Prayer & Intercession

I have memories as a child waking up before the crack of dawn every sunday to be at church. We would get there early Sunday morning and we would stay all day through each service. I can remember thinking sheesh! why can't I just sleep in and why do my parents think it is so important for us to be at church so early!! Little did I know and little did they know that they were paving the way for a ministry, a passion and lifestyle for me. My parents were over the "personal intercessors" for our Senior Pastor at the church I grew up in. My parents made it a point to be there, serve and bath our Pastors in prayer, not only on Sunday but I can remember hearing my dad pray as I would get up in the morning, praying for our church and for our Pastors. I'm not sure if you have picked up on this yet but my parents have an anointing for prayer and intercession. And because of the years that they have sown and pushed they are bearing fruit. I am that fruit. Just this last summer at our summer church camp I can remember God telling me that I need to serve on the the NXT prayer team.
I have loved growing and serving on this team in the short time that I have. God has opened my eyes to the importance of prayer. One thing that has been pressed upon my heart is that prayer is one of the most resisted things on the planet. Why is it that it can be so difficult for a Christian, who fully believes in God, to sit down and pray for 30 minutes a day? Why is it that most of us give our 100% in prayer only when there is a crisis in our lives? Why can't we give 100% every day that we walk in? Here's an answer for you, because I believe that prayer is the gateway to God's heart. And don't you think that the enemy will love nothing better than to make you want to put it off or doubt it? I will be the first one to raise my hand and say that I am completely guilty of this. Am I proud of that? Nope! But. I am willing to lay it all down and push past all the resistence and doubt. God will reward you. There is no doubt about it. I love this verse that David prays in Psalm:

Psalm 17:6 "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."

David says " I call on you,  my God, for you will answer me..." I love that David is so sure! He knows God not only hears him but will answer him. David doesn't say maybe or possibly or beg God to listen, He knows that God's attention is on him and hearing David's every word.
My challenge to each person who reads this, whether it's today or 5 years from now, is to press in and pray. And if you feel 30 minutes will be too crazy for ya, start with 10 minutes and before you know it you'll be praying for 30 minutes, then an hour and so on. This week has even challenged me in my personal prayer time. I'm taking on my own challenge to go deeper in prayer and I hope that you will press in and find God in the midst of each day.

Search Me, O God, & Know My Heart

Any time I feel the slightest hint of separation from God trying to come and creep in on me... I run. I run to the Bible, I run to my God. Usually I will find myself stumbling upon Psalm 139. I fell in love with this chapter when I began to learn and understand how to have a relationship with God. I would sit alone in my room and begin to weep because in this chapter that I have read time and time again growing up, I began to find my identity in Christ and how He loves me.
I love that David talks to God and tells Him of how much God loves him and knows David. David was secure in his Savior's love for him. I also love the fact that David is aware of God's grace, because even before David acts upon something or before he even speaks... God knows. Which leads  me to my next thought.
Knowing all the thoughts that I think, the words that I say and what I do each day God already knows.

1O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
 
Sometimes I think as Christians we can get so lost on trying to please everyone around us that we forget who we really need to please. And can I just say that I am guilty as charged. Thank God for His grace right? And He actually had the nerve to remind of that! So when I began to have doubt in what I thought God was clearly trying to say I read Psalm 139 and then He lead me to a scripture that brought the doubt in my mind to rest...
 
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Oh how I love the peace of God! I have to trust in God that what He says is good, and I do. So with that being said, I am excited to walk in what God has for me and I may not have things figured out for years to come but I know that what He does have for me in the next year or two is great.