The Prayer of George

My Heart Is On Fire by Doug Apple - a short Christian devotional to open the Scriptures and make your heart burn within you!

I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32)

You’ve heard of the Prayer of Jabez?

Well, this is the prayer of George.

George Bailey, that is, and I pray it all the time.

George Bailey is the guy in the classic Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

His life was going down the drain, and he found himself in a bar one snowy night trying to drink the edge off.

Everyone else was preparing for Christmas and enjoying some holiday cheer, but not George.

He was on the verge of being arrested, even though it wasn’t his fault, and the pressure was unbearable.

So he sat at the bar, and under the weight of it all he finally asked God for help.

Now if you’ve seen the movie, you know that it actually starts in heaven, BEFORE George prays his prayer.

The preparations in heaven are being made LEADING UP TO George’s prayer.

Other people are already praying for George. Heaven is well aware of George’s troubles, and heaven is ready to respond…WHEN he prays.

And finally, he does pray. And it’s very simple.

He says, “God. Oh God. Dear Father in Heaven. I’m not a praying man, but if You’re up there, and You can hear me, show me the way. I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way, God.”

Nothing seems to happen. In fact, things only seem to get worse. But behind the scenes we know that George’s answer is on the way.

So what is the “prayer of George Bailey”?

It’s just this simple, and I pray it all the time.

“Lord, please show me the way.”

Do you find yourself in situations where you don’t know what to do? You don’t know where to go?

Then pray The Prayer of George. “God, please, show me the way.”

You could also call it The Prayer of David. King David that is. He wrote in Psalm 25:4, “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths.”

It’s a type of prayer we see often in the Psalms, “Show me the way.”

You know what…I don’t know what to do each day. What is the best thing to do? What does God want me to do? What will be the best in the long run? What is best for eternity? What is best for my loved ones? What is best for the generations to come?

I don’t know. How could I know? But God knows.

And that’s way I’m constantly praying the prayer of the Psalms, the prayer of King David…The Prayer of George Bailey.

“Oh God, please…show me the way.”

May God show you the way today.

I’m Doug Apple.