Romans 12:12

It has been awhile since I have pursued Christ. I am having a bit of trouble finding a place to start back up. I have been listening to sermons from Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He's great, and incredibly insightful. I have been skimming through the bible, not really looking for anything in particular, and can't believe that I have passed up such an amazing book for so long. I have been calling myself a leader, yet I am a fool. I pray sloppily and read my bible sparatically. I have considered spending time with Jesus a chore. What a wreck I am. I am going to pray for a restored heart tonight. Romans 12:12 is a verse that I have been trying to put a lot of emphasis on.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

I feel like being joyful in hope isn't necessarily the hardest thing to do (for me at least), but the second two things present a struggle for me. Being calm and patient during a hard time is not always easy. We tend to either blame God, or forget about him completely, thinking we're able to combat the problem on our own. During trials and tribulations, God tells us time and time again to be patient and that we must trust him. He knows what He's doing. I have a hard time being patient when my sister borrows my clothes without asking, and that certainly cannot be classified as "affliction". The last part of this verse states that we must be faithful in prayer. Sounds easy enough. Just let your mind think to God, right? It isn't that easy for me. Even during quiet time with him, I find that reading the bible is easier than praying. It doesn't take much effort to read words on a page, but for me, it takes a great deal of effort to think up of all of the problems I need help with, all of the sins I have committed that I need to repent for, all of the favors I have to ask, all of the people in my life that I want God to show Himself to, etc. So being faithful in prayer isn't necessarily an easy task for me. So that is my challenge. I need to be patient in affliction (although I have not been feeling very afflicted lately, praise Jesus), and faithful in prayer.

-Kristen