a quick thought on prayer

our church family praying over us before we move to Florida to begin a journey in a new ministry
[photo credit: Linda Jordan]

Y'all.

Prayer is powerful.

I've gone through some seasons in my life when I felt like my prayers were hitting the ceiling. I was believing the lie that prayer didn't matter. Even though I grew up hearing the words "prayer changes things" over and over, there have been times I've questioned that. I've heard story after story of the way people prayed fervently and God moved, but when it comes to my own life, 

it's not as easy to have that kind of faith.

Sometimes I think, "God, you know what I need. Why do I need to pray about it? You have a plan, and you're going to do what you want, so what's the big deal?" C'mon, I know I can't be the only one who's ever had those thoughts. It's hard, isn't it? It's hard to find the balance between praying for something you want and trusting God to do what's best. The important thing to remember is that

 God wants to hear from you.

God wants you to pour out your heart at his feet. He wants you to be faithful. He wants you to trust him. He wants you to talk to him.

Don't let the enemy fool you into believing your prayers are pointless.

God hears your prayers. He sees your heart. He knows your story.

You better believe your prayers are powerful.

((guest post)) Diana Palka

Hey y'all! I'm so excited to introduce to you one of my new friends, Diana! 

We met through a the Influence Network recently, and it's been so great sharing our hearts with each other. I love how God ordains friendships!

We're switchin' spots today and guest posting on each other's blog! I so look forward to hearing what you think about what she's sharing today. Leave a comment below and let us know what you learn from it!

Also, check out my post on her blog here!

Take it away, Diana!

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I'm just going to shoot it straight with y'all: Prayer is hard. Specifically the honest kind.

The type of prayer where you lay the desires of your heart before the Lord is hard. The type of prayer where you honestly disclose your desires to the Lord and relinquish control in full trust that He will fulfill the promises you leave at His feet is hard.

And giving up control is scary. Even if we're handing the reins over to God.

For me, a lot of times this fear of letting go translates to embarrassingly shallow and easy prayers. Prayers like, "God, Your will be done," become common when I am too scared to voice the desires in my heart to the One who put them there. And yes - saying, "Your will be done," is brave - but it's only brave after we pray for those God-planted desires. Praying, "Your will be done," is only an exercise of courage after we've gone to God with confidence in our dreams. And sometimes - and oftentimes - the desires of our hearts line up the desires of God's heart. So we need to pray them. 

Lately, I've been convicted of my shallow prayers. Lately, I've felt like my prayers maybe insult God.

Why? Because they're not brave. Because they don't proclaim the confidence I have in His deliverance to promises He's made. Because they aren't bold. Because they don't open me up to His miracles - the ones that radically give Him glory. Because, honestly, I'm too scared that He won't deliver. 

We need to believe - really believe - in the promises and desires God has stitched into our hearts. And then we need to pray them - over and over and over again. We need to trust that the same God who put the desires in our hearts will also bring them to fruition (no matter how long it takes!).

And sometimes, we need to flat out ASK for Him to.

God wants us to trust Him, right? He wants us to go to Him with the desires of our hearts and He so desperately wants to bless us. We can only do this when we trust God as completely as humanly possible because it's only then that we have the courage to go to Him with requests bolder than our own courage. 

We need to go to Him even when it's crazy and even when our hope is gone and even when we're discouraged. We need to pray bold prayers about the boldly awesome desires God has put into our hearts. Because I promise you - and HE promises You - He will deliver.

Would you join me in praying BOLDLY for the desires of your heart? What can I be praying BOLDLY for you?

Diana Palka

www.ontheheights.com 

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Don't forget to check out her blog and my guest post here! I'm talking about getting through seasonal transitions in life!

lindsay

lifeline vs. lifestyle

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. | Colossians 4:2

This is my new verse for the Siesta 2013 Scripture Memory Team. God's really teaching me a lot about prayer right now. I'm being challenged like I've never been before in my prayer life. I'm realizing that I was treating prayer more like a lifeline than a lifestyle.

Honestly, it wasn't because I was naive enough to think that I only needed to pray when I needed something. And it wasn't that I was intentionally choosing to ignore God. It's just that I kept telling myself, "Well, God knows everything about me. He knows how I feel, he knows my heart, he knows what I need, he knows what I'm thinking." I was somehow passing that off as prayer.

But the truth is that God wants to hear from me. Half of my theory was right. He does know everything about me. Psalm 33:15 says, "He made their hearts, so he knows everything they do." But he also wants to have a relationship with me, and how can we possibly have a relationship if I never talk to him? How can I possibly have faith in him if I never go to him believing he will answer my prayers?

I'm realizing in this season that not only do I not have all the answers, I don't have any of the answers. But God is graciously reminding me that every answer I need can be found in him. I don't need to worry;  I simply need to pray.

Lord, help me keep my eyes fixed on you.

Teach me to trust in your omniscience.

When I lose sight of you, 

remind me that you long to hear from me.

May I live a life of continual communication

with you in every season.

Help me to always devote myself to prayer 

with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

I love you and I praise you.

P.S. I'm currently reading Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson (among the other books pictured), and I highly recommend it. It's a 40 day prayer challenge that will teach you so much about what a difference prayer makes.