I Guess I'll Pray

“Well…I guess I’ll just pray.”

We’ve exhausted our human efforts so in a half-hearted expression of hope we commit that issue to prayer…as a last resort.

I heard people say, “Oh prayer is powerful,” but my prayer life didn’t feel powerful. I don’t think I really understood the value or purpose of prayer and as a result I didn’t spend time seeking to nurture my prayer life.

But, God impressed upon me the need to take prayer seriously and He afforded me with insight as to why…

1. Prayer provides us with an ability to respond to the burdens, stress, and cares of others. It’s our responsibility as children of God to pray for one another—it’s considered a sin NOT to pray.


“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should SIN against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.” —1 Samuel 12:23 (NLT)


2. Prayer allows us to partner with God and call His will to life on Earth. God works through people. He’s waiting for His people to rise up in prayer and speak the change they want to see.

3. Prayer eliminates discontentment and worry as it provides us with an outlet to release our cares.

4. Prayer is our greatest tool for spiritual warfare. We cannot combat attacks that are happening in the spiritual realm with our natural efforts, but with prayer we can.

5. Prayer is our link to God. It’s our direct connect. When we fail to pray it’s like a kink in the water hose. The flow of water is disrupted and we’re only afforded spurts of water. But, when we free the kink in our hose by nurturing our prayer life we experience the full flow of His Spirit in our life.

6. Prayer is a priority. Jesus demonstrated this importance by choosing prayer and communing with God over many things …

Physical Rest

“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.” Luke 6:12 (NLT)

Social gatherings

“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” Luke 5:16 (NLT)

“Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” Mark 1:35 (NLT)

“After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23 (NLT)

Food

“…where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.” Luke 4:2 (NLT)


We cannot afford to slack in our prayer life especially if we expect to minister and help other people. Our ability to minister to others stems from the overflow of our prayer life. The things that we learn in our time alone with Christ afford us with the things we need to pour into the lives of those around us. We can’t give something we don’t have. I must frequently remind myself that I can't get so busy doing stuff for God that I miss out on the opportunities to just spend time with God.

Recognize the importance of prayer. Ask God to show you how to pray. Decide that you are not going to approach prayer as just some religious activity and make a commitment to nurture your prayer life. It's a big deal.



[photo credit: Shannon Lee Miller]




Ashley Ivery is a single mother of two brilliant children, Aiden and Devyn, with an overwhelming desire to empower women and help them to realize the importance of a relationship with God. Through her writing she hopes to encourage women to claim their strength and value in Christ. She graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2012 with a BS in Psychology. Her motto is: "Be Authentic. Live Honestly. Dispel Light.

Singles: What Kind of Husband Are You Praying For?

One time, I made a list of the qualifications I wanted in a husband.

Cute. Tall. Funny. Smart. Christian.

But I think most girls want that. What was to set the guy I wanted apart from every other guy who was cute, funny, tall, smart and a Christian? I had to really think about it.

Over the years, my list grew more detailed. I don’t remember ever writing down all my qualifications, because some of them sounded so shallow. Turns out, most of us have a list we don’t share with anyone for fear of sounding vain. But that is what separates us—what shows our individual preferences.

It’s OK to have a shallow list!

Do you want to know my ultimate shallow qualification? I wanted a man who was “cool” in the eyes of the world but chose to be a Christian. I wanted a guy who could hang out with anybody, whom everyone liked and respected—a guy who was popular and didn’t use the church as a crutch or need it in order to have a place to belong.

I wanted to find a guy who chose God because he needed Him.

Because he wanted Him.

Not because God was the only one left to accept him.

God delivered. Justin partied with the best of them (not an endorsement) but gave up that way of life for something better. Something eternal.

All right girlies, let’s make a list! Break out your notepad and pen. We’re gonna make a shallow list!

To be fair—and to get it out of our system—go ahead and write down the obvious ones:

• Christian. Hopefully that’s your first non-negotiable since the Bible says not to be unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14).

• Tall. Maybe you don’t care about his height. In that case, don’t write it down.

• Smart. Yes, he needs to be able to have an intelligent conversation!

• Funny. This one backfired on me, since my sister is literally the funniest person I know. I can’t breathe most of the time when she makes me laugh.

OK. Got those typical answers out of the way. So, what’s next? Does he need to have a job? A goodjob? Do you care how much money he makes?

Does he have to like children? What hair color are you hoping for? Does he need to be sports buff, or would you prefer someone who hates sports as much as you do?

What kind of family do you want him to come from? Does he need to share your favorite interests? Can he be a vegetarian? (I know the vegetarians are screaming, “Yes!”)

Can he have any type of disability, be it physical or mental?

Feeling shallow yet?

I don’t think we should squash our dreams of our perfect guy, so go ahead and write out every shallow little thing you can think of. Sometimes we try to be so holy and righteous that we squash the natural feelings and inclinations we have.

I heard a long time ago that since God knows exactly what you’re thinking and feeling, you might as well tell Him. So I do. If I have a shallow thought, I share it with Him, and sometimes I have to ask Him to change the way

I feel since it’s not what He wants from me.

I know I’m not the only girl to have a shallow list, and as my youth group girls and I were going through the chapter in my book that covers this, they shared their shallow lists as well. At first, they didn’t go very deep—because, after all, who wants to be seen as shallow?

But after a while, some really good answers poured out. And what I saw was not a group of shallow teenagers but maturing young women who wanted to be intentional with the men they would eventually date.

The higher the standard—or rather, the more particular the qualifications list—the less likely these girls will be to settle for someone below par. And I want my girls to marry the best. I know God has amazing men for them to meet one day.

And while we’re talking about qualifying the guy, we have to also look at ourselves. If we want to marry a man who is 5 percent body fat and works out every day, then we might not want to be stuffing our faces with pizza every night. If we want to marry a godly man, then we need to be in God’s Word so that we have a strong relationship with Jesus as well.

What I found was that as I grew older, and thankfully a little wiser, my list started to change. What I thought was important in middle school differed a bit in high school and transformed some more when I was in college.

As the expectations I had for myself were nurtured and developed, my qualifications for a husband changed too.

I no longer had to marry a guy who worked a 9-to-5 job in a business suit and made a ton of money. Instead, I married a Marine who chose to go into the ministry.

Instead of marrying a man who loved dogs, I married a man who is allergic to everything. Bless his heart.

I married my opposite in many ways, and as my shallow list grew smaller and smaller, God blessed me in bigger ways—although He did grant me a few of my shallow wishes!

Just remember, the fundamentals are the most important.

I married a man who loves God more than he loves me. A man who studies and reads about God in his free time. Because he wants to. Because he can’t get enough of Him.

Justin takes our little boys outside with him when he’s fixing a tire or changing the oil or building a set of custom bunk beds. While most people would see having little fingers grabbing tools as an annoyance, Justin sees working with his children as a bonding opportunity and a teaching moment.

I wouldn’t trade that for all the dogs in the world.

Bethany Jett is an author and speaker from Tampa, Fla. Her dating book for young women,The Cinderella Rule, is available online and in bookstores everywhere. Find her at bethanyjett.com.

Reprinted with permission from Charisma. Copyright © 2012 by Charisma Media, USA. All rights reserved. www.charismamag.com

[photo: John Hope, Creative Commons]

Book Review: Draw the Circle 40 Day Prayer Challenge

By Kris Bush

So I decided to request this book. In recent times I've been prompted on numerous occasions to pray

more, pray about everything. Get consistent with prayer. And what's a better way to become consistent with prayer other than a 40-day prayer challenge?

Draw the Circle 40 Day Prayer Challenge is already changing the way I view prayer. I like how Mark Batterson pairs each daily challenge with scripture and a person's personal story of what happened when they became consistent with prayer. This is crucial, because one, you become consistent with not only praying, but also listening to God after you unload, you become more adept to hear God's voice. Once you begin to pray for what you want and ask God to give you the desires of HIS heart, you begin to pray for what HE wants and then you are on to something special. You’re on to fulfilling God’s Will and His purpose for your life. I think every Christian has a goal of knowing God for themselves and serving God; they long to hear “Well done my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21,23)

So this is my challenge to myself, I want to pray consistently and with purpose. I'll be honest I pray every day, multiple times a day in fact. And I'm getting to the point when I can hear God prompting me; I also want to get to the point when I can hear HIM speak through someone else. In other words, I want to develop discernment; I want to be God's true sheep, knowing HIS voice no matter who or what HE chooses to speak through.



Disclaimer: This book was sent to me from the publisher (Zondervan) in exchange for my HONEST review.

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Four P’s of the Workplace

By Marquisha Harden

Prayer, Personality, Production, and Planning

In 2012, 30,000 employees around the world participated in the Mercer survey regarding employee satisfaction. Of those 30,000 people, 28% to 56% of employees reported they wanted to leave their jobs; 32% admitted the same in the United States (Adams, S. 2012). With unemployment rates at an all time high, most employees are choosing to remain in their unhappy work environment. As a result, employees may report to work with little to no motivation to produce or participate in work related activities. Some of the reasons employees decide to leave their jobs include personality conflicts between supervisors and co-workers; lack of training, low morale, or lack opportunities to grow within the company. While these are all valid reasons for wanting to leave the workplace, employees should consider a more pleasant approach. Prayer, personality, production, and planning are four areas that can help change the work environment.

A little prayer goes a long way. Pray over yourself and every person associated with your company, including staff, customers, and vendors. Pray asking God to give you wisdom, patience, and grace to effectively communicate with each person you are in contact with. Ask for strength and ability to work through any problem that may arise. He may not choose to change the other person or situation, so you must be willing to accept that you may have to change your attitude instead. Prayer has the power to change any situation and personality.  

Personality conflicts are usually the hardest hurdles to overcome in the workplace. Supervisors, customers, and co-workers have quirks that will push each and every button you have. However, your personality must not mirror theirs. Your personality should represent God’s goodness in your life. Consider speaking to them about your differences and come up with a solution that will best represent the company. Refrain from negative comments, gossip, and any other less appropriate conversation that would allow issues to persist. Speak to other party regarding your concerns to express your thoughts as well as receive feedback; sometimes you may realize there was a complete misunderstanding. Regardless of the outcome, remain professional at all times and never allow your personal differences to affect your production. 

You must continue to produce! Although you want to quit and your focus is slightly off, you have to remember you are in a professional environment. You must continue to come to work on time, complete all assigned tasks, attend training courses, and every other duty assigned to your position. Don’t allow negative situations to hinder possible promotions. Someone in the position to elevate you may be watching and inquiring of your work. 

If you are still considering leaving your job, you must have a plan. Pray asking God for the direction before making any moves. If he gives you the okay, then proceed to the planning phase. Planning will give you time to seriously consider your reason for leaving. You will have time to revise your resume and save, just in case of a delay prior to starting your new job. You will also have time to scout jobs that are more fitting to your personality. Even though you are planning for new employment, continue to honor your current position.

You honor God by submitting to your natural supervisor. It shows God that you can be trusted with the position he has given you. No person has authority or power to change your status. Regardless of threats from supervisors, customers, or co-workers, if God says you will keep your job, you will. If He says that you need to move to another position, he will do that as well. In past, I’ve erased the idea of having a natural supervisor and replaced it with the thought that I solely work for God. It helped me perform at my best while others tried to discourage me. It was evident whom I worked for when it was time for promotion. 

How have you been honoring God at work?


Godly Reminders: 

Ephesians 6: 5-8, “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”


Reference
Adams, S. (May 18, 2012). New Survey: Majority of Employees Dissatisfied. Forbes.com. Retrieved 1/4/12http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/05/18/new-survey-majority-of-employees-dissatisfied/