I finished this story this morning for my Experiential Learning class. The story revolves around something that I experienced this summer and what Jesus tried to show me about praying about everything. :) Hope it makes you grin! :)
Boats, Gravel, Rope, Prayer
My energy level was dropping quickly like the red of a thermometer on a winter evening. Falling. Dropping. Lacking. I had scratches on my arms. My mouth was getting dry. I was muddy. I was worn out and worn down physically, but I was also reaching the brink of an emotional meltdown. It was the most I could do to put one foot in front of the other, to push the boat filled with gravel as I sucked in oxygen. Breath by breath. We had to keep going. There was no other option. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep . . . moving . . .
You see, it was training week at Camp Tadmor, and it’s an annual occurrence of this
Christian summer camp to have a “Team Challenge,” an activity meant to tie staff together before the kids come. Nobody knew what we were getting into when we began this “adventure”.
This year’s team challenge involved hiking up a muddy hill until we got to this log cabin by which were two massive piles of gravel. The goal of the challenge was to pack those piles of gravel back down the hill and spread them around part of the camp’s lake. There were a few handicaps given us, however. We could only use what we found near the cabin to haul the gravel, which happened to be very old boats, a couple of shovels, buckets, and a piece of netting.
Another handicap was that we were given a massive rope which we stretched out, and the whole summer staff had to remain within the confines of this rope. No one could get ahead of the group and go in front of the rope’s beginning, nor could anyone lag behind the end of the rope. We had to stick together.
Also, a piece of incentive: we didn’t get dinner until this challenge was done.
Well, we all started strong, walking together, taking note of the thick mud, the length of the trail, the steepness in parts. Finally, we made it. We were astounded by the piles of gravel but probably even more astounded when we felt just how heavy one bucket of this stuff was. Gravel is EXTREMLY WEIGHTY! The sixty some of us brainstormed, trying to figure out the best way to get this pile of rock down the hill. We postulated and pondered for over an hour. Some of us were antsy, just wanting to get something done. Others wanted to make sure that we did it the most efficient way first, even if it took longer to figure out what that was. There was chaos.
Finally, one of the girls made a stand. “Guys, I think we need to pray.”
To be honest, I was kind of taken off guard. Pray? About something as silly as taking
gravel down a hill? At first, this seemed a little “over spiritual” to me, but as I thought about it, it made sense. We should be praying about everything. Nothing is too insignificant for prayer.
After we prayed, we took our first load down the hill. The task was brutal. We were so tired, so worn by our first load, and we had a lot more to go. The time was ticking away. Soon it was 5pm. 6pm. 7pm. 8pm. We still weren’t done. We were lagging, defeated, exhausted, and as we lay on the ground at the bottom of the hill after one of our loads, just resting, I needed to do something. “Guys? I think we need to pray one more time.” I thanked Jesus. He had answered our first prayer for strength in every other trip we’d made, now would You please give us the strength to finish the rest? And miracle of miracles, as we reached the top of the hill, we noticed that most of the remaining gravel had been removed. We just had one load left. What an unexplainable relief! On the trip down, we were allowed to use a short cut, the main road. We all survived with the realization that we had accomplished the task. Only with Jesus.
I began to learn a valuable lesson that day. We need Jesus for everything, even in
the “natural” parts of life, in the strictly physical realm. That’s why we need to be praying about everything. There is nothing too insignificant for which to knock on the throne room doors. God listens. Even to prayers about using old boats to carry gravel down a nice, muddy hill on a summer evening. Jesus knows, and He cares.
Prayer 13: Evangelism.
Oh Jesus? Please give me a passion for the lost. Give me the courage to walk into their lives . . . with You. Thank You. In Your name. Amen.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Day 12: Debriefing 15 Minutes of Prayer
It's been almost 2 weeks since I've started this journey of prayer, and because it's so late as I type this and because I'm this far in, I kind of wanted to take some time to debrief and fill you in on how my fifteen minutes of prayer time (in morning and evening) have gone.
One thing that I've loved about setting apart that 15 minutes is that as I continue to do it, it's becoming a habit, and that's so exciting for me!!! Locking myself into a habit is such a freeing feeling. I guess that sounds weird, but it's kind of a control thing. It's saying that this activity that I'm choosing to participate in is my choice, and I've committed to doing it this amount of time so it's becoming natural and part of routine. I'm getting past the mental brick wall of doing this activity. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I encourage you to try to form a new, good habit. It's very exciting! :)
With this debrief, I really do need to be honest and say that I haven't always gotten the strict 15 minutes in daily. For instance, this morning, I had a limited amount of time, so I wanted to make a prayer walk of part of my prayer time so I could get to where I was going and pray during the same time. Yeah, I think that's called cheating. *Smile* Well, the first problem with this is that I had failed to orchestrate my morning around prayer being a priority. I don't want to be legalistic at all about this, but I want to find the balance between holding myself to the commitment and being gracious with myself. ANYWAY, another problem with this theory was that as I was walking and trying to pray (I got pretty distracted actually), I ran into people that I talked with. So, I have had times of failure in this journey, but I guess I've come to the conclusion that because I'm going to try hard not to give up, that victory oversteps the failures in between. I hope that encourages you too in whatever discipline you may be undertaking. Give yourself grace with the small failures. Count the victories. They're so important!!! :) Just not giving up on yourself is its own victory. Press on, friend!
Also, I realize that I don't always engage in very focused prayer. Some of these past few nights I've been so exhausted that I've just kind of sat in Jesus' presence. Sometimes I've just spoken out scattered thoughts, trying to talk things out. I don't feel like I've made a whole lot of progress in praying, but I am so grateful for all the practice in prayer and all the opportunities I'll continue to have, Lord willing, to practice praying! Someone once told me though that you get better at prayer by practicing, and I'm so excited that as Jesus continues to work and as I continue to commit to it, I'll learn how to do this whole thing better ('cause believe you me . . . I have such a long ways to go! haha).
It has been so special though to have times where I know I'm going to spend with Jesus. It's powerful! And He's so good to be right there with me. :)
Dear Father,
Thank You so much for meeting me each time I come to You, for putting up with my pathetic prayers. Please teach me, Jesus. Guide my mouth and my heart and my mind. Teach me oneness with You, so I really know how to pray. I love You. I'm really glad to be Your girl.
In Jesus' Name.
Amen
Prayer for Day 12: Fellowship. <3
One thing that I've loved about setting apart that 15 minutes is that as I continue to do it, it's becoming a habit, and that's so exciting for me!!! Locking myself into a habit is such a freeing feeling. I guess that sounds weird, but it's kind of a control thing. It's saying that this activity that I'm choosing to participate in is my choice, and I've committed to doing it this amount of time so it's becoming natural and part of routine. I'm getting past the mental brick wall of doing this activity. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I encourage you to try to form a new, good habit. It's very exciting! :)
With this debrief, I really do need to be honest and say that I haven't always gotten the strict 15 minutes in daily. For instance, this morning, I had a limited amount of time, so I wanted to make a prayer walk of part of my prayer time so I could get to where I was going and pray during the same time. Yeah, I think that's called cheating. *Smile* Well, the first problem with this is that I had failed to orchestrate my morning around prayer being a priority. I don't want to be legalistic at all about this, but I want to find the balance between holding myself to the commitment and being gracious with myself. ANYWAY, another problem with this theory was that as I was walking and trying to pray (I got pretty distracted actually), I ran into people that I talked with. So, I have had times of failure in this journey, but I guess I've come to the conclusion that because I'm going to try hard not to give up, that victory oversteps the failures in between. I hope that encourages you too in whatever discipline you may be undertaking. Give yourself grace with the small failures. Count the victories. They're so important!!! :) Just not giving up on yourself is its own victory. Press on, friend!
Also, I realize that I don't always engage in very focused prayer. Some of these past few nights I've been so exhausted that I've just kind of sat in Jesus' presence. Sometimes I've just spoken out scattered thoughts, trying to talk things out. I don't feel like I've made a whole lot of progress in praying, but I am so grateful for all the practice in prayer and all the opportunities I'll continue to have, Lord willing, to practice praying! Someone once told me though that you get better at prayer by practicing, and I'm so excited that as Jesus continues to work and as I continue to commit to it, I'll learn how to do this whole thing better ('cause believe you me . . . I have such a long ways to go! haha).
It has been so special though to have times where I know I'm going to spend with Jesus. It's powerful! And He's so good to be right there with me. :)
Dear Father,
Thank You so much for meeting me each time I come to You, for putting up with my pathetic prayers. Please teach me, Jesus. Guide my mouth and my heart and my mind. Teach me oneness with You, so I really know how to pray. I love You. I'm really glad to be Your girl.
In Jesus' Name.
Amen
Prayer for Day 12: Fellowship. <3
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Day 11: Praying To Stand
This morning, I somewhat randomly flipped through the onion skin pages of my NIV Bible, and I landed probably right where I needed to land . . . Luke 22. Jesus knew. WOAH!!!!!! Talk about a packed chapter on prayer! I didn't read it all this morning, but there were a few things that stuck out to me in the section that I read. Because time is getting away from me, I'll just focus on one of those pieces for now.
In Luke 22.32, we see a picture of Jesus staring His disciple, His friend, His passionate Peter right through his eyes into soul. "But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." I heard a speaker once on the radio share something to the effect that Jesus knew what was the most powerful thing He could do for Peter, and He did it. Jesus prayed.
Okay, there are two things that stick out to me.
First of all, JESUS prayed.
JESUS. The Son of YHWH. He prayed.
If Jesus had need to pray and/or made use of this power source, how much more need must I have to knock on the throne room doors?
Second of all, Jesus PRAYED.
My natural tendency is to neglect prayer as a source of action. I sometimes see it as a form of passivity, as option B, but Jesus used it as Option A!!!! Jesus PRAYED!!!! This screams volumes about how powerful this is!
Am I captivated and awestruck by the power of prayer?
Am I humbled and filled to know that Jesus prays for His disciples? That He stands in the gap to intercede for us?
"Christ Jesus, who died --- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34b NIV
Jesus prays for me. He prays for you. Oh goodness. I haven't unpacked this to its fullest yet, but I'm left with something to begin to chew on and meditate on. This is beautiful!
Prayer for Day 11: Protection.
Dear Father,
Thank You for letting me call You "Father." Please help me to see prayer with new eyes, YHWH, with Your eyes. Thank You, Jesus, for praying for me!!!! WOW!!!!
I'm tired tonight. I am ashamed at my weakness and laziness to serve You in times like these when I'm tired. This is wrong. Please forgive me, and help me to press through to give You all I have, even when I don't feel like it. Oh You are worthy! You are So Worthy!
I love You, Jesus! Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
In Luke 22.32, we see a picture of Jesus staring His disciple, His friend, His passionate Peter right through his eyes into soul. "But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." I heard a speaker once on the radio share something to the effect that Jesus knew what was the most powerful thing He could do for Peter, and He did it. Jesus prayed.
Okay, there are two things that stick out to me.
First of all, JESUS prayed.
JESUS. The Son of YHWH. He prayed.
If Jesus had need to pray and/or made use of this power source, how much more need must I have to knock on the throne room doors?
Second of all, Jesus PRAYED.
My natural tendency is to neglect prayer as a source of action. I sometimes see it as a form of passivity, as option B, but Jesus used it as Option A!!!! Jesus PRAYED!!!! This screams volumes about how powerful this is!
Am I captivated and awestruck by the power of prayer?
Am I humbled and filled to know that Jesus prays for His disciples? That He stands in the gap to intercede for us?
"Christ Jesus, who died --- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34b NIV
Jesus prays for me. He prays for you. Oh goodness. I haven't unpacked this to its fullest yet, but I'm left with something to begin to chew on and meditate on. This is beautiful!
Prayer for Day 11: Protection.
Dear Father,
Thank You for letting me call You "Father." Please help me to see prayer with new eyes, YHWH, with Your eyes. Thank You, Jesus, for praying for me!!!! WOW!!!!
I'm tired tonight. I am ashamed at my weakness and laziness to serve You in times like these when I'm tired. This is wrong. Please forgive me, and help me to press through to give You all I have, even when I don't feel like it. Oh You are worthy! You are So Worthy!
I love You, Jesus! Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Day 10: Being Honest
It was sweet summer, and I was tucked away among the tough, strong trees at my church's summer camp, loving life and needing Jesus. It was evening, and we had the daily campfire and Jesus stirred in my heart. In the quiet and the darkness, I stepped forward to the benches up front closest to the campfire, and the speaker's wife sat near me and held me as I cried, not understanding why the tears ran.
"Don't be afraid to be honest with Him, danae. Be honest with Jesus."
I haven't forgotten her words.
Be honest with Jesus, danae. Be honest.
This seems so obvious. Of course we should be honest before the all-knowing God, yet my natural instinct is often to shirk behind the curtains in His throne room. I know He knows me (whether I tell Him all my secrets or not), but how often do I open myself to Him? How often do I undress the deepest, most vulnerable pieces of my broken soul before Him? How often do I put words to my embarrassing situations, the shameful sins, and silly fears and give them to Him in their rawness?
How often do I tell Him when I'm angry, when I'm excited, when I'm hurting, when I don't understand what He's doing but that it hurts intensely? How often do I tell Him what I'm struggling with and let Him in to the areas of my heart where I store the deepest treasures of my dreams and the darkest depths of my fears and failure scars? Do I tell Him when I don't feel like loving Him (but want to!)? (Forgive me, Jesus. It's good for me to say that sometimes, isn't it? After all You know it anyway. Sometimes I don't.) Sometimes, I just need to be honest with myself and in so doing, be honest with Him.
One thing I'm trying to figure out as I desire to learn how to pray more is even what I should be praying about? God tells His people to pour out our hearts before God like water. One lady illustrated this idea so well by sharing a literal visualization of pouring out a pitcher of water. If we pour ourselves out, we are emptying ourselves of us. I want to do that when I pray, friends! I want to empty everything before Jesus, and I think this happens when I'm honest with Jesus, when I'm brave enough to put words to the darkness in me and the fears and the sin. Let's do it. Let's let Jesus conquer our darkness by His marvelous light. It's okay to be honest. :)
The prayer for day 10: Self-Control.
Sovereign Lord,
You are Mighty and Worthy! I am unworthy. Thank You for loving me here in my brokenness. Please, Lord, teach me to be honest and open before You. Help me to verbalize when I don't understand, to be courageous enough to put words to my feelings. You already know. Teach me what this means to be honest with You and yet to continue to show You respect as God. I don't want to forget who You are.
And Lord? Please anchor me in Your self-control. Help me to be a person who knows that the most important things are those which are unseen, and it is worth it for me to wait for these things instead of indulging in the useless trappings of earth while I'm here. Break me, Jesus. You know my heart. I worship myself. I give in to myself. You know. Oh You know. Please make me more like You.
I love You. Let me love with everything.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Oops! Sorry guys . . . I technically put down the wrong prayer for day 10. The Day 10 prayer is actually for patience. Sorry 'bout that! Maybe Jesus knew I need a lot of prayer for self-control! :) Smile. It's true . . . :)
"Don't be afraid to be honest with Him, danae. Be honest with Jesus."
I haven't forgotten her words.
Be honest with Jesus, danae. Be honest.
This seems so obvious. Of course we should be honest before the all-knowing God, yet my natural instinct is often to shirk behind the curtains in His throne room. I know He knows me (whether I tell Him all my secrets or not), but how often do I open myself to Him? How often do I undress the deepest, most vulnerable pieces of my broken soul before Him? How often do I put words to my embarrassing situations, the shameful sins, and silly fears and give them to Him in their rawness?
How often do I tell Him when I'm angry, when I'm excited, when I'm hurting, when I don't understand what He's doing but that it hurts intensely? How often do I tell Him what I'm struggling with and let Him in to the areas of my heart where I store the deepest treasures of my dreams and the darkest depths of my fears and failure scars? Do I tell Him when I don't feel like loving Him (but want to!)? (Forgive me, Jesus. It's good for me to say that sometimes, isn't it? After all You know it anyway. Sometimes I don't.) Sometimes, I just need to be honest with myself and in so doing, be honest with Him.
One thing I'm trying to figure out as I desire to learn how to pray more is even what I should be praying about? God tells His people to pour out our hearts before God like water. One lady illustrated this idea so well by sharing a literal visualization of pouring out a pitcher of water. If we pour ourselves out, we are emptying ourselves of us. I want to do that when I pray, friends! I want to empty everything before Jesus, and I think this happens when I'm honest with Jesus, when I'm brave enough to put words to the darkness in me and the fears and the sin. Let's do it. Let's let Jesus conquer our darkness by His marvelous light. It's okay to be honest. :)
The prayer for day 10: Self-Control.
Sovereign Lord,
You are Mighty and Worthy! I am unworthy. Thank You for loving me here in my brokenness. Please, Lord, teach me to be honest and open before You. Help me to verbalize when I don't understand, to be courageous enough to put words to my feelings. You already know. Teach me what this means to be honest with You and yet to continue to show You respect as God. I don't want to forget who You are.
And Lord? Please anchor me in Your self-control. Help me to be a person who knows that the most important things are those which are unseen, and it is worth it for me to wait for these things instead of indulging in the useless trappings of earth while I'm here. Break me, Jesus. You know my heart. I worship myself. I give in to myself. You know. Oh You know. Please make me more like You.
I love You. Let me love with everything.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Oops! Sorry guys . . . I technically put down the wrong prayer for day 10. The Day 10 prayer is actually for patience. Sorry 'bout that! Maybe Jesus knew I need a lot of prayer for self-control! :) Smile. It's true . . . :)
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Day 9: Idol Worship
I whisper it out the window, ashamed … appalled… “The only thing that prevents me from praying more is me.”
The sparrows line the hydro wires out by the mailbox.
“It’s my own inflated sense of self-importance, the elevation of my work, of my agenda, that keeps me from prayer-communion.” I turn to face him.
“That’s called idol worship. I don’t pray enough because I’m practicing idol worship.”
- Ann Voskamp from her post found Here.
If you have a second, please take a moment to follow the link to read Ann's full post, to click on some of her links.
Ann's heart for prayer and finding those quiet places is beautiful and encouraging . . . and convicting.
Ann Voskamp points out that believing we don't have enough time to pray is a form of idol worship; it's putting our agenda and ourselves as ultimate and most important. It is neglecting our frailty and our need for only fully Jesus. I am guilty. Please check out her blog! It is so beautiful and worth reading!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Sunday, I want to set another time goal for this week. Last week, my goal was 15 minutes each morning before my first activity (class/chapel). This morning, I didn't get the full 15 minutes in. I didn't get around fast enough / wake up early enough. I hope that can encourage you in a roundabout way as it reminds you that I need so much grace and that just because I (or we) fail, doesn't mean it's over. :) So, I'll get back on my feet: It's a new week!!!! :)
The goal for this upcoming week is to again pray 15 minutes before my first morning class/chapel and then 15 minutes before I go to bed. :) This is still small, but if I can gain victory in the small, I can press onward to the bigger victories. Journey with me?
The prayer for day 9 is Love. <3
Dear Father,
Oh Father God, I could probably write pages and pages about my need for love and for the ability to actually really love people and to really, sincerely love You.
Please, teach me to love. I have names, Sovereign Lord. I have names of certain people that I struggle to love, and it's not because I don't want to love them. NOT AT ALL. It's quite the opposite. The problem is, I don't know how to love them the way You've asked me to love them. My love isn't enough. It's shallow and selfish. It is destructive, not healing. It's not what they need.
And then, YHWH, there are people I don't feel like putting in the energy to love. I am so wretched. I am dark and dirty. I'm sorry, Jesus. Please forgive me when I don't love them, when I don't love my brothers and sisters in You. Please give me the strength. Please fill me with Your love to give and Your creativity to love well.
And YHWH? How do I love You? Oh I want to be so fully devoted and passionate to love my King honestly, sincerely. When I say "I love You," I want to mean it to the deepest extent that I would do anything to prove it. ANYTHING. Please, great Teacher, teach me what it means to love You. To be FILLED and motivated with Love for You.
I really do love You, Jesus. Please expand and deepen and purify that love. Help me to say: Do whatever it takes.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Day 8: He Hears Us
I have several stories of prayers Jesus has answered, but there are two particular stories I wanted to share with you! The first is the first prayer I remember God literally answering. The second is a silly answer to prayer that just spun me in circles, awestruck that God would listen to a little girl like me, praying the silly prayer I did. :)There have been a LOT of prayers that I've seen Jesus answering since then (and hopefully I'll get to share more stories later), but these were two that let my child-heart know that Jesus cares and listens . . . even to me.
The first one has to do with my violin. This story is so close to my heart, no matter how child-like it may seem.
When I was little, probably younger than fourth grade, I really, really wanted to learn how to play the violin. I wanted to learn to make it sing.
I remember going outside one day, walking around in the backyard, pouring my heart out to Jesus. I told Him I really wanted to play, that I'd play everyday if I could. Please, God? Please?
I don't know what sent me outside that day. I don't remember praying a lot outside when I was a little girl.
Well, if you move the screen forward a small matter of time, you'll see a picture of me playing in the playroom with my sister, and I hear something.
"Ssh. Briana? What's that?"
And I RACE upstairs at the sound of a violin. I figure my cousin is maybe here (he plays).
And I follow the sound, into my parents' bedroom. And there.
There, my dad is holding up a violin, trying to make some sort of noise come out of the instrument.
My eyes probably lit up like sunbeams when I found out that the violin my dad was holding would be mine to borrow from my cousin, that I would get to begin taking lessons from a lady named Marilyn.
I.Was.So.Excited.
And Jesus cared!! The God of the Impossible stepped into my life to hand me a gift. I still play violin, and I love it. It's a very special reminder that Jesus cares about me, about my dreams. He listens to my prayers.
The second prayer happened in junior high I think. Okay, a pretty funny story. During this time and into high school, I really didn't see the power of prayer. I prayed, but I didn't grasp the depth and power of it. Anyways, during junior high, I went with my choir to a music festival in Washington. Our choir stayed in a hotel room, and I remember being woken up in the night by one of the mom chaperones (not my mom by the way. wink.) snoring. Very. Loudly. And friends, I didn't know how I'd get back to sleep! And I was really concerned about getting sleep. :) Well, I remember praying in that hotel room, just asking Jesus to cause her to Stop Snoring! I was desperate.
And the funny thing was, . . . in just a little bit, the snoring stopped. Funny. Chance? Not at all. This prayer seems so silly, but it is a prayer that I look back on to remember that Jesus does listen to me, even as a young girl or a young woman.
We can pray like He's listening. Because He is.
Day 8 prayer: Self-Control.
Oh Father,
You are Sovereign Lord. Thank You for holding me in Your hands. You direct me and love me. Please keep me in Your path.
Sovereign Lord, would You please root in me a self-control. I can FAIL at this miserably, especially in my interactions with people, with stupid things like food and facebook time. Please forgive me, Lord. Holy Spirit, please put Your fruit in me, Your self-control.
Thank You for this day, Jesus. Please help me to follow You alone.
I love You. Teach me what love really is, God.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
The first one has to do with my violin. This story is so close to my heart, no matter how child-like it may seem.
When I was little, probably younger than fourth grade, I really, really wanted to learn how to play the violin. I wanted to learn to make it sing.
I remember going outside one day, walking around in the backyard, pouring my heart out to Jesus. I told Him I really wanted to play, that I'd play everyday if I could. Please, God? Please?
I don't know what sent me outside that day. I don't remember praying a lot outside when I was a little girl.
Well, if you move the screen forward a small matter of time, you'll see a picture of me playing in the playroom with my sister, and I hear something.
"Ssh. Briana? What's that?"
And I RACE upstairs at the sound of a violin. I figure my cousin is maybe here (he plays).
And I follow the sound, into my parents' bedroom. And there.
There, my dad is holding up a violin, trying to make some sort of noise come out of the instrument.
My eyes probably lit up like sunbeams when I found out that the violin my dad was holding would be mine to borrow from my cousin, that I would get to begin taking lessons from a lady named Marilyn.
I.Was.So.Excited.
And Jesus cared!! The God of the Impossible stepped into my life to hand me a gift. I still play violin, and I love it. It's a very special reminder that Jesus cares about me, about my dreams. He listens to my prayers.
The second prayer happened in junior high I think. Okay, a pretty funny story. During this time and into high school, I really didn't see the power of prayer. I prayed, but I didn't grasp the depth and power of it. Anyways, during junior high, I went with my choir to a music festival in Washington. Our choir stayed in a hotel room, and I remember being woken up in the night by one of the mom chaperones (not my mom by the way. wink.) snoring. Very. Loudly. And friends, I didn't know how I'd get back to sleep! And I was really concerned about getting sleep. :) Well, I remember praying in that hotel room, just asking Jesus to cause her to Stop Snoring! I was desperate.
And the funny thing was, . . . in just a little bit, the snoring stopped. Funny. Chance? Not at all. This prayer seems so silly, but it is a prayer that I look back on to remember that Jesus does listen to me, even as a young girl or a young woman.
We can pray like He's listening. Because He is.
Day 8 prayer: Self-Control.
Oh Father,
You are Sovereign Lord. Thank You for holding me in Your hands. You direct me and love me. Please keep me in Your path.
Sovereign Lord, would You please root in me a self-control. I can FAIL at this miserably, especially in my interactions with people, with stupid things like food and facebook time. Please forgive me, Lord. Holy Spirit, please put Your fruit in me, Your self-control.
Thank You for this day, Jesus. Please help me to follow You alone.
I love You. Teach me what love really is, God.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Day 7: Praying to the Sovereign Lord
"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4.31)
What is this prayer that shakes places and opens us up to be filled with His Spirit?
Previously, the Bible shares with us the prayer the believers prayed. It was a prayer for boldness. There are a few interesting things that stick out to me in this passage, but one is this:
They addressed God as Sovereign Lord.
As "they lifted their voices together to God," they were coming to Him in His Sovereignty and Lordship. They were believing that He could accomplish what they asked of Him.
I'm not sure how connected that part of the prayer is in making this an earth-shaking prayer, but I think there must be great significance in how we address God in prayer and also who we believe God is when we come to Him in prayer.
When I pray, do I trust God that He has things in control?
Do I trust that He is even capable of giving me what I need and directing me?
I don't want to lose sight of the God I'm praying to when I pray. Friends, it is so easy. So easy to lose sight of YHWH, of the KING as we pray. I have this theory that needs to be tested, and it goes like this: Earth shaking prayers are prayed by warriors who know who their God is and because of this, know what to ask Him.
What do you think?
Prayer for Day 7 is Peace
Dear Father,
Thank You for Friday. Thank You, thank You, thank You. We made it. :) Oh Jesus, I have so much to do for this week. But You are Sovereign Lord. You have me in Your hands. Please give me the strength to press through.
Please give me Your peace, Jesus. Please help me to carry it with me so others can experience Your peace through Your presence in me. Sovereign Lord, please come.
I'm so glad I'm Yours.
I love You. I want to really love You, Jesus.
Amen.
What is this prayer that shakes places and opens us up to be filled with His Spirit?
Previously, the Bible shares with us the prayer the believers prayed. It was a prayer for boldness. There are a few interesting things that stick out to me in this passage, but one is this:
They addressed God as Sovereign Lord.
As "they lifted their voices together to God," they were coming to Him in His Sovereignty and Lordship. They were believing that He could accomplish what they asked of Him.
I'm not sure how connected that part of the prayer is in making this an earth-shaking prayer, but I think there must be great significance in how we address God in prayer and also who we believe God is when we come to Him in prayer.
When I pray, do I trust God that He has things in control?
Do I trust that He is even capable of giving me what I need and directing me?
I don't want to lose sight of the God I'm praying to when I pray. Friends, it is so easy. So easy to lose sight of YHWH, of the KING as we pray. I have this theory that needs to be tested, and it goes like this: Earth shaking prayers are prayed by warriors who know who their God is and because of this, know what to ask Him.
What do you think?
Prayer for Day 7 is Peace
Dear Father,
Thank You for Friday. Thank You, thank You, thank You. We made it. :) Oh Jesus, I have so much to do for this week. But You are Sovereign Lord. You have me in Your hands. Please give me the strength to press through.
Please give me Your peace, Jesus. Please help me to carry it with me so others can experience Your peace through Your presence in me. Sovereign Lord, please come.
I'm so glad I'm Yours.
I love You. I want to really love You, Jesus.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)