Photography and Article by:
Norma W. Beaird
When we think about prayer and how God answers prayer requests, we usually don't realize that the Lord cares about the simplest request as much as He cares about the big requests. In many situations, we think about prayer requests in relation to sickness, passing a test or financial needs.
So many times, we discount the fact that God cares about every facet of our lives, to include our creativity, our gifts, talents and abilities.
Curtis and I love bird and nature photography, but we especially love birds. Since we began photographing these entertaining little creatures, we have discovered a new joy that God places in front of us every single day.
We're attempting to document as many different species of birds as possible in the state of Georgia. During the summer, we had a blast photographing the Red-Bellied Woodpecker as he and the Blue Jay took turns making raids on the peanuts. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker was a common visitor to our yard during the Spring and Summer, but we had seen pictures of a gorgeous Pileated Woodpecker with an amazing red hairdo. I began to pray for the Lord to send a Pileated Woodpecker for us to photograph for our website.
To give you some history.........I was raised in a Pentecostal Church and attended a Southern Baptist School from the time I was in first grade until I graduated from high school. If there was one thing I was taught, it was the power of prayer. My grandmother was a lady of great faith who firmly believed in prayer. Her unwavering faith in God, her prayer life and her devotion to the study of the Scriptures resulted in her divine healing of rheumatoid arthritis. She prayed to God for her healing, and the Lord miraculously healed her. Therefore, the prayer of faith was ingrained into me. There is power in prayer. This leads me to continue the story about my simple prayer request to see a bird.
We had really hoped that one of these huge and magnificent Pileated Woodpeckers would show up in one of the pecan trees. I had prayed and asked God to send us one of these amazing birds. One cold and cloudy day, I said, "Lord, I wish you would send me a Pileated Woodpecker!" After I said this, I went back to my computer that sits in front of a window facing some pecan trees in the front yard. About a minute later (if that long), I saw this huge bird land on the pecan tree. He was so large that I knew it had to be a Pileated Woodpecker.
I grabbed the camera, very carefully stepped outside so that I wouldn't startle the bird. As I stepped outside, I quietly prayed, "Lord, please don't let this bird be scared of me or fly away!" As I focused the camera, this Pileated Woodpecker literally put on a show for me. It was absolutely incredible. It was as though this woodpecker was in a portrait studio. Not only did we see a Pileated Woodpecker, we saw a female woodpecker who posed like a paid New York model! God had answered my prayer!
God cares about our needs and desires......
no matter how big, small or medium-sized the prayer request
Sometimes as Christians, we go through life thinking that the prayer request is too much to ask. There are times when we think our needs or desires are silly, or that it's too small of a request. We attempt to "box God in", instead of letting Him be GOD. The Lord is our Creator. He is the Creator of things both small and great, the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea.......and us. There is nothing too difficult for God to do. No request is too great or too small. He made us, He loves us and He is God.
God answers prayer in the most incredible way. Sometimes He says "Yes", sometimes He says "No" and sometimes He is quiet ! Sometimes He answers immediately and there are times when we must have patience and wait upon the Lord.
On this particular day, God gave me the desires of my heart within a few seconds and I praise Him for this precious little miracle pecking on the old pecan trees in the front yard. Not only did we get a picture of a Pileated Woodpecker, we got a picture of a bird with "cool hair". And, to think that people spend plenty of money on hair color and gel to get woodpecker hair that would rival a lead singer in a rock band!
In King David's Book of Psalms:
Psalm 37:4
Delight thyself also in the Lord:
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
The Lord loves us and wants to have communication with us, even if it's something as small as a prayer request to see a certain species of bird. He is the Creator of all things great and small. He loves us, He loves his Creation and He takes great pleasure in watching His children enjoy this beautiful world that He created. So, no matter the prayer request, big or small, take it to the Lord in prayer. He loves you and He cares.
Philippians 4:6
Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Copyright 2012, Norma W. Beaird. All rights reserved.
