To say I’ve taken a break from this BLOG would be an understatement. It has been months since I have sat at this desk. I have missed it. But I just couldn’t get there. Why? 
Because like Simon Peter, I have been sifted and agitated. Tested and tried. Confused and in need of help. In short, I have been stuck in my story. In my head. In my worries. And I didn’t have the strength and, at times, lacked all desire to get unstuck. As Dr. Phil would say, “the misery seemed to be working for me”.
Maybe you’ve been there too. With me, it was my health. Too many details to share, but suffice it to say, I had many doctors and practitioners scratching their heads and wondering about the answers themselves.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. ~Luke 22:31-32
In Barnes’ Notes and Commentaries, Barnes states that in Biblical times, grain was agitated or shaken in a kind of fan or sieve. The grain remained in the fan, and the chaff and dust were thrown off. So Christ says that Satan desired to try Peter; to place trials and temptations before him; “to agitate him” to see whether anything of faith would remain.
I am thrilled that Peter won his battles with Satan. And I am happy to report that Satan didn’t take me down either!
Yes, my faith was tested, but thank goodness for faithful friends and family! When I couldn’t or wouldn’t bother to pray for myself, they stood in the gap and prayed for me.
Today, I am healthier than I have been in years. And I thank God and my faith-filled friends for their love and support. And so my journey is onward and upward, serving the Lord of Lords and the King of all Kings!
Are you stuck? Unable or unwilling to pray for yourself? If so, don’t beat yourself up. Reach out to someone close to you, a friend or church member. Ask them to pray for you. If you don’t want to disclose the details, that’s OK. God knows everything that is going on in your life.
The power of prayer is mighty! And Jesus, who lives to intercede for us, is waiting for us to call on Him.
Why wait? Begin your restoration today. All we have to do is ask.