I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights. When I booked a trip to Iceland with some friends, I began praying about seeing the panoramic polar display. I know – kind of a silly thing to pray for. Except I keep believing God cares about even the simplest desires of our hearts.
We were in Iceland for nine days, and each morning I checked the aurora borealis tracker online. The cloudier the weather, the less chance of seeing the lights. Each evening was cloudy. I was disappointed but not discouraged; Iceland has more eye candy than any place I’d seen on Earth. Nonetheless, I kept asking God to make a way.
A few days before our flight home, the clouds parted. The night was clear. The stars glittered like diamonds and the moon shone so bright it felt like a spotlight. And then, my friend rushed into the hostel and said, “Quick, come outside! You have to see this!”
I grabbed my coat and boots and rounded the corner. Suddenly, I saw something: green light, dancing in the sky. Tears pricked my eyes. There they were: the Northern Lights, swaying and swirling in front of me.
I felt so small, and yet so seen. God – who created those very lights – had uncovered the clouds so I could see them.
It was such a silly, small, little thing. That trip contained more beauty than I knew what to do with. I didn’t need the Northern Lights, yet it was such a personal gift from Jesus.
When we invite Jesus into every detail of our lives, prayer can get personal. A lot of the time we think prayer is boring, routine, and ritualistic. But Jesus invites us into a life of prayerful adventure — one where we walk with Him, like a child on a hike with her father, asking questions, and listening to His gentle guidance.
Jesus made bold promises to His disciples about prayer: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). We can often mistreat Jesus’ invitations into prayer by misinterpreting God as a genie or Santa Claus. The biblical concepts can get lost in translation, and we can feel disappointed, discouraged, and rejected by God when we don’t get what we want.
But Jesus lived a life of personal prayer. He would’ve talked to His Father about everything — from turning water into wine to asking God to consider preventing the suffering Jesus would endure on the cross. There was nothing off-limits between Jesus and His Father.
There’s nothing off-limits when it comes to you and God either. Prayer isn’t meant to be boring, but personal.
This year, I found a new way to pray. I began keeping a point-form list of prayer requests in the very back of my journal. I write down a request, and then I pray and pray and pray until God answers it. Once I see the answer, I uncap my fluorescent highlighter and press the ink upon the page, highlighting the answered prayer.
My journal is filled with prayers – and even in the few months since 2023 began, many highlights.
Every time I highlight, I’m reminded of how God answers our prayers, and of how personal and tender God is toward us.
It’s a startling thing to be reminded of, isn’t it? That the God who formed the universe with a word, who breathed life into your lungs and mine, who holds everything together, listens to our prayers and answers them.
Tell Jesus everything. Ask Him to give you a life of prayerful adventure. Then just watch as your prayer life starts to get personal.
Aliza, thank you so much for the reminder that God loves it when we talk to Him! No other religion in the world has a god (little g) that hears and answers. Our God is ready and waiting to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can think or ask. May I be ever quick to talk with Him, and always ready to listen!
I love the idea of God being ready to do exceedingly and abundantly more… thank you, Judy!
Jesus loves to hear all our prayers. No matter how silly we think they fell. Most times we can be going to our Heavenly Father when we are not well or we no someone else not well. Or things in our lives are not going well. How often do just stop and thank God for waking us up to enjoy another day in his Beautiful World. As it is God who made this Beautiful World. It is God who gave it to us for us to enjoy. We most times if we stop and think about it are going to God with our shopping list and asking God to heal this person or us in not well. Or help solve this problem in our lives when things not going well. Do we stop go to God in prayer thank him for all he has done for us. I guilty of doing that at times. Expecting God to answer my prayers of do this for me right away God for that person not well or this in my life that not well or God heal me right away. I if God did do right away will say thank you. But do I really mean it. God sometimes does not do it right away. He makes me wait especially in all those things at times. To see how strong my faith is in God. That he will answer my prayer. If it is for me and my problems or my prayer for someone else. In those times of wait. I have to keep my faith strong and keep believing and not doubt that God will not answer my prayer in his own time. Stand on the promise in his word and say them back to God. Say God your word say you will do this and this. When my prayer is answered. I have to remember to thank God and remember to mean it. Not just say it for the sake of saying it. How true that is. Love today’s reading Aliza. Keeping you and all incourage in prayer xx
Beautiful, Dawn!
What a brilliant way to keep track of answered prayers! Thank you! I love your story and I do believe that God took great pleasure in creating the Northern Lights and would certainly want to give his child the gift of seeing them.
I love the idea He took great pleasure in it – thank you, Gail!
These are the gifts that make us feel so loved <3. Iceland is on my bucket list, and hearing how you saw God along the way moves it up a line or two :).
And, I love the way you're using your journal and tracking prayer. A simple, actionable idea. (Love YOU, too!)
Love you dear friend.
WOW! You just reminded me of something I had completely forgotten about! Thank you! Years and years ago I started a “prayer box.” It’s a beautiful little box that used to belong to my mother. Inside I would tuck little prayer requests for myself and for friends. When the prayer was answered, I’d go back and write on the back, “Thank you!” I fell out of the practice of doing this even though the prayer box is still sitting on my night stand. I’m absolutely going to start doing this again and being more mindful of my prayer life. Thank you for such a beautiful reminder.
I absolutely love that, Angela!
Yes! I love this reminder that nothing is off-limits with our Father, just like it was for Jesus. Thanks for sharing, Lizza!
You are so welcome! So thankful it was an encouragement to you.
Nothing is too little to bring to Him…love the line you wrote:
But Jesus invites us into a life of prayerful adventure — one where we walk with Him, like a child on a hike with her father, asking questions, and listening to His gentle guidance.
Thank you!
Aliza,
Why do we have to only pray about the “big” trials/problems in our lives Ours is a God who cares about every aspect of our lives. He wants to have a relationship & converse with us daily. We can & should pray about everything! Think about this He already knows what lies ahead for you. I have a computerized prayer journal for family/friends & one for hubby. I update it often. A lot of people on the list are those from In Courage prayer requests. I may not know them or the situation, but God does.
When I was let go from a part-time job in 2019 I knew God had something bigger & better in store for me. Two weeks later I landed a good medical secretary position at hospital. One day sitting at home I cried & asked God to give me a full-time job. There was no reason not to work more plus wanted to earn more money & help out my hubby. Late in 2021 I worked full time for my co-worker who broke her arm. Long story short four months later working in ICU the boss hired me full time with benefits. I knew that came straight from God. Last fall the job duties changed drastically & I am not happy with the position any more. Praying once again for something better. One day I mentioned that Lord I would love to work at that doctor’s office in town. So close to home would be nice. A few days later I saw a position open there & applied. Had an interview Friday 05/12/23. The office manager had interviewed me at a different office same company. The assistant manager told me that office manager had good things to say about me. Once again God is possibly coming through for me.
You see God cares about every aspect of our lives. Have questions about jobs, marriage, tests at school, whatever take it to God. He is waiting to hear from you & wanting to give you good things.
Blessings 🙂
Thank you for the picture of the ‘child on a hike with his father listening to his gentle guidance’ – I’ll try to see me like this – it’ s so much confidence and intimacy in it – I remember me as a child how expecting I was when talking to grown-ups for what they would show me / for how they would open another window to the ‘world’.
That is so beautiful, Christina <3
God still amazes us! Yesterday my husband was to have heart surgery. the doc had decided to do the upper part of his heart; but after looking at the current EKG he was considering the bottom part of his heart because it was beating so crazy. I asked him if he had prayed to God to give him peace and he said No. I went to the waiting room not knowing what would happen and praying for ALL. When the doctor got finished, he said since he had no other patients he decided to look at both top & bottom and he was mighty glad he did because the bottom is so bad he would probably die so now he knows for a fact the bottom cannot be operated on. GOD DID THAT!! Thank you Jesus!
Absolutely incredible, Frances! Thank you for sharing!