A Radical Calling

More and more, I am convinced that I am called to give my time to prayer.  I'm not talking about praying a list of requests or any other list, but something quite different.  I'm talking about praying God's heart.  I'm talking about spending time with Him just LEARNING His heart.  We don't know how to pray and left on our own we often pray amiss, asking for things that are not His will though we think so.  Praying God's heart is a radical thing.  It requires a radical faith.  It can be a lonely place where self is not rewarded or honored. 

I thank God that I have TIME to pray.  Since I can't work outside of my home, I HAVE the time.  There is no higher calling than to know God's heart and to express it back to Him. 

No one knows what I pray.  No one knows what place I frequent in prayer.  No one knows what darkness recedes or what evil is bound because I pray.  No one knows whose heart is won or who is brought into the light because I pray.  No one knows what secrets are revealed to me or how I am nourished in prayer.  No one knows what protective walls are built nor what battles are won because I pray.  No one.

Miracles happen, and evil is paralyzed because I pray.  God is moved when I pray.

O, Lord, I pray for light in this home - I invite You and welcome You to come in - to reside forever and do as You please.  Strike down the enemy and inflict defeat on all the enemy who dares to plan against those who are Yours within this home.  Make this a safe house for all who belong to You.  Let love and light reign.

And let it be so for those You have called to read this.

This Last Month

I'm back! Moving halfway across the country has had it's ups and downs.  I have dealt with stress due to delays that threatened the purchase of our new home, stress caused by the unknown that lay just ahead, physical stress to my body and mental stress that zaps you of the ability to make one single decision more. 

I also received blessings without number from the outpouring of love our church showed us by the many people who showed up to help with packing and loading, feeding us, sheltering us when the truck was packed with all of our stuff but the closing was delayed another 2 weeks.

Fears lurking in the deep recesses of my mind were brought forth from memories dislodged so that the past needed to be dealth with as well as the present.  Sometimes I needed no catalyst to start the slide show of my crazy fears, and tears were no more than a word away.

The sadness of closed doors and painful goodbyes was like a fog - everywhere - indistinct - unamed.   The joy of a new life ahead did not lessen my sorrows, but drained me of energy as well.

I've said it before:  we cannot avoid all stress, and it's unrealistic to think that we might.  But if you know where to go with burdens, and if you know which thoughts to reject....  If you see these fears as a call to prayer, taking them to the One with answers - the One Who cares - then you have done well.  There IS a way to meet these awful fears that are like party crashers - uninvited and unwanted.  Take them with you and go to the Father.  Cast them away from your presence and into the Father's hands.

Now, you who are reading this, go... and pray

Talking to God

I've been so busy this last month, that I haven't had time to write much!  There was the hurricane and then I have been packing, and packing, and packing...........  We are moving to Texas - my home.  I've been absent from Texas for 14 years, but now that my husband has retired, we will be leaving New York.  

The whole ordeal has given me much to worry over, but I'm glad to tell you that I have not really fallen victim to the stress that such things can cause.  At least not more than temporarily.  It's not that my serenity just happened, but I chose not to entertain thoughts that would in any way encourage me to fret.  Whenever there was a problem for which I had no answer, I would stop what I was doing to pray (usually briefly), and soon would have His answer.

James 1:2-8 says:  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does."

Make prayer a priority.  It doesn't have to be lengthy and theologically correct prayers said with all he right words.  It is merely the cry of your heart inviting Him to share your pain, or clear your mind.  It is a simple request for help.  Sometimes it is a song lifted up to Him in praise.  Other times it is a pouring out of feelings - good or bad.

But in every case it is the faith that He is powerful, knowledgeable, loving and just that expresses itself through prayer.  We must be a praying people.  If you're not comfortable praying, start out by repeating the Lord's prayer.  The more you do it, the easier it becomes.  Get started right now, Reader!

Our High Calling in the Midst of Hell.

Today is the 2nd morning after Hurricane Sandy.  There is devastation all around us, yet it does not come near to this family.  There are many who are trying to begin the monumental task of putting their lives back to order.  There are many who have lost everything like the people from Queens whose homes (80 of them) burned to the ground leaving nothing but cinders and charred trees.  How ironic to flee for your life from homes overcome by floods of record breaking proportions, only to watch sparks from a transformer ignite first one home, then another as they burn and leave nothing but the charred remains of a life remembered.

I've heard that Fire Island may now be 2 islands.  I have heard no word of whether or not those who refused to evacuate there have survived.

Some people on Long Island (like Long Beach) find themselves unable to drink or bathe because their water is contaminated with sewage.

Schools are still closed today and shelters may see even more coming for shelter tonight as temperatures dip to low 40s.  Without power that is very cold.  West Virginia and Pennsylvania are dealing with snow.  I heard this morning that the best case scenario for people without power is that they may not get any for a minimum of 7-10 days.  Many businesses are closed and the subway tunnels are flooded witth salt water.  Railway lines are washed out and miles of track need to be checked.  Flights have been cancelled.  Wall Street closed for a record setting 2 days.  Traffic lights are not working and I heard this morning of a 20 yr old man killed as he rode his motorcycle through an intersection.  Yesterday New Jersey's governor said there were parts of his state he could not even inspect by helicopter because he was told there was just no place to land.  At least one hospital evacuated newborns as they carried them down 19 floors of steps while hand respirating them.  Trees that are older than the people who had them have come crashing down into the middle of their homes.

We give thanks to our heavenly Father from whom comes all good gifts.  We are safe.  We are His sheep.  We are not lost, but found.  Please pray for those who are frightened and hurting.  Invite God into this terrible scene.  He won't go where He is not wanted, but then that's where we (those who know Him intimately) come in.  God is calling you to pray for the helpless, who either cannot or will not pray for themselves.  Pray for them as if they were family and dearly loved.  This could be you.

Take to heart God's words from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

It is a high calling - an honor and a responsibility that we should not ignore.  Pray, dear Reader!  Pray as if this were you.  And one day, it could be.............

From a Dull Ache to Praise and Prayer

The ache is dull…. The one that goes through all of me….

We've all had days like that. We seem to sometimes get caught up in a fog of pain and despondency. The antidote is prayer which is praise, thanks and communion with our God:

Father, I praise Your name, because You are holy; You are love; You are mighty and courageous; Your power is limitless; and yet………….. You make Yourself small, so I can know You.
Forgive me that I cannot understand all that You are, and all that You have done, and just how deep Your love for me goes. Here I am, Lord……… Please heal me. Turn my heart back to You. You are all that I need. I confess my total dependency upon you. Give me a piece of Your truth right now, that will minister to my need. Restore me…………. Completely.
I wish to stand for You. Use me, Lord. Restore the passion to my heart that is Yours. Please inspire me to do all of Your will.

From Your daughter, Anna.

My Saving Grace

Living with Parkinson's Disease takes strength and courage. It is an extreme disease that calls for extreme measures in surviving day to day. Prayer has been my saving grace. Matt Woodley says in his book, "The Folly of Prayer" that, "For the Christian, the essence of prayer is being with Jesus." He says, "Sometimes being with Jesus feels sweet and safe, but at other times prayer may feel like we've been strapped into a Manhattan taxi with a highly skilled crazy cab driver. The cabbie will deliver you to the promised destination, but he may make some high-speed twists, hair-raising turns and skull-jarring bumps that will leave you gasping for air. At times your job is simply to hang on." He also says, "Yes, God is kind and gentle, and prayer can be sweet. However when we pray, we also open our lives to the presence of the most powerful Person in the universe. And he's good but he's not tame. God is utterly undomesticated and at times incomprehensible."

Do you pray to get through your day? Do you pray to Jesus? If you pause to pray today, expect to encounter the Son of God. Expect to be in the presence of a love so great that it will change your life. He is not some magic formula that smoothes our path or that always gives the answers that we want, but He IS the answer to all of our problems. Pause to pray today to the One who can deliver you from your enemy.

A Prayer on My Heart for You

Good morning! I've waked up early, and I have you on my mind - you whoever may be reading this. O, Lord, put your words in my mouth and use me this morning to minister love to those you have hand-picked. Help whoever is reading this to GET grace. We do nothing to call forth your great love.... It just IS. We do not deserve answers to our prayers, but You hear and respond. You even know the words in my mouth before I speak them. Psalm 139 says: "O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. Thou hast searched me behind and before and laid Thy hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is too high. I cannot attain to it."

God has laid His hand upon you, Reader! Before you awoke, he had you on His mind. Say with me, "I am my beloved's and his desire is for me." (Song of Songs 7:10) He loves you and wants you to draw close to Him. "O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses the proud doer. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord." (Psalms 31:23-24).

This morning I have waked up with a prayer on my heart for you, Reader!

Answered Prayer

Thank you, Heavenly Father that You are faithful! You keep Your word. There are some things/people I have prayed fervently for more than 35 yrs. I'm starting to see Your miraculous answers as they unfold so beautifully.

There were times I was tempted to give up hope or to believe that You would never bring Your glory to pass within my specific requests. There were times when I rested from my prayers when I should have remained faithful in waiting with assurance for You to move. But YOU, Oh God, are totally FAITHFUL. You know the beginning from the end, and You will not stop bringing glory to Your name in our lives as a result of our prayers, until there is an end (if there is such a thing).

I have discovered one more time and on one more level, that You are Who You say You are and You do what You say you will do. I am comforted.

Morning Prayer

Morning has come. Thank you, Lord for all of the opportunities you will give me to live by faith and please you. Thank you for planting in the day ahead, new opportunities to be an overcomer. I know I'll be tempted to live according to what I see, but when that happens, remind me of what You have done and who I am. Help me to relax into Your arms and be like the trees I see outside of my window. The wind blows and gusts with sheets of rain bending them before it all. They don't resist the tempest, but trust in their roots to hold them securely and keep them from blowing away. I trust You, Lord and though the wind may howl and the storm may beat against me, I will not blow away. The fight is not mine, but Yours.

The World and our Walk

I read this morning that we have been saved to pray and that prayer is part of the reason God saves us. Sometimes life gets crazy between medical issues, appointments, tests, evaluations, non-medical issues, etc., but if we develop the habit of connecting with God in the midst of all those things, then we are facing the world WITH Him. It doesn't really work too well to try and clear a space for Him somewhere in our busy day. But if we walk through it all in His company, and stand with Him when need be, constantly listening for His voice, then we have fellowship with Him. The world sees our walk with Jesus.

Lord,
I invite you to walk with me all through this day. Let my ears be tuned to Your voice. Thank you, Jesus.

Please Pray

The Lord once made it clear to me that while I had become limited in what I could do (due to my physical condition) there was something He most definitely wanted me to do. Pray. His Word tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It tells us to pray for one another (James 5:13), and to pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44). We are to pray to our Father (Matt. 6:6) and pray so that we don't fall into temptation (Matt. 26:41). Jesus even gave us a prayer to pray (Luke 11:2-4). We are told to pray if we are suffering (James 5:13). God's house is called a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7). Jesus spent His time sometimes all night in prayer (Luke 6:12). Paul unceasingly made mention by prayer of the saints in Rome (Romans 1:9) and exhorts us to be devoted to prayer (Romans 12:12 and Col 4:2)
If it were not important, God would not have told us to do it. If He tells us to do it, then lets do it! I know in my own life it is much more important to pray over a matter or a person, than to try and fix whatever needs fixing without prayer. Without the direction, inspiration, and power of God we can do nothing. Prayer comes first.
Prayer is speaking and making requests to God. It is remembering who He is and what He has done. It is time spent in His company. It is waiting on Him. It is listening to Him. Sometimes it is eloquent. Sometimes it may only be one word.
A newborn baby only makes sounds not words, but it calls forth a response of tender love from its parent. Do you think our heavenly Father is any less? He hears the cry of His children.
The Psalms are filled with cries to God from the heart of David.
Pray fellow saint, you who are co-heirs with Christ! Don't fall into sin by not praying.

Spotlight the Truth

Sometimes the spirit can be just as sick as the body. It's easy to get centered on myself and my problems. The more I focus on them, the bigger they get and the smaller God appears. If I entertain the lies of Satan - even for a moment - then I have unbarred the door of my "house" to all manner of unholy thoughts, fears, and things that bring with them despair. Sometimes I can do this without even knowing it, and these unholy things have put their toe in the door, shoved it open and entered, bringing all their friends with them before I even become aware...... The first sign that there is a breach in my wall or a crack in the door is this: negative thoughts and feelings. I find myself on center stage appearing larger than I really am, parroting the lies that these unsavory characters tell. For instance the thought may come into my head that God will never answer a certain prayer that I have been praying and waiting for. Doubt and unbelief step into my house, urging me to complain, encouraging fear which brings with it so many unholy things. I am overrun by the time I realize I have unwanted guests in my home. This happens more often than I like to admit, but I have learned to guard against my enemies by walking with my best friend - Truth. Jesus, said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). And if I find I am overrun with enemies in my own home, I call for help to the One who can set me free, and then I am free. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
If you begin to hear and believe lies like: I'm hopelessly bad. I'll never get it right. Miracles don't happen today. God doesn't care about me. I'm too messed up for God to help..........
Recognize that your enemies have somehow gotten in, and call on Jesus for help. Look to His Word - the Bible - and read the real truth. Be agressive against what is not truth and fill your mind with Him who has the power to deliver you from your enemies and shut their mouths.
"If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)

Others Lifted Me Up

Recently I went through something that scared me to death. I was up against something I had no idea how to deal with. For two days, I was beside myself, and I went through them frequently stopping to pray, and more often just to worship (as I didn't even know what to pray). I shared this with other members of the body of Christ, and many prayers began to rise up. Inexplicably, I began to realize that what I felt for the most part was not fear, though I was still cognizant of the gravity of the situation, but peace and calm. Then I realized that so many people praying, had this direct effect on me. When I was in crisis and unable to pray for myself and the situation as effectively as I would have liked, that's when other members of the body upheld me and prayed on my behalf.
Never underestimate the power of prayer. It is not a magic formula, but when we earnestly seek God in prayer, He moves. He knows what is best and most beneficial, both for me individually and for the entire body. I can't even really begin to think of how He works everything out together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes!

Prayer

Parkinson's disease has taught me more than ever to pray. Not only did I have more requests but they became more and more urgent. I needed to hear from God. And I began to learn how to worship in the midst of sorrow, pain and loss of hope.

Prayer

Prayer is really a mystery. Why do things change when we pray? We've all heard it said that God's power to heal or bless is released in a person's life when they are prayed for. But it occurs to me that it is much more than just that. I don't think God witholds blessings or other good things from someone because you or I have not prayed for them. It is His will to redeem, save and bless all people.
Perhaps we are not thinking big enough or outside of the box concerning prayer. Could it be that when I pray, I am changed and my heart is changed – my desires become what God desires – my focus becomes what He is focusing on? When I am changed within my heart and mind, my actions will inevitably change and line up with what I'm thinking and feeling (which are God's thoughts and feelings). When I change at this foundational level, I begin to “touch” the world differently. God's love can truly be expressed through me because I am now allowing that change. I become a willing conduit of God's love. Rivers of living water truly begin flowing from my innermost being!
Now that I am touching the world in such a different way – the world is effected differently. God begins moving in a powerful way through you and through me, and miracles happen – hearts melt – the blind see – the dear hear – the lost are found.................... All because I am no longer impeding the movement of the Holy Spirit, but I have yielded my mind and body to Him so that He can walk among man and talk to man and pour out His blessings.
We must learn to linger in His presence in prayer long enough that we are changed!