Prayer journal

Over the past year I started more regularly keeping a prayer journal. I had heard yearssss ago that it was a great way to keep track of your prayers and when they were answered. I'm lazy and a procrastinator about many things... this was no different.

About 3 years ago a good friend of mine challenged me to step up my "prayer life". At first I was insulted. We barely knew each other at that point and I thought, "How DARE he?! I PRAY! How you gon' challenge me to step up my prayer life?!" I led the prayer team in a ministry I was a part of years earlier. However, I hadn't been praying as much as I should have around the time my friend put forth his appeal. Truth be told, the Holy Spirit had been nudging me to pray more so I knew that this guy was on point. I pushed pride out of the way and brought my flesh under subjection.

I went to a prayer conference at my church the following year and won a journal as a door prize. I figured I might as well turn it into a prayer journal. I wrote very little in it that year (2014). By 2015... told you I was a procrastinator... I had started to mark that puppy up as I saw how the Lord was answering my prayers! The more He answered and I wrote it down, the more I wanted to pray!

You see, it wasn't that the Lord only answered when I wrote them down; it was that I had a record of His work in my life that I could refer to. And don't be fooled; not every prayer got a "yes". Some got a "no" and I was a little disappointed but glad to hear from the Lord.

As I began to check off answered prayers, I grew excited about the work He was doing that was exceedingly, abundantly more than I could ask or think!

Do you keep a prayer journal?

He is too good fa dat!

youramazingplaces.com

God is great, and He is worthy of ALLLLLL our praise! Things in life are not always great or fun but I know that as long as I'm trusting in Him, it will all be ok...even if not until the end.

I've found myself in a complaining mood when I'm supposed to have an attitude of gratitude! Instead of complaining think of something to be thankful for and say that aloud instead!

I'm also believing that God will do some awesome things with work I'm doing in my community. I am banging on heaven's door like the persistent widow in Luke 18. He is too gracious for my murmuring and complaining! I'm gonna trust Him because He's done great things, and I know He ain through yet!!!

Update on my struggles: Part 4

msny.org

"Wow" is an understatement. I have really been out of the loop and I've missed blogging! It's such a great outlet!

I decided to pick up where I left off *cough* two years ago *cough*. Remember that guy I wrote about that I wasn't sure what was gonna happen with? Well, after both of us spent many days in prayer, the Lord told us that we couldn't be together. It was really painful, but we made it through and were committed to being friends until he started to date the woman that he believed would be his wife.

Had we not spent so much time in prayer, we might not have made a wise decision. We wanted to get married, but before we even started dating, we took this matter to the Lord and boy did He answer! And God even used that man to challenge me in my "prayer life". I'll probably never forget how offended I was when he challenged me on this, but I was sure that the Lord was speaking through him because I had sensed that God was pressing me to pray more. To give my cares, worries, and desires to Him. To pray like the persistent widow in Luke 18 and watch him work.

I'm embarrassed to say that I have finally just started to do this in the last year. Let's watch God work!

What I learned while fasting

micernest.com

Ya know...when Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, He was tempted by the devil (Luke 4)...when I was fasting on a workday, I was tempted by the devil.  My thought, "REALLY? This happens while I'm FASTING?!?" But if Jesus wasn't exempt, how could I expect to be?

Oh prayer...

Scooped from: thegospelcoalition.org

Man, my walk with the Lord had been SLACKING for real up until last week when I actively chose to do something about it.  The Lord reminded me of this website I used to refer to called Discipleship Tools.  Now, I'm going through a study on prayer and also reading through James again.  I've really had to crucify my flesh and make spending time with the Lord a priority again!  With this job, I easily let it become more important than spending time with God...not anymore!! I've decided to MAKE WAR!

Has your walk with the Lord been slackin'?  Check out Discipleship Tools for helpful studies as a way to get back on track and don't neglect going to church on Sundays and even Bible Studies, small groups, and other ways to spur you on!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!

Pray for Trayvon's family

If you've picked up a newspaper, gone to an online news website, or turned on the news, you've probably heard about the Trayvon Martin tragedy.  No matter what your feelings are regarding the Trayvon Martin case, please pray for his family.  


Pray for:
1) Strength from the Lord during this tough time
2) For the Holy Spirit to comfort their hearts
3) That if they are unsaved, that the Lord would save them
4) For finances to cover their expenses
5) And whatever else the Lord leads you to pray for

Progress in humility

yahsburden.blogspot.com

I was driving home from some work I had to do and it was pretty late.  Ok, so it was 11 pm.  Late but not too late for me.  My mind started thinking about the warm, thermal blanket on my bed, my pillow, the alarm clock...you get my drift.  I was ready to go TA SLEEP! Then it hit me:  "No, I will wash the dishes first and then prepare for bed."  I was pleasantly surprised by this idea.  "Yes, I will do that."  Ya see, my housemate Tina prefers that the dishes are washed at night so that in the morning she does not have to wake up to a sink full of dirty dishes.  A year ago, dem jokas woulda still been in da sink and she would have had to have dealt wit it and kept it movin'.  BUT GOD!!!

Things to pray for

newcreationbiblefellowship.org

If you're like me, your prayer life seems to go through drought and flood season.  Sometimes I feel stuck in a dry season in which I am praying for the same things day after day.  It becomes rather "routine."  The only new things I seem to pray for are things that are brought to my attention by the Holy Spirit or by someone or some event He uses.  I believe that God is listening to me, but I sure don't act like it with my little weak prayers. Then sometimes I have rainy, floody prayer seasons in which I pray fervently and continuously for things that pop-up in everyday life.  I mean, I take those requests to DA THRONE BBBOOOLLLDDDLLLYYY! I pray all over-around-and-through those requests with earnest expectation that God CAN and WILL answer them. During those times I have the feeling of "I know there ain' NOTHIN' my GOD cain't (aka can't) do! HALLELUJAH!" I mean, I know that-I know that-I KNOW-that I know!

If you go through those seasons like me...or maybe this never happens to you but you just want some ideas on things to pray for...check out this. It's from desiringgod.com and entitled "What to Pray For." During my week of intentional prayer, I spent some time praying through some of this list. Thank God for it!  Will you also take the time to pray for some, if not all, of the things on this list? Pray fervently with earnest expectation that God will answer!

Been so long...

Hello there, people!  OH my GOODNESS.  It's been so long since my last post.  I really didn't feel like I had anything meaningful to post during my "hiatus." Ha-ha-ha.  But now...I'MMMM BACKKKKK.  At least for today. 

You ever felt like that in regards to your time with the Lord though?  Like..."it's been SOO long."  So long since I've rested in Your presence.  So long since I've delighted myself in Your Word.  So long since I've shared that News I call Good with another.  So long since I've really PRAYED for those in authority...for my neigbor...for my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Ok.  This is embarrassing.  But true at times.

You ever felt like that?  Be honest?  Your connotation of "SO LONG" could only be a day...or maybe it's a few days...or weeks...

Either way...let's repent and GET IT IN WITH HIM! 

Peace. Love. And Joy...only obtained by abiding in Jesus, allowing God to prune ya, and letting God produce that fruit....AYYYYYYYYYY Glory. Mmmhmmmmmm.

Til next time,
U.M.