Half-prayer answered

This morning as I parked my car to walk into class, I kind-of said a half of a prayer.

This Fall, I decided to take advantage of Reformed Theological Seminary, and take one class (Hermeneutics).  In essence it is “Interpretation of the Bible.”  Since I have spent the past 5 years doing this practically on the field, I thought it would be a fascinating to learn more of the theory and purpose behind what I do on a daily basis!

For the past 4 weeks, I’ve sat through class, read the readings and felt 99% lost.  I haven’t been able to focus or get much out of class or chapel.  I told my mom, ‘It’s like it’s another language, and culture, completely.  It’s like when I walk through the seminary doors, my brain doesn’t work.’  I’ve honestly never felt more incapable of understanding something in my whole life.

So, I don‘t know what gave me this idea, but this morning, as I parked my car, I said something like, ‘God, maybe I should ask someone to pray specifically that I would understand my class.’  Like I said, it was kind-of a half of a prayer.  More like passing thought.

But, God hears those just as He hears any well thought out lengthy petition.

And somehow, as if I was a different person, for the majority of the class as well as the entirety of chapel, I was fully engaged with the teachers!  And actually, when one of the smartest students in the class (from my observation) asked a question, the professor called on me saying, “Where’s Elizabeth…” and handed it off to me AND I knew how to answer him!  My first time to speak in the class!  Wow.

It was pretty funny because before class started today, I was talking with a few of my friends in the class, about how we should say something in class.  They said, ‘yeah right.’  I said, ‘you never know.’  One of them said, “If you say something, I will close my computer and listen!”  And guess what – three different times in the class, I said something!!!  Not necessarily because I had an answer, or even fully knew the concepts the professor was talking about, but because it seemed God revealed just barely enough for me to make an educated comment of some kind.

And, it wasn’t just class that I understood- but chapel too.  I fully understood what the speaker said!  And guess what he talked about - God as the “maker of Heaven and earth.”  How does that connect to my answered prayer, you ask?  Well, we learned that this phrase is not necessarily God’s teaching us about scientific astrology, but rather he is teaching us about modern prayer.  He gave us 3 points to prayer for: help, wisdom, and power.  He gave illustrations of this phrase being used in Biblical prayers, and how God is able, in infinite measures, to give us help, wisdom, and power for our minute struggles, he just wants us to ask for it!

It all of the sudden became clear to me.  Until that point, I hadn’t even thought about asking God to help me understand my class.  I had complained about it, and almost let myself sink into self-pity as I struggled to grasp the meaning of the lectures and readings.  I didn’t even think about calling out to God for help with the class.  Can you imagine?  The Enemy must have been thinking, ‘Wow, this girl didn’t even ask God to guide her in this – she’s giving me free reign to confuse her, and cause her frustration, and I’m taking it.’

I’m so glad I asked God for help today – even if it was in a half-way kind of way.  I am going to continue to ask him for help in this experience and other situations in my life that I have neglected to ask God for help with!

May my complaints, and frustrations be turned into pleas for help from above, from the one who is able to do exceedingly above and beyond, all we ask or imagine, as He is the Maker of Heaven and Earth.