“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we did, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”.

Hebrews 4:15-16

Prayer is our most wise resource, intimate privilege, and powerful weapon that God has given us, but so many of us find it confusing and intimidating. Unfortunately, too, many of us have been conditioned to think a person must have a certain spiritual maturity or theological standard to pray.

The opposite is actually true. God wants our hearts! He wants us to come to Him like children with an eager, curious, trusting, and simple attitude. Just as a child depends on their parents, we can trust and depend on God even more.

Jesus wants us to enjoy His company. I personally used to struggle with prayer thinking that my words needed to be craftier or my faith needed to be stronger before I could pray effectively. But as I began to pray simple prayers, Jesus began to teach me that He knows my weakness. Somedays I had no words at all except “Dear God”, but He knew my needs. And He groaned for those things I didn’t even know I needed to ask for.

I soon began to trust that no matter how few or how sheepishly I delivered my words to Him…they were heard. And I began to look forward to my time with the Lord. I began to realize that it wasn’t the words that Jesus wanted, it was my time and my heart.

My prayer life has grown significantly since those first simple prayers, but had I allowed my fears and insecurities to keep me from reaching out to our mighty and powerful God, I would have missed out on so much. Mostly, I would have missed out on the grace, mercy, and compassion that helped me heal and grow and learn. But I also would have missed out on seeing prayers answered – even when they weren’t answered the way I expected – God always worked things out.

I kind of feel like God’s heart leaps just a little when we speak to Him earnestly, lovingly, willingly, and yes, even simply. Just by saying “Dear God”, you are boldly approaching His throne. And I believe that as He hears you, you will receive His mercy and grace, and your heart will begin to leap for Him too.

“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children”.

Luke 18:16

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.

Isaiah 45:8

What a wonderful rain we are having today! God’s blessings abound! Some may see it as spoiled plans. Others may see it as unexpected rest. For me, it means pausing a house training routine for a puppy! But however we see it, God sees it as refreshement; for the earth and for our souls. He sees it as opportunity to grow and bear fruit! 

Whatever you are having to do to re-direct your plans for the day, take a moment and pray. Give thanks for a day to slow down. Take hold of the joy of His goodness. Embrace the peace that can only come from Him. And pray for your family, your friends, and your enemies! Pray that as God rains down the living water from heaven, His grace, mercy and love absorbs deep inside our hearts. 

Be safe out there today and rejoice in the beauty of Creation! 

#SaturdaySoulSearch

“The one thing I ask of the Lord-the thing I seek most- is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”

Psalm 27:4

William D. Barney once wrote, “At times, reading a book, I discover that I’m doing no such thing, but have drifted off the margin”. This can be true in our prayers too. How often have we sat down to pray and suddenly realized that we have wandered off the margins? Suddenly our to do list is flashing through our minds as we passively bow our heads in idle thought, instead of reverently bowing to the Creator of Heaven and Earth?

Prayer is something that can be done at all times (Ephesians 6:18) or in communion with others (Acts 4:24) to request God’s powerful influence. But it should also be done on a regular basis alone with God. Just as Jesus regularly got away for quiet time with His Father, we too, should intentionally set aside time for deep, reflective, relational prayer.

But don’t be too quick to tell God our struggles and ask for a way out. Other dimensions of prayer can deepen our spiritual life and make room for His will to be done. When we take time to praise and worship Him, to thank Him, to wholeheartedly repent, and to affirm our commitment to obedience and trust, our struggles begin to turn into opportunities. Our disappointments dissolve into divine appointments. And our hearts begin to see the world from God’s perspective instead of our own.  Our prayers begin to change us, reflecting His heart. Our love for Him becomes intimate, and our lives for Him become fruitful.

I suspect that Jesus’s public ministry was powered by His private times spent pouring His heart out to God. His circumstances didn’t change when He asked His Father “to take this cup from me”. Rather, He was strengthened to fulfill God’s purpose for His Life.  Next time you sit down to pray, stay within the margins of His Will. Don’t focus on what God can do for you. Focus on what you can do for God. Grow in His grace and His knowledge to glorify Him. Then rejoice in His presence forever.

12 words

God’s will is often more challenging, yet more simplistic than our own.

PS….I haven’t drifted off the margins in my writing lately, and unfortunatley in prayer as well. It’s been the simple prayers of ”get me through this day becuase I have to…..” instead of listening to what He has in store for my day. Posting this excerpt from my book, 12 Words, as a reminder to myself that He has so much more in store for me than just my plans for the day. I hope it encourages you as well today, to seek Him in a different and more productive way.

PSS….William Barney was my grandpa, and Poet Laureate of Texas. This quote was from his book ”Words from a Wide Land”.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

This is a comforting promise that Jesus gives and a promise that we can be confident in. When we pursue God, He will show up. He may not always give us exactly what we ask for, but He will provide wisdom, understanding, patience, comfort, love, and freedom as He leads us to His heart.

And as we begin to see the heart of God working in our lives, may we do the same for others. We can get so wrapped up in ourselves, that we fail to make time for those who might ask of us. For those who are seeking understanding and wisdom. For those who knock at our door needing comfort, care, and love. Just as God prepares a place for us, let us prepare a place in our hearts for the compassion and care of others. Let us be known for our confidence to respond, embracing God’s heart, and enlightening the world with an open door to see Him through us.

Ask God to help you see His heart. Seek His Presence. Knock on His door. Then let your life be a testimony of your own answered prayers with a door that’s always willing to lead towards Him!

“Could you not keep watch with me for just one hour”, says Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 26:40.

This morning I woke up around 4:00am, distressed and fearful for what’s to come in our world, our country, our lives. I felt a strong desire to pray…but whined to God….it’s early. I’m tired. I want to sleep. But he reminded me that the spirit is willing even when the body is weak. I wanted to sleep. But He wanted me to pray.

As I got out of bed and began to pray, I imagined the sorrow that Jesus felt when He knew what was ahead of him. He knew the physical pain He was about to suffer so the glory of the Father could be made known. He knew what he had to do to redeem us. He knew what he had to do so we could find peace. He knew where His courage would come from. And all he asked his disciples to do was to pray. To stand watch, stay awake, and pray. Yet they did not.

It’s tempting for us to just go back to sleep. To not know what to pray, or how to pray, or not have time to pray. But Jesus reminds us that our source of strength, our source of courage, our source of peace is only found from our Father. He will hear us, help us know what to pray (Romans 8:26), and respond if we’ll just wake up and pray.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”….”I am the way, the Truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me”.

John 14:1,6