Prayer > Worry

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Prayer > Worry

I don’t need to weigh in on it all, especially when I feel weighed down by it all, but this quote I read today from @hertrueworth rings true everyday, so this is where I’ll stay…

and if you’re feeling the weight of it all, I pray it encourages you, too…

“Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change. Prayer is a conversation you have with God about things He can change.”

Prayer lifts my eyes off myself and all the things I can’t control and puts them on my Savior and what He alone can and always will control. It also lifts the weight of the world off me, where it was never intended to be in light of eternity, and places that burden on the only One who has the power and authority to bear it all, once and for all, and will always reign over it all.

While prayer does not absolve me of my personal responsibility, it does remind me of His sovereignty. I will always strive to do what I can to do the best I can to love others well. I’ll do my part to echo His heart in a world that needs His love — a love that leads to humility, repentance, and the realization that it is not about us, and all about Him and His perfect plan of redemption.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.” 1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬

“And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” 1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬-‭21‬

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His voice silences the noise, settles my mind, and steadies my heart.

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His voice silences the noise, settles my mind, and steadies my heart.

His voice silences the noise, settles my mind, and steadies my heart.

For someone who is rarely short on words, I find myself a little quieter these days, especially in this online space. I’m longing for more face-to-face and heart-to-heart conversations, and that doesn’t happen in comment sections or by knee jerk reactions.

The chaos of the online noise is creating a chasm in real life relationships, and for one who craves connection, watching the bantering become bickering because of all the misunderstanding is just exhausting!

So, while I’m not loosing my voice, per se, I am finding my “inside voice” and learning how to use it in hopefully a God honoring, respectful, and effective way.

The external chaos and chatter has definitely influenced my internal dialogue and gray matter, but it has not silenced God’s voice in my heart. In fact, the more I press in to Him, through prayer and praise and opening His Word before opening an app on my phone, the louder and clearer his voice becomes.

His voice silences the noise, settles my mind, and steadies my heart.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭ESV‬‬)

His voice is way more powerful than mine, or any other one out there online.

So, instead of contributing to the chatter by weighing in on every matter, I’m posturing myself for prayer.

I’m kneeling so I won’t be controlled by what I’m feeling. I’m praying so the Holy Spirit can control what I’m saying.

“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” (Proverbs‬ ‭21:23‬, NIV)

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (James‬ ‭1:19‬, NIV)

My words to Him in prayer are far more powerful than any words online I share.

So, I’ll pray them before I say them, and trust His voice to silence the noise, settle my mind, and steady my heart.

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Lord, Teach Us to Pray

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Lord, Teach Us to Pray

“Lord, teach us to pray…”

Wise words in the cry heard by Jesus from one unnamed disciple in the following verse.

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” (Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬, ESV‬‬)

The plea was “teach us to pray,” not teach us to influence, or teach us to grow a business or brand, or teach us to market or network, or even teach us to preach or teach or speak.

Sure, we can do all those things, and we can do them all for God, but what resonated with me as I read this familiar verse is that the cry of this disciple’s heart was…

“Lord, teach us to pray…”

Plain and simple, yet powerfully profound. He displayed wisdom beyond his years by simply wanting to bend Jesus’ ear to hear the burdens of his heart.

Prayer is talking to Jesus, and yet this disciple knew, just as Jesus modeled the way to do many things, He also modeled prayer by the way He prayed to the Father.

And in the next three verses that follow, Jesus answers him this way…

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A Call to Prayer for the Mama Bear

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A Call to Prayer for the Mama Bear

A Call to Prayer for the Mama Bear…

A mama’s work is never done, and although the specific tasks and responsibilities may change, the ultimate goal stays the same.

Protect, provide, prepare.

From toddler to teen, and every stage in between, from the moment we bring them home to the moments they are making homes of their own, we raise them to release them, in the safety of our den, before they encounter the wilderness of this wild world we live in.

While they have been given to us by God, they are ultimately His, and our goal is to steer them back to Him again and again, our role is to guide them as He promises to walk beside them.

But the older I get, the more I realize, my words to Him are more powerful than my words to them…

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Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 20: Chosen for Prayer

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Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 20: Chosen for Prayer

June 20th. Day 20 of walking through “Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily” — Part 1 of “A Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent.


Today’s reason — Chosen for Prayer.


I already LOVE today’s reason. Chosen to have conversations with the God of the Universe. Chosen to intercede for others as Jesus interceded for you and me. What an honor. What a reason to rehearse the gospel daily.


“When God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world, he did not merely choose me to be ‘holy and blameless’; He chose me also to be ‘before Him in love.’ {Ephesians 1:4} To be sure, I am always in God‘s presence on earth, and in heaven I will be in His presence more fully than ever. But it could also be said that in this life I am especially ‘before Him in love’ when I come ‘before Him’ in prayer and worship.” {Psalm 100:2, Psalm 68:4, 1 John 5:14}


Vincent continues by saying...


“Therefore, I can infer that prayer is not simply something I am allowed to do as a Christian; prayer is actually one of the great purposes for which God chose to save me. Christ Himself confirms this fact when He makes the following statement to His disciples: ‘I chose you...that whatever you ask of the Father in my name He may give it to you.’ {John 15:16} As a chosen one of God, I was saved to pray; and whenever I come into God’s presence to behold Him, worship Him, or make request of Him, I am arriving at the pinnacle of God’s saving purpose for me.”


Vincent elaborates a little more...


“God is radically committed to my life of prayer. He shed the blood of His son so that I might be cleansed and rendered fit {Ephesians 1:6, Romans 5:9} to stand before Him in love. He also permitted the brutal rending of His son so that I might now have a way into the Holy Place through the torn flesh of Jesus. {Hebrews 10:19-20} ‘Draw near’ {Hebrews 4:16} He says in Hebrews 4; ‘draw near’ He says in Hebrews 10; {Hebrews 10:19-22} ‘pray without ceasing,’ {1 Thessalonians 5:17} He urges elsewhere. How can I not feel the infinite sincerity of these invitations, especially when considering the painful lengths that God endured so that I might enter His presence in prayer?”


Vincent concludes with this...


“Indeed, the gospel itself serves as the sweetest of invitations to pray; and preaching it to myself each day nurtures within me a mighty impulse to come ‘before [God] in love’ and do the praying that I was elected to do.”

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Our Words to Him are More Powerful than our Words to Them.

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Our Words to Him are More Powerful than our Words to Them.

I hate even implying that there’s an “us” and “them,” but it seems to be true everywhere we turn — politically, socially, and even spiritually.

But lest you believe all hope is lost, let me assure you, it is not. The key is to recognize the real enemy and turn our fight against him, not them.

The Gospel of Jesus offers hope that frees us — frees us from being “us” and “them” as it reconciles us all to Him — all who believe and receive His free gift of salvation.

My broken heart longs for true reconciliation and restoration in this broken world, but I know the only way that mend will be sustainable is if we are first reconciled to God and restored back to a right relationship with Him. His unchangeability has the supernatural ability to change us sincerely, so our hearts can long for true unity.

Just because there’s a “them,” God continues to remind me “they” are not the enemy. “They” are merely the ones who just disagree with me. The enemy is the enemy, and fighting him through prayer is the only way to victory.

Victory over our real enemy is the key. We’re not going to achieve perfect unity as we try to mesh conflicting ideologies. A self-centered, worldly ideology will not enhance a Christ-centered Biblical theology.

Perfect unity is for Eternity and can only be achieved through embracing the grace in the victory that took place for you and me — the victory Jesus won by defeating death to give us life. The most effective way to fight from that position of victory is to continually fight this battle on our knees.

So when emotions are high, and the words wanna fly because they’ve been brewin’ and you‘re ‘bout ready to spew them...

Remember these wise words from His Word...

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