Day Eighty

Where is my focus?

When I was training for a marathon, my training schedule called for one 'long run' a week. Long runs are so unpredictable. You can start out feeling great and then just suddenly 'hit a wall'. The wall can be caused from lack of planning--not allowing time for adequate digesting of food, for example. It can also be caused by just pure physical problems such as cramps, pulled muscles or shin splints. Other times, you just hit a wall for no apparent reason. I think these are just simply 'mental'. So much of running comes down to your 'mental game'. When I hit these walls, the only way I ever recovered was to refocus my thoughts. Halfway through my long runs, I began carrying scripture cards. When my mind would start to weaken, I would start praying scripture. Wow! This made a huge difference! I also began to shift my prayers to others rather than the 'me' prayers of 'give me strength, help me not be weary...' Refocusing worked; it worked every single time. It worked because I quit relying on myself and began relying on God. It worked because it quit being about me and started being about Him and others.


As I have been learning how to cope with 'the wall' in my training, I've thought about how much 'the wall' affects my daily life. I want so much to live my life focused on God first, others second, me last. Just like my runs, I can start off well. I get up and spend time with the Lord--I get filled up with Him with the hope that what I get filled with will flow out on those around me throughout the day. Just as physical 'training' is making me stronger to run a marathon, my daily time in God's Word and prayer is 'training' me spiritually to think and be more like Jesus. Starting the day off with God at the forefront is a great plan and gets that mentality of 'God first, others second, me last' in order. However, somewhere along the way--sometimes even early on in the day--my mind shifts and these priorities change. 'Me' starts to creep up to the front. I hit the wall--the wall of 'Me'. I have found the wall of 'Me' to be the biggest challenge of my life. The wall of 'Me' disguises itself in all different ways, including what I have began to call 'emotional tizzies'. I can get worked up into an emotional tizzy in no time flat. And then my mind can become consumed with it. I've realized that I have to refuel my mind throughout the day with God's Word, not just in the morning. I've got to reframe and refocus my mind moment by moment. Just as running a marathon is a moment by moment battle, so is life. I don't want to be stuck behind the wall of 'me'. I want to climb it and conquer it through God’s supernatural strength.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for my selfishness, for far too often getting stuck behind the wall of ‘me’. Lord, I want to please You by putting others first. May I do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than myself (Phil. 2:3). May I not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I will be able to test and approve what Your will is—Your good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans: 12:2). May I spend my life for You, on You, for others, on others.. Lord, please do a supernatural work in us all at Deeper Still. Show us what a Christ-centered life looks like. Rather than listening to the world’s mantra: ‘If it is to be, it is up to me,’ may we all be filled with Your mantra: ’If it is to be it is up to Thee!’ You are Adonai-Jehovah, the Lord our Sovereign. You are in control of all things. May we rest secure in that. ‘Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you (Jer. 32:17).’ Do a mighty, powerful thing in the hearts of women on June 10-11.

In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-nine

Perseverance

A couple of years ago God led me to train and run my first marathon. Throughout the training and race, the Lord opened my eyes to a deeper appreciation and meaning of persevering and what it looks like to actually do it. Running a marathon gave me a real, tangible definition to associate with this word. Perseverance is more than gritting your teeth and baring up under the pain. It’s so much more than that...it’s believing you are going to cross that finish line. It’s having complete faith that you’re going to complete your goal. If you can’t picture it happening, than chances are it won’t. Perseverance is a combination of hard work and belief.

In ‘My Utmost for His Highest’, Oswald Chambers writes, ‘Perseverance is more than endurance, it is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen...Spiritual perseverance is a call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God.’

I believe God not only wants to show up on June 10-11, but He wants to show up in a big, unforgettable way. He’s got some things to say. He’s got some matters to settle—eternal matters. Are you prepared to put on those prayer boots and get to work? Are you ready to ‘prepareth the way for the Lord?’ Let’s clear the land and prepare a path of prayer for the Holy Spirit.

Persist. Press on. Persevere. Believe. For there are big things at stake...precious lives hanging in the balance... Spend your lives on that which makes an eternal difference.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Oh, I ask for the God-given ability to persevere in prayer. You are able to give me endurance and persistence to keep on, keeping on. Make prayer become so a part of who I am that my life reflects one who ‘prays unceasingly.’ Lord, may I not get so focused on the circumstances of the moment that I forget about praying. Remind me over and over that I must rely on You—that my strength to do anything comes from You. Give me strength to tarry in prayer for the lost and the hurting. Give me strength to tarry when life throws me curve balls. Give me perseverance to tarry when the enemy does everything in his power to get my focus on the circumstances around me rather than the fact that there is a spiritual battle going on in the heavenly realms. Give me perseverance to pray for the Deeper Still conference. Remind me throughout the day to throw up prayers for it. Lord, You are El Sali, the God of my strength. May I experience You as El Sali, experiencing You deeper in prayer than I ever have as I intercede for Deeper Still, that I persist in prayer even when I feel like giving up. Give me Your tender, caring love for those who are lost so that I cry out to You for their souls. Don’t let me get so swept away with the pleasantries of the moment that I forget about eternal matters. You know who is going to be at this conference. Begin preparing their hearts now. Make their hearts ripe for your message. Use this conference to change women’s marriages, their relationships, their jobs, their children...let this day be the day of a domino effect of change. I love you, Jesus. Thank you in advance for answering these prayers.

In Jesus’ enduring name I pray,
Amen.

Prayer in the midst of the crowd

(This is a guest blog entry contributed by Michelle Hicks who works for Lifeway in their Women Events Department.  Enjoy!)

For many women the idea of facing a crowd is overwhelming. A concert or sporting event is out of the question...and thinking about attending a large women's event like Deeper Still is daunting to say the least.

However, for those who take the risk and courageously make the decision to brave the crowd, they are rarely disappointed. Because in the midst of the crowd at Deeper Still...they see Jesus...and even better, these women know that HE sees them and wants to meet with them in a one-on-one relationship.

Often we don’t think about the reality that we can pray in the midst of a crowd. Wherever we are, God will meet us there. He doesn’t care if others are around.

I know I often expect silence and solitude for my prayer experience to be fruitful. However, sometimes He whispers the loudest in the middle of a room with thousands of people.  And remember that regardless of where you are or what you are going through…God hears your prayers.

This is what happens when God meets you in the midst of a crowd...

Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe, for she said to herself, "If I can just touch His robe, I'll be made well!"  But Jesus turned and saw her.  "Have courage, daughter, " He said.  "Your faith has made youwell."  And the woman was made well from that moment.  Matthew 9:20-22

Reach for HIS robe at Deeper Still ladies...reach for HIM in prayer...HE will see you and meet you and make you well in your heart, soul, and mind!

Michelle Hicks

Lifeway Women

Day Seventy-eight

The Parable of the Four Soils

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” (Luke 8:4-8)... “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop (Luke 8:11-15).

We can be assured that there will be women represented by each of the four soils at the Deeper Still conference. We will spend our time today praying for those ‘along the path’, on ‘rocky ground’ and ‘among thorns.’

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to You thanking You for the variety of women you are going to bring to Deeper Still. Thank you that You are gathering up your sheep and bringing them. You have handpicked every one them and we give you all the praise and glory! For the women at the conference ‘along the path’, who have heard Your Word, yet the enemy has stolen it away from their hearts: Give them ears to hear on June 10-11. I pray that the Word they hear will take root and result in salvation! I pray against the enemy and his schemes and lies. I pray he will not steal away Your Word and message. I pray against this in the name of Jesus! For the women on ‘rocky soil’, who joyfully received the salvation message in the past, yet have fallen away during times of testing: I pray that You would bring them back around to You! Soften the hardness that has resulted from difficult circumstances. Soften their hearts so that they can hear Your message. Show them that hard times will come and they need to decide in what they will put their trust—circumstances or You. Reveal to them that only through You can they have a peace that surpasses all understanding when in the midst of difficulty. For the women ‘among thorns’, who have given themselves over to life’s worries, riches or pleasures, resulting in an immature faith: Lord, give them a desire to invest in eternal things, not in the comforts of this world. Open up their eyes to the idols in their lives. Show them they have put their trust in chariots and horses, rather than the Word of God. For those who have allowed worrisome thoughts to consume them, open up their eyes to the fact that this is a sin of unbelief—unbelief that You are a trustworthy God. For those who spend their lives on themselves and on earthly pleasures—open up their eyes and cause them to be broken over this sin. Show them they are choking the Word of God out of their lives. Oh, I pray that women represented by these three soils will be radically transformed at Deeper Still and become good soil. Make them ‘hear Your Word, retain it and persevere by producing a crop!’  Make their lives abundantly fruitful for You!


We pray this in your sovereign name,
Amen.

Day Seventy-seven

Sacrificial Servanthood

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ (Luke 7:36-40)

Today, we will continue to unpack this scripture about the sinful woman with the alabaster jar.  We’ve looked at the fact that this woman was both bold and broken (traits that often accompany one another).  Thirdly, notice that this woman was a tender and humble servant.  She wiped her tears from his feet with her hair.  Truly, this woman understood her position in regards to her most holy Savior!  I have to admit that I’m not in any hurry to touch other people’s feet, let alone wash them with my hair.  Washing another’s feet displays love in action—to do so with your hair goes even one step further. 

Next, this woman kissed Jesus’ feet.   Our society uses the term ‘kissing someone’s feet’ in regards to someone who is so enamored by someone else that they will do anything they ask them to.  Most definitely, this woman could be defined by such.  She had eyes for no other.

Finally, this woman poured her jar of perfume on his feet.  More than likely, this was her most expensive possession, if not her only possession.  She cast it all upon Him, bringing life to the verses, ‘Cast all your cares upon the Lord, for He cares for You (1 Peter 5:7) and ‘Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8).’  As she poured out all that she owned, she displayed trust, faith, and love in the upmost.

To what are you clinging too tightly?  To whom or what is your allegiance?  Pour out your heart to Him!

Heavenly Father,


Thank you for the example of this woman in Luke 7.  Thank you for her boldness, her brokenness, her servant’s heart, and her sacrificial love.  Just as You rescued this woman, thank you for rescuing me from a life of shame and a pit of despair.  Thank you that I can cast all my cares on You because You care for me.  Thank you that I can pour out my heart to You, for You are my refuge.  Lord, You changed this woman in an instant—she went from wretched to beautiful, from filthy to clean.  Lord, first we ask that You bring women who do not know You to Deeper Still.  Secondly, open up their eyes to their wretchedness apart from Christ.  Bring them up out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; set their feet on a rock and give them a firm place to stand.  Put a new song in their mouth, a hymn of praise to You!  As a result of the change in them, may it have a domino effect on those around them, resulting in  many seeing and fearing You and putting their trust in You.  May you give me a desire to cry out night and day for the lost souls amongst us.  Help me to see those souls as You see them—with patient loving-kindness.  I believe that YOU ARE THE CHRIST— may I live as such! 


In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-seven

Boldly Broken

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  ³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ (Luke 7:36-40)

There is so much to be gleaned from this passage of scripture that we will spend two days unpacking it.    First of all, this woman was bold.  Known in her town as ‘the sinful woman’, she was most likely used to whispering and snickering on her behalf.  Nevertheless, she walked into a home where she was unwelcomed, among people who judged her and would not associate with her.  She feared not approaching her Lord more than she feared what others would think of her.   She ‘came boldly before the throne of grace…’  She displayed the ‘fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom.’

Secondly, she came broken.  She realized who she was in light of who He was; she saw the depth of her sin and wept unabashedly.  She was not ashamed to bear it all before the Lord or anyone else, for that matter.  Brokenness and boldness often go hand in hand, for when we are truly broken, we care not what others think.  We have a humility of spirit that realizes that we are nothing apart from Christ and His saving grace.

Are you lacking boldness in any area of your life?  Are you more concerned about what others will think than doing that which the Father asks you to do?  Are you afraid to stand out for your Savior?

How about brokenness—do you truly see yourself in light of a Holy God?  

Most Holy God,

I come boldly to Your throne, most gracious God, where I will receive Your mercy and grace to help me in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).  May I boldly proclaim You with my lips, as well as with my actions to all those around me.  Oh, that I may care more about doing that which You’ve called me to do than what others might think of me. Lord, make me more concerned about sharing Your Gospel message than about it being offensive.  Remind me how highly offensive it is to You that I would shy away from sharing the life-giving message of Your son, Jesus. Lord, if there is anyone in my life that I need to invite to the Deeper Still conference, lay that person on my heart.  Then, give me the boldness to follow through and ask them! 

Give me a spirit of humility and brokenness.  Your Word says that ‘those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy (Psalm 126:5).’  Give me eyes to see my true heart condition so that my joy will come from You residing in me.  As for each and every woman attending Deeper Still, open up their eyes to their sinfulness; show them reconciliation is found at the feet of Jesus. 

In Jesus’ blameless, glorious name I pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-six

Am I devoted to Jesus or to my To-Do list?

Jesus wants us to be so devoted to Him and our lives to be so intertwined with His that all that we do throughout the day is a direct result of our time spent with our Father. Too often, we go ahead of God by making our plans and our lists of what needs to happen and what needs to get done. You see, we do it all backwards—we make our lists and then ask God to bless our tasks and efforts rather than first spending time alone with God and then making our 'To Do' lists.

Why is this so hard for us? Why would we rather be in charge of our lists? Quite frankly, it has a lot to do with that word ‘charge’. We love to be in charge. We love to be in control. It makes us feel safe. It makes us feel busy, which makes us feel useful, which makes us feel important. On the contrary, waiting on God to direct us through our day feels scary. We don’t know where it might take us and what we might have to do. Waiting on God to lead us can also be frustrating for our task-oriented souls. By golly, we want an answer and a solution yesterday! We’ve been brainwashed in our results-driven world to believe that if we’re not ’doing’ than we’re not producing. Waiting on the Lord to direct us means cultivating a relationship with Him that involves stillness and solitude so we can hear His gentle, quiet voice.

Do we have a posture of listening to our Father? Are we inclining our ears to hear? Our attitude should be as Samuel’s in 1 Samuel 3: ’Speak, for your servant hears.’  In ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ Oswald Chambers writes, ‘What hinders me from hearing, is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions...I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things—things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God.’

Jesus said, ‘You are my friends if you do what I command’ (John 15:14).  Are you listening so that you can obey?

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to You asking You to give me a listening ear. Lord, Your Word says, ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev. 3:20).’  Forgive me for far too often running ahead of you and doing my own thing. Forgive me specifically for _________.  Lord, I invite You in today to the table. I will recline and rest at the table of Your presence and eat from the abundance of Your Word. As I feast on You, unclog my ears of my agenda. Your Word calls Your Spirit my Counselor—be my Counselor and direct me in the ends and outs of today. Whether I turn to the right or left, let my ears hear a voice behind me saying, “This is the way; walk in it (Isa. 30:21).” Give the women at Deeper Still ears to hear on June 10-11. Make their ears attentive and inclined to Your Word. Give them discerning hearts and ears that will seek out Your Truth (Prov. 18:15). Lord, Your Word tells us in 2 Tim 4:3 that in the last days, people will gather teachers around them that will only tell them what their itching ears want to hear. Lord, infiltrate Beth, Kay and Priscilla’s message with Your Truth and Your Truth alone. Even if the message is hard for some to hear, open up their ears to it and give them a heart of repentance.

In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-five

Daniel—A man of Consistency in Prayer

⁶ So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: “O King Darius, live forever!  ⁷ The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” ⁹ So King Darius put the decree in writing. ¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem.  Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. (Daniel 6:6-12)

Just as he had done before.  This phrase at the end of verse ten packs such a strong punch.  In six short words, we are shown the type of man Daniel was.  He was a man that had spent enough time with His Savior in the past to know that he wasn’t about to let a day go by without doing so.  This verse also sheds light on the fact that Daniel didn’t just spend focused time with God once a day—he habitually spent time with his Lord and Savior three times a day.  Daniel had wisely learned the value of having hard breaks in his day—a time to stop whatever he was doing to refocus his attention and efforts on his Lord.  Daniel 6:3 says that ‘Daniel so distinguished  himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.’  Daniel was such a man of integrity that he stood out among others.  He was set apart.  It’s no coincidence that when we— too— choose to set ourselves apart in solitude before our Lord, we will begin to display qualities that will set us apart from those around us. 

Recently, I have felt the Lord’s tender conviction in this area of my life.  I believe the Lord is asking me to establish a habit of having hard breaks throughout my day, too.  These hard breaks need not be focused on quantity—the amount of them or the amount of time they last—but on quality.  A time of knee bending.  A time of focus.  A time of thanks. 

Today, let’s intentionally stop what we are doing three different times today to specifically pray for the Deeper Still conference.  May the prayer below serve as our first stop:

Oh, Lord, we thank you for the example of Daniel in regards to prayer.  We thank you for his resolve, his courage and his consistency.  We thank you for an example of someone not giving into the pressure of the world around him.  Lord, please help me to stand steadfast for You among the people around me.  Let me stand strong for righteousness yet do so with loving-kindness and grace.  I pray for those around me who don’t know you Lord—I pray specifically for _______________.    I pray their eyes would be open to your son Jesus and what it means to truly know You.   Maybe you want me to invite someone to Deeper Still, or buy someone a ticket...if this is the case, Lord, then lay it on my heart.  I pray that You would show me how to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them so that they’ll see You.  Lord, burden my Spirit to pray at least two more times today for the Deeper Still conference.  May the many prayers offered up in your name for the women attending it be a pleasing aroma to You; may you move on behalf of the prayers of many! 

In Jesus Name,
Amen.

Day Seventy-four

Continuing our study of the church in Acts, let’s look closely at the following two verses: 

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31).

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up (Acts 9:40).

What were the people of God doing prior to the meeting place being shaken?  What were they doing prior to being filled with the Holy Spirit?  What were they doing prior to speaking God’s Word boldly?  What was Peter doing prior to bringing Tabitha back from the dead?

You guessed it.  They were PRAYING! 

Prayer precedes the miracle.  Prayer precedes a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit.  Prayer precedes boldly proclaiming God’s Word.  Prayer is the precursor.  It is that which lights the spark—it gets the fire going.  It’s the weeks of rehearsals leading up to the big performance; it's the day-in, day-out training before a race.  It takes effort, discipline, sacrifice, diligence… but it is worth all that results from it. 

Dear sister, let’s lay the groundwork for a fireworks show that Thunder over Louisville will pale to in comparison!  Let’s get that spark lit and kindling ready for a consuming fire.

Dear Father,

You are the Great I AM.  You are the All Powerful Maker of Heaven and Earth!  You are the Consuming Fire.  We pray for your Holy Spirit to come down upon Priscilla, Kay and Beth in power and might.  Consume them with Your presence.  Enable them to speak boldly and with authority.  Infuse them with courage so that they are able to declare Your Word fearlessly.  When they open their mouths, may You speak through them so passionately and powerfully that we are mesmerized and beholden by Your Word. 

Please let the aroma of our prayers precede the miracle of life change on June10-11.   Just as Peter prayed to bring Tabitha back to life, we ask for You to bring back to life the women who are dead in their sins.  Your Word says to ask anything in Your name and You will do it.  We are asking, Lord.  Make a way where there seems to be no way.  Turn the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs. In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for You, God (Isa. 40:3).  Lord, have compassion on these women and lead them beside springs of water (Isa. 49:10).  Do a new thing in their lives!  Make a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Lord, you are in the miracle-making business.  Do it, Lord.  Just do it. 

In the powerful name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-three

'The First Church—A beautiful picture of prayer'

The first church in Acts—oh, what a model of prayer!  May you be inspired and encouraged as we look in the book of Acts at several of the examples given in testimony to the prayer life of the early church:

They all joined together constantly in prayer along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:14)

Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen (Acts 1:24).”

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42).

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon (Acts 3:1).

When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them (Acts 4:24).”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31).

“...and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).”

They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:6).

When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers, that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15).

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up (Acts 9:40)

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly (Acts 10:2).

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him (Acts 12:5)

So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:3). 

These are not even all of the verses in Acts that contain the word ‘pray’ or some form of it.  It is evident that the early church took prayer seriously.  They didn’t pray just because it was ‘the right thing to do.’  No—it was their livelihood; it was as natural to them as eating and breathing.  You see, they knew their weaknesses.  They knew they were nothing apart from Christ and were in need of His strength.

In the preceding verses we notice the fact that the early church prayed earnestly and constantly.  Let’s unpack each of these words:

· EARNESTLY: The dictionary defines earnestly as ‘serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker; showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty. Seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention.  When I think of an earnest person, I think of someone who wants something really, really badly—someone who has a one-track mind.  Is my mind on a one track pursuit of God?

· CONSTANTLY:  The dictionary defines constantly as ‘not changing or varying; continuing without pause or letup; unceasing, regularly recurrent; continual; persistent; faithful; unswerving; steadfast; firm in mind or purpose; resolute.’  I think sometimes this is confusing for us when we see in the Bible that people were praying constantly, unceasingly or continually.  We wonder, ‘well, how in the world do we do anything else if we are supposed to be praying all the time?  How can this be attainable?’  In his book ‘Purpose in Prayer’, EM Bounds answers this question:

‘Always does not mean that we are to neglect the ordinary duties of life; what it means is that the soul which has come into intimate contact with God in the silence of the prayer-chamber is never out of conscious touch with the Father, that the heart is always going out to him in loving communion and that the moment the mind is released from the task on which it is engaged, it returns as naturally to God as the bird does to its nest.’ 

Shall we seek the company of our Father?

Sweet Abba Father, forgive me, for my lack of zeal and my double-minded heart.  Forgive me for far too often loving lesser things.  I specifically ask for forgiveness for ___________________.  Break me of my habits that keep me far from you.  Break me of pursuing lesser things.  I come to you today asking You to give me the earnestness that the people in the Acts church had.  I pray I would be in hot pursuit for you—that I would be serious in intention, in purpose, in effort.  May my communion with you surpass the ‘once-a-day, checking it off the list’ kind of communion.  May it become something that is continual and unceasing throughout the day.  May my being within always default back to Your presence.  Lord, we beg You to meet with us in a powerful, life changing way on June 10-11.  Move in women’s hearts.  Change lives, Lord.  Do what you do best, Lord—move, shake, infiltrate.  May we see Your glory in a way that we have never experienced before!  ‘You are the strength of your people, a fortress of salvation for your anointed one.  Save your people and bless your inheritance; be our shepherd and carry us forever (Psalm 28:8-9).’ 


In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-two

A while back some close friends asked my husband and I to fast with them in regards to a significant desire they were pursuing the Lord about. The idea being that we would choose something in our lives to fast from for a period of time--something that would be a sacrifice to give up and anytime we craved the particular thing we would be reminded to instead pray for our friends' request.  I honestly had not fasted very often and doing so raised my awareness about a lot of things in my life.  It got me thinking about how there are so many things I rely on to 'fill me up'. Spending time with my family and friends, eating sweets, reading books, reading blogs, running, drinking coffee—to name a few.  Even 'spiritual activity' can be a filler.  Or how about our 'positions' we hold, either in the workplace or at church?  Are we striving for accolades or recognition from others in order to be 'filled'?  It got me wondering about how many times I rely on drinking coffee to keep me going throughout the day.  Ouch--if God asked me to give up coffee, could I do it?  Could I give it up, in faith knowing that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate energizer?  Or--how often do I rely on my husband, my children or my friends to meet needs in me that ultimately only God can meet?  Of course, God gave us relationships (and many other things for that matter) to be blessings in our lives, but when these things become more to us than God himself they become idols.

When Jesus was asked in the New Testament which commandment was most important He replied, "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (NIV, Mark 12:30).  Really, every single sin can be traced back to this one commandment, because every sin we commit has to do with something in our lives that we are putting before our Lord.  As I have been praying over this scripture, asking the Lord to help me to truly love him first, He has began opening my eyes to areas where my heart is divided. 

In the sermon entitled ‘The Idol Factory’, C.J. Mahaney says:  ‘The problem is not the fact that you enjoy something.  The problem arises from enjoying something too much...’

Too much.  Two small yet convicting words.  Where have you been spending ’too much’ of your time?  Your money?  What or who has ’too much’ control over your heart?  Spend some time pondering these questions and confessing these things to the Lord.   

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you asking for forgiveness for allowing __________________________ to be an idol in my life.  I give that over to You, asking that You replace my desire for _____________ with a desire for more of You.  More of You and less of ______________!  I beg You to peel my hands off of that which cannot fully satisfy.  Only You can satisfy me, Lord—only You!  I pray that I would love you with ALL of my heart, ALL of mind, ALL of my soul and ALL of my strength.  That every inch of every living fiber of me would worship You and You alone.  I pray for all of the women coming to the conference—that You would give them a desire to worship You and You alone first and foremost.  If there are other things competing for first place in their lives, open their eyes to this.  Give them a broken and repentant spirit, Lord.  Break us all, Lord!  Break us and reshape us.  I love you and thank you for exposing things that are too important to me.  Thank you for sanctifying me through and through. 

In Jesus’ One and Only Name I Pray,
Amen.

Day Seventy-one

Worship music has a way of turning a seemingly bad day into a good one.  If I am fighting a bad attitude or my kids are arguing, I can turn on some praise and worship music and get that mood turned around right quick.  Music stirs up the soul in a powerful way—especially tunes of the worshiping kind.

In 1994, when I was 24 and my husband was 25, we did not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus.  He was drawing us to Himself, though.  We began feeling a desire to attend church and did so on a fairly regularly basis.  During this time, He used worship music to entice me to Himself.  Most every Sunday we attended church, I can remember having to fight back the tears that were trying to stream down my face as I sang the hymns of old.  Something was going on, something was trying to get to me.  That something was Jesus.  I have talked to so many people that have had similar experiences.  Worship music is often the vehicle God uses to draw someone to Himself.  Music just in itself is soul-stirring.  But add Jesus to it, and you’ve got an emotion-brewing, goose-bumps-all-over kind of experience.

Travis Cottrell (of Living Proof Live) and his praise team will be leading worship for our Deeper Still event.    Let’s spend time praying over this extremely important part of the conference:  

Dear Heavenly Father,

Oh, we know that worship is dear to your heart.  You created it to glorify You and You alone.  In Revelation 4:8 we are told of four living creatures that never stopped praising you night and day.  Oh, Lord, may we be as attuned into you as these creatures are.  I pray that you prepare our hearts to worship You with all of our being on June 10-11.  Help us to focus and meditate on the words of the songs we sing.  Keep our minds steadfast and free from wandering thoughts. 

We pray that Travis will be led by your Holy Spirit to select songs that will uniquely impact each woman at this conference .   We pray that the unbelievers will be drawn by You during the worship time in a powerful, undeniable way.  Holy Spirit, descend down upon us and let us experience you in a very tangible way.  ‘May we sing to You, Lord, a new song, Your praise in the assembly of the saints (Psalm 149:1).’  We praise You, Lord.  We praise You in Your sanctuary; we praise You in Your mighty heavens, we praise You for Your acts of power; we praise You for Your surpassing greatness. We praise You with the sounding of the trumpet, we praise You with the harp and lyre, we praise You with tambourine and dancing, we praise You with the strings and flute, we praise You with the clash of cymbals, we praise You with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD (Psalm 150: 1-6).   Light a fire in us as we worship…move us into a deeper, intimate relationship with You.  Change us, Lord...Change us….

‘I will arise and go to Jesus,  

He will embrace me in Hisarms; 

In the arms of my dear Savior, 

Oh, there are ten thousand charms.’

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Day Seventy

'Make Way for the Lord--Part 2'

Yesterday we looked at the purpose of John the Baptist's ministry:  preaching a baptism in repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  Today, let's dig a little deeper into John's message in Luke 3:

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.  John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same."  Even tax collectors came to be baptized.  "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"

"Don't collect any more  than you are required to," he told them.  Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"  He replied, "Don't exhort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."

Notice John the Baptist's exhortation: produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  He is telling us that if we are truly repentant, others will notice the change in us.  We won't just talk the talk, but we will walk the walk; our lives will be transformed through and through and our transformation will bear much fruit.  I find it interesting that when the crowd asks what they should do to bear fruitful lives, John the Baptist gives them a very practical response.  He tells them if they see someone in  need to provide for them, if they have to collect money, do not collect anymore than is necessary...basically, he is telling them: 'be content and out of that contentment, help others.'

Contentment.  True contentment gives it all away, hording nothing.  True contentment does not store up treasures here on earth, nor does it seek after that which is perishable by fire.  True contentment enables us to live fruitful lives because we are not distracted by the managing and taking care of 'stuff'.  True contentment is focused on others and not self.

What circumstances in your life are robbing you of contentment?

Dear Lord,

I fall down before you, asking for forgiveness.  Forgive me for discontentment in the area of _____________________.  Forgive me for holding on too tightly to worldly possessions. Open my eyes today--shed light on the darkness of this sin.  Free me from selfishness--all in my life that has self at its core.  Instead, make me others-focused.  May I look outward and look to be your hands and feet to those around me.  Show me needs around me, big and small, and let me be Your vessel today to meet those needs.  Also, keep me others-focused today by reminding me throughout the day to lift up prayers on behalf of the women who will be attending the conference...that this conference will be a beginning for them --a beginning of an abundant, fruitful life. 

In Jesus name I pray,
Amen.