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The Hunger of the Soul

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What controls your heart? As human beings, we long for our appetites to be filled. We long to fill our stomachs, we long to be loved, we long for physical intimacy, we long for satisfaction and a feeling of peace; the list is long.

Since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, Satan has worked in the life of every man and woman to tempt us, to call us to fulfill legitimate needs and desires God Himself placed in our hearts in illegitimate ways. For some this might simply be an unhealthy habit, and for others these things show themselves as full blown addictions.

  • Some long for satisfaction; they begin to use food as their drug of choice, numbing their pain or loneliness with so-called “comfort food.”
  • Some long for love and affirmation; they develop unhealthy and inappropriate relationships, or become addicted to the illusion of fame and influence within the world of social media.
  • Some long to be known, to be appreciated, to be valued, to be touched; they begin to use their bodies to try to win the long-sought love of another person.

Addictions of all kinds are powerful. They temporarily mask the deep hunger of our souls but leave us empty and wanting more. Perhaps neither you nor I have been labeled an “addict,” but I believe we’ve all been there on some level. Our hearts were hungry, and we attempted to fill that need with food, with shopping, with relationships, with chocolate or caffeine… when all along that hunger was meant to point us to the arms of the Father.

Fasting is a powerful form of personal worship that can loosen the bonds we have to these false sources of satisfaction. Fasting is not a dictated, regulated aspect within the New Covenant under Christ – it is a personal act of celebration within our walk with Him, an outgrowth of a desire to grow closer, commune deeper, to walk humbly with our God. It is a time when we focus on filling the deepest longings of our hearts from Him alone.

I appreciate that in his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster carefully points out that fasting is never commanded in the Bible. However, Jesus’ words of instruction for “when you fast…” (Matthew 6:16) simply assume that we will! In addition, in Matthew 9:15 Jesus answers criticism against his disciples not fasting by saying, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

Foster states, “There is no way to escape the force of Jesus’ words in this passage. He made it clear that he expected his disciples to fast after he was gone. Although the words are not couched in the form of a command, that is only a semantic technicality. It is clear from this passage that Christ both upheld the Discipline of fasting and anticipated that his followers would do it.” (54)

There are many different kinds of fasts.  You may have heard of people fasting from everything from media to carbohydrates to fasting from solid foods.  If you are new to fasting and not sure where to start, I’d suggest that you think about where you turn when you’re uncomfortable.

If you’re having a rough day, what do you do?

  • Do you have “comfort foods” that you turn to?
  • Do you turn to facebook or twitter to share your frustrations with others online?
  • Do you pick up the phone to call someone?
  • Do you turn on the TV or radio as a distraction?
  • Do you go shopping?

Rather than turning to the Lord at our weakest, most vulnerable moments, do we stuff down our emotions or conviction with food, entertainment, socialization, noise?  How often do we fail to hear Him, fail to receive all that He offers us, because we have settled for a cheap substitute – an idol?

Fasting quiets the noise, the distraction, the cheap substitutes and allows us to learn how to “find rest, O my soul, in God alone.”

A few warnings:

1. DO NOT MAKE THIS LEGALISTIC. You might feel led to give up TV or perhaps fast from food for a set amount of time – and your spouse or friend may not.  That doesn’t mean they are less spiritual. You seek the Lord.  You prayerfully search your heart.  And you ask the Lord: “how can I grow closer to You, commune deeper with You, walk humbly with You?”

2. Fasting is primarily a form of personal worship. While there are times in Scripture when a group or a nation seeks the Lord together in times of corporate fasting and prayer, Jesus warns us in Matthew 6 against making a public spectacle of our fasting.

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)

If we are offering our times of fasting to the Lord as a personal act of worship, we should not feel the need to discuss this with others online, announce it or make it obvious to others when we are gathered together socially, or “recruit” others to join us. Even if we are looking for accountability, this should be done quietly and modestly.

3. Fasting is hard and will bring to light ugly and hidden parts of your heart. When we take away those “bandaids” of temporary relief and comfort, however shallow, we find our emotions and frustrations raw with nothing to stuff them down with. Those times of struggle are good if we allow them to drive us to God’s throne. Immerse yourself in prayer, in Scripture, in times of worship and resist the urge to find a new “bandaid!”

Have you found yourself turning to something other than God to fulfill legitimate needs? Have you fasted from those things in the past? How did the fast benefit your spiritual life?

Silence Is Not Prayer

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You can tell what subjects people are passionate about by looking at their books. If you come over and look at my shelf, you will see book after book on prayer. Some of my favorites include The Complete Works of EM Bounds on Prayer, How to Pray by Ronnie Floyd, All the Prayers of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer, and A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller.  You would think after reading all those books on prayer, I’d be an expert. But unfortunately, it’s just the opposite. I read all those books on prayer because I feel so inadequate. And my feelings of inadequacy have led to periods of prayerlessness in my life. But in the last year or so I’ve had some “ah-ha” moments in my prayer life. Realizations that changed my heart.

First, I pray more. In the words of  EM Bounds, “Silence is not prayer.” He goes on to write, “Prayer is asking God for something which we have not, which we desire, and which he has promised to give us in answer to prayer. Prayer is really verbally asking. Words are in prayer. Strong words and true words are found in prayer. Desires in prayer are put in words. The praying one is a pleader.” My passive prayers like “Dear God, please bless so and so…” weren’t going to cut it anymore. If I wanted to feel the power of prayer, the power that changes hearts and lives and circumstances, I would need to realize the power of my words, and use more of them more often.

Second, I pray Scripture. Part of my struggle with prayer was that I felt like it was my will versus God’s will, and I know God’s will always win. So why pray? Well, the quickest and best answer is that we pray because we are commanded to pray. We’re even told to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). So to get over feeling like it was my will vs. God’s will, I put myself on God’s team. I do this using prayer cards. I write names or areas of prayer on index cards and list Scripture verses that apply. For example, I have the names of family members who need salvation, and I pray Romans 10:1 for them, “my heart’s desires and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” For families I know who are adopting I pray, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised” (Heb. 10:36). For myself I pray, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3). Praying Scripture for people and situations helps me know I’m praying God’s will for them!

Third, I give myself grace. Apart from the focused prayer time I have with my prayer cards, I’ve tried to just relax and let prayer happen. In A Praying Life by Paul Miller writes, “Jesus did not say, ‘Come to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.’ No, Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, ‘Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28, NASB). The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy” (31-32). I come to prayer like a child–not perfect with all the right words in the perfect posture, but trusting, dependent, and desperate.

My prayer life is certainly an area of potential growth, but God has taught me a lot in the last year. What has God taught you about prayer recently? What works for you in the spiritual discipline of prayer?

Of Baking and Blessing ~ Meditation

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In the first issue of 2011, USA Today reported 90% of the world has access to mobile networks, and 1.8 trillion text messages were sent between June 2009 and June 2010.  Mankind has learned to stay tethered to thoughts and topics at the sound of a ring tone or ping.  We focus on what’s trending, respond on Facebook, Tweet about it, and check back for comments. But meditation as a Biblical, spiritual discipline is nothing like the mindset of our culture. The concentration of our culture is captive to the here and now, instead of the holy.


The Barna Group recently released a study about the faith climate in the US, reporting, “The turbo-charged pace of society leaves people with little time for reflection. The deeper thinking that occurs typically relates to economic concerns or relational pressures. Spiritual practices like contemplation, solitude, silence, and simplicity are rare.”

To know what Biblical meditation IS, it helps to know what it’s NOT:

  • It is NOT empty.  God’s Word is the object.
  • It is NOT extra Biblical. God’s Law produces obedience.
  • IT is NOT an escape. God’s peace and compassion prevail.

Meditation is foreign to the way we do life today. While making bread yesterday, I had to let the yeast work, wait for growth, let the dough rise, and labor for the elasticity of dough ready to bake. Homemade bread is a whole different food than store bought. It can’t be rushed. Meditation takes time to listen, reflect, rehearse, and rework God’s truth in our lives, kneading it into our souls and allowing it to grow and live in our minds and hearts.


Meditation requires:

  • A change of pace – slowing down to allow space and opportunity to consider and reconsider God’s truth and hear His voice.
  • An intentional place – carving out an undisturbed corner, where we push aside the urgent and give attention to the Divine.
  • A humble posture – helping us to get into the mindset of the forgiven and the rescued, to worship the Object of our thoughts.
  • A clear path – instead of wandering or floundering, going to God’s Word that is the lamp to our feet and the light to our path.
  • An attitude of prayer – sweet communication flows out of unbothered moments of absorbing God’s truth and grace, and we can respond to Him in praise and honesty.

The New Age movement gave meditation a bad name among many, but Scripture gives a clear pattern of meditation filled with the One True God, not empty and vulnerable to the Enemy. Jesus went away to be alone and communicate with His Father (Matt. 14:13), and Old Testament saints set a precedent of making time to listen to God.

A pace and place for the posture of meditation is going to be hard to carve out, but our hearts can be that holy place. When we commit to practicing this inner discipline, we can look forward to the protection and peace enjoyed by one who is  “blessed.”

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. ~ Psalm 1:1-3

One way to meditate today: (I suggest Psalm 1:1-3)

Take one Scripture verse and “tether” yourself to it:  write it on a card, say it aloud every time you wash your hands, look up every word in the dictionary, talk about it out loud in the car, tell someone else about it today, pray it back to the Lord, email someone what it means to you, sing it as you work, and find a quiet place to slow your pace long enough to be alone and rehearse that truth in your mind and heart. Let God work out that one truth in your soul, let it froth with new insight, let is rise with understanding, and let it bring the aroma of something new and fresh and wonderful that only the Blessed Woman who meditates on His truth will enjoy!

What’s Inside?

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First, may we thank you all for your gracious response to the posts last week? This past week we averaged 200 readers per day {not including the 250+ of who you receive our posts daily in a reader or by email} … a new record for our site.   We have been so encouraged by your comments and interest in the Spiritual Disciplines and hope we can offer you information and insight that will be an encouragement back to you as invest time in growth through these long-honored methods.

As we launch into the specifics of the different disciplines, we begin with what Richard Foster calls “The Inward Disciplines.”   These four practices, while they may also be done publicly, are most effectively used in our own prayer closet and times of private time with the Lord.

And so, as we spend this week exploring meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, our earnest desire is to encourage you to be intentional in each of these areas, equip you with a solid foundation of what Scripture says about each, and empower you with tools and exercises to put each into practice.

Which of these four inward disciplines comes most easily to you?  Which is the biggest challenge?  Why do you think that is the case?

Want to Dig Even Deeper?

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There are so many incredible books about the spiritual disciplines.  Obviously, I am a huge fan of Foster’s Celebration of Discipline; but, I’d be remiss not to share with you several other books that have helped me grow in my understanding of the purpose and practice of the disciplines.

With only one month to cover such a vast expanse of information, we will be giving you just an overview of each discipline but perhaps these brief introductions will pique your interest and you’ll want to dig even deeper on your own.  If so, these are some of the books I highly recommend.

  • Intimate Faith: A Woman’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines by Jan Winebrenner
  • Discipline:  The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot
  • Spiritual Disciplines Bible Studies by Jan Johnson {Perfect for individual or small group study.  Each book covers two of the disciplines.}
  • Into the Depths by Calvin Miller
  • Authentic Faith by Gary Thomas

On Monday we had some other book recommendations by one of our readers {Thanks, Ashley!}.  So, here are those books as well:

  • Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
  • The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard {I love this book and recommend anything written by Willard!}

I also encourage  you to read the works of writers such as St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, and Madame Guyon.

Any books you’d add to this list?


Warning against Legalism

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I love the foundation that Teri Lynne and Kathy have set for us this week as we start our  month focusing on spiritual disciplines. But before we go any further, I’d like to put a little disclaimer on being disciplined about the disciplines. I speak from experience on this issue and have really had to confess my sin and receive His grace to move forward. We must not let what we do (even when what we’re doing is good) become areas of legalism in our lives.

Let me give you a personal example. Prayer is a spiritual discipline. We are commanded to pray, we are given examples of prayer in Scripture, and we all know how important it is to spend time in prayer. So I pray. And I check it off my to-do list.

The Pharisees had a to-do list. A long one! Jesus spoke to them about their actions and their hearts in Mark 7. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus’ disciples were not following their traditions. Jesus answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me…. ‘” (Mark 7:6-7a). Like the Pharisees, I was doing what I was supposed to do, but my heart was far from God.

But I thought I was doing good. I was praying, right? Tim Keller writes in his excellent book, The Prodigal God,  “As long as you are trying to earn your salvation by controlling God through goodness, you will never be sure you have been good enough for him. You simply aren’t sure God love and delights in you” (63).

The temptation in adding the spiritual disciplines to your to-do list is that you focus so much on the fact that you are doing them, you forget why you are doing them.

So how do we avoid the temptation to become legalistic in this area? Paul sets a good example. He wrote, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ…. ” (Phil. 3:7-9, emphasis mine).

Paul combated the sins of pride and entitlement (root causes of legalism) with the power of the cross. Like Paul, my to-do list (or have-done list!) pales in comparison to the life of Christ. When I compare all my good deeds to His death on the cross, I am reminded of what a sinner I am. I’m also reminded of His grace and love. I must continue to preach the gospel to myself.

My prayer–Please God, continue to reveal to me my sinfulness and your holiness. Meet me there with your grace. Remind me that my motivation to practice the spiritual disciplines is to conform to the likeness of Your Son.

Why bother?

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Our culture has trained us to expect instant gratification and overwhelming results for minimal effort. Fast food. High speed internet. Movies on demand. “The Easy Button.” We can even “Jump-start” our weight loss. We don’t like to wait. We tend to avoid hard work and long-term investment.

So why bother with practicing the spiritual disciplines? The disciplines require long-term commitment and hard work, exactly those things we tend to avoid. What in the world would be worth the time, discipline, and self-denial?

Fulfilling our God-ordained purpose is the overarching reason for practicing the spiritual disciplines. Before God even saved us, He determined that we should be conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:28-30). That is God’s ultimate goal for us – to be like Jesus. He wants to refine us, shape our character, mold us like clay in His divine hands. Only God can cause this spiritual growth and transformation.

Only God can make us godly. But He demands and works through our obedient cooperation. Paul told Timothy to “train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim 4:7) and commanded the Romans to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2). The author of Hebrews warns us to “make every effort… to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). In his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster comments on this spiritual truth.

“God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us… By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done. They are God’s means of grace… God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where he can bless us.” Pg. 7

In addition to Christ-likeness, genuine pursuit of the spiritual disciplines yields other personal and exciting benefits. Foster elaborates on several:

  1. Spiritual depth – Foster says that “superficiality is the curse of our age.” Even Christians today lean toward shallowness. The spiritual disciplines take us beyond ourselves and the selfishness of our lives and plunge us into spiritual depths previously unknown.
  2. Freedom – Scripture tells us that when we die to self, we also die to the sin that enslaves. Obeying God through commitment to the Disciplines liberates us from the weight of “self” and frees us to serve Him.
  3. Intimacy with God – Through the disciplines we can experience and know God in ways and at levels not otherwise possible. They are the means of relating to God. Like Moses on the Mountain, we will be positioned to meet with God face-to-face.
  4. Joy – We will sense God’s pleasure with our obedience. We will live in the glow of His presence. We will find fulfillment in God’s purpose for us.

Are you ready? The beginning of a new year is a great time to make a new commitment to fulfilling God’s purpose for you!

Has your attitude about spiritual disciplines changed? Share your experience with us today.

What ARE the disciplines?

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I have to confess something … until June 2001, I had never heard of “spiritual disciplines.”   I’m the wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of pastors.  I went to church every Sunday and Wednesday of most of my life.  I attended a private Christian college.  I’d even taught Bible studies.  But until  June 2001, when my dad gave me Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, I’d not heard one word about spiritual disciplines.

I also have to confess that it took me awhile to read the book.  With countless references to people I’d never heard of like Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, and Francois Fenelon, I honestly felt very stupid and even a little lacking.

But, one night, I began reading … really reading … and the second line of the first chapter says,

The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living and into the depths. (1)

I was hooked!  As the wife of a pastor and mother of a toddler, I needed to move to the depths … I was longing for it.  I read and underlined and re-read.  In fact, since that first reading the fall of 2001, I have read Celebration of Discipline at least once every year.

And what I found wasn’t trivial legalism or frustrating check lists.  I didn’t experience condemnation or guilt as I read.  Instead, I found centuries-old wisdom and examples of lives well lived for the cause of Christ.  As I poured over the pages and dug into the Word of God, I experienced freedom and peace and longing for more than I had experienced previously in my spiritual walk.

The disciplines are simply tools. Foster states, “The purpose of the Disciplines is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear” (2).  As we pursue the depths of the disciple life, we find the disciplines as guides to those practices mentioned in Scripture such as fasting, prayer, worship and celebration.   Over the next few weeks we will explore the Inward Disciplines (meditation, prayer, fasting, and study), the Outward Disciplines (simplicity, submission, solitude, and service) and the Corporate Disciplines (confession, worship, guidance, and celebration).

As you join us for this month of Digging the Disciplines, we hope you will find this study challenging and inspiring.  Some of the disciplines will be familiar and some may not.  Some may be practices you have already learned and some may be challenges for you to pursue.  Regardless, our deepest longing is that as we dig into these ideas, we will all be drawn back to the Idea-Giver … the One who calls us His disciples and lovingly disciplines us and draws us near.

Will you join us?

Resolutions, Plans, and Goals

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“… discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:7

As the new year begins, many will define resolutions, establish plans, and develop goals.  Perhaps your year will be focused on one word like Sandra’s or you will participate in an ongoing Bible study like the one Stephanie is leading on her blog.  Maybe you want to invest in your marriage by joining Julie for Marriage Mondays or you have sought a Bible study plan from the many resources Kathy has on her site.  Some of you may be like Kristi and relishing what you have learned in the past year and looking forward to how God will teach in the year ahead.

No matter what  your plans, resolutions, and goals for 2011, at Scripture Dig our desire is to encourage you in spiritual growth. We want to equip you to dig into the Word of God.  And we hope to empower you with confidence as you grow.

This month, we are focusing on the classical spiritual disciplines – those practices of believers that have stood through the centuries as tools for living a vibrant disciple’s life.

Whether you long for a more consistent quiet time, want to improve your prayer life, or seek greater fellowship with other believers – no matter what your spiritual goals and longings for the coming year – learning about and incorporating the disciplines into your life will be a worthy endeavor.

Join us for a month of Digging the Disciplines!!

Praying for your spouse

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I have a confession to make. I do not pray for my husband like I should. At the end of 2009, God and I spent some time together doing a little spiritual “evaluation” and setting some goals for 2010. One thing in particular that He impressed on me is the need for me to do a better job praying for Wayne. Of all the people in my life, my husband is the most important (besides God of course). He should always be at the top of my prayer list.

Unfortunately, over the years I’ve allowed the urgent and the critical to crowd out the important and the necessary. I’ve spent more time in “reactive” praying and less in “proactive” praying. If someone was dealing with an illness or faced a difficult decision I focused on those pressing needs. So when my husband seemed to be doing fine, prayer time for him was spent elsewhere.

I couldn’t have been more wrong! As his wife, it is my primary responsibility to pray proactively for Wayne.

As his help mate, it is my job to intercede with the Father on his behalf – to cover every area of my husband’s life in prayer. To anticipate challenges, problems, temptations, and difficulties and pray about them in advance.

God’s Word provides us with many ways to pray for our husbands’ physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs. One thing I plan to do is include a page in my prayer notebook just for Scriptures to use to pray specifically for Wayne. Maybe you can incorporate something like that in whatever system you use for prayer. (If you missed Teri Lynne’s blog on her prayer calendar yesterday, check it out here!) Here is a sample list of things to pray about for your husband along with the source Scriptures.

  • Guard his spirit and not break faith in his relationships (Mal 2:13-15)
  • Protection from temptation/strength in temptation (1 Corinthians 7:5) – this would include all kinds of temptations, but specifically sexual temptation
  • Wisdom in his leadership of his family (Eph 5:22-24) – on a similar note, we should pray that God would help us respect and yield to our husband’s leadership
  • Deeper love for his wife – that’s you! (Eph 5:25)
  • Patience, wisdom, and discernment in raising your children (Col 3:19-21)
  • Strong moral character, gentle spirit, disciplined, and self-controlled (1 Tim 3:1-3)
  • Wisdom in managing family finances and his family (1 Tim 3:4-5)
  • Committed to the deep truths of the faith and lives a life of repentance (1Tim 3:9)

These things are just a beginning. Whenever you read your Bible, look for more ways to pray for your spouse, then add them to your prayer system. There is a resource on my website that will lists 20 things from Scripture to pray for other Christians. You can use this to also pray for your husband. Feel free to download it and print it off!

I probably need more help and encouragement than you on this topic! I’d love to hear about how you pray for your husbands and what you pray for them.

Blessings!  Kathy

The Type A Person Prays

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In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I tend toward the uber-organized side of life.  I prefer structure, routine, and schedules.   And so, when it comes to my prayer life, likely no one who knows me is shocked to find I have a method of structuring my time there as well.

A few years ago my dad mentioned in passing that he uses a prayer calendar to organize his prayer life.  Immediately, I was hooked!  After asking him a few questions, I began to develop my own prayer calendar.

In simplest terms, a prayer calendar is a tool for organizing the major areas of prayer in your life. I use both weekly and monthly prayer calendars to insure that I spend time focused in prayer for specific people and issues.    What is included on my prayer calendar has changed over the years as our life situation has changed.  For example,  in June 2009 I shared what my prayer calendar looked like on my personal blog … at that time it involved praying through “The Power of …” books for my husband, my daughter, and myself twice a year.   While I still devote plenty of time to praying for each member of our family, I have added some other areas of prayer into the calendar.

As I mentioned before, I pray every day for my husband, my daughter, and myself and I use my daytimer to review the schedule for the day and specific prayer needs in my extended family, my church and my community.  Below are the weekly and monthly prayer calendars I use as I pray in my quiet time.

Weekly:

  • Sunday ~ Churches. I pray for mine as well as the ones pastored by my daddy and my brother and many of our friends.  In addition, I pray for those churches who are seeking pastors and are facing difficulties.   For my own church, I pray through the schedule, lifting up Sunday School teachers and nursery workers, the technical components of the services, the sermon and the music, those who are deciding if they will even attend services today, and those who need a touch from the Lord.
  • Monday ~ Church Staff and their Families. Mondays are typically the staff meeting day at our church.  I pray for all five of our pastors and their family members by name.   If I am aware of a specific request or need, I lift that up at this time.  In addition, I try to take time to send a note of encouragement (even just an email) to one of our pastors or their wives.   I also pray for Scott’s relationships with the other pastors of our church.  I ask for wisdom and humility for each of these men.
  • Tuesday ~ Specific Church Ministries. I pray for the specific ministries of our church and their leadership.  From children’s ministry to senior adults, ministries to men and to women, student ministry and family ministry – I pray for each of these as well as the other ways our church seeks to reach out to others.
  • Wednesday ~ My Family. I pray for my family members by name on Wednesdays.  I am blessed with a large family and take time on Wednesdays to pray for grandparents and cousins, my brothers and their families and many aunts and uncles.
  • Thursday ~ Community Ministries. Thursday mornings I spend at Care Net.   I pray on Thursdays for the many ministries in our community seeking to spread the Gospel while meeting the practical needs around them.  I also pray for the leadership of ministries such as the BCM on our local college campus, the Baptist Ministry Center, and the Manna House.
  • Friday ~ Scott’s Family. I devote Friday to praying for Scott’s family members.  We are blessed with very close relationships with his family and it is a joy to lift them up to the Lord in prayer.
  • Saturday ~ The Lost. I keep a list in my Bible of people who are unsaved that I am praying for.  On Saturdays I pray for each of them by name.

Monthly Prayer Calendar:

  • January ~ Focus and direction. In January, I pray through each activity I am involved with – from ministries in the church to websites I write for … and I lay each one down and ask the Lord if I should pick it  up again.
  • February ~ My daughter‘s birthday month! I pray for her using “The Power of  a Praying Parent.”
  • March ~ Government. I pray throughout this month for local, state, and national government leaders.
  • April ~ North American mission field. I devote April to praying for God’s direction for those who are missionaries here in North America.  I also pray for those who are planting churches in the United States.
  • May ~ Summer. I pray for the summer months – how we should use them as a family.  What we should include and what we need to say “no” to.   I always want to be certain we are allowing time for rest and also for ministry.
  • June ~ My husband’s birthday month and our anniversary month.  I pray for him using “The Power of a Praying Wife.”
  • July ~  Adopting families. It seems like I know so many families who are adopting.  In July I spend extra time praying specifically for their needs and desires … and for those sweet children who have not yet arrived home.
  • August ~ Back to School!! I devote August to praying for teachers and school leaders.  And for sweet families who are beginning their homeschooling year.  I especially pray for those teachers in public schools who will daily have the opportunity to shine light into darkness!
  • September ~ Friends. Just taking time to pray for those women who have influenced my life – and though our friendship may have only lasted a season, I lift them up to the Lord and pray for them throughout September.
  • October ~ My birthday month!  I pray for myself using “The Power of a Praying Woman.”
  • November ~  Month of gratitude! I want to be intentionally cultivating a thankful heart.  One way I do this is by listing the things I am  thankful for according to the date.  For example, on November 11, I list 11 things I am thankful for.
  • December ~ Our denominational missions focus is on international missions throughout this month.  I pray for those missionaries in other nations and for the unreached people groups.

So, there you have it!  A long post (sorry!) but hopefully one that will be helpful to some!

How do you organize your prayer life?

Books I have found useful:

The Power of a Praying … books by Stormie Omartian

Becoming a Woman of Prayer by Cynthia Heald

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Prayer: Graphic Organizers

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Our lives have become broader than ever; we can literally touch people around the world. So much information can become heavy, even a burden, when we genuinely want to pray, but feel overwhelmed with praises to lift up and petitions to remember. We say, “I’ll pray for you,” and we really mean it, but the shear number of needs we know threatens to sabotage our best intentions.

Somewhere in all the needs, praises, concerns, and ever-present confessions, we must return to where Jesus’ pattern of prayer begins:  worship of Who God is. We may leave out worship of the One Who hears our prayers, because we are in such a hurry to tackle the mountain of information. Kathy helped us understand Jesus’ index prayer here,when she shared 3 lessons on what we know as the “Lord’s Prayer.”

Here are four ideas to help manage your prayer times and make it fruitful:

Four Square Family Prayer ~ This breaks down concerns into 4 areas, beginning close to home and moving “outward.” Use it 4 days or for a whole week.  The exercise of writing new info each week helps you to reflect on God’s power and answers. Write down needs, but also jot down answers and applicable promises from Scripture. Hole punch sheets to include in a Prayer Notebook.

One Month of Praying for People ~ This sheet is specifically designed to help you focus on all of the “others” in your life. Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6 uses all plural pronouns; isn’t that interesting? Use this tool in your Prayer Notebook to help you manage the bigger picture of the work of prayer.

Letter of Response to My Father ~ This letter writing tool helps us express ourselves in personal letter style to our Father in heaven.  Great tool to use once a week, or use it every day for a week to sweeten your prayer life. The notes help to indicate the parts of Jesus’ pattern of prayer.

One Week of Responding ~ 7 Days of response sheets take you through a week, along with suggestions for what to focus on, space to journal, and an inset reminder of the elements Jesus included in the Matt 6 pattern. These 1/2 sheets are ideal for printing off and putting into a binder or carrying in your Bible.

I invite you to find a tool that looks like it may work for you. Like a menu on a fridge or a planner in your bag, these tools are meant to make your prayer life more fruitful and effective as you spend time communicating with your Lord.

We’d love to hear if you plan to try out one of these tools and let us know how it goes. Do you have another great tool you’d like to share?

Thank you to Tara, who designed these for our Women’s Ministry and for others who long to spend time with their Father.

Double Whammy

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Have you loved digging into prayer as much as I have?

I must confess, this is an area in which I consider myself very weak.   When it comes to Bible study and digging into the Word – I get hyped up and ready to go.  But prayer just doesn’t come as naturally to me.

I shared my struggle with an older believer several years ago and she encouraged me to pray Scripture.    Also, through reading the Power of a Praying … books by Stormie Omartian, I learned of the great power of praying God’s Word back to Him.     What could be more useful in developing a prayer life than using the very Word of God as a foundation for our conversations? It’s sort of a “double whammy” in our prayers.

I was encouraging our senior adults at church to use Scripture in their prayers and one gentlemen said to me, “We aren’t all Bible scholars like you!”    Let me assure you – I’m no Bible scholar!  In fact, as I responded to this dear man, “I wasn’t born with this knowledge of Scripture.”   I’ve been investing in it for many years.     It’s not so much about how much Scripture you know, rather praying Scripture is realizing the truth of God’s Word and claiming it in your life.

Tomorrow, during Your Turn, we’ll be going through a passage and praying through it.  But for today, I’d like to share with you some of the ways using Scripture can build your prayer life.

Understanding God’s Character

As we study Scripture we grow in our understanding of God’s character and how that relates to our lives.   By recognizing that He is love (1 John 4:8), we can come to Him acknowledging that He loves us and desires the best for us … even when we don’t understand His ways (Isaiah 55:9).

Trusting God’s Promises

Throughout Scripture we find the promises of God and as we pray we have confidence that He will save us (John 3:16), that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), that He will forgive us (1 John 1:9), that His plan is for our good (Jeremiah 29:11) and so many more.  Knowing God’s promises gives us confidence in our relationship with Him and helps us trust in His care for our lives.

Recognizing God’s Faithfulness

Throughout the Bible we see that God is faithful to His people … both the Israelites in the Old Testament and the early church in the New.    We can pray to the same “God who sees me” as Hagar did (Genesis 16:13), the “God who heals me” as Miriam (Exodus 15:26),  the “Lord, my Rock” as David (Psalm 144:1), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13).

Claiming God’s Provision

Throughout Scripture we find abundant reminders that God will provide for all our needs.   We find that He will give us rest (Psalm 23:2), protection (Isaiah 43:2), food and clothing (Matthew 6:25-32), wisdom (James 1:5) and so much more.

Learning to pray Scripture is an amazing way to grow your prayer life. I have specific prayers for my daughter and my husband – claiming Scripture for their lives.   And as I read my Bible each day, I use the passages I have read as a foundation for my prayers … asking God to change me to match His Word.  I have found great comfort and peace in learning to pray Scripture and I hope you will be encouraged to do the same!

How do you incorporate Scripture into your prayers?

Recommended Reading:

Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler

Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler

Any of the Power of a Praying books by Stormie Omartian

Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore

Praying the Psalms by Elmer Towns {Mr. Towns has written several books about praying through specific passages of Scripture.}


Write … in a Prayer Notebook?

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With more information to process than ever before, people are scrambling to write down what is vital to life. For you it may be a menu, appointments, lesson plans, or chores; if we want to track it, we write it down. What are you tracking?

God established a pattern of writing what matters. Since we matter to Him, He engraved us on His hands. Isaiah 49:16 In Proverbs 3:1-3 we read that His teaching, love, and faithfulness should not be forgotten, so we need to write them on the tablet of our hearts.  Do you hear the theme of writing not to forget? It’s just so …. “human” to forget. We are not only forgetful, but we are easily distracted, and easily rerouted.  God Himself shows us the value of writing down what matters:

  • writing down “our days” ~ Psalm 139:16 I can’t wait to see this Book!
  • writing down our names in heaven ~ Luke 10:20/Phil. 4:3 I want to be sure I’m IN this Book!
  • writing down His truth to bring us life ~ John 20:31 I’m so glad He thought of this!
  • writing down what fills our lives & history ~ Daniel 10:21 This one probably has a long reservation list in heaven!

In pursuing the work of prayer, we can take a cue from the God’s pattern and write down what matters most. By having a Prayer Notebook with tools to strengthen our communication and to track the content of our communication, we overcome some pitfalls that cause us to bail out on practicing prayer. The notebook style isn’t important, but using a prayer tool makes a difference. Each year I buy the cheapest planner Wal-Mart has to offer, and I record valuable contact info, dates I don’t want to miss, names of people I need to keep, and then the daily stuff of life as it happens. I write everything what matters most, and it is an invaluable tool to me. It completely changes how productive, reliable, and at peace I am. Let me suggest some tools and some content to include in a Prayer Notebook:

  • Content: A section for worship/praise, confession, thanksgiving, and requests. You may include a space to journal. Cards to respond to God’s leading.
  • Tools: Scripture about each focus area, a list of the names of God (use them), “triggers” (photos, cards, bulletins,etc)

My friend Cindy shared an overview of her Prayer Notebook last week, giving invaluable ideas & pictures. Sandra shared yesterday about Prayer Cards. This coming Friday I’ll share several graphic organizers as options for tools to include in your Prayer Notebook.

So what do you write in? A planner? A journal? A lesson plan book? A scrapbook? There’s a lot of information to remember and manage. If we were God, we could write it all on our hand. ;) Tracking our prayer lives in a Prayer Notebook helps us stay focused, recall reasons to give thanks, and stay consistent.

What do you use to help you make your prayer time prime time?

Using Prayer Cards

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You can tell what subjects people are passionate about by looking at their books. If you come over and look at my shelves, you will see book after book on prayer. You would think after reading all those books on prayer, I’d be an expert. But unfortunately, it’s just the opposite. I read all those books on prayer because I feel so inadequate. But thanks to A Praying Life by Paul A. Miller, I have learned how to be more disciplined in my prayer life, and grow deeper in my relationship with God.

Miller suggests using prayer cards as a way to focus. My categories include– family, church, missionaries, adopting families, repentance cards, and hope cards. On the card I list important requests, verses I want to pray over the life or situation, and sometimes the date of an answer.

For example, on my “adopting families” card I wrote out Heb. 10:36, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.” Then I list families I know who are adopting. About once a month I email the couples  to see how I can specifically pray and update the prayer card.

During my prayer time (at night!) I go through my cards, praying for each one. Not every prayer is going to get an “answer date.” On my repentance card labeled “pride,” I will continue to pray “…apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) every day of my life!

I’m a methodological person, so having a routine works for me. It helps me feel like I’m joining in God’s plan for each person and situation I pray for.

Do you struggle sometimes in your prayer life? What tools help keep you focused?

Sandra Peoples is a pastor’s wife and mom to two boys (plus one more boy her family is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia). She has an Master of Divinity degree in Women’s Studies and wants to encourage women to grow in godliness. She blogs at Heart for Him and Twitters from @HeartforHim.

Jesus’ Prayer Lesson – Part 3

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I hope the first two days of this series has encouraged you in your prayer life. Today is the third and final installment of our look at Jesus’ lesson on prayer to His disciples. Yesterday we discussed three components of prayer that help us keep our prayer priorities straight by focusing on God and His purposes. Today we will cover the three components of the model prayer that deal more directly with us.

Give us each day our daily bread

Jesus did not mean that we can only ask God to give us bread. Remember, this prayer is meant to be a model. Jesus wanted His disciples then – and now – to know that we can bring our needs, both physical and spiritual, to God.

“Bread” represents the basic necessities for life. God invites us to pray for our needs, not luxuries. However, after focusing on the person of God and His Kingdom like the first three components showed us, most of us would not consider asking God for something frivolous.

Praying for our needs “daily” fosters a constant dependence on God and His grace. As God provides for this day, our trust in His faithfulness grows. We don’t have to know how He will provide for our futures, we simply know that He will.

Jesus’ use of “us” teaches us to pray not just for ourselves but for others too. Yes, let’s flood God’s throne with our needs, but let’s also pour out the needs of our friends, families, fellow Christians, and unbelievers. The Father wants to show Himself faithful in meeting our needs.

Forgive us our debts (sins), as we also have forgiven our debtors

Confession and repentance should be a regular part of our prayer life. Often, I’m aware of sin just as soon as I’ve committed it. Those times I immediately stop and pray. Other times, God makes me aware of sin later, during my daily time with Him. So confession and repentance are also a regular part of my daily prayer time.

There is a lot of debate among biblical scholars about the exact implication of the phrase “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” More debate than we have time to cover here! But just let me make a few general comments that could be helpful.

We can do nothing to earn God’s forgiveness. Christ did that for us on the cross. Yet, if we have received God’s forgiveness with the gratitude He deserves we should be willing to forgive others. Forgiveness will be fruit of our own salvation.

Lead us not into temptation (but deliver us from the evil one)

The Greek word translated as “temptation” in the NIV means “trial, temptation, testing.”  This same word has been used in the NT to refer to God’s testing of our faith to prove it (James 1:2) as well as enticement to sin by Satan or our own fleshly desires (Matt 4:1; 1 Cor 10:13).

In the Garden, on the night Jesus was betrayed, He told His disciples to “Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation” (Matt 26:41). Jesus used this same word when He emphasized the vital link between prayer and standing firm in the face of temptation and trials. Sadly, the disciples failed to pray and therefore they failed to stand firm.

This humble prayer expresses our dependence on and need for God. Are you in the midst of a trial or temptation? Ask God to give you the strength to stand firm in trials and to bring you through to the other side. In the face of temptation, pray for the wisdom to see the way out He has provided (1 Cor 10:13).

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Lord’s model prayer. Share with us!

Blessings,  Kathy

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