PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• “Forrest Gump” came out in 1994 and ranks among one of my favorite movies.
Who doesn’t love Forrest, right?!
And of course, 25 years later, we still quote it.
In fact, I can hardly hear the words “run” or “running” without thinking, “Run, Forrest, run!” or “He was RUNNING!” (Emphasis on the second syllable and always in a Forrest Gump voice.)
But today, let’s focus on Jenny.
In an early scene, she told Forrest to pray with her.
“Please, God, make me a bird so I can fly far. Far, far away.”
Of course, we know her reasons.
She was being abused by her father and wanted the freedom to escape.
And whether we’ve ever experienced the abuse of her character or not, haven’t we all looked to the sky and watched a bird flying, envious of its grace and freedom?
Haven’t we too wanted to escape our life and situation?
In some small piece of our hearts, haven’t we all prayed Jenny’s prayer, “Please, God, make me a bird so I can fly far. Far, far away.”
Our circumstances may be unstable, giving us a feeling of insecurity.
But our God is secure.
David often referred to God as his Rock in his Psalms.
We long for freedom and escape when the words of Jesus give us everything we want.
In John 8:31-32, it says, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
In our most desperate, “Please, God, make me a bird so I can fly far. Far, far away” moments, may we remember that the freedom we long for is found in the Truth of Jesus.
May we turn to Him.
And in our prayers, be open to Him changing our hearts even more than our circumstances.
Today, as you pray, thank Jesus for His Truth and the freedom He gives all who have trusted in Him.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust God, lean on His truth, and always know that in Him, you are free.
