LORD, I Come to You

I know it has been much, much too long since I wrote.
Life gets so busy as I balance all the hats in my life, and I find myself not having as much free time on the computer. Another reason is that there has been some heavy private prayers on my heart that others have shared with me.  And I find that when I am carrying things like that I tend to cocoon myself. Maybe it is so I don't accidentally share what I shouldn't, maybe because by being silent it helps me hold back the tears, maybe some of what God shares with me or what I share with Him is so sacred though I long to share it words just don't do it justice. Whatever the reason, I know it has been toooooooo long since I blogged and journaled. I enjoy writing and it is very therapeutic for me.  There has been several times in the few months when I thought, " I so need to blog this."  It has happened enough that I come to my computer when I should be asleep and find the release of words so healing.




Where to start?


Why today of course.  I went to the mailbox and there was a simple sweet note from a sister-in-Christ and a sister-in-sorrow.  "Praying this will be an encouragement to you today!" and  the following was with it:




Lord, I Come to You
Read: John 6:65-69


" Lord, I come to You," ad my heart is comforted already, just in coming.
"Lord,"
my Saviour,
the Lord of my life, who knows, understands, and plans all for good, the One who has all the power I need for this hour.
"I come,"
so needy,
in my weakness and my inability,
with burdens pressing on my heart,
when my tongue cannot frame the words or utter my deep longings,
with tears of sorrow for my wretched failures, and needing forgiveness.
"To You,"
in trust, claiming Your promises,
in confidence, acknowledging that You know what You are doing in my life,
for comfort in the cares that fret and wear,
for strength to plod on faithfully and know this too shall pass.
"Lord, I Come to You," with gratitude that You are there.




I don't know who wrote this to give credit to at the moment.
But I know Who knew I needed it this day.
My Lord, my Best Friend, the Lover of my soul, my Jesus, my Saviour............
He knew and He had this come at just the right time.


LORD, I Come to YOU........

What Can I Do? Part 1

We are heading into our Fall Sunday School Campaign.
It is titled What Can I Do?

When Jesus was missing and Mary and Joseph found Him in the temple, He asked them, "wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" I want to be about my Heavenly Father's business and so do many of the children in our Sunday School.  So I am looking forward to the next 7 Super Sundays.

Wk 1
As I prepared for Sunday's lesson, I was reminded of Mark 12:30 that I learned when I was 21 and newly saved.  I remember sitting at the kitchen table and God opening my eyes to the truth of that verse.  I always thought the golden rule was the greatest commandment.  Thought the LORD does what us to treat others how we want to be treated, Mark 12:30 is even more important.
  
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

So the first and most important way to be about my Father's business is to invest all of me into my relationship with HIM.  Time spent in prayer greatly develops this relationship as I pour my heart out to Him and He pours His heart into mine.  Spending time with godly people also nurtures this relationship as they encourage me in my relationship with the LORD.  And I need to be teachable in my relationship with the LORD because He has many things to teach me, but I must have a heart that is willing to learn and adjust to what He says.

A week ago I spent much time in prayer for my preacher and others who were going through a difficult trial.  Many times I hit my knees praying and weeping,  and many times I rose up still burdened to pray.  Finally God gave me peace, peace that my preacher was going to be okay, peace that HE heard and HE was working on it.  Then I felt it was time to get up and trust.  Trust HIM to work in this trial, trust HIM to heal, trust HIM to make it be okay like HE said HE would.  Sometimes it can be a battle to trust, especially if the enemy has us tricked into believing lies.  But I know my God loves my preacher and knows what is best for him.  And God told me it was going to be okay and He has never lied to me.  So I trusted and prayed for his family to feel the same blanket of peace.  God was true to HIS word; everything is okay, preacher is healing from his surgery, and through all that praying my heart was drawn even closer to my LORD. 

The God Who Answers Prayers

The last 8 days have been full of prayer.  Many prayers were need about many different things from praying the flickering yard light would turn on and stay lit to prayers about graduations and a wedding. 32 prayers, I recorded in my prayer journal.  The Almighty God answered 30 of those with yes, 1 was a no, and one more I feel He is working on yet.

30/32=94% answered positively in 8 days!

I know the LORD doesn't always answer prayers so quickly and in such positive ways. 
Sometimes we forget how much the LORD loves to tell us yes, when we ask unselfishly and with faith.  Some people talk about prayer as moving the hand of God.  The most wonderful thing about prayer to me is seeing how the LORD answers them.  I never get tired of seeing His mighty hand at work. Makes me stand in awe and reverance.....

I will admit I was disappointed with the one that was answered no. But when I look back at all He has done, I am content to realize the LORD had a plan different than I did.  He knows people's hearts more than I do and what is needed.

I just remembered 5 other prayers the LORD is working on that He allowed me to see a glimpse of what He is doing..............I know these will take time, but it encouraged my heart to see the Lord moving in people's lives.

To all my readers, Never Doubt the power of prayer; the LORD is listening.  Ask Him for eyes to see His hand at work.

Thanksgiving Chair

What a powerful video! How often I forget.......In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Please watch and then go sit in your own thanksgiving chair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6znqpPaYzM4

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Sun Shining on Your Soul

Little Snurr came into my room late last night.
He couldn't sleep.  He had a lot on his mind. So we prayed, me silently and him out loud.
How precious it is to listen to a child pray when they are pouring out their heart for others.
A cherished young girl we know is in the hospital, doctors are battling bacterial meningitis to try to save her life.  Each morning this son asks me if she has lived through another night.

So last night, once again he asked God to help her live another night, to lower the pressure in her brain and to keep it down.  He prayed for a man who he overheard saying that today was the anniversary of the day his son died by suicide. He prayed for his grandma who has throat issues so she could eat and swallow chicken again.  He prayed for uncles and cousins to be saved.  He prayed his little heart out. 

After a long pause, my 7yr old said, "Mom, I feel such peace inside."  After more silence he said it was fading a little.  We talked about being in the presence of God is like being in a throne room before God.  And how it is a special place.  I told him how just like we feel sunshine on our skin and it warms us, being in God's presence is like having the sun shine on our soul.  When we step in the shade we still feel warm for a little while then in fades.  It is like that when we step back from being very close to God's presence in prayer. 

Our talk turned to other things, especially the man whose son died.  Snurr went on to explain to me how when someone dies a part of your love for them has to die or you will do crazy things like want to die to be with them or try to crawl in their coffin.  He reassured me that part of your love that was spiritual will keep loving them then.  I can't remember all he said but through his conversation I could tell God has been working on his heart, accepting that his own father's death has a purpose for good and that a part of healing is not staying so attached to him that you want to die, but that you want to live.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking to my son's heart in a way only he would understand.
And thank you for letting us come before your throne and hearing our prayers.  Thank you for sunshine in our soul, for your peace that passeth all understanding.

Holding a Bit of Heaven

I held a baby today,
the son of a dear friend,
a precious little boy who the doctors said wouldn't live this long. They were wrong.
They didn't factor in what the LORD might have planned. Instead of the little fellow having heart surgery, the LORD has used this difficult situation to work on the hearts of hundreds of others. 

As I gazed into this little bundle of miracle, I was captured by his eyes. They were the eyes of the wise.  What sweet secrets had the Father whispered to him?  His eyes seem to have a message to tell, yet God hasn't planned for him to grow up to preach it. For the LORD has chosen to show us that message instead, yet it is not just one message, it is a thousand personal messages to a thousand different people. Each one loved so grandly by the LORD. Just like He loves this little bit of heaven.

Christian parents all have the ultimate goal for each of our children to do two things: Point others to Jesus and live with Jesus in Heaven.  This little baby is fulfilling the first and will soon do the second.  The Lord in His tenderness is giving this family a special time to make treasured memories.  He is giving them days full of grace moments to store up in their hearts for the days ahead when the tears will flow like rivers and their arms will be aching and empty. 

The Lord is giving them extra time to hold their son.  It is a miracle.  Yet another miracle goes by unseen.  For the LORD, the Creator of all, the Almighty God, is holding them. Tenderly, Lovingly, Securely holding them all.....

I held a little bit of heaven today.  It was a blessing I shall never forget.

Little Cup of Grace

Oh, sweet little cup of grace,
How we prayed for you,
to be conceived,
to grow healthly,
to be safe,
to be born without complications
without any trouble

Last week, in God's wisdom,
you finally came,
by C-section as God knew,
what was best for you,
and for your momma.

Cute as a button,
and healthy as a horse,
our little cup of grace,
is here!

Oh, the fun of being an aunt.

Mercy & Truth

I have been clinging to Psalm 57 verse 3b for months now.

That God would send for His mercy and His truth.

Mercy isn't always what we think,

truth isn't always easy to hear.

Mercy sometimes is when God allows the difficult and painful to happen,

and then holds you up in the midst of it.

Mercy is sometimes an inward miracle not seen by the enemy,

but felt in the heart.

Truth sets us free and Christ is truth. These are true.

Hearing about how my Lord was beaten and whipped is true, but it sure is hard to hear.

Truth can be very heartwrenching.

And as in all things, the Deceiver is working to twist truth and manipulate our interpretation of situations. So sometimes only God knows the whole truth. And I am learning that I need to be okay with that. Sometimes I seek to know about whole situations that I miss the lessons Christ is trying to teach me. And sometimes those lessons are so overwhelming, I feel like a kindergartner trying to understand algebra!

This much I know and this is what I cling to time and time again:

"God Almighty loves those I care for more than I do. His ways are best. And my Lord loves me more than I'll ever understand. He knows all, sees all, understands all. I am just to trust and remember His way is best."

God at Work

Last week Psalm 77: 7-9 seemed so true to me. Sometimes God can seem so silent, that the enemy will try to convince us the Lord isn't at work on our behalf. Then the Lord reminded me of Elijah in 1 Kings 18. Three times Elijah had water dumped on the sacrifice for the Lord before he prayed, crying out to God to show the people He was the true God. Immediately fire fell consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and licked up the water in the trench!! God is a consuming fire.

Yet when Elijah prayed for the three year drought to stop and rain to come, the answer wasn't immediate. Elijah prayed and prayed. His servant went and looked six times no sign of God at work. The seventh time the servant said there was a little cloud like a man's hand. Then one verse later the sky became black with clouds, wind and a great rain.

Encouraged again I put on my extra strength knee pads and got busy praying to the God who has power over wind and rain.

Then the next day He did a little miracle. He knew how important to my boys and me this little thing was and in His tenderness He took care of the situation. It is just a reminder to me that God can do anything. And that even in the midst of a sinful and wicked world, He is at work.

Even when He seems silent.

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Precious Promises

God, You know.

I praise You and thank You for Your precious promises.

Psalms 57:1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalms 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Psalms 56:9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

Psalms 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Psalms 57:3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

Psalms 57:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

Burdens of Stone

I have often been burdened to pray for someone. It is hard to describe in words, most often it is just that they are on my mind, but sometimes it is weighty, like a heavy backpack. Sometimes the burden to pray for others come so fast and with such force though that I feel like I am having stones thrown at me. This week has been like that.

More than a dozen people, all with intense issues were needing prayer. These situations were deep wounds to the soul, life and death issues, devastating and destructive decisions, and entanglements in sin. Just very intense spiritual battles going on in the lives of people. The devil seems to have his nasty grip so tight on each situation that hope seems dead.

Tears broke down my face, as I was told yet another heartbreaking prayer request, I cried out to God, "Lord, You are letting me know about all this awful stuff. And I don't want to know anymore......I don't... It makes me afraid of what could happen to my family. It makes me want to shut up my ears to the cries of the hurting…..because it hurts to see others hurting....”
But then I felt His sweet grace and comfort. I remembered He called me to be a prayer warrior and He equips who He calls. I heard His tender whisper, "Be not afraid, only believe." (Mark 5:36) I could feel God's precious grace wrapped around me like a big hug and I knew the Comforter was with me.

I looked in my promise journal and took solace in His words:
He teacheth my hands to war......thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.......For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle. Ps. 18:34a,35, 39a

I thought of one of my heroes, Anna, widowed after only 7 yrs of marriage, who “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” (Luke 2:37) She faithfully served God even though she was of “great age”and had such grief and loneliness herself being widowed all those years. How much sorrow and heartache had she seen and prayed over….Surely I of a younger age could stay faithful to my post, looking for Christ's 2nd coming as she did His first.

Determined, I set my mind and heart, to pray these people through. Then another late night prayer request came. This time I felt the Lord strengthen me for the battle. Once again I fell to me knees to battle for others.

Prayer, warfare prayer can be exhausting, painful, excruciating even....oh, but when I look beyond the battle to the privilege it is, when I look and see Who I am really serving, strength comes, grace is accepted, hope is revived, and victory is sure.

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

The Value of Prayer

Many years ago I read an article called A Parable of God's Perspective by Robin Jones retold by Casandra Lindell. Everytime I read these words I get goosebumps.

"Ah, Bert, you should hear his prayers!" Intense love flashed in God's eyes like lightning. "Simple prayers from an aching heart. This is triumph over evil. Trusting me--that is the choice." God smiled through sparkling tears of love."Isn't he magnifient?".....God spoke softly, never letting his eyes leave the scene....."Go down and get him, Michael....I'll arrange the party."

The morning after Jim died I remember walking into the diningroom and seeing the streamers still up that we had put up for his birthday. And the words "I'll arrange the party," had echoed in my head.

Having reread this parable this morning, I am reminded of all the nights I have paced the hallway praying through my tears with my heart aching. Aching for my loss, aching over my sins, aching for my boys, aching for others and the sin they have entangled themselves in, aching because of their unbelief.

Oh, how little the value we all to often put on prayer. Yet how valuable it is in God's eyes.

Also this morning, we read in God's Word about when He cleansed the temple. He called it a house of prayer, not a house of praise or a house of singing or a house of worship. A house of prayer. God highly values prayer. And I am afraid of how little we value prayer and how often we neglect to pray as individuals, as families, as a church, as a nation..............

Lord, please help me remember how precious You value prayer.

A Breath of Hope

This past week has been one of intense prayer. At one point I said to my praying sister that I felt like I was at the garden of Gethsemane. It was some of the most intense praying I have done for another individual. The battle was so strong!

I expected God to move in certain ways and was crushed when it didn't happen. Bad things got worse and the whole situation escalated quickly. Soon I felt like we had been snatched from the garden and were at the vicious cross and experiencing the pain of death. Relationships were being destroyed before my eyes and the enemy seemed to be laughing us to scorn for believing God to do a miracle.

When the dust settled, I will admit I even felt weary and defeated. For a brief time I felt like our prayers had been in vain. But that isn't true, prayers never die. God's word talks about them being kept in a vial.

After some rest and prayers from others, I saw that in my weariness I had lowered my shield of faith. God strengthened me to lift up my shield again. Then I took the whole situation to Jesus, put it in His backpack and let Him bear it for me.

By faith, I believe God is still on the throne and His silence only means He is working behind the scene where the real work needs to be done, in the hearts and souls of individuals. After some time playing with the boys in the snow, God impressed upon me to think about what comes after the cross, after death........resurrection.

So I look toward the horizon and breathe a breath of hope. And remember the sweet truth God shared with me months ago: "I am Sovereign even when satan attacks; I am still in control. I will work and who shall let it? Beauty shall rise from the ashes." So I wait and pray and trust and look for the resurrection of this whole situation.

"You Breathe"

"You breathe. I"ll pray."

This is what my precious praying sister told me, as in a panic I told her about the latest tragedy to strike my extended family. Oh, the precious gift of a friend praying over you and over a situation that made you weld up with fear and emotion. By the time she was done, God had given me the grace to be the prayer warrior and messenger I needed to be. And the grace of God continued to hold me up.

As more sad news hit the family today, it was my turn to say, "I am going to just pray," and start praying with my loved one on the phone.

As I look back over this month, there seems to have been more tears than smiles and I wonder if this isn't a sliver of what Job felt.

Questioning God's timing yet knowing His sovereignty.....Feeling He is so far away, yet going to Him in prayer because we know He is so close. Hurting deeply within and feeling so helpless, yet knowing God is going to show Himself strong, somehow and in someway, and make this pain beautiful in His time.

Two quotes come to my mind:

Joni Eareckson Tada: "Your deepest need when you are hurting is to have God, like a Daddy, reach down and pick you up and hold you and reassure you that everything is going to be okay. He lets you know that your life is not in nightmarish chaos, your world is not splitting apart at the seams. Somehow and somewhere there is order and stability to it all. And that's why God never gives advice; He gives Himself."

Samuel Rutherford: "Believe God's Word and Power more than you believe your own feelings and experiences. Your Rock is Christ, and it is not the Rock which ebbs and flows, but your sea."

Sowing Tears

News of another family getting swallowed up in life's rat race just tore me up last week. It hurts to see busyness dividing a family, each doing their own thing instead of being unified together as a couple and as a family. And sin is threatening to destroy it. A mental, emotional divorce seems inevitable. It hurts. They need Christ. They need His Word to show them the better way. Oh, they can have it soooooo good. It hurts to see them hurting. It hurts to see them reject Christ's ministry of restoration.

Oh, the burden for them was so great. It literally was bringing me to my knees. All I could think of was Psalm 126:5. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."

Lord, I pleaded, I have sown so many tears for these people through the years and I feel like I am losing the fight. I called on other trusted prayer warriors for I felt the burden just so heavy.

One sweet friend text back encouragement and pointed me to Psalm 5. As the tears rolled down my cheeks, I began to read it....I didn't get far and I had to stop. This was for me.........

Psalm 5:1-3
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

I stopped and prayed out loud His Holy Word.....and it ministered to my soul. God hears me. I have a listening ear with the King of kings and Lord of lords!! He cares. He loves these people more than I do! He is my King--He rules over all. He is my God, my personal, loving God who knows me better than I know myself. And He reminds me to look up. He is working on this even as I prayed and wept. He was already working on it behind the scenes and I was reminded of truths He taught me before:

1) God is sovereign over satan's attacks; He is in control.

2) God will work and who shall let (stop or hinder) it?

3) Beauty will rise from the ashes.

Peace washed over me, peace that passeth all understanding. And I could rest in knowing He was working. That He was still on the throne and something beautiful would come out of this all.

Blessings

I hesitate to post this, for it seems prideful to mention, yet I also want to testify of God's work in my life.

Recently I was praying and fasting for a friend and her situation. It was a relatively short fast and yet mentally a tough one. God was amazing as usual and worked mightily. Once the "storm" was over I felt the Lord say it is finished and I planned to get some food that very night after an event. Just as we were leaving, a lady who had been recognized for her hard work and given flowers, divided her bouquet and gave me some of the flowers. I tried to decline to no avail. I finally accepted them as a little blessing from the Lord for following His leading to fast and pray. As we left the place, it was down pouring, literally sheets of water! I dreaded the drive home. Yet as we got gas before leaving town, it stopped. All the way home, no rain. Yet ten minutes after being home, down pouring again! Another gift from God. On the way home, we had another blessing. Because of the sudden and heavy raining, there was some flooding, and I suddenly came upon a lot of water on the road completely covering my lane. No oncoming traffic was coming so I could quickly drive out of it into the other lane. Again another gift from God this time in protection.

After I had the kids all tucked in bed, I sat listening to the rain. I felt so blessed. God called me to be a prayer warrior. When He tells me to pray, it is my duty to do so. When He tells me to fast also, it is my duty, as a soldier, to endure it. I didn't broadcast what I was doing. I just let my friend know she was covered in prayer. Another friend was my prayer partner and that was another blessing, we grew closer because of it. But only God knew the specific details of it all. He didn't need to give me anything. Just watching Him at work was enough. Just knowing I had been obedient was enough. Yet these blessings were sweet whispers to my heart, acts of love that said to me, "I am proud of you, my daughter". And what girl doesn't long for her Daddy to say that?!

Changing Word For the Year

Some of you know that my word for the year was consistent....well last year my word was focused and God changed it to prayer. It took me 5 months to accept it, but I finally have accepted that God has changed my word for this year to counsel.

Follower of Christ, Godly Widow, Godly Single Mother, Effective and Fun Homeschool Mom, Prayer Warrior, Praiser with song, and Counselor with Words of Life.........these are the many roles I feel I have been given by God. Yikes! Emaculate housekeeper didn't make the list...LOL. On a serious note, all of these are impossible without My God and surrounding each calling in intense prayer is a must.

So, dear readers, if you think of me-- pray for me to be worthy of my calling and to be a clear window for Him. So that when others look at me doing these roles, they see through me and see the beauty of GOD.

And the tide comes in.......

Sharing memories always has a flip side. As Father's Day came to a close, and the boys were settling down to sleep, Snapp says to me, "I wish I could have given Daddy my bookmark." And I knew the tide was coming in. The next morning a grief wave hit us hard. I couldn't stop the tears and my heart was just breaking for my little ones. As they got out their Daddy journals to draw in, I text several praying sisters. My heart wanted to call someone, but I knew I wouldn't be able the talk through the tears. So I used technology to ask for prayer. And as I held my son and we talked about his picture, my phone rang. One text came as a response, then came another and another. And I wept some more knowing my boys and I were being lifted up in prayer by loved ones at that very moment. More texts came in and as I read their messages I felt the loving arms of my Heavenly Father being wrapping around me, hugging me close: "love you, but Jesus loves you more" "..understand completely" "call anytime" "XO XO" "I will be praying for you" "I know how hard it is with a teen I can't imagine..my prayers are with you" New tears fell as I curled up spiritually in the Comforter's arms. And I could just rest in the prayers of my sisters and know it was going to be okay. I thank God for my praying sisters.

Prayer Lessons

Over the last couple months, the Lord has been teaching me lessons about prayer. Not simple little whispers of prayer, but how to battle in prayer for others.

Lesson 1:PERSISTENT PRAYER IS NOT NAGGING GOD, IT IS SEEKING HIM TO DO WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO.

April 21st the Lord gave me a new nephew. Like Samuel, this baby was much prayed for. You see his big sister was not born alive and it was through much prayer that his mommy got pregnant with him. When it finally seemed like God said it was time for him to be born, I got the call and began to pray. And pray........and pray..........and call a dear friend and pray........and text for more prayer support and pray...........and pray...........and call a friend again and text more and pray................30hrs later with only a break of 4 hr of sleep God answered those many prayers. We rejoiced, but within hours God had us back on our knees again for there was a medical problem. By morning, God had healed that issue, but another arose. Back on the phone, and back on my knees I went. Finally it seemed that things were looking good, they could go home, when again another concern and back on my knees the Lord had me go. They are home now and he is the sweetest, healthiest baby:) I have still to get out of state to see this new precious child, but I feel like I have labored and birthed him myself in prayer.

Lesson 2:FASTING COUPLED WITH PRAYER IS A SERIOUS SPIRITUAL WEAPON.

I have a dear friend read a truth in her Bible and was determined to adjust her life to what it said. But the devil doesn't like to release us that easy. Days later she shared that she couldn't do it; the perceived negative fallout was like a road block. My heart grieved for this was more about her relationship to God and her belief about the Bible than the issue in front of her. I felt the Lord remind me that this was a serious spiritual battle that required intense prayer and fasting. So for the next 24hrs, I prayed and fasted. I didn't share it with others; I just silently interceded on behalf of my friend. With 24hrs after that, I received a call from my friend who had shared how God used a couple different people to show her that what He said was the right thing to do. And so she took the step of obedience to His Word.

Lesson 3:GOD DOESN'T ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS IN OUR WAYS, BUT HE ANSWERS IN THE WAY HE SEES BEST.

Another dear friend was facing a situation that was emotionally overwhelming. A situation that could be explosive and leave many painful memories at a crucial time. Again the Lord called me to be her armour bearer. This time I felt like a secret agent praying behind the scenes of a play asking the Great Director to make everything go smoothly. Each day I asked for specific things and some of it He flat out did the opposite. I felt like we were walking on a tightrope, but He did keep the strife away. He did it in ways I wouldn't have chosen, but He answered the overall prayer of my heart.

Lesson 4: PRAY ISN'T A DUTY, IT IS A PRIVILEGE.

A dear friend was leaving on a trip far across the ocean. (Those of you who have had a loved one die in an accident may understand the fear that grips your heart when someone you care about travels.) So I found out when she was leaving and returning and committed myself to pray for her that whole time. I took my earlier lessons of getting prayer support and applied them to this situation: I contacted friends by text and phone to be in a prayer group and asked another dear friend to be my daily prayer partner. I also text or emailed my traveling friend daily to let her know we were praying. I took this on because I felt it was my duty to pray for her; I learned it was actually a privilege to do so. You see, the Lord laid on my heart certain words for us to pray over her each day. He gave these words to me the morning she left. And to hear from her how she need those words on those specific days just reminded me again of the sovereignty of God.

Lesson 5: OBEY THE PROMPTINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

God is still working on me! Too often something like the following happens. There was a time I felt I was to call my prayer partner and reasoned in my head why the timing wasn't good. Later to my shame, I found out my friend needed prayer at that exact time!! God hadn't let her be unprotected, but He did allow me to miss the blessing of seeing Him work. Another lesson.

Six years ago, a lifetime ago it seems, I shared with the Lord I wanted to become a prayer warrior with stories of triumph to share. These recent lessons reminded me that the Lord is molding me into what I desire to be. I am reminded often that being a prayer warrior is not an easy or glorified role. It is draining, intense, sweaty work!! Sometimes I am required to charge head long into a spiritual battle with my sword swinging. Sometimes I am required to struggle along beside a friend carrying their burden like a armour that is too heavy for them to bear alone. Sometimes I am called to be shut away from the action and just pray in faith for what I can not see. Each time I stand amazed that the Almighty Creator of the universe cares enough to intervene on our behalf just because He loves us. Just because He can.