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.

Kisses from God

Several weeks ago, I had a date with God. I know to some of you this might seem strange. Actually it is necessary for me in my growth as a person and as a Christian. Some moms seek "ME Time," these moms share how they need alone time to recharge. For me, I find that what the Bible says "for without Me ye can do nothing."(John 15:5) is true. Time with God is refreshing, rejuvenating, and necessary.
I have my daily time with my Lord morning and night, but just as it is highly recommended to have dates with your spouse, I apply that to my relationship with the Lord. I get alone somewhere with a journal and my Bible. In the past, I have sought God for answers on big decisions, healing on grief issues, or strength through tough times. This last date with God was a little different. I felt Him seeking to talk to me about a few things....things He wanted me to change. I knew it was going to be a date filled with tears, but also lots of love. God loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way. I knew I was suppose to look over some lessons that the Lord had brought up in Ladies Bible Study. But I wasn't prepared for the journey into my past. Like most of you, there are things from my childhood and adolescence that I wish I could just delete or rewrite. Even so, God was still there watching and waiting for me to turn to Him.
As I recalled memories, I began to see them from a different perspective. I felt like I was a little girl sitting on my Father's lap looking at pictures from my past. He listened to my telling of the story, then shared His perspective. Often I said "this hurt" and He'd say, "Give it to Me" I would say, "They......" He' d say, "Forgive." Many tears and hours later, I felt so rejuvenated and wrapped up in God's love. (My friend who was watching the boys said I was just glowing. And I felt it.)
As I left to go pick up the kids, I thought about dates my husband and I had and how now I felt very similar inside. Like I was very much in love. Right before I got in my vehicle, I felt God speak to my heart. "Where's my kiss?" Haven't we all heard dates are suppose to end with a kiss. Now I once challenged God that He doesn't give hugs and He set me straight. So I was very apprehensive about this. I leaned against the door and looked down at my toes like a shy school girl. Psalms says God is a lifter of my head so I lifted up my head to heaven and opened my eyes. The sky that night took my breath away; stars glittered like diamonds from horizon to horizon. And I felt a tingling all the way down to my toes, knowing the Creator of all that still has time for little me. Did I feel a kiss on my lips like my husband would have done? No, but God is teaching me little by little how things of the spirit are not the same as the physical. But physical things show us much about spiritual things. And within my spirit I felt the passion of a Savior who know everything about me and still loves me anyway.

SPRING!!

We are so excited spring is here!! Though today is cooler and cloudy, we know that the long winter is over and new life is sprouting up slowly around us. Since Jim died, winters have seemed hard and long. Emotionally and precipitation wise.



But we take a deep breath and sigh and smile.......spring is here. Resurrection Sunday is just around the corner and it reminds us that new life is just around the corner too. One of the many signs of spring is the butterfly and we reflect back on the Bible that tells us there is an earthly body and a celestial body. We know that Daddy is soaring now and he is out of sight. But someday, maybe soon, Jesus is coming back. And we shall see him again and we shall finally see face to face the One who died so we could have the choice to choose life. New life................

Those words are like sunshine to my soul...................................................

In 1998, my life changed and I recieved new life. The boys love stories, true stories about me and their daddy. And in telling them the truth about our ungodly pasts, I am reminded of how much the Lord has saved me from. And I am ever glad that He is still working on me. Because in the end it wasn't just those sins, it wasn't just from hell, it wasn't even just from separation from Himself that Christ Jesus saved me................it was from myself. We hear it often in the world to promote self, look out for self, take time for self. It was all that self talk that got me into trouble from the beginning. The Bible talks of self dying on the cross and living in Christ. It is when we deny our self and focus on Christ that things fall into place and new life springs up in us. A new life in Christ. It is my prayer that all who browse this blog take away this one thing. It is Christ Jesus that brings new life to everything. (I challenge all of you to read The Greatest Decision You Will Ever Make on the side of this blog)

God At Work In The Silence

This has blog has been quiet for six weeks. I got many reasons, but it boils down to life. Life has a way of keeping us busy.

But God has been working on me and in our lives. Randomly I want to acknowledge His handiwork:

• Providing food and helpers when I was down with a miserable flu
• Protecting Snurr when he dumped hot tea on himself; he never got burned
• Leading me to the right counsel on a matter
• Healing the boys when they had the flu
• Giving me strength and stamina to parent them as they woke up alternately in the night
• Using me to recycle His blessings
• Giving me loving family to encourage and support me
• Giving me friends who listen
• Giving us a church that prays for us, the sweetest words spoken to me after our absence from church due to illness was not "we miss you" or even "how are you", but were excitedly said to me by a 1st grader who said "I have been praying for you!!"
• Having other widows touch my life who understand me in ways others simply cannot
• Teaching me the truth about anger and the power of words
• Growing my children in the areas of repentance, helpfulness, and obedience
• Giving me opportunities to grow in firmness and patience
• Being silent on a matter to teach me to learn to wait on Him and learn to quiet and still my mind from fears
• Reminding me that having my hands full (with 3 boys) is a wonderful blessing, not a burden. A handful of boys is more joy than a handful of gold!!

So you see, life has been very busy and full. Sometimes full of fevers, runny noses, and tears and other times full of laughter, smiles, and joys. But continually full of God's presence on and in our lives.

Big Shadows

Tonight as I tucked Snapp into bed, he exclaimed, "What is that???" On the wall was a huge, scary shadow. We investigated and the huge, scary monster was really a little, tiny fly walking around the nightlight:) As we watched his shadowy legs move and then disappear, we chatted about how sometimes little things can seem like big, scary things. As I left his room, I reflected on how once again God used my children to teach me a lesson. There has been some big, scary shadows on the wall of my mind. And God wanted to remind me that they really are tiny compared to Him. I recently received an email that said "Don't tell God how big your troubles are, tell your troubles how BIG your GOD is!!" I guess I better go have a talk with those big shadows:)

Precious in His Sight

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15

We had an interesting conversation on our way home one night this past month. I had said "The worst day in heaven is better than the best day on earth." My oldest son flipped it around and said, "So that means the worst day on earth is the best day in heaven."



WOW--there is a deep thought. Nothing hurts like a loved one dying and it truly feels like the worst day on earth. But thinking on my son's comment, it is the best day for those we love dearly who are in Christ.



The boys and I are at that emotional time of year, when Daddy died and went to Glory---our worst day and his best. My mind goes back to the morning after Jim's death. I had looked up at the dining room ceiling and realized that the streamers the boys and I had decorated with for his birthday were still hanging there. How thought provoking and my mind imagined another party in heaven ........


As these dates come, I am determined to let myself grieve, three years is long, but not that long compared to the depth of love we shared. AND yet I am going to also focus on Jim's best day the day my Lord put His arms around him and said "Welcome Home!!" And I will smile through the tears....