When you need a little "push".....
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"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him" I John 5:14-15
Several weeks ago, I was having a dilemma.
I had a lot to pray about. So much was on my mind that I didn't even know where to begin with my praying.
Frustration set in. I would start to pray and then jump and skip around trying to fit it all in. I know it sounds silly, but it's the truth. Maybe you can relate.
My heart desires to live in a state of prayer, but my flesh sometimes interrupts that desire.
Sometimes my flesh gets tired. I feel tired and I don't "feel" like praying, especially if I am frustrated. Doubts can start to creep in. Such as, "Is God really listening? Is my prayer even being heard?'
Yes, these thoughts occur. I bet you may can relate.
My spirit knows this is false information. I have seen the fruit of prayer. Over and over and over. Yet, I still can doubt some days.
When doubt comes, I have learned to "push through in prayer". I know I have said this to you before, but I cannot stress enough how important this is.
PUSH through....
When you are tired....
When you are weary...
When you are doubtful...
When you are not feeling it....
When you are not seeing results...
When you are OVER IT....
Push through in prayer.
Last week, as I was in one of my "not feeling it" moods, I sought the Lord.
I asked Him to help me to be more intentional with my praying. I asked Him to guide me each day so that I wasn't overwhelmed with all the needs that I desired to lift up to Him.
This is what I came up with after praying. It has helped tremendously to keep me focused in my prayer time each day.
A weekly Prayer Guide:
Monday: Pray for your parents, extended family, friends and their families, community, schools, teachers.
Tuesday: Pray for your city, state, nation, and world leaders. Pray for godly men and women in leadership.
Wednesday: Pray for your church, your pastor, your church staff, church teachers, and leaders, your church congregation.
Thursday: Give thanks all day today! Thank Him for everything you do, and everything you see! This is a powerful thing!
Friday: [my fun Friday prayer!] Pray for your spouse. Cover Him from head to toe. If you are not married, pray for the marriages around you. Pray for purity, holiness, and unity in marriages.
Saturday: Pray for your children. Their protection. Their friendships, relationships, marriages. Pray for spouses/future spouses, grandchildren/future grandchildren. If you do not have children, pray for the children around you. Nieces, nephews, friends' children.
Sunday: Praise Him in prayer all day long. Lift His Name up and just praise Him. Praise Him for all that He is doing in your life and the lives of others.
[A little side note: I still pray for my family every day. I just now have a guide to help me incorporate other prayer needs into my week.]
This prayer guide is not meant to be a "legalistic" way to pray. It is just a guide to help us to be intentional. God shapes and molds our prayers because He is the One who prompts us to pray.
If we really are to "pray without ceasing", we must be intentional. We must have a plan of action or we will just not pray.
The cool thing is, once we start flexing our prayer muscle, it will become strong and automatic. The more we pray, the more we will desire to pray.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26
We will see the fruit of prayer and we will be so encouraged to KEEP ON PRAYING.
As Christians, as followers of Christ, we have a responsibility. If we truly want to see God's will being done "on Earth as in Heaven", we must ask for it. Through prayer. Jesus is our model. He prayed unceasingly, and His life was the fruit of His prayers.
As we study God's Word together, and combine His Word with prayer, something AMAZING happens! His Will is accomplished based on HIS Promises in HIS Word!
We can stand on those Promises, friends. I challenge you to stand on them!
"His Word will never return void". Isaiah 55:11
Let's start today, shall we?
pushing through in prayer,
jill
Receive SHINE by email: Go here.
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him" I John 5:14-15
Several weeks ago, I was having a dilemma.
I had a lot to pray about. So much was on my mind that I didn't even know where to begin with my praying.
Frustration set in. I would start to pray and then jump and skip around trying to fit it all in. I know it sounds silly, but it's the truth. Maybe you can relate.
My heart desires to live in a state of prayer, but my flesh sometimes interrupts that desire.
Sometimes my flesh gets tired. I feel tired and I don't "feel" like praying, especially if I am frustrated. Doubts can start to creep in. Such as, "Is God really listening? Is my prayer even being heard?'
Yes, these thoughts occur. I bet you may can relate.
My spirit knows this is false information. I have seen the fruit of prayer. Over and over and over. Yet, I still can doubt some days.
When doubt comes, I have learned to "push through in prayer". I know I have said this to you before, but I cannot stress enough how important this is.
PUSH through....
When you are tired....
When you are weary...
When you are doubtful...
When you are not feeling it....
When you are not seeing results...
When you are OVER IT....
Push through in prayer.
Last week, as I was in one of my "not feeling it" moods, I sought the Lord.
I asked Him to help me to be more intentional with my praying. I asked Him to guide me each day so that I wasn't overwhelmed with all the needs that I desired to lift up to Him.
This is what I came up with after praying. It has helped tremendously to keep me focused in my prayer time each day.
A weekly Prayer Guide:
Tuesday: Pray for your city, state, nation, and world leaders. Pray for godly men and women in leadership.
Wednesday: Pray for your church, your pastor, your church staff, church teachers, and leaders, your church congregation.
Thursday: Give thanks all day today! Thank Him for everything you do, and everything you see! This is a powerful thing!
Friday: [my fun Friday prayer!] Pray for your spouse. Cover Him from head to toe. If you are not married, pray for the marriages around you. Pray for purity, holiness, and unity in marriages.
Saturday: Pray for your children. Their protection. Their friendships, relationships, marriages. Pray for spouses/future spouses, grandchildren/future grandchildren. If you do not have children, pray for the children around you. Nieces, nephews, friends' children.
Sunday: Praise Him in prayer all day long. Lift His Name up and just praise Him. Praise Him for all that He is doing in your life and the lives of others.
[A little side note: I still pray for my family every day. I just now have a guide to help me incorporate other prayer needs into my week.]
This prayer guide is not meant to be a "legalistic" way to pray. It is just a guide to help us to be intentional. God shapes and molds our prayers because He is the One who prompts us to pray.
If we really are to "pray without ceasing", we must be intentional. We must have a plan of action or we will just not pray.
The cool thing is, once we start flexing our prayer muscle, it will become strong and automatic. The more we pray, the more we will desire to pray.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26
We will see the fruit of prayer and we will be so encouraged to KEEP ON PRAYING.
As Christians, as followers of Christ, we have a responsibility. If we truly want to see God's will being done "on Earth as in Heaven", we must ask for it. Through prayer. Jesus is our model. He prayed unceasingly, and His life was the fruit of His prayers.
As we study God's Word together, and combine His Word with prayer, something AMAZING happens! His Will is accomplished based on HIS Promises in HIS Word!
We can stand on those Promises, friends. I challenge you to stand on them!
"His Word will never return void". Isaiah 55:11
Let's start today, shall we?
pushing through in prayer,
jill
