There’s one word I’ve added to my prayers that seems to have shifted so many circumstances in my life. One word that has moved mountains, and moved me. One word that has changed my perspective and opened the doors to God’s unlimited power.
What is this one powerful word?
A V A I L A B L E
Every morning I simply tell God I AM AVAILABLE. And I’ve discovered God can do a whole lot when we just make ourselves available.
Are you available to God?
Looking back I realize as much as I wanted God’s will in my life, I simply left no room for it. As much as I wanted his power to be at work in every detail, I crowded him right out with all my details. There was no space for him. With all the noise and distractions, I was unaccessible. I came to God with a list of requests, but got up and left the conversation with no time for his reply. I’m busy with no time to waste, so quite simply I would call on God, but then not allow any room for him when he showed up. My alarm would ring and the race was on to fit as many things in the day as possible, and let me tell you, I could fit a whole lot.
Isn’t it funny though, with all the cramming you do in a days time, you can come to the end of it and feel so empty. Have you ever questioned what its all for? Like is it even making a difference? Does it matter at all? Was there purpose in the routine of doing the same thing today as you do every other day?
Life is miraculous. Every detail of it should leave us in awe and wonder … but it doesn’t. It grows dull and unimpressive. The end of another day, another week, another month comes and it doesn’t feel miraculous. It feels exhausting. It feels overwhelming sometimes and quite underwhelming others.
I’m left to wonder if maybe we’re missing the point sometimes. If maybe we’re rushing through and passing the potential possibilities God has aligned for us, on our way to the same mindless destination daily. Have we become so focused on checking the boxes of our to-do list and gritting our way through to the next thing that we miss the God ordained possibilities all around us?
I wonder if God has been trying desperately to talk to you, but you haven’t paused long enough to really listen.
I wonder if He has been trying to show you the way to the desires of your heart, but you’ve been dead set on your own way.
I wonder if His answer is already YES, but you won’t even look up to see he has made a way.
One word can change that. It sure has for me.
A V A I L A B L E
One of the first teaching I remember as a new follower of Christ was “Here I am Lord, send me.” That seemed so big and scary. I prayed it once and assumed he would immediately send me to the far corners of the earth to do some unheard of work. And well, when he didn’t, I thought it was because he didn’t need me, want me, or choose me. So, I was essentially off the hook. Dismissed. I prayed it once as I held my breath, and I was done. He didn’t send me, and I was grateful.
But what if this isn’t about “sending” you anywhere? What if this is more about exactly where you are already?
Listen to this story in Luke 10:38-42
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'”
Can I just first give a shout out to the woman we pick on a lot in this scripture? Hey Martha, good for you for opening your home to Jesus. We just skip right on by that fact. Martha is the one who invited Jesus over! Would we even do that? Or would we be so worried the house was dirty or the furniture was old and not suitable for guests? Martha opened the door and said “come on over Jesus, my home is available.”
Could we just start there? Could we just be available? Then we can work towards being more like Mary who sat at Jesus feet, but let’s start by just opening the door. Let’s start by saying “Lord, I’m available.”
Could you be available for 30 seconds on your knees? That’s exactly where it started for me. Just 30 seconds. An invitation to come on over. Now admittedly, I didn’t leave much time and space after that as I rushed through my day, but it was a start. I’ve found if you will give Jesus a start, he will eventually take over!
Maybe you’ve been hiding from God afraid to pray the old “here I am Lord, send me” prayer because you don’t want to go anywhere. Well maybe God isn’t wanting to uproot your entire life and send you somewhere you can’t even pronounce, far away from your family. Maybe what he really wants is just a little space right where you are to do what only he can do.
LORD, I AM AVAILABLE.
We think ‘well I’m just too busy for God. I’m already too overwhelmed. I’m too stressed and stretched and I can’t handle anything more He may ask of me.’ But honey, God is not the author of confusion and chaos. He does not orchestrate stress and overwhelm. He is the Prince of Peace. He is the calm in the storm. When you make yourself available to him, he brings peace. He calms you in the middle of the storm and reminds you he has made you more than enough.
So maybe we’re not ready to be all Mary up in here and just sit at his feet all day, but can we start by being Martha and just inviting him in? Can we start with making a little of what we have available to the Lord? Could we start with 30 seconds of availability? I’m here Lord … I’m listening … I’m seeking … I’m available to you.
What could God do with the little bit you begin making available to him? Oh girl, he could change your whole world. He has mine! And it all started with just deciding maybe I’m not ready to go somewhere crazy, but I’m ready to be available right where I am.
