Stop Sleeping on the POWER of PRAYER! Kinda long but WORTH IT!

[PaperClip]

Alright... I really need to get serious about prayer in general and my divine assignment on prayer in particular.... Here's what JUST HAPPENED:

So this set of neighbors moved across the hall from me in July or August. Loud from JUMP. Loud dog. Loud parties. Smelled weed. Lots of traffic up and down the stairs. LOUD. It had calmed down a bit after the neighbor below them called the police (more than once) and he cussed out the building owner (more than once).

So between me getting frustrated, looking out the windows, not feeling completely relaxed, I would pray and ask the Lord to get them out...then my prayers evolved to "move them to a place more conducive to their lifestyle". I also prayed for the Lord to soundproof my walls so I wouldn't hear them. I would also tell myself to stop being bothered by it because this is part of apt. living. And every once in a while I wondered if it was time for me to move. I've been here MUCH longer then I expected but it's a GREAT HOOK-UP esp. since I'm a full-time student and the Lord has blessed me to be able to maintain living here and I have pretty much everything I need.... Also, I think I had gotten used to the quiet because previous neighbors had not been as loud as this set.

So this morning, the building owner knocked on my door to let me know that the noise was done because the neighbors are moving/have moved as of TODAY.... I'm happy but even moreso, I'm wide-eyed at the Lord....

Top this on the fact that last year, a set of neighbors who lived alongside of me (we shared a wall) were even LOUDER than the neighbors across the hall, to the point I called the police on them. Similar prayer I prayed. They moved out in February.

Basically, prayer is communication with the Lord. Communication is a combination of talking and listening. Do both with the Lord. At formal times and informal times. In formal ways and informal ways. But do your part to keep the line of communication with the Lord OPEN. The Lord says He will never leave us nor forsake us. The Lord says this in 1 John 5:14-15:

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." (NIV)

Blessed New Year to you all!

 

[kbragg]

I will do my best to not come across as offensive, but in the process of dealing with these noisy neighbors, did you ever think God was allowing them to be next door to you so that you could share the Lord Jesus with them? Yes, they may be gone and out of your hair, but what about where they'll spend eternity? I think we so often get so focused on ourselves, our comfort, and our stuff, that we often forget we're not just here for ourselves. Did you ever pray for God to use you to deliver them from their sin? Imagine if you did, you'd be shouting with them in eternity, now you may never know if they'll get another opportunity to hear the Gospel because they're now possibly living somewhere more conducive to their lifestyle of sin and bondage. It's not all about us sis. I love you in Christ and hope you do not take my words are harsh or judgmental.

 

[PaperClip]

I will do my best to not come across as offensive, but in the process of dealing with these noisy neighbors, did you ever think God was allowing them to be next door to you so that you could share the Lord Jesus with them? Yes, they may be gone and out of your hair, but what about where they'll spend eternity? I think we so often get so focused on ourselves, our comfort, and our stuff, that we often forget we're not just here for ourselves. Did you ever pray for God to use you to deliver them from their sin? Imagine if you did, you'd be shouting with them in eternity, now you may never know if they'll get another opportunity to hear the Gospel because they're now possibly living somewhere more conducive to their lifestyle of sin and bondage. It's not all about us sis. I love you in Christ and hope you do not take my words are harsh or judgmental.

Interesting spin. A spin that could be placed on any situation that has the potential to be confrontational. I didn't start off putting them on blast. The noise became increasingly worse. So did the disrespect and lack of consideration to maintain reasonable noise levels. At one point, Jesus did shake the dust off His sandals and kept it moving and if some folk wouldn't or couldn't receive from Jesus, who am I?

A question: what kind of approach would you have taken if you had been in my situation, specifically to introduce Jesus?

When I remember to say this in prayer (and I should do this more), I ask the Lord to put the perfect laborers in people's paths to be that guide toward salvation. The situation that will be most receptive to the person to at least hear the gospel. I recognize that I'm not the best laborer in every situation. There are situations when I am the perfect laborer and I hope and pray that I am obedient and responsive.

Just because we are no longer neighbors doesn't mean that I cannot pray for them and others for the perfect laborers to intersect their lives, even if was supposed to be me or not. I have to trust that the Lord can and will forgive me for missing it and that I will learn from this situation. I do do my part to get along with all men to live a quiet and peaceable life.

Honestly, your post (innocently and sincerely as it is presented), has kind of put a downer (for lack of a better word) on the situation. Maybe it's conviction, maybe it's (undue) guilt for wanting peace and quiet where I live, which I don't think it unreasonable.

Peace and happy new year to you and yours.

 

[kbragg]

Hey girl, I was not trying to be a bummer, but sometimes as believers we are so compfortable in our bubble (we only listen to Christian music, hang around Chirstians, got to Christian church, etc.) that we forget that the sinners are the very ones Jesus came for. His harshest rebukes we not for the sinners, but for thee church folk. Same with Paul and tha Apostles.

I am far from perfect in the way I handle situations believe me (as I recently went through a similar situation with upstairs neighbors and as you put it "missed it"). I would've started off by being cordial you know? Kinda old school and stuff. Remember back in the day when a new person came into the neighborhood, how we'd take them over a cake or fruit basket? Did they have kids? If so I might have taken some toys to them or something, just to break the ice. I'd ask them if they had a Christian backround, what their experience has been like, if they've found a good church home yet or had considered visiting one. I'd invite them out to church and give them a gospel tract. Matter of fact, I'm going to start doing this with all my new neighbors. I'll put together a little gift basket, nothing expensive, but make sure to include a Gospel tract and maybe an ESV Bible (easiet one to read, and many bookstores have them for like 3 dollars). I'd reach out and try to be a friend. Start building that relationship from the get go, then if the noise became an issue, it would be more well received (I mean let's say you like to bump Gospel music on Sunday morning - I do lol - well if it got a little too loud, wouldn't you receive the rebuke much better from a loving Christian neighbor whose been nothing but friendly to you than the police?) You never know what's going on in someone's life.

At one point in time I was a noisy neighbor and the smell of weed came from my house too. It was loud all the time. People probably thought the inhabitants of the house were just rude, unholy heathens. Well, on the other side of the door, what people didn't know was I hated drugs. I was a 17 year old abused wife and mother whose husband tried to take my life more than once. No one ever witnessed to me, said hello to me, anything. I was alone, being beaten with no help. My husband was a drug addict. Long story short, I got out. 17 years old, me and my baby ran away to a homeless shelter, again never heard anything about the love of God.

It wasn't until years later, engaged to my current husband of 5 years in January that on a conference call about business of all things I heard the Gospel, and readily grabbed it. I thank God that Dani was obedient in what God had called her too, but sometimes I think of the pain, the suffering, the disease, the heartache that could've been avoided if someone who cliamed the name of Chirst had taken the time to share with me the reason for the hope in them.

So anywho, that's my long winded reply lol.

 

[star]

Alright... I really need to get serious about prayer in general and my divine assignment on prayer in particular.... Here's what JUST HAPPENED:

So this set of neighbors moved across the hall from me in July or August. Loud from JUMP. Loud dog. Loud parties. Smelled weed. Lots of traffic up and down the stairs. LOUD. It had calmed down a bit after the neighbor below them called the police (more than once) and he cussed out the building owner (more than once).

So between me getting frustrated, looking out the windows, not feeling completely relaxed, I would pray and ask the Lord to get them out...then my prayers evolved to "move them to a place more conducive to their lifestyle". I also prayed for the Lord to soundproof my walls so I wouldn't hear them. I would also tell myself to stop being bothered by it because this is part of apt. living. And every once in a while I wondered if it was time for me to move. I've been here MUCH longer then I expected but it's a GREAT HOOK-UP esp. since I'm a full-time student and the Lord has blessed me to be able to maintain living here and I have pretty much everything I need.... Also, I think I had gotten used to the quiet because previous neighbors had not been as loud as this set.

So this morning, the building owner knocked on my door to let me know that the noise was done because the neighbors are moving/have moved as of TODAY.... I'm happy but even moreso, I'm wide-eyed at the Lord....

Top this on the fact that last year, a set of neighbors who lived alongside of me (we shared a wall) were even LOUDER than the neighbors across the hall, to the point I called the police on them. Similar prayer I prayed. They moved out in February.

Basically, prayer is communication with the Lord. Communication is a combination of talking and listening. Do both with the Lord. At formal times and informal times. In formal ways and informal ways. But do your part to keep the line of communication with the Lord OPEN. The Lord says He will never leave us nor forsake us. The Lord says this in 1 John 5:14-15:

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." (NIV)

Blessed New Year to you all!

I think the point to your message was that God heard your prayers and answered them and we all should keep our communication opened up with God. I do believe it is the work of the Holy Spirit to prompt us to do something or not about every situtation. I fully hear your story in recieve in Jesus that God wants to meet our every need. I do not agree that you have missed anything, I do believe you did what you were suppose to do. I think it happend the way it was suppose to happen because you had a message to share with us as testimony. Maybe perhaps the Holy Spirit would have had you do it another way down the road but I believe you were in step with God because you saw the work of God in that situation for you. And, yes we pray for people from a distance and God will still move. But, my peace is priceless. Lastly, I would not be surprise if they were Christians, since there so many who are carnal in Christ and want to keep that way.

 

[Glib Gurl]

As someone who has been stagnant in her prayerlife as of late, I really appreciate this post. God bless you, RR (well actually He already did!)

 

[envybeauty]

oooooooooooooooooooooooo kbragg...............i so feel that post! excellent.

i agree that at times we are put in situations to extend an invitation to others. sometimes that is all the other person needs...an invitation. i agree that we should pray for others but it is people who extend the hand of fellowship to people. brothers and sisters alike. wrongdoers and christians alike.

i like that spin.

as a matter of fact, even if there is confrontation, you should be strong in times of fear and tribulation. how often in scripture do we read about the lone man or few in numbers who defeated armies of men great in numbers. stating that a confrontation MAY follow is no reason not to extend an invitation.

even if it were a quiet group there is no guarantee that a confrontation would not ensue. many have extended an invitation to quiet lonely neighbors only to be cussed out something awful. shameful but true.

i would have simply knocked, introduced and asked for a moment of peace so that i could say a prayer in my apartment alone. i would have told them about a trouble i was having (as we all have something going on at any one point in time) and told that i really needed to now take it to the Lord in prayer in peace. a moment being for at least the next 15 minutes. i would have also told them that i would say prayer for them and asked them what they wanted me to pray for. then i would have grabbed his/her hands and said a quick prayer right then and there. most people do not forget those who prayed FOR us. a selfless act as so many feel that they do not know how to pray or where to begin.

all in all, that would take less than 5 minutes in front of someone's door.

i like kbragg's spin.