Last week, my pastor, Dr. Tony Evans preached on the movie, War Room. The story of the movie has been very exciting to us Christians as it unfolds before our eyes. God is doing amazing things with lives poured out to Him.
It is no secret to Christians that God has called us to pray. This movie challenges us to pray like we have never prayed before.
My pastor made a very good point. He said when you go to battle you have to have a strategy. When countries go to war, they have a plan of attack. When teams play each other in sports, they have a game plan. As we deal with the challenges of our lives, we have to have a plan.
How is it we are trying to tackle well planned battles against us with no strategy? God has a plan for our lives which He reveals in two ways, my pastor said. His revealed will comes through His word in the bible. His secret will comes to you as you spend time with Him. Deuteronomy 29:29.
This week as I prayed in my war room, the Lord enabled me to see His work in my life in several areas. I spent time aligning my prayers with His word, and He spent time resolving my issues. I have spent more time concentrating on what God’s word says about an issue than what my circumstance says about an issue.
Every morning when I pray over my lists, I remind myself that He who began a good work in me shall see it through to completion. I remind myself of who I am praying to and what He is capable of. With this, He gives me power to accomplish the things my faith prompts me to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11.
What is God calling you to pray over? Are you ready for the secrets He will reveal to you?
A single young woman is tricked by modern day pirates losing everything she owned. As she tries to figure out what happened to her belongings, her world crashes around her as government and private agencies treat her as a suspect. Determined to find the man who did this to her, she stumbles onto a government top secret. Finding this modern day pirate turns into a race against lethal forces.
This week’s journey has been amusing. I got to spend time with some older women from a Baptist Church. Remember the story of those sisters getting put off the wine train because they were too loud? I met some sisters who make them look like children playing. These sisters were rowdy and fun. They wore beautiful outfits to be photographed in. They sat and shared their lives and testimonies with each other. I appreciate being able to eavesdrop into their world.
One of my favorites was a little woman who had had several bouts with cancer. I had never heard of sinus cancer until this woman began to testify to God’s goodness in her life. She said it was nothing short of a miracle that she was still alive. Not only did I listen to her testimony but I watched her live her life. She volunteered and lived the life she had fought cancer for. (Sometimes we get so defeated by the battle, we stop living)
It reminded me of the testimony of a man from another Baptist church who told me of his heart transplant and how God kept him going through those trials. At one point, he said he had a pigs heart to keep him alive. Afterwards he was determined to live his life.
It is hard to fight your way through when you don’t have something major coming at you like cancer or heart disease. We tend to discount the little discouragements and disappointments. We like putting a big name to our struggles. But what I learned from these folks is keep on living. Keep moving forward. The life you live is your real testimony.
These people weren’t just living their lives. They were enjoying their lives which was evident by the laughter. When times are hard you have to find a way to enjoy what God has given you. It may not be what you want, but it is what He has given. Live.
Even though two men pursued her, she was on a mission to save one who didn’t want to be saved. In 1912, colored people were doing better than they had ever been. She was excited about the progress, and wanted to be a part of the change. She knew it would start in her own backyard. Find out how she did in Destiny’s Dilemma Destiny’s Dilemma
One of the things I love about BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) is that it has taught me how to pray effectively. It adds structure to my prayer life, which adds structure to my life.
Every morning when I rise out of bed, I meet God in prayer. Most mornings, I am more alert than others, but the structure is still the same. The Lord has refined the process over time but in times, like grief, when I don’t know what to say or do, having structure keeps my hand to the plow. I meet with God whether for instruction or comfort.
The first thing I do when I pray is remind myself who I am praying to. He is Creator of all things. The Master of the Universe. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. I envision Him sitting on His throne hearing my words. It is humbling. We have to remember who we are approaching. He is not just a better version of us.
I ask forgiveness of my sins and attempt to name the ones I remember. I have a tendency to get caught up in the moment, and I have to press myself to keep going. I could spend a lot of time here. Truth is I won’t remember all my sins and neither will He. Amen! But confession should be part of your day so that God will not remember your sins.
Next I read His word and pray it back to Him. When you are in a relationship with someone, you learn new stuff about them. God’s word teaches me new things about Him. Each month He gives me powerful verses that echo throughout my days and nights. This month He has taught me that He is just. He will right all wrongs. He will give me the power to accomplish all my faith prompts me to do. Amen again.
Then after I have good sense of who I am praying to, I begin my thanksgiving and petitions.
Time has taught me to write this stuff down which allows me to see how God has worked over time. If you don’t have some type of prayer journal or place where you write down your request to God, start now. It will build your faith as He shows you His faithfulness. Record each prayer, so you will remember what you pray for. Sometimes God answers prayers you forgot you prayed.
Every morning I remind myself of His grace in His provision for me. I thank Him. He has brought me a mighty long way.
I pray for people. Family. Friends. Acquaintances. Every person on my list, God has placed there and usually for specific purposes. And they don’t move off the list until God moves them. [I review the list every quarter. If I feel God has answered the prayer, I move the person off the list. But if it is not time for them to go, sure enough, I will get a call or email from the person. It gives me a giggle.] My list is several pages, so I am sensitive to the amount of time it takes to pray for all these folks.
The first list is about God’s vision for my life, my calling and His instructions. I need to make sure I am doing what He wants, when and where He wants.
The second list consists of people I plan on praying for the rest of my life (or theirs). These people are dear to my heart and have affected my life in some profound way. I have watched the Lord work in their lives and am proud to be one of His prayer warriors on their behalf.
On the third list are people who are there for a season. For some reason God has called me to pray for them for a season. My BSF sisters are included in this group. This list is the most fluid and the reason why I review it every quarter.
The fourth list is for salvation. It is by far the most important list because it is asking that God reach into their lives and save them for all eternity. FYI if you are a member of my family by blood or marriage your name is on this list. My daily prayer is that not one of us will be left behind and my God is faithful.
The fifth list is over my work, projects and alliances. He has taught me powerfully about who you align yourself with.
The Lord has taught me that prayer is an effective tool to communicate with Him. He has taught me that prayer should cover your whole life. For me, writing down my prayer requests and His answers to them continues to build my faith. He allows me to be a part of His plan by seeing His work in other people’s lives and praying for them.
Meeting with Jesus daily, prepares me for the day and for this life. He taught me all I need to do is ASK.
Even though two men pursued her, she was on a mission to save one who didn’t want to be saved. In 1912, colored people were doing better than they had ever been. She was excited about the progress, and wanted to be a part of the change. She knew it would start in her own backyard.
The best thing we can share with one another is our stories. The Lord has written out each of our lives so that it flows perfectly with His plan. He made sure that we intersect in the right places with the right people. It is our own fault if we do not recognize them. These interactions give us juice to move on to the next stop.
The Lord has given me a wealth of family, friends and acquaintances. It is one of the things I love about Facebook. I can experience moments from their lives in a way I have not before. I have seen birthdays, weddings and vacations. One person is watching the Lion King on Broadway, while another is chasing water falls in the Appalachians. Watching people live everyday in spite of life inspires me. God knew that together we would build each other up, but He also knew we would console one another because their are also losses, frustrations and disappointments.
I love celebrating with my friends as they drop their kids off at college, some for the first time. I can’t wait to see the first day of school photos on Monday. I remember most of these kids from when they were babies.
I am inspired by the stories I see. I am also inspired by the ones I hear.
This week I got the opportunity to sit and talk with people. One of the best things I learned was a woman wanted a Sunday School class for women over 80. She started it and now they have regular attendance by women in that age range. Can you imagine the conversation in a room full of women over 80 years old? I have been blessed to have many older, wiser women in my life. Yet I have never had the opportunity to call on that type of wisdom.
This tells me that until you are dead, it is not too late to start anything.
I Love Lucy has always been one of my favorite shows. While many of you went to church as a child, I spent Sunday mornings in front of the television. I have learned that God will use whatever tool He has available to reach us whether it is His word which is the Bible or an episode of I Love Lucy speaking to being self absorbed with self pity.
He used my favorite TV shows to teach me until I developed a love for His word. Now I understand who He is and what He promises. Caught in the Crosswinds speaks to some of the lessons I learned about God through His Word.
