Then Sampson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more.” (Judg. 16:28)
My high school youth group was planning a fundraiser for a missions trip. A father of one of my friends raised an objection to the fundraiser. He protested to our youth pastor, “If you pray and have faith, why are you doing a fundraiser?”
The youth pastor answered him with this story.
A farmer wanted a turkey for his family’s thanksgiving meal, but he couldn’t afford to buy one. The week of Thanksgiving he prayed every morning, “God, give me a turkey for my family.” Each night he went to bed without a turkey. On Thanksgiving morning he prayed, “God, help me to get a turkey for my family.” Then he grabbed his gun and went to hunt in the field. Later that morning he returned home with a turkey!
The father lowered his head and his voice. Then he signed up to help with the youth carwash.
Samson was a prisoner. He was humiliated and had his eyes gouged out. He was no longer the strong and imposing figure he once was. But his prayer life was strong. God had answered his prayers in the past, and he was confident God could answer his prayer in the present. In that faithfulness he prayed for God to use him. And God did.
How exciting that we can be used by God for the kingdom’s glory.
Open your praying hands and God will use them for his work.
Ken Dill is the associate vice president for spiritual life and university chaplain at Southern Wesleyan University. He loves his family and enjoys birding and NASCAR.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
