Have you ever needed to make a decision about something – something that you wanted badly but weren’t sure if it was God’s will or not? So in your desperate attempts to hear His voice you start looking for Him everywhere. Maybe you even start manipulating circumstances so that it seems He’s speaking through them.
Well, that’s been me, too, and today I’m at Encouragement Cafe sharing this story with you – “God Speaks Through License Plates” – and talking about how to not misinterpret God’s voice.
Will you join me there? And even share with a friend?
Dear Blogging Friends and In-Real Friends,
Last night we arrived home from Burkina Faso. My mind is over-filled with stories and faces and now memories. Over the next several days I will try to pour out my mind into words and pictures so that I can share them with you.
But for now I want to thank you deeply for being my prayer warriors. In some ways our trip was smoother than previous trips our church has taken, and with each blessing we experienced I couldn’t help but think of you – my fearless, prayer warrior friends back home – who I asked to pray for us. Your prayers were felt so deeply, and each face you will see through the pictures I share was blessed because of you.
Whether I know you personally in real-life or through our blogging friendship, please know how much I appreciate your prayers. Our team and the people we met in Burkina are a testament to God’s gracious relationship with us through prayer.
Your prayers mattered greatly.
With Love,
Brenda
This past Saturday I ran my first half-marathon, the Victory Junction Run to Victory Half-Marathon!
Victory Junction is a camp in Randleman, NC for children who have chronic medical conditions and illnesses. The camp was donated by NASCAR driver Richard Petty, and his wife Lynda, in honor of their grandson, Adam Petty.
Running a half-marathon is a goal that I have had for myself for a long time. I started running in my early twenties, and ever since I have wanted to run this race.
However, my reasons for wanting to run it in the past are drastically different from my reasons for running it today.
Beginning probably ten years ago, running became a trend. It suddenly became the exercise of choice. No longer did people call themselves “joggers” or say, “I’m going out for a jog”, but that were overnight runners, and they went out for runs. I was one of these people. Running was fairly inexpensive, I got a lot of bang for my buck as far as burning off a lot of calories, and I liked saying that I was a runner.
Over the past couple of years, though, maybe since my husband’s heart transplant, I’ve begun to develop a different perspective about this body God has given me. I have started to see it as a gift and me as a steward.
So this past weekend I did not run to burn calories or get puffed up with pride. I ran to honor God. I ran to be a good steward. I ran out of sincere gratitude for what I’ve been given. And I ran for all the people who will never run this side of Heaven.
My dear friend, Laura, who ran this race with me, had a wonderful idea and one that I used during the race. We ran each mile for a different person or group of people, and during that mile we prayed for them.
This is my 13.1 Miles of Prayer:
Mile 1: Jesus
Mile 2: John
Mile 3: My Dad
Mile 4: My Brother
Mile 5: My Sister-in-Law, Cathy
Mile 6: My Sweet 6 Month Old Nephew, Ryan
Mile 7: John’s Family
Mile 8: My Friends
Mile 9: Burkina Faso, West Africa
Mile 10: All People Who are Disabled
Mile 11: Those Who are in Slavery/Human Trafficking/Oppression
Mile 12: Me
Mile 13: Jesus
Last week I wrote a short, two part series on How to Become a Morning Person and the Benefits of Becoming a Morning Person. One of the greatest benefits for me to get up early is having time alone with God – often called a “quiet time”.
Throughout my life I have heard things like,
“Have you had your quiet time today?”,
“I didn’t get my quiet time in.”,
“I need to do my quiet time now.”,
“What are you doing for your quiet time?”
So what is “quiet time”?
When people ask me why I get up so early my first response is to drop my head and mumble, “to have my quiet time.”
“What? What did you say? Quiet time? What’s quiet time?”
Quiet time literally means “uninterrupted time focused on God in prayer and in His Word”. However, when I use the phrase “quiet time” it sounds more like some mystical event that I’m trying to keep a secret!
My quiet time should more appropriately be called my loud time! This is the time I spend being loud – talking, laughing, crying, arguing, begging, pouting, and praising – with God. It is also God’s time to be loud – teaching, showing, directing, perfecting, and loving – with me.
Quiet time does not need to be “quiet” at all, and it does not need any other expectations tied to it. When actions become linked to expectations, then they no longer flow from love. God wants us to love Him, not to be obligated to Him.
My time with God is often, but not always:
No longer do I use the term “quiet time”. What do I do in the mornings? I spend time with God. Does that mean that the rest of my day is not with God? Absolutely not! I talk to God throughout the day and sometimes read scripture online or blogs, etc., but my morning time is just focused time in His Word and in prayer. The more I set aside time alone with Him, the easier it becomes to talk to Him throughout the day. He becomes more of the friend that He is.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
What does “quiet time” mean for you?
It wasn’t until this time last year that I realized the weight that the words, “I’ll pray for you”, had for a person who was on their knees in desperate agony crying out and begging for prayer. This is the week last year that my reality truly set in as my husband and I spent an entire seven nights in the hospital as he prepared to be listed for a heart transplant. My need for prayer grew to be so desperate that became very sensitive when I heard the words, “I’ll pray for you.” I wanted prayer for John so desperately that I was willing to pay for them (see my blog post Pay for Pray), but I didn’t have time for empty words. I rather not hear the words at all then to hear them and have no prayers lifted up to God – the only one who could heal him. I did not need flippant encouragement. I needed a miracle.
Throughout our journey I reflected often on how I respond to the needs for prayer that surround me. My reflection was very convicting. Sometimes I am the person who offers flippant encouragement without honest intercession to our Heavenly Father. With great intentionality I began to observe and seek the needs of people with whom I come into contact.
Wow, were the burdens great! As I sought the prayer needs of others my list kept growing and growing and growing! I would have to become a nun to have time to pray for all the needs that surrounded me! But the thought of not praying for these needs saddened me greatly. What if no one else was praying for them?
In an effort to lift up in prayer the needs of so many people I did two things. First, I became more aware of the Holy Spirit’s prompting of who He is calling me to prayer for. I read, “If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans” Romans 8:26 (The Message). I tried to not allow my perfectionistic tendencies trap me into making prayer legalistic – like if I don’t pray for this list of people something bad is going to happen – as if I am in control.
The other thing I did is more practical. I decided to make a prayer calendar. I assigned people and needs certain days of the week. Some prayers are ongoing and never ending. Some are more than one day a week. Some are just for a season, but each day I have a list of people that need prayer. I wanted this list to be with me at all times so that I can quickly refer to it wherever I am, so I decided to put the list on the calendar in my IPhone. I programed the list to display all day instead of certain times during the day so that I could see them all at once.
For me this has been so helpful! I feel like I am honoring God with prayers like I wanted in my great time of need without the burden of who or when or how long or how often. I know now that each person has their special day or days, and on those days my prayers will be specific and thoughtful.