Prayer

As we begin our morning and week, we need to bring our focus to one place....prayer. 

As we commute to church, work or walk the hallways at our schools, we need help. As we wait in the grocery line, His people need help. 

Prayer is really a conversation with God throughout our day. It is our internal voice that directs the external action. 

As we cultivate our inside voice, may it move and shake mountains on the outside! 

More than words

God intends for prayer to be an easy, natural way of staying in touch with Him - like having a conversation with a close friend.  But I don't think we see prayer as being that simple. As a matter of fact, I think a lot of us (Christians) have difficulty maintaining a strong, consistent prayer life because we're stuck believing what the enemy has told us. Things like: "God is mad at us. He's not answering our prayers right now", or "we don't pray long enough anyway, so our prayers won't really make a difference".

The truth is, everytime we pray in faith, God answers.  He wants our prayer life to be fulfilling, exciting and full of hopeful expectation. You can have great freedom and creativity in your prayer life - but you need to stay focused on God and His promises, not the enemy's lies.

Prayer Builders:

• How often do you pray?
• Do you feel a connection with heaven, in prayer?

Hiding from God

Nehemiah 1:5-6

I think the real reason we pray so little is fear: fear of facing God, fear also of facing our own and others' brokenness.  Our hearts are saying: "Can I really trust God? Will He really show me His love when I don't keep anything hidden from Him - or will I be crushed by His anger and lose the little bit of freedom I have so carefully carved out for myself?"

"Do not be afraid" Those are the moments where you can get closer to God.  God is a jealous God, yes, but His jealousy is not filled with possessiveness and suspicion; as is our human jealousy.  This is why we have a relationship, and not a religious contract with God.

God loves us with a perfect love.  A love that casts out all fear and allows us to approach Him and His people in complete freedom.  He loves us so much that He in fact, passionately desires our love in response.

So, ladies, pray without fear, enter God's presence with a vulnerable openness. Learn to be silent in His presence, so He can first speak to us and reveal us to ourselves as women created in love and created free to love. Then we can respond with a full "yes", affirming from the depth of our hearts that we are indeed made in the image and likeness of God.

Love Builders:

• What fears keep you from sharing openly with others?
• What fears keep you from feeling free to approach God in prayer?

Obedience is better

1 Samuel 15:22 - Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

I have been more or less consistent with my early-morning ritual of prayer.  Usually, I pray through a list of concerns, needs, confessions, praises etc. Sometimes, its hard not to feel mechanical about the whole thing, as if I'm quickly discharging a morning duty: wake up, pray, brush my teeth, get ready etc.  You know the drill....

But "duty" is not a bad word.  If it helps stay focused, then great!  Our prayer time gives us a refreshing stride in our morning rush.  Prayer is all about obedience!

Prayer Builders:

• What items would you like to pray about daily?
• How can you create a prayer time regularly?

Pray and Trust

How do you come to prayer?

 

When we are in between flights, what do we do?  Read a magazine, read a book, make a couple of calls, text away... but do we pray? When we have a whole evening without any concrete plans, what do we do?  Watch TV, go to a movie, read another chapter in that book, check your personal emails, make more phone calls, text some more....but do we pray?

 

Realistically, there appears to be empty hours in our lives to pray, so there must be something else getting in the way of prayer than just being too busy!

 

Our ambivalence about prayer reveals to us what kind of God our God is.  God is not someone who just seeks our occasional attention, and waits for our occassional prayers.  He is not someone who can easily do without us and will be quite content when we are willing to spend a couple hours of our weekend talking to Him. If God were that kind of God, then we wouldn't experience so much tension when we enter into His presence to pray.  Those tensions come from the awareness that God is a jealous lover.

 

Deutoronomy 4:24 (The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God). Moses said this to the people of Israel and Paul said to his brothers and sisters in 2 Corinthians 11:2, that he loved them with the jealous love of God.  God is asking for our total, undivided attention. Not only is He asking for our undivided attention, He is also asking us to trust Him whether things are going well or going against us. 

A great quote I read goes like this "The root of all sin is the suspicion that God isn't good or isn't good enough" (revised). In the times of pain, questioning, anger and frustration, you need to say to God, "I'm not going to stop believing in your goodness, but I've got to know you better. I'm not demanding that you do anything for me.  I'm coming to you just for you."

That, ladies, is an appetite for God.  That's seeking Him with all of your heart.

Prayer and Trust Builders:

• How have you learned to fit times of prayer and focusing on God into spare moments of your day?
• What troubling question do you wish God would answer for you?
• How can you practice coming to God just for Him, without demands?

Believing that you have received it!

Mark 11:24 (New International Version) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. How often do we pray to God about something, but really do not believe that God can do it? Is it that we think that the request is too far fetched, that God cannot deliver, or do we rather not ask for something that extreme? So many things can go on in our worlds but no matter what you face in life, you can ALWAYS ask your heavenly father for a way out! Whether your challenge is bringing yourself to asking God, or believing that you are a child of God and you are entitled to peace or love or joy or whatever it is that you need; always know that God is waiting on your request, so He can show Himself strong in your life. A request requires you to put your need out there. And who better to ask from, than your Father? Ladies, do not be afraid of going before God. Do not be hesitant to throw all your cards on the table. Do not expect anything less than what you deserve. God is a loving, caring and providing father, and He will give you what you need, for when you need it.

The Lord's Prayer

Me: Our Father who art in heaven. God: Yes? Me: Don't interrupt me. I'm praying. God: But -- you called ME! Me: Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying. Our Father who art in heaven. God: There -- you did it again! Me: Did what? God: Called ME. You said, "Our Father who art in Heaven" Well, here I am.... What's on your mind? Me: But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like fulfilling a duty... God: Well, all right. Go on. Me: Okay, Hallowed be thy name. God: Hold it right there. What do you mean by that? Me: By what? God: By "Hallowed be thy name"? Me: It means, it means…good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean? God: It means honored, holy, wonderful. Me: Hey, that makes sense... I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. God: Do you really mean that? Me: Sure, why not? God: What are you doing about it? Me: Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control, of everything down here like you have up there. We're kind of in a mess down here you know. God: Yes, I know; but, have I got control of you? Me: Well, I go to church. God: That isn't what I asked you. What about your bad temper? You've really got a problem there, you know. And then there's the way you spend your money -- all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read? Me: Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church! Excuse ME... God: I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is to happen, it will have to start with the ones who are praying for it. Like you -- for example... Me: Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others. God: So could I. Me: I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free. God: Good. Now we're getting somewhere. We'll work together -- You and ME. I'm proud of you. Me: Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread. God: You need to cut out the bread…You're overweight as it is. Me: Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups. God: Praying is a dangerous thing. You just might get what you ask for. Remember, you called ME -- and here I am. It's too late to stop now. Keep praying… (pause…) Well, go on. Me: I'm scared to. God: Scared? Of what? Me: I know what you'll say. God: Try ME. Me: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. God: What about Ann? Me: See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories. She never paid back the money she owes me. I've sworn to get even with her! God: But -- your prayer -- What about your prayer? Me: I didn't -- mean it! God: Well, at least you're honest. But, it's quite a load carrying around all that bitterness and resentment isn't it? Me: Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her. Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born. God: No, you won't feel any better. You'll feel worse. Revenge isn't sweet. You know how unhappy you are -- Well, I can change that. Me: You can? How? God: Forgive Ann. Then, I'll forgive you; and the hate and the sin, will be Ann's problem -- not yours. You will have settled the problem as far as you are concerned. Me: Oh, you know, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with you… (sigh).All right, all right . .I forgive her. God: There now! Wonderful! How do you feel? Me: Hmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. I haven't been getting much rest, you know. God: Yeah, I know. But, you're not through with your prayer, are you? Go on.... Me: Oh, all right. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. God: Good! Good! I'll do that. Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted. Me: What do you mean by that? God: You know what I mean. Me: Yeah. I know. God: Okay. Go ahead... Finish your prayer. Me: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. God: Do you know what would bring me glory -- What would really make me happy? Me: No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now… I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you...I can see now how great that would be. So, tell me...How do I make you happy? God: YOU just did.