Palm Sunday Provision

Has God ever asked you to do something beyond your capacity? 
Has He ever whispered a plan that seemed too much and too big?
God put some pretty big things in my heart lately. 
Big things that had me wondering, "How God? I just don't have all the resources."
Finally, I rested knowing that God would provide for His plan. 
And guess what?  He did. 
He provided in one of those big, in your face kind of
miracles on Palm Sunday.  
The kind of miracle that makes you think, "Wow.  That was God!"
It was an answer to prayer that built faith of our kids
 as we told them  the prayer we had prayed the night  before,
  was answered that morning...a Palm Sunday provision.

Jesus and Prayer

I've been studying the book of Matthew and I've really been struck by how much Jesus taught about prayer.
Andrew Murray made this observation:

"In all His instructions, our Lord Jesus spake much oftener to His disciples about their praying than their preaching.  In the farewell discourse, He said little about preaching, but much about the Holy Spirit, and their asking whatsoever they would in His Name."

Several times I read how Jesus went off and prayed by himself.  If Jesus had to take time alone to pray, how much more do I need to?  I'm thinkin' alot. 

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.  Matthew 21:22

I steal prayers

True confession: I steal prayers. 
I can't always find just the right words. 
So I steal prayers from the Bible.

I think it's ok to infringe on copyright laws when it comes to prayer and I am stealing God's Word.

 Hopefully the plagiarism police wont peek into my prayer journal.  They'd find the words of Jesus, David and Paul carefully penned and claimed as my own. 

Today David's words reflect my heart:

Direct my footsteps according to your word;

let no sin rule over me.

Psalm 119:133 

By the way, if you decided to steal prayers too, I won't tell a soul.

Howl for Joy

Sometimes I like to sing when I wake up.  Today as I softly started to sing, Goldie my dog decided to join me by whimpering as I sang.  First quietly, then with more animation she attempted to mimic my praise.  Her joyful howls made me giggle and reminded me of how much God deserves the unspoiled, imperfect, beautiful praise of all his creation, especially me!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.  Psalm 98:4 (NIV)

Sleepless Nights

Usually I have no trouble falling asleep.  Moments after my head hits the pillow, I'm out until my alarm clock rings in the morning.  But a few nights ago I woke up, wide awake at three a.m.   After a few minutes of tossing and turning, I realized that I couldn't fall back to sleep.

Laying there thinking, I remember sleepless nights.
God spoke to Abraham in the darkness and told him his descendents would be as numerous as the stars.
Jacob was wrestling God all night long until he got his blessing.
King Xerxes remembered Mordecai on a sleepless night.
Samuel, just a boy, heard God's voice in the stillness of a sleepless night. 
Chains were broken during midnight worship and Paul was set free from prison on a sleepless night
And  most memorable of all, God's very own Son came to Earth on a glorious, sleepless night.

Hmm..... A sleepless night might just be an invitation from the Almighty. I slipped out of bed and into His presence with a song, a scripture and a conversation.

Over the years I've heard countless stories about believer being abruptly woken in the middle of the night inspired to pray urgently for someone: a prayer of supernatural intervention.  A prayer of faith in a time of need that made all the difference.

As I slid back into bed, I smiled. It's good to make the most of a sleepless night.

Have you had a sleepless night?

Unforgiving Prayer

I awake early to pray but something is off, not right.  It occurs to me I am angry.   Upset.  I feel my rights have been violated by someone close to me. Could I talk to that person to try to make ammends?  No, much too early.  The sleepy sun hasn't even begun to peek over the horizon.  I try to pray, but it's like a hitting a brick wall.  Nothing comes so I sit.

I think of the scripture

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you.  Mark 11:25

I know that I can't talk to that person, but I can begin making amends.  I can forgive.  I tell God how I feel.  Confess that I've been too wrapped up in myself and too unconcerned with others.  I reflect on the millions of violations I've committed before a Holy God who lavishes his forgiveness on me time and time again.  Unforgiveness towards anyone seems like a selfish, unspeakable crime for someone like me who has been forgiven of so much.   I decide to forget when my flesh tries to remember.  I'll put those cruel, condemning thoughts out of my mind and remember how God has forgiven me time and time again.  I remember His Spirit in me, enabling me to exhibit divine forgiveness.  

 A breath of fresh air fills my soul.  

Finally, I can pray. 

Put Yourself In Timeout

"Go to your room and think about the right way to use your words,"  I said to my daughter as I sent her to her room for a timeout.  I managed to keep a  low calm voice, but my heart was pounding and all I felt was anger.

With clenched teeth and tight fists I wondered why I have more trouble with this one child than the half dozen I used to care for in my home daycare.  She pouted down the hall and I had a Holy Spirit moment. 

"Put yourself in a time-out and pray," came a gentle whisper.

I sat down on my couch and poured out my heart to the Lord.  I told Him I was frustrated.  I asked Him for grace.  I prayed for Him to touch my daughter's heart.  Quite frankly, it was the best time-out I ever had.

When the timer beeped and I let her out, I was amazed at how God's spirit had worked in her heart and perhaps more importantly, mine.  A fresh flood of grace and love filled our home. 

My takeaway: Sometimes you just need to put yourself in a timeout and pray.

              Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  Colossians 4:2