by Valerie Bergquam
The last step to follow in our prayer acronym is understood by the letter Y.
#4= Yield: To God’s plan for your life. Result? you will become a vessel of honor! Is 64:8, “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and You are the potter. We all are formed by Your hand.”
How do we become a vessel of honor? By yielding to the authority of God’s Word. This begins with reading & studying the Bible; and surrendering our actions to His authority. This process goes on for a lifetime, where the journey is full of joy and also pain. God’s plan is that we be molded by His loving hands into a useful & beautiful vessel for His glory! Jer. 18: 1-4, “The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over”. God is the potter, we are the clay..” Only our Creator sees the beautiful completed masterpiece He’s making us into!
My daughter and I had an unforgettable time taking a class with a master artisan, shaping clay with a potter’s wheel! Our project was to make a bowl colored with glaze after firing. The potter coach brought us through the whole process of shaping the wet clay; teaching a variety of speeds to maneuver the wheel. Sarah and I were hopeful, but a little nervous! The potter expertly showing us what to do, yet our inexperienced hands ended up ruining the clay pots! Thankfully, our pottery coach didn’t seem surprised, and came to the rescue with skillful hands! She was able to salvage both clay pots, making adjustments. What a great illustration of how we think we know what’s best for our lives, instead of yielding to the Master Potter. Isaiah 45: 9,““What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’
A key to yielding is Learning to Wait. Waiting on God goes against our human nature. When we see the Yield sign on the road, we may not like to- but we have to stop, look, and then proceed with caution, or end up in a car collision! In the same way, as believers, we need to practice stop, look, & listen to God’s Word: they are all necessary aspects of yielding to His plan.
Concluding my blog on prayer, God wants to use all mankind to fulfill His amazing plans on the earth! The need for deliverance in our world, and hurting humanity is greater today than ever before! Who will stand in the gap, and say “Yes Lord, use me!” Now God calls His people everywhere to P.R.A.Y.! Prayer is bringing your helplessness to Jesus. When you pray, God gives you fresh strength to keep going, and when you pray God protects you from evil, and when you pray, God increases your faith and trust in Him; when you pray, God continues his divine work and purposes in your life until it is absolutely & completely done!