Pray without Ceasing

How can we pray without ceasing?

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV). The Greek word "without ceasing" means continuous action.

Just as soldiers have radio transmissions built into their helmets to hear their commanding officer at all times, prayer is our way of hearing our leading Savior. It’s a heart attitude, expressed throughout the day in silent prayers of communication with the Lord. It’s being willing to be inline with Him so that when He prompts us we respond.

It’s before our feet hit the floor, at meal times, the last words of the day, while driving, changing diapers, washing dishes and piles of laundry, weeding, picking up toys. It doesn’t replace our alone time, but adds to it.

I have justified to myself that I have been too busy to be consistent with my quiet time.  But yet, it really is my own lack of self discipline and laziness.  I stay up late to watch an episode on Netflix, which means I am too tire to get up for quiet time before all the kids are up.  And then my head and heart are not in the right place so I'm annoyed at the interruptions.  I am committing to get my act together. 

I wrote about my devotional time, what I do and how I got to that point here.

Satan wants me so busy, so depleted that I am too discouraged and too tired to spend time with God.  As a mom, sometimes it feels like another task or chore.   

I look back at all the heart ache over the past 5 years and see that as my quiet time with the Lord has dwindled my stress levels have risen.  Not that previously life was easy, but the weight and burden of the emotional and mental handling of situations was different.  Life has actually been easier these past couple of years, but I feel overwhelmed and lost a lot of the time.  As I set back and have started digging in again, I can feel that calm.  As if I was separated from my unit, trying to survive in a jungle and suddenly I am found and being led back to safety to be flown home.  Why would I even have given this up?

When we spend time in prayer, it familiarizes us with the Lord. I need to know Him well enough to recognize His voice so that when He whispers directions, I can trust He is the one speaking rather than the enemy.  I do not want to miss a divine appointment. I want to play a role in a great assignment. 

While I have always enjoyed studying the Bible.  There have been times when I questioned if my prayers really made any difference, felt that prayer time was boring, that God was going to do what He planned reguardless. So this prompted me to want more and understand the ways and why's of prayer.

My biggest take away is that there are not RIGHT words, only RIGHT desires.

But I am not very good at free styling anything.  I like, love lists.  I need direction.  Below is what I've found and some of the ideas that work for me. I am freshly motivated and challenged to be consistent in my morning devotions again.  I hope it will help give you a starting point or perhaps to add in to your quiet time and prayer time as well.

ACTS
Adoration,Who God Is:
Listen to a praise and worship song, I like to listen to International House of Prayer
Read a Psalms
Sing to Him

Confession:
Ask God what areas He is not pleased with
Confess my wrongs
Give thanks that He forgives
Pray about others I need to forgive

Thanksgiving,What God has Done:
Thankfulness cards (we have a recipe box filled with 365 index card and each morning we write the date on the top and then add 5 things to be thankful for, then as each year goes round, we can just add to the cards)
All the blessings He has given us.
That I can come to Him with my problems anytime
That He is concerned about me
That He loves me
That He said He would help me
That He will see me through this problem
That He has the power to calm the storm
Jer 29:11-I’m at the perfect place, what am I suppose to be growing in?
That I trust Him 100%
Review Prayer Journal with answered prayers

Supplication and Intercession:
Focus on people not things
*When praying for others and ourselves, pray for the person and their characters to grow in the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, generiosity and self-control)
Don't give up if it something that I feel is in God's will, such as a marriage healed, someone's salvation etc. By prayer and petition. Waiting on God to answer is sometimes a test for our own endurance, faith and committment.
Say the Lord’s prayer
7 questions for our prayers:
1) Will the thing that I am praying for meet my Godly personal needs and will it fit in with a just and righteous life style
2) Am I being submissive to God's will, and will I gladly accept what ever God is willing to give me, if anything. Can I say, “not my will Father, but let your will be done?”
3) If my prayer is answered will the result honor God?
4) Will it harm or hurt someone else or will it interfere in another person's life.
5) Will it please God.
6) Does my request contradict or conflict with the Word of God in anyway.
7) Will it further my spiritual growth. Will what I pray for bring me closer to God?

Thumb: Our strongest digit. Pray those things closest in our lives and spouse, kids, (when folding laundry, dishes, picking up), family, friends, neighbors,
Index: Points the way
Pray for those who direct us: our teachers, mentors. Prayer for our church – personal, local, national, and those with influence, CCC, MOPS, School
Middle finger, tallest:
Pray for World Issues- Our town, our state, our nation, globally, Peace in the wars, our leaders and influential people,
Ring finger, the weakest:
For Missions & Foster Care Families– faith, personal and financial support, their family life, the places they are working, protection against Satan’s attacks, praise for their ministry, For the sick healing, peace, their family, strength, their Doctors, andFor non Christians, their needs For the poor, For 3rd world countries suffering For our environment,
Little Finger, smallest:
For Ourselves-our needs not wants, our character to become more like God/Jesus, protection against evil and temptation.

Read a devotional prayer book:

Power of the Praying Wife, Parent or Woman. Have been powerful tools for me to know where to start with prayer many days.

Days of the Week: 
I also divide life into Daily, Areas of life, House Blessing Focus of the Day, Meal Time Topic of the day, Special Night plans.
Monday: 
     (Husband) One of the prayers from Power of Praying Parent.
     (Child) and specific issues going on in their life. One of the prayers from Power of Praying parent.
     (My Siblings) Their lives and families, anything specific they are facing.
     (Teachers) Both from church and school.  For wisdom, love for students, for their lessons to touch the hearts of those hearing.
     (World Issues) Our Town: Revival, employment, construction, jail.
     (Missionaries/Foster Care) specific family & how can we be missionaries in our own neighborhood/town.
     (Myself) : specific struggles.  Read a prayer from Praying Power of a Woman or other devotional book. 
     (Areas of life) Field: my career with Young Living, where to work, follow up, fresh ideas, wisdom with promoting and conflict resolutions, speaking life, encouraging, tasks to be completed, areas of emotional focus for each family member, which products do we need this week for supporting health.  Read and pray over a promise and topic in my Business Prayers book.  My responsibilities as a stay home mom, housework projects, balance in completely quickly, staying on top of chores, energy and thankfulness for the chores.  Read a devotional prayer from Moms prayer book.
     (House Blessing) Kitchen: This is the day I pray for wisdom in organizing, cleaning and balancing my time in the kitchen, cooking, spending time with kid of the day during cooking times.
     (Meal Topic) Current Events:  what is our Christian World View on Current Events?  Who can we be praying for that is or will be affected?
     (Special Night) Movie Night - Pray that the time together will be enjoyable, that we can have a great discussion after and leading to next weeks movie.

Etc for each of the week, I change my focus topics.  There are so many areas to pray about.

And most importantly : Just Rest in His Spirit and Be Still.  Be present and allow yourself to just feel and breathe Him. 

Do You Swear To Tell The Truth, The Whole Truth, So Help You God?

As I studied Acts 5 yesterday there were 2 different topics of focus. The 2nd was the apostles being beaten in the Sanhedrin and what I grasped onto was verse 41, "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for The Name." Wow. This is the line of thinking I need to hold onto. Most times in the heat of the beatings I forget that the war isn't against flesh, but it is spiritual warfare. I forget that if I wasn't a threat, it would be smooth sailing under the enemies radar and the evil one would have no reason to take me down. After I crash and burn it does take me a while to regain confidence to go back to the fly zone, where I'll be open to take the hits. I guess I do exactly what satan hopes. Lose my air under my wings, learn his lesson to stay low, unnoticeable, reaching no one. I need to remember to rejoice in the hurts that I've been worthy of the suffering for His Namesake.

The 1st part of Acts starts out with a reality check. In fact, I read this to the kids yesterday morning for our devotional, just to start the day with a little fear of God in their pants.

This was the story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira. If you haven't read it, you can read it here.
Short version=they sold their land, gave the money to the apostles, represented they gave the full amount but didn't, they lied, they died.

First of all, Ananias and his wife did not have to give the money. It was their land they sold. The Bible doesn't say why they decided to give the money. If they were convicted by God to give it all but didn't have the faith to let it all go, or were too greedy to let it all go. Or maybe they just wanted to appear to be super generous, to "fit in with the rich kids" kind of mentality. Whatever the reasoning that started all this, it was wrong.

Jesus and God showed kindness to the sinners who weren't fake. To the ones who professed their sins and were sickened by them. How many times did David cry out that he hated his sins yet he did them anyway? Yet David was a man referred to as a man after God's own heart. And oppositely, Jesus condemned the pharisees for their hypocrisy and deceitful lives. All our hearts are deceitful and have sin hidden in them, and if we will cry out to the Lord, "Don't let me be a Pharisees, help me be pure and true." The Holy Spirit will guide us.

When I was writing notes in my journal, I first wrote, "They didn't give the whole truth, they shed light to make themselves look better." Really? It was hard for me to even write the fact that they had lied. The word alone just seems so intentional, so ugly, so wrong. We've all heard of white lies, half truths, withholding all the facts, protecting others from the truth. I've even had to train my kids in politeness that if they don't like the food, don't be rude just say thank you. I think we are conditioned in this everything is politically correct society that the whole truth is not ok.

I don't think that the moral of this story was that if you lie you die. This was not a lie to protect themselves in a moment of weakness. They both premeditated the lying. And it would appear that there was no conviction or quilt for doing so. How does one get to the point of not feeling sick over a sin? By it being familiar, a repeated offense, common. I personally feel that the sin had rooted itself in their lives and God had had enough.

What if God dealt with us today as he did the church back then? I think there would be the greatest revival in history taking place. What about us personally? Would you have been struck down by God this last month? Last week? This morning?

I imagine that the honestly and purity of the early church would put all of us to shame today. I personally find it difficult to hear only messages that our God is a loving, merciful, forgiving God. Yes He is all that. But just as a parent must discipline a child else they run a muck, God has a judgemental side to Him. He will draw the line. He was silent for 400 years before Jesus' birth. We cannot sin as a nation, as a community, as a family, as a friend, as a wife or mom without there being consequences eventually somewhere.

David prayed for protection against presumptuous sin. Has there been a time when you felt deeply convicted on something to flee yet you continued on the path of sin? It's dangerous ground to be on.

Are we living the double lives of the Pharisees? Professing that we serve God yet our time, money and talents show otherwise? Do you give the impression that you live for God, yet do not willingly give all areas to him? Serve at church, yet rebel against your husband at home? Lead women's ministries yet gossip on the phone? Put on the smile for everyone you know, yet are filled with bitterness in the dark? This day and age is the time of the hidden sins of the heart. Pornography by Internet. Abortion in a big city where no one knows your name. Cheating on taxes. Gambling online. Our lives are not on display as they used to be. Only the lives that we want others to see in the form of emails, blogs etc are.

The dying of Ananias and Sapphira had a cleansing effect on the church, there was a great revival and many came to the Lord. The church today is becoming so tolerant of everyone that it is allowing what is unclean to penetrate the heart of the church and poison the purity. When we have a pure, open heart can we accomplish great things for God. It starts in the home behind closed doors, then spreads to the ends of the earth.

Lord I want more of you in my heart so there is less room for the enemy. I want to be open and transparent in my life and in my heart with all my sins. May my life be true. Fill me today with your Holy Spirit.

Could It Really Be That Easy?

In the book of Acts 3, there is the story of the crippled man that Peter and John tell to get up and walk. I just sat stunned after I read this story this time. Really? It was that easy?

The man had a condition.
The others had compassion.
They voiced confession of Christ and his power to heal.
The man had completeness.

Peter and John didn't lay hands, spend hours in prayer, lighting candles, nothing. It was almost like saying hello. Do we not have the same power of the Holy Spirit in us today as they did then? So does that mean we do not have the same amount of miracles today as they did then because of a lack of faith or unbelief?

Taming of the Shrew

A couple of months ago a single evening event changed my thoughts towards another person. I was very disappointed and found myself in a newly formed relationship with them. The mold that was there had been broken and we started to build a new one. One that was foreign to both of us, I felt like my role had changed. And the one area that I was condemning them on, infected me and became my own nemesis. The most powerful sword of destruction, the tongue.

My tongue has really been my master lately. And it seems like once that gate has been opened, the harder it is to lasso that slimy creature back in. I have always had a quick silver tongue. Most times it is all in fun and wit, and other times it is for saying the perfect comeback at the perfect time only for me to live with the regret of my quickness for the rest of my life.

Wyatt is not saying anything yet, still just making baby grunts and precious babbling. And I'm OK with that. I know the pain of spending your life trying to get that seemingly little muscle to work for good and not evil. To not slander, gossip, talk excessively, lie, flatter, abuse, hurt.

My love language is words. I can live for weeks on a simple compliment. I talk to myself all day long. I get high on the praise and then mull over comments and wonder if there was a hidden agenda. I wonder why someone said something the "way" they said it. I can also hold onto the sting from a negative comment for years. I am just a words person. And because of that, it is easy for me to encourage others with words just the same. They truly can be such a beautiful gift.

Yet out of my same mouth can come this spill of yuck. I can be my own Medusa. And who catches the brunt of my nastiness? Who do I snap at when I'm stressed or just worn? Not that friend that stops by unexpected that interrupts the schedule, after all that is a welcomed break. I sit and chat and laugh and feel fulfilled. Instead the negative flows out to land on my little blessings. These little gifts. The very young women I'm instructed to mentor. The little husbands in training, learning how to speak to their wives.

Makensie is a words person too. She loves me to tell her all the things I love about her. She eats it up when I read from the journal I've written to her. In the early morning, the smell of coffee, the sun rising, the birds singing, having spent time at His feet, the sound of a baby starting to yawn and stretch, the to do list made, hope for a blessed day, all else still. It feels as if life is just where it suppose to be, calm, quiet, beautiful.

I try to hold onto this, yet it feels as almost daily I fail at some point and lose my self-control and snap without thinking. Is it really that hard to say for the 100th time "Brian, use your inside voice, please." and take time out to train, correct and discipline when needed vs "BRIAN! USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE!" No wonder the kids yell when they get frustrated. No wonder Makensie talks back or speaks sarcastically to me at times. Those are the times when I just want to get sick or throw up my hands in defeat. What am I doing?! What have I taught them? What did God see in me to trust me with 4 kids? I'm sure people have stopped by to hear me yelling upstairs rather than just walking up to talk to them or calling them down. It just seems that I often choose to speak roughly to them the first time lately...bossing them around...rather than talking with them. Isn't this what caused the downfall in my relationship to begin with? Why is it easier to judge someone else for the same flaws I have myself?

One of the things I've changed in the last 3 weeks is going back to the listed chore charts for the kids. I lay them out each morning, they are printing and kept in a cover sheet for crossing off tasks with the dry erase marker. And as the Bible says, if you don't work, you don't eat. So since I don't want to start in with the yelling from having to remind them to feed the pig or put away their laundry 10o times and then having to discipline them when I'm upset; the chores have to be completed by lunch or they don't eat. This has too been difficult for me, I always hate to seem them hungry, but I've found hunger to be a better motivator than fear of getting into trouble. Two of the kids have missed lunch, several times, one of them has the chores completed 1st thing so they are free the rest of the day. This has helped my sanity immensely.

Now to retrain my strongest muscle to always speak gently first. I would never speak to my friends with the tone I have with my kids sometimes just because "it's been a bad day, I'm tired, I'm grumpy" or speak to them in a make to make sure they knew I was annoyed with them. Where did I ever get it in my head that it is OK to act that way with my own flesh and blood? Where did I get it in my heart that my own personal interests are more important and warrant not being interrupted? A lot of noise, squabbling and disorder can quickly raise my blood pressure. And guess what happens when you have kids, 4 young kids? Noise, squabbling and disorder. Yesterday I took the baby outside and walked around a couple of times, just being outside in the fresh air seems to give a better perspective. At least for the first 30 seconds before all the others come searching for me, "what are you doing, mom?" "are you going somewhere" "can you get me some tea?" "Brian came in my room without asking".

I look forward to the construction going on in the back yard being completely shortly so that we can all be outside in the beautiful weather more. I look forward to being a woman of grace and gentleness of words. I know that what is in my heart will be developed to be a blessing to HIM.

Psalm 141:3-Lord guard my mouth and help me to shut up.
Eph 4:29-32-Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,...Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Lord forgive me. Thank you for shedding light on my sins. Thank you for convicting my heart. Thank you for accountability angels in the form of friends. Please Lord, Protect my children from my tongue and allow them to find comfort in you when I fail them. I pray that I will direct them to the only one who will ever fill all their needs, and never fail them or hurt their little hearts out of selfishness, weakness or frustration. Lord grow in me a new heart today, one that will desire your approval above all others. Grow in me a new spirit today that will be ultra sensitive to my tone and words. Grow in me wisdom today to sense when to hide away in prayer before saying something I cannot ever take back from the ears of babes.

Faith like a child

As I sat watching the kids chasing each other up and down the play land at Chick Fil A, a sense of complete peace and happiness washed over me. They were portraying the very verse faith like a child. They were not nervous how we would get home, they were not concerned over the cost of fixing the van, they did not even seem bothered that the babies bottle was empty and all our formula was at home! They had complete confidence in me to take care of them and solve those burdens that we on the plate for the night. They asked me, "How are we going to get home?" I told them not to worry, I'll work it out. And what did they do? Not worry. Now while I wish they listened and obeyed every time like this, tonight was when I needed to see it.

I sat and praised God quietly for whatever He was protecting us from or opening the doors to. There are many times we may never know WHY God is allowing the trials to come. But it is only our responsibility to know GOD. And if we truly believe Jer 29:11 than we know that all things work together for good for those who call on His name. I hope that I someday get to see the night unfold. I wonder, would we have came across the path of a deer or drunk driver and wrecked on the way home? Or was it for the purpose of getting to know the ladies I met in the play area?

God did take care of all the details. Billy lived close by and was there quickly. He has an extended cab truck and somehow fit 4 car seats plus me in with him. Wyatt never fused for more bottle and slept all the way home. Thursday morning Allen went over to haul the van home and it started the 1st try and has been running fine ever since. The suburban also started the first time this morning. God is good and God is faithful.

Chop Chop

I love learning new things, especially when it comes to Bible Study, so with my limited education that happens daily. I had not studied Acts before, I've read threw it but could not tell you an overview or even a single verse from it. So this morning I reluctantly read Acts 1. I had the memory of Acts and Romans being so boring that I was proven wrong immediately. Here we have the 4 Gospels previously which were all the facts about the birth, live, cruxification and resurrection of Christ. All books full of facts from different eyes with one view point. So we go from facts, facts, facts, facts to the very next book of ACTS. And it doesn't take long, 11 verses in the Chapter before two angels show up and snap the disciples out of their gazing at the clouds to (in today's language)...fools, what are you doing staring at the sun? Jesus told you what to do, you know the facts so let's get to movin, chop chop!

I wish those angels would show up for me some mornings as I piddle around and get off track and forget what it is that I'm suppose to be doing. His greatest challenge to us was to take His Word into the world. Right now at this stage of life, I have a captive audience of 4 that I can take His Word to daily. They will in turn trickle it on. My greatest challenge to myself is to walk, talk and live hourly a life that will teach His Word without my words getting in the way.

A Toad by Any Other Name is Still a Toad

I was surprised this week to read a blog by a young gal that says she was raised to believe in God but had given up on Him and was instead turning to tarrot cards and other ways to find the answers to her questions. She believes that if she can see the future she can change it.

It really made me have to stop and think. No it isn't my job to judge, but if I believe the Word of God, and I do, then I also know that she is not just sinning but welcoming satan right into her life and glorifing him in doing so. I know there is power in the physics and tarrot cards, but they are not the power I want to be playing around with. And no matter what we want to call it...fun, exciting, entertainment...it is still witchcraft in its basic form.

The Bible tells us that these sorts of things along with plenty of other warnings will become rampant in the last days. There were 10 comments in response to her blog, 8 of which commended her on her beliefs and also tabbeled in some form of witchcraft, and other 2 voiced their belief against it but also said they wouldn't judge because everyone has a right to believe what they want. True. But have we become such a tolorant society that even when we know someone is entertaining the devil in their home that we don't feel it our place to say something? I didn't respond because I'm in the same boat. I don't want to offend her and hundreds of others that read her blog but I don't want to offend God even more. Is it up to us to call people on their sins if we do not have a relationship with them?

I do enjoy getting to take in some tv time and am not out and out against tv. But it seems that our media does glamourize sin. Everytime I flip past Montel I see a clairvoyant woman as his guest. People standing in line just to ask questions of her. Wanting answers so badly. God does not expect us to know His reasons for everything that happens, but He does expect us to know Him.

His word tells us that any involvment in occult practices is an abomnanation to Him. It was such a sever act that it was punishable by death in the Old Testament and said that it was even grounds for God to reject fo soul for participating in it. It breaks the 1st commandment and brings a curse to 4 generations after us. People are either calling on God or calling on Satan. Do the tarrot cards call on the power of God? Anyone who does fall into occult practices will defineatly be lured in by the excitment and apparent quick answers and advise. But as always once satan has you hook line and sinker he will put you under his opression. Satan does not have compassion on anyone. He only appears to be our friend to betray us.

She questioned why if there was a God that bad things happen to good people. So if we are not getting the results WE desire from prayer; if we are not getting answers QUICK enough; if we see the innocent suffer does all this mean that God is unjust? Or is it He knows what is ultimately best for us and is trying to draw us nearer to Him and head us in the right direction? Or maybe it is because of the sins of our fathers that we are being punished for. We use discipline with our own children and if we make false empty threats it doesn't take long for our kids to not fear our words. I feel like people want to believe the good promises of the Bible but throw a fit when the promises for discipline come into their lives.

I do believe that this young lady, as most probably are, is a great person, friendly, compassionate, a wonderful mom and her practices do not change this. That practice is however opening a door for destruction to enter her home, her life and her children's future legacy.