Continue Steadfastly in Prayer!

A few days ago I decided to be more diligent and focused in spending time in prayer and reading my Bible. I had been letting laziness and distraction keep me from really pressing in to Him. So I've been getting up early with only my Bible and a notebook to write my prayers. No iPad (which so easily leads me down abstract paths), and no other books. It was so refreshing! I gave Him my thoughts on paper, and received His living word to my soul! I wanted to share one special thing that came out of my quiet time with Him.

Something that's been on my heart, is praying for my children...beyond the little night time prayers. I mean, intercession on their behalf. Doing battle for them in the unseen realm! If I actually believe in the power of prayer, than why on earth don't I pray? Why am I so passive about it?

Part of it is being subtly distracted. What a clever tool of the enemy.

Part of it is that I don't fully recognize or understand the power of prayer.

And sometimes I just don't know where to begin. I don't take the time to quiet myself, and really pray from my heart. I end up with "Please keep them healthy and safe and don't let anything bad happen to them." There isn't anything wrong with praying for good health and safety, but there is so much more! And bad things are bound to happen. I want to go deeper. I want to pray according the the Spirit of God.

So I was reading in Colossians the last few mornings. I took an orange pen and highlighted everything I could pray for my children (really anyone for that matter). It was wonderful. I put all those verses together, and modified them into a prayer. I read it when I was done, and was thrilled! It felt like such an important, relevant, and meaningful prayer. I want to start praying the Word over everyone!

It's not always "easy" to pray, but I won't let that stop me. In Colossians 4:12 Paul mentions someone named Epaphras who was "...always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God." I will struggle in prayer on the behalf of others for that same reason.

My prayer from Colossians, written for my children:

Father, I ask that my children would be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of You, fully pleasing to You, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You. May they be strengthened with all power, according to Your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to You.

Deliver them from the domain of darkness and transfer them to the kingdom of Your beloved Son. I pray that they would continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that they have heard. Make known to them the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in them, the hope of glory.

May their hearts be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I will rejoice to see their good order and the firmness of their faith in Christ.

I pray that they would receive Christ Jesus the Lord, and so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as they are taught, abounding in thanksgiving. May no one take them captive by philosophy and empty deceit. I pray that they would be made alive together with Him, and forgiven of all their trespasses. May they seek the things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

I pray that they would put to death what is earthly in them; sexual immorality, impurity, evil desire, and covetousness. That they would put away all anger, wrath, malice, slander, lying and obscene talk from their mouths. I pray that they would put off the old self, and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.

May they wear compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as You have forgiven them, so they also must forgive. And above all these, I pray that they would put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts. May they be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in them richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing songs, with thankfulness in their hearts to You. And whatever they do, in word or deed, may they do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to You through Him.

I pray that they would be obedient, for this pleases You. May they stand mature and fully assured in all Your will, and fulfill the ministry that You have for them.

In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."  (Col. 4:2 ESV)

Treading Water

I am pregnant.  The baby won't "be here" til October...but the baby is so here!  I am exhausted in more ways than one.  I've been pressing into Him, and He's been faithful to me.  It's not that He takes the exhaustion or the feelings away, but I've been able (for the most part) to walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of my flesh.  It feels like I'm treading water.  But He's with me in the water...He won't let me drown!  He is strengthening me. 

A couple nights ago I did not sleep well at all.  I was caring for a couple of little boys who needed me.  And then I had to get up earlier than usual with BluEyes, which was very frustrating.  Does he not know what kind of night I've had?!  Of course not.  And I shouldn't take it out on him.  I prayed before my feet hit the floor, but hardly had I walked 10 steps, and I snapped at him.  Oh, Lord help me!  I do not want to be this way!

A moment later God opened my eyes to see a glimpse of His glory.  It was exactly what I needed to soften my heart and give me hope for the day.  This is what I saw out of my window:  

I called BluEyes to come and see.  I scooped him up.  We looked.  I kissed him.  Told him I loved him.  I started over.

I had felt like all those heavy clouds were over me.  But I decided to press into that strip in the distance...His glory!  As the day went on, I entered more and more into the light.  I chose to live there.  I was nice to my kids :)

What a gift, this picture was.  And you know what?  I would've missed it if BluEyes had not gotten up so early!  And honestly I don't think another hour of sleep would've done me any good.  This did.

I wrote this poem awhile ago, but it seems to be my prayer over and over!

A Mother's Prayer
Thank You for giving me
    strength for this day.
When I got up from bed
    I thought, "Lord, there's no way!
I'm too tired, too frustrated,
    to serve my family with love.
I want to overcome,
    I need Your strength from above!"
Now I can see,
    that You've answered my prayer.
I want to give You thanks,
    for meeting me there.
I forgot that Your Spirit
    isn't driven by my will.
When I'm tired and weak,
    You hold me together still.
My flesh doesn't display
    the power of Your grace,
It's Your Spirit in me strengthened,
    when I look to Your holy face!

(Rachel Ranae 8.12.10)

Drowning Out Lies

Sometimes in the quiet of the night when I'm lying in bed, I get overwhelmed with thoughts.  Most of them are not anything I should be wasting my time on.  Usually they are lies leading me to fear.  Or they may be exaggerations of the truth...lies.  They foster feelings of failure...as a wife, mother, friend, sister, etc.  There are times I have had terrifying dreams, and I wake up in the night flooded with intense feelings and thoughts.

There are a few ways the Lord has helped me to deal with this.

I have turned my fears into prayers (much like I described in my post "Always...In All Circumstances".  That has lifted the fear and I was able to receive His peace, and believe the truth.  The truth about me, about Him, about my circumstances.

A few times I just started saying who my God is (as written in the Bible).  My Comforter. My Redeemer. My Rock. My Refuge. My Helper. My Salvation.  I completely focused on who He is, and was at peace.

And then other times, I have just started singing praise to Him (not out loud :).  As I did, He met me.  Fear fled.  Lies gone.

Recently I watched a video about a severely autistic girl.  At times she will bang her head on the floor, hit things, shake, etc.  She said this is because she is getting so much input (what she is feeling, seeing, hearing), she tries to overcome it with output.  I thought that was so interesting.  Much like how we are surrounded with so many lies, that if we don't combat them with truth, we are overwhelmed.

So the other night when I felt bombarded with thoughts, I started singing to Jesus in my mind.  I found myself singing "louder" until the song was drowning out the lies.  It worked.  My "output" overcame the "input".

This is an up-close view of the wall at the foot of my bed.

Before My Feet Hit the Floor!

"Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love, for in You I trust.  Make me know the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul." (Psalm 143:8 ESV)  Remind me of Your love.  I will trust You.  With a hundred directions to go, where do You want me today? I am Yours. This morning. Every morning.

I have the habit of praying before my feet hit the floor to a new day.  It's not usually fancy or long (my mind is waking), but it's sincere and real.  

I pray for His love to fill me so that I can love others with genuine Christ-like love.  That simple prayer says quite a lot actually, because...
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Cor. 13:4-7 ESV)
(if you've heard that verse a thousand times-read it again. slower.)

I also pray that I would "keep in step with the Spirit".  There's a lot packed into those words as well...
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."  
(Gal. 5:22-23, 25 ESV)

In this simple act of prayer, I am recognizing my complete dependence on Him.  Let me tell you...I DO NEED HIM!  And He is real.  He is not "positive thinking", or an imaginary friend that somehow encourages me.  He is very much alive, and I am so thankful that I am made alive in Him...in Jesus.

(Photo by mack2happy) 

Always...In All Circumstances

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (ESV)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

I like to look at this verse, in reverse.  What is God's will for me?  I ask that question a lot.  Well, in all circumstances, wherever I am at, and whatever I am doing...I can give thanks.  That almost sounds impossible, right?  So when I am in pain, when my child is sick, fill in the blank (the possibilities are endless)...am I suppose to say, "Thank You God, that my child is sick."  Be fake?  Pretend?  I don't think so.

First of all, we can thank God for who He is.  That He knows what is happening.  That He is in control.  Knowing that He is in control, doesn't help unless you trust Him though.  Sometimes I think, "But You do let children die, and You allow bad things to happen." I'll save that for another time actually!

Okay, so back to the sick child scenario.  Sometimes when I hold one of my sick children, and I am exhausted and possibly scared, I thank God that my child has me to comfort them, to pray for them, to care for them.  I think of children who have been orphaned, who do not have the attention and care and love that I am able to give to my children.  And then I pray for those children.   I thank Him that someday there will be no more sickness.

So the thanksgiving leads me to pray!  I pray that God will continually open my eyes more and more to the beauty and blessings that surround me because of His love.  The more I see, the more I am in the constant state of prayer...thanking Him and interceding for others.  I am praying without ceasing.

All of that leads to rejoicing!  We don't need to give thanks FOR the circumstance, but give thanks IN the circumstance!  That I can do with a genuine heart...in truth.  And all of it is "in Christ Jesus".  Because of Him.