Three Confessions

Johnny took Noah to Mothers Day Out this morning on his way to work. So I got dressed, turned on some music, made coffee, grabbed a scarf (my favorite accessory) and I'm sitting in my spot outside with the word & my prayer journal & a blanket because this Texas girl is cold! But, I have had such a precious visit with Jesus this morning. I want to share some of what He is doing in me with you this morning.

Confession #1: I could not wait to have the house empty this morning. I love my family, but sometimes I just need that still quiet time with my thoughts, prayers, and the Lord. This morning, I just couldn't get to it fast enough.

Confession #2: This past week I have been lazy with getting on my face before the Lord. I have not listened when He has said to pray. Truthfully, there are a few situations in life right now that I just feel tired about praying for. I feel like I've prayed over them enough, I'm done. I know, I know. That sounds horrible. I am a believer and I know that God loves me & sees my heart & where I am at. I know this! But do you ever just feel tired of praying about something? Like God has heard this same prayer a million times from you & that He already knows it? Or maybe you haven't prayed about it that much but you've thought about it a lot & God knows your thoughts, so He should just take care of it? Right?

Confession #3: To be honest. I have felt all of these thoughts. In our small groups we are just finishing the book, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. This is the perfect book to read if you are like me & struggle with the feeling like you don't know how to keep praying for something that you know God is already aware of. This is the book that will encourage you with testimonies & words of wisdom as to what happens when you circle your prayers. 

This book is packed with incredibly powerful statements that leave leave me empowered each time I open it to read. I could sit here all day & type out my favorite statements from the book that I journaled in my prayer time over the last month. Instead I am just going to write down a few that the Lord is reminding me of & asking me to share with you this morning.

Encouragement when I don't feel like praying, don't know how to pray, or start doubting the point of continuing to pray for something. I invite you to use these too. Also, read the book.

God is for me. Romans 8:31

 "Prayers are prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future. Who you become is determined by how you pray."

 Invite God to intervene. "The greatest moments in life are the miraculous moments when human impotence and divine omnipotence intersect..."

 This next one is a tough one to swallow sometimes, "...getting what you want isn't the goal; the goal is glorifying God by drawing circles around the promises, miracles, and dreams He wants for you."

"The greatest tragedy in life are the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked" God knows your heart, but He still wants you to ask Him.

"So while God is for us, most of us have no idea what we want God to do for us.... Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in a well-lived life." So, what are your praying about? What do you need to be praying about? Get specific with the Lord. If you are praying for healing, be specific list the results of the healing. If you are praying that your faith increases, get specific with the ways you want it to grow. If you have a dream, tell God your dream and list every aspect of it to Him of how it looks, what it involves, and where you want it to go.

Understand that there is a difference between praying for and praying through. There are some prayers that are the praying for kinda prayers. Then there are some prayers that are the praying through prayers. This is where I am at in this season of life. Praying through. Praying through is hard. Praying through takes faith because you can't see the result of your prayers yet. Praying through means I can't be lazy anymore. Praying through means getting specific with my prayer life.  Praying through means I up the intensity of my prayer life. Praying through means I am praying with a "holy confidence" believing that the promises I have read in the word are meant for me & my loved ones. Praying through means that when the enemy tries to bring doubt, worry, & confusion that I hold onto the promise that God is for me, He loves me, He understands, He redeems me, He is our healer, redeemer, joy, happiness, satisfier, and my strength. Most importantly, God is Sovereign. 
Friends, lets have the prayer life God desires us to have.
~Brit