He Is Praying for You

We're 22 days into this 31 Day series, and I often wonder what I was thinking when I chose the topic of prayer. Am I a stellar example in this spiritual discipline? Not even close. But, through this series, I have been forced to think more about prayer. I have been forced to pray more, just for the simple fact that I don't feel qualified to write on this subject. I am begging God for His words and His wisdom!

Ephesians 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

I don't know about you, but this passage gives me hope. There are so many times I don't know what to pray. I am merely standing before God with my mouth open but no words coming out. During these times, I'm so thankful the Holy Spirit intercedes for me! What an amazing thought!

Consider these words from Bible scholar Robert Morgan. This is one of the best explanations of prayer and God's will that I have ever read!
 

We are weak in many ways, but in this passage the apostle Paul is specific about the particular weakness he is addressing—our prayer lives. We are weak when it comes to prayer. In what way? Well, we are weak in many ways, but here again Paul has something specific in mind. We are weak in our ability to know what we should ask. Many times we really don’t know what we should specifically pray for. We are not omniscient. We don’t know everything, nor can we see into the future. So we don’t know whether the things we’re asking for will turn out good or bad for us.

An old story illustrates: A Chinese gentleman lived on the border of China and Mongolia. In those days, there was constant conflict and strife along the perimeter. The man had a beautiful horse. One day, she leaped over the corral, raced down the road, crossed the border, and was captured by the Mongolians. His friends came to comfort him. “That’s bad news,” they said sadly. “What makes you think it’s bad news?” asked the Chinese gentleman. “Maybe it’s good news.” A few days later the mare came bolting into his corral, bringing with it a massive stallion. His friends crowded around. “That’s good news!” they cried. “What makes you think it’s good news?” he asked. “Maybe it is bad news.” Later, his son, while riding the stallion and trying to break it, was thrown off and broke his leg. “That’s bad news,” cried the friends. “What makes you think it is bad news?” asked the Chinese gentleman. “Maybe it’s good news.” One week later, war broke out with Mongolia, and a Chinese general came through, drafting all the young men. All later perished, except for the young man who couldn’t go because his leg was broken. The man said to his friends, “You see, the things you thought were bad turned out good; and the things you thought were good turned out bad.”

And thus it is with us. We don’t know if the things we want will really be good for us, or bad. We can’t see the future. That’s why James tells to us to pray, saying, “If it be thy will....” But God does know the future. He is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows how all things will turn out. Verse 26 says that the Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God with intensity, with groanings that words cannot express. And God answers the Holy Spirit’s pleas on our behalf. The result is Romans 8:28! As the Holy Spirit prays for us, God answers His prayers, therefore all the things turn out for our good in the unfolding providence of the Lord. (Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook: 2002 edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

31 Day Links

 

In homes all over the country (maybe even the world), bloggers from all backgrounds have taken the 31 Day Challenge this month! We're more than halfway through October already (can I get an amen?), and I thought you might like to check out some other bloggers who are writing on the topic of prayer. Over 450 bloggers are listed in the Inspiration & Faith category at the Nester's website, where the 31 Day Challenge originated!

Here are a few blogs dealing specifically with the topic of prayer:

31 Days of Focused Prayer: http://littlehousebigworld.com/31-days-of-focused-prayer/

31 Days of Praying God's Word: http://blessingsformom.com/31-days-day-1-knowing-gods-love/

31 Days "Exprayeriment": http://www.rachelinbloom.com/exprayeriment-31days/

31 Days of Praying for Your Teen: http://intentionaldays.com/2013/10/01/day-1-praying-for-your-teen-it-starts-with-me/

31 Days of Praying for the Nations: http://nateandannesummers.blogspot.com/2013/10/31-days-of-praying-for-nations.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the month of October, bloggers from far and wide are linking up their posts on one topic for 31 Days. Check it out at The Nester's blog!

Christians, Remember This...

 

Sunday Links

Was your weekend as busy as mine? After running a million different directions, it's nice to take a deep breath for a second before another hectic week begins.

Here are some great resources to supplement and encourage you in your prayer life this week. Don't forget your best resource: Cover your week in prayer!

Prayer: A Heavenly Invitation by Max Lucado (the text for this short booklet can be read at this link): http://maxlucado.com/read/topical/prayer-a-heavenly-invitation/

Five Ways to Keep a Prayer Journal: http://rachelwojo.com/ways-to-keep-a-prayer-journal/

Free Printable Bookmarks for Your Prayer Journal: http://rachelwojo.com/goodies/

Create a Prayer Board: http://www.raisinggodlychildren.org/2011/12/prayer-board.html

Disturb Us, Lord

When I first read this prayer, the beauty and the poignancy of its message struck my heart. As present day Americans, we often talk about "getting out of our comfort zones," but is it something we would ever actually request from God?

British explorer and adventurer Sir Francis Drake must have felt a similar way as he penned this prayer when he departed on an expedition in 1577:

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our effort to build a new earth
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back

The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,

Who is Jesus Christ.
============================================================

During the month of October, bloggers from far and wide are linking up their posts on one topic for 31 Days. Check it out at The Nester's blog!

 

{Day 6} ~ DIY Prayer Book

Recently, I found this little DIY project over at the Family Matters blog. It's an easy, one-hour activity that will reap eternal rewards – a one-a-day book of prayers to pray for your children (or grandchildren), complete with Scriptures for each day. Simply print it out on card stock, cut to size, hole punch in the corner, and attach a ribbon or binder ring. A simple, but powerful tool for your prayer life.

Get it free here: One-a-Day Prayer Book.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the month of October, bloggers from far and wide are linking up their posts on one topic for 31 Days. Check it out at The Nester's blog!

{Day 1} ~ Prayer: What's It All About?

prayer 

pre(ə)r/

noun

1. a devout petition to God or an object of worship.

2. a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.

3. the act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.

4. a formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for praying: the Lord's Prayer.

5. prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer.

 

Sometimes I make prayer too complicated, pondering its many definitions and worrying if I’m doing it just right. In its simplest form, though, prayer is merely a conversation with God. And it’s been around as long as man has. So why do I make it so difficult at times?

Before the fall, God’s formula for communicating with man was relaxed and personal. In Genesis 3:8-9, we see a picture of God strolling through the garden in the cool of the day, calling out to Adam, “Where are you?” Adam was able to speak directly to God in a face-to-face conversation. But this time, Adam wasn’t so quick to answer. He knew that his sin had changed things; his communication with God was forever altered.

Can you even imagine how Adam and Eve must have felt?  To go from strolling and conversing in the garden with their Creator to being separated from His presence by their sin would be an indescribable pain. A pain I often feel as well.

But in the midst of it all, God still wants a relationship with the people He created. With little, insignificant me.

As hard as it is for me to remember, prayer is about relationship.

It’s not about me rattling off a list of my wants (although God longs to give His children good things)! It’s as much (maybe more!) about me listening to God as is it about Him listening to me. That’s the hardest part for me. Learning to “be still and know” that He is God. Listening for that “still, small voice.” If prayer is communication with God, then communication involves listening as well as talking, don’t you think?

Father, in the midst of my crazy busy days, help me to remember the conversation that matters most. Help me to stop and listen for Your voice in my heart as I communicate with you. Thank you for the beautiful gift of prayer. May my words of praise be a worthy offering to You, the Lover of my Soul.
 

=====================================================

During the month of October, bloggers from far and wide are linking up their posts on one topic for 31 Days. Check it out at The Nester's blog!

31 Days to a Powerful Prayer Life ~ Welcome!

As long as man has walked on the face of the earth, a wireless connection has existed. This connection is infinitely faster and more powerful than any computer or smart phone. And it’s available to all – from the most despicable drunk lying in the gutter to the wealthiest oil sheik with money dripping from his fingertips.

Prayer.

So why don’t we use this powerful connection more often? The God of the universe invites us to “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things which you do not know.” (Jer. 33:3) And yet we stay silent. We worry. We fret. We try to fix things on our own. (Or at least I do!)

Prayer is a subject close to my heart this year. The word “pray” is the one word I chose to focus on in the year 2013. So when I decided to take the 31 Day Blogging Challenge again this year, prayer was a topic that rose to the top of my list. Not because I'm an expert. Or a prayer warrior. But because I want to be. I crave a more powerful connection with my Father, and He desires this for me as well.

So I hope you'll join me on this journey. I definitely don't have all the answers, but I'm going to dig deep into this vital subject of prayer and share what I discover with you. I hope you'll visit this page often for a link to each day's post! Thanks for reading!

Day 1 - Prayer: What's It All About?

Day 2  - Just a Prayer Away

Day 3 - Prayer, The Greater Work

Day 4 - How to Stop Making Your Grocery List When You Should Be Praying

Day 5 - Prayer: You Can Bank On It!

Day 6 - DIY Prayer Book

Day 7 - Why Worry When You Can Pray?

Day 8 - When There Are No Words

Day 9 - Disturb Us, Lord

Day 10 - Apron Prayers

Day 11 - Something to Think About

Day 12 - Prayer is the Key

Day 13 - Sunday Links

Day 14 -  Why Your Soul Needs Silence

Day 15 - Pray by Sanctus Real

Day 16 - Captivate Me: A Prayer

Day 17- Christians, Remember This

Day 18 - 31 Day Links

Day 19 - All Is Grace

Day 20 - Congratulations! You Have an All Access Pass!

Day 21 - On My Knees

Day 22 - He Is Praying for You

Day 23 - An Incredible Inheritance

Day 24 - Prayer for a Confident Heart

Day 25 - C. S. Lewis on Prayer

Days 26 & 27 - Weekend Links

Day 28 - One Prayer Can Make a Difference

Day 29 - Needing Direction?

Day 30 - Examining Our Doubts

Day 31 - Wrapping It Up
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the month of October, bloggers from far and wide are linking up their posts on one topic for 31 Days. Check it out at The Nester's blog!

 

Day 31 ~ A Test of Hope

My 31 Days of Hope Series officially comes to an end tonight.  

Today God reminded me of this: Writing about hope is one thing, but truly experiencing that hope is another thing all together.

As God would have it in His perfect timing, I had a test come my way today, and I had to remember what I'd been learning all month: True hope isn’t a just a dream or a wish. True hope is a confident expectancy that God is on your side, no matter what happens. It’s a desire for some future good with the expectation of obtaining it.

More tests and challenges will come my way in the future—I am sure of this. Will I believe and hope in God’s promise that all things work together for good to them who love Him?

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6

He is the source of my hope.

He is the reason I hope.

He is the God of hope—and He is my Father.

******************************

Thanks so much for reading this series, friends! If you're new here and you'd like to start at the beginning of this 31 Days of Hope series, click here. Grace and peace to you!

I'm linking up all month at The Nesting Place for the 31 Days of Change blogging challenge. There are over 1,000 topics to choose from! Check it out by clicking the button below.

 

Day 17 ~ Hold On, Pain Ends (HOPE)

Source: Uploaded by user via Reciclothes on Pinterest

This acronym for HOPE (Hold On, Pain Ends) has been cropping up on different social media sites lately, and I really like it. It makes me long for the day when God will set things right in the world once again, redeeming His creation with a new heaven and a new earth.

Can you just imagine the scene as you read Revelation 21:3-4?

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Someday, God himself will dry our tears and end our pain. Someday, we who love Christ will see and understand His plan, and we will no longer "see through a glass darkly." Until then, friends, live in HOPE. Hold on to Him with all you have... Hold On, Pain Ends.

******************************

I'm linking up all month at The Nesting Place for the 31 Days of Change blogging challenge. There are over 1,000 topics to choose from! Check it out by clicking the button below.