed and been aware of God's affirmative answer to their petition! God delights to answer the cries of our heart. When David cried out to the Lord in times of trouble and, as he says, "He heard me," the word in the Hebrew literally means "to shriek." And it carries the idea of calling out in danger or anguish!

This is just one example of the kinds of prayers to which God delights to respond when one of His children utters a supplication.

Moses says in Psalm 90 that He "saves our life from destruction." I dare say He has often done this even before I have had time to "cry out to Him". Praise His name, His eye is always upon us, and He cares for us in ways that we can never imagine. Nevertheless, He is thrilled when we call upon him in our desperation in troubling times. In such times, we are critically aware of our dependence upon Him.

Does Prayer Change Things?

The Scriptures never tell us, per se, that "prayer changes things".

However, there is the implication that one may deduce from the examples of holy biblical characters by the course of events and circumstances which certainly seemed to be affected by what they asked God to do. And therein lays the crux of the matter, does it not? It was not effected by the asking. Even the act of their asking Him was an action which was brought about at His own instigation. He had to tell His creatures to ask. And they did so by a conscious decision with the minds that He had given them and empowered them to use. And it was not in the power of their words, ever so artfully spoken, to their Lord God and Creator that affected the occurrence of the winning of a battle, or the stopping of time, or yet the raising of a dead child to life again, as examples. No, the power that effected and brought about these happenings was that of an all wise God and Creator of all things out of nothing.

God has never relinquished His Divine control or sustaining power over the universe which he brought into existence just because He introduced time into the realm of His eternal greatness and glory. No, it is not the prayers of men that change things, as the popular saying implies. It is the still all powerful God of the eternal ages Who is still in control Who changes things when it is His will to do so. It is true, however, that He delights to do so in answer to our prayers. And He encourages the redeemed to come boldly to His throne of grace.

And truly it is a constant act of grace on His part toward His ever undeserving creatures to act benevolently on their behalf, indeed, on our behalf!