Just as I am

She brought her petition before the committee. She had a dream, a vision and a need. They had the manpower and the resources. They listened intently as she laid out her plans before them. She had cast a vision and they had caught it but now they needed something more. They needed to know that she was competent for the task and able to carry it out. But when we come to God in prayer these are not the things he requires.

I left that meeting and went to another meeting. Here I encountered another woman. This one came with broken dreams and a broken heart. Those who came to this meeting gathered around her entering into her pain, and hurt, and fears. We came together to present these needs before our heavenly Father.

In the presence of perfect love there is permission to be broken. You do not need to have the answers before you come. Sometimes the burdens that bring us to a place of prayer are so heavy that we are brought to our knees. We come wanting to believe but the sorrows that confront us also expose the weakness of our faith and the strength of our fears. Even so we are invited to come to God in prayer.

We kneel together in silence. No words are necessary. We wait together letting the light of the world shine into the deepest recesses of our hearts. It is here in the presence of the love of God that we have the freedom to admit that there is fear in our hearts for those we love, we acknowledge that we do not have the answers to the questions that haunt us. Positioned before the throne of mercy, we speak the truth that is in our hearts. We lack faith to believe that the concerns that are crushing us have a solution and so we pray, “Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief.”

Lord, I have dreams. I want to be so much more than what I am, yet when I come to you I am invited to come just as I am. In the presence of perfect love I have no shame. All of my inadequacies are exposed. I find in your presence the freedom to humbly ask for faith and freedom from fear. In the presence of perfect love I find a peace that passes understanding.