Are Your Prayers Awkward?

Hello! Today is Simple Sincere Seeking Sunday! Have you taken any time to sing praises to Our Heavenly Father today? Perhaps you don't even realize He enjoys such devotion.  I never really thought of it as devotion when I was younger. God was my best friend. I would chat it up with Him like a girl would chat it up with her best friend. Today, often this is how I turn and pray to God. When I'm in a desperate place however, I find myself on my knees. Yes, literally on my knees. Praying one on one with God is one thing. Praying out loud for others to hear, well, that's another!

Somewhere along in life, I developed a fear of  speaking in front of others. As I began hanging out in groups where people asked for others to pray out loud, my fear expanded to prayers. I began silently praying that no one would ask me to pray out loud. I felt my prayers would be juvenile. I began searching for a good prayer book. For a moment I had one. 31 days of prayer. I only got to read 4 of those 31 days before my book vanished into thin air. Unlike my study bible, it has never been found. Mike thinks a drink got spilled on it and it was thrown away. He's not positive about this, but I'm thinking it was the case. I love Goodwill and one Sunday, while searching their book shelves, I found another great prayer book, entitled Intercessory Prayer by Doug Sheets. AWESOME book! I was reading it and I am telling you this book had me laughing and crying all in the same day! This book has too vanished. I was about half way through it when I realized I had not seen it for three days. I at least know it is available via E-Book format. I must get a kindle. The old kind. I need to consolidate. When I carry more than one devotional and my study bible, things have a way of disappearing.

Regardless, I recognized my fear of praying was an indicator that Satan sees me as someone he does not want praying. For he is the source of fear. When you are full of trepidation over something, I encourage you to turn that fear into awe and ask God, what is your plan for me where this pertains? How can I best serve you in this way. For if the Devil is frightened by what you are capable of doing through me, then I want some of that action!

Honestly, I was afraid of praying out loud enough so that I confessed it to my life coach. I knew she would push me. It's why I go to see her. She loves me and she wants to help me reach beyond my wildest dreams. Never in a million years did I expect her to have me pray for her right then and right there. I confessed to her that I had committed to fill in for another woman I admire at our monthly meeting. When I hung up after saying I would be honored to fill her shoes, I panicked realizing I would be in charge of at least one prayer. I confessed this to Cathy. She laughed and said, "Oh Wendy, that fear is not from God, you know where it comes from." I laughed with her for I do know where that comes from. Knowing and overcoming are two VERY different beings!

I was so nervous but Cathy calmed me down. By listening to her gentle direction, I soon found myself praying for her from my heart. Asking God to fill her with more boldness and give her clarity in how to best direct those she serves. I honestly don't remember what all I prayed for for her but I do know when I got done praying it was not viewed as a childish prayer. I know if I can do it once, then with God I can do it again and again.

I knew I was going to be blogging on prayers soon. It has flashed across my mind too many times to not be a repeating topic. I have heard this one song that I heard recently 3 times today and it is so perfect when it comes to the topic of prayers. I am going to find it and place it here. Before I do that though, as part of my "Renew Your Mind Challenge", I read a devotional every day. Yesterday's topic covered prayer a little bit. The gist in the closing made me grin so big I can't even tell you. It said something along the lines that while your prayers may be awkward, it is not the person praying or how they phrase the prayer that matters. The power of prayer is in the One who hears it. Not the one who says it. I love that because it takes so much weight off my shoulders. The only thing I have to do when it comes to prayer is speak from my heart and listen to the voice that reminds me of my righteousness.

I recently read the following passage in the book of James found in the New Testament portion of the Bible: Chapter 5, verse 13 and it says this about prayers and their power:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Anytime you see a word like "Therefore" it means some details of what is about to be said and why it is about to be said can be found prior to this verse. Chapter 5 is full of wisdom. As I often do, I am going to share it here in it's entirety using my study bible, beginning at verse 1:

verse 1:    Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.

verse 2:    Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.

verse 3:    Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

verse 4:    Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your field, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

verse 5:    You have lived luxuriously on earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

verse 6:    You have condemned and put to death the righteous man, he does not resist you. 

verse 7:    Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it unit it gets the early and late rains.

verse 8:    You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

verse 9:    Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

verse 10:  As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

verse 11:  We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. 

verse 12:  But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you many not fall under judgment.

verse 13:  Is anyone among you suffering Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

verse 14:  Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

verse 15:  and prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven.

verse 16:  Therefore, confess your sins to one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 

verse 17:  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

verse 18:  Then he prayed again and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

verse 19:  My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,

verse 20:  let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 Because all of our prayers for healing are not answered the way we long for, many doubt the power of prayer. I would like to encourage you to search your heart when you pray and to always pray for others before your self. When praying for yourself seek the fruits of the spirit. There is no magical formula for getting your prayers answered.

I leave you with this song I was telling you about. Enjoy. I love when he sings, "Father, I'm in a desperate place." Been there. Talk about belting out a song with heart felt emotion! Without further delay, I introduce to you "Pray" by Sanctos Real:

Father, today I come before you asking for more courage. Let me not be kept silent by fear of speaking out loud. Fill me with your wisdom and your strength. Fill my heart with love for others. Strip me of impatience, fill me with a peace so deeply that the angry cannot penetrate causing me to stumble from talking through love. Father, lift those in dark places into the light and fill their hearts with your love. No matter how fleeting their minds may turn toward you for an answer, answer them father. Let them feel your presence in such a way they cannot deny you Love them right where they are. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.


Wendy,
Mom of Many


© Wendy Glidden 2013

Self Control is A known Fruit!

Good morning world! Today the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the day has started off with a blast. If you don't just love your life today, you are who I am praying for! Life. It can be brutal but much much much better than the alternative! I am saddened by the truth that people can be so mean to other people. Stress, depression, suicide, they are All on the rise. Spanning age ranges from the youngest to the oldest. How did that happen? One can't help but wonder, "How did we get to be such a rude, inconsiderate, hateful, uppity, better than, haughty human race?" We have steered so far from Grace it is almost scary.

Today I would like to encourage everyone to pay attention to their emotions! Were you aware that self control is a fruit of the spirit? Did you know that you are warned to steer clear of anger for your own protection? The more I learn about Jesus, The Lord of Air, The fruits of the Spirit, and my armor needed to live the abundant life I was promised, the more aware I am of the evil we face daily. I know I have blogged before on how important it is to realize we are indeed in a spiritual battle and therefore how vital it is that you understand the force you are fighting. I think it is in my blog titled "Why you need to know Scripture". Please do not mistake me for some great teacher when it comes to God's Word. I only know what He wrote on my heart. It was written on yours too. Just because it is there does not mean we all pay attention to it. If that were the case I don't think we'd be instructed to seek God. The more you understand God's Word, the more you will long for it.

One of the first books of the Holy Bible I studied with a small group was Ephesians. I will openly admit I really struggled with my tongue at this point in my life. For that matter, I struggled with the whole "Submit" issue. That was a year ago. Literally. Now I submit to Mike but not how I first thought that meant. When you "get" the beauty of what The Word is actually speaking to you, submitting to your spouse is an awesome thing. That is not to say that Mike and I don't occasionally disagree over something. What it does mean is we know how to communicate now. I submit to Mike because He submits to me. After 9 years I am in awe that we are like newlyweds again. We appreciate each other. I could weep due to the amount of gratitude I have for God's Grace. The Word saved my marriage. The Word is helping me with every element of my life. It is the number one book when it comes to "Self-helpers".

I imagine that fact alone is why the evil one has blocked it's use at every opportunity. It's why he created so many false religions. He is so darn sneaky he will have you convinced you need to work on your sin. Have you ever heard you can only concentrate fully on one thing at a time? It is true. It is why Lamaze works as well as it does. When a woman is concentrating on how to breath that is her focus, not the pain itself. With that in mind, when Satan can get you busy "working on your problem" you are not paying attention to your righteousness. You are focusing on the problem which will always result in making you stumble again and again. Giving the evil one more ammunition to use against you. There is no need for you to live that way. You see, you are already sanctified. If you pay attention to your righteousness and not your sin, you will sin less. Instead of beating yourself up or putting yourself down, listen to the positive voice inside of you.

The Lord of Air came here with one purpose in mind, to steal from you, to destroy you, and to kill you. Jesus came so that you could have life and live that life abundantly. Jesus came here to live out "The Law" perfectly. He was able to do what no human could. He did not have an earthly father. He is God's only begotten Son. He came here to save us. He too was messed with by Satan. He understands our pain, our confusion, our fight. We have an ally in Heaven. Through is fleshly death and His resurrection, we have nothing to fear. Stop crucifying yourself for past mistakes. Not one of us is perfect! Stop asking for something you already have. Forgiveness is already granted for all past and future sins. There is nothing you could do today or tomorrow that has not already been forgiven. Instead of asking for forgiveness, ask for strength!

The Holy Bible warns you about the enemy and gives amazing advice for how to get the most out of life. Stop thinking of it as a Religious book. The Holy Bible is the Word of God. Nothing More. Nothing Less. If you desire a better life, if you long for happier days, if you wish you could become a better person, there is only one book you need to check out. It holds all the secrets to abundance!!! I highly encourage you to get into The Word and to find a small group to study with. We were not meant to walk through this life alone my friends, don't help the evil one seclude you from relationships with fellow believers.

I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to share a song yesterday. No sooner than I had posted it in various groups on Facebook a dear friend of mine replied that she had added it to her play list. She stated that it was right where she was in her walk. With that in mind, I am sharing it here too.

Today I pray for all who are lost, lonely and without hope. Father, I ask you to go to them. Get their attention  like you got mine Father. I know I sought you as a child and I thank you for your Grace. We both know how far I ran from you. Father, those that have never turned to you and those that have run from you, they need you more than ever. I ask you to go to them Father. Lift them up. Speak to their hearts Father. I come to you asking that you turn up the volume. So many of us hear the Lord of Air much clearer and louder than we Hear the voice of righteousness. Teach us to be still Father. Tune in our inner ears. Magnify your word that you wrote on our hearts. Make it clear and undeniable Father. I am so grateful that I know you. I only long for my fellow brothers and sisters know you too. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

© Wendy Glidden, published 5/15/2013