Prayers and Praises for the week of May 20- May 26th

Ever wondered how God knows you? What He knows about you and what all
of that means to you and your day to day life?  Me, too!

How do we capture that relationship and make it flourish in our lives?
Well, a HUGE part of that is prayer.

Psalms 139 is an incredible example of the nitty grittiness of how He
knows us. He knows how we tick. Hello?!  The Lord "gets" you. Isn't
that incredible?!  The good stuff about us, the weird stuff, the not
so good stuff--He knows. The Lord knows us so very intricately. He
wants us to reciprocate, but how? Pray.

Take a look at this blue print of how He knows you, written by David:

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:1-24 ESV)

Oh my goodness. That is personal, girls!!! Wow! We can't hide it, God
knows it all. So, we don't have to talk to our Creator and "Daddy" in
a coy way, come to Him like the intimate confidant He is. Pull Him
close. He's so ready.

So... Maybe you aren't comfortable praying to God in a constant
conversation with Him, you may begin by praying for others. The Lord
blesses prayer. He misses you. He wants to hear from us. Pray. Talk to
Him. Just do it.

Speaking of "Just Do It." The founder of Nike once said, "everyone is
an athlete." I love that. Kinda levels the playing field, huh?! That's
similar to Christianity and walking with God. Everyone is a prayer
warrior or prayer intercessor.  It doesn't take a special kind of
Christian or a special kind of walk with God. You just have to get
started. Pray.

We are praying for our fellow SHINE girls. (Each and every day.) We
hope you stop by and join along. Please post prayers and praises
below.

Be blessed and pray, it is the key we all need to Him, and... I love y'all,

Rebekah