Press to Pray

I think about the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8: 43-48.  She bled constantly for 12 years and could find no cure.  But when she pressed through the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus’ robe, she was instantly healed.  The same is true for us when we press to meet Jesus in prayer.

Prayer is a press, but it’s necessary.  It’s my lifeline. I continue to be amazed at what God does as a result of prayer.  I can’t allow life and the crowd to keep me away from praying.  I must press.

Read my thoughts below and reflect on the following questions:  “Have you been pressing to touch Jesus?  Have you made prayer a priority?  Are you desperate enough to press to prayer?  I also encourage you to visit my youtube channel to view my series on how to pray.

 

PRESS TO PRAY

I show up to pray

And you are already there

You were there waiting for me

I am in awe that when I press to get into your presence

You meet me

And you tell me like you told her

Your faith has made you well

But to touch you, to see you

I have to press through the crowd

The crowd of my circumstances

The crowd of my own thoughts

The crowd of my pain

The crowd of the internet

Crowds can distract and discourage me and make me believe that the press is not worth it

But I see my need for healing on so many levels

I see that I will always NEED you

I can spend my resources on things that guarantee that they will fix me

 But these temporal things can’t stop the steady flow of my issues

The pain doesn’t go away

But when I press

I touch you

And in an instant I am healed

I feel the weight lift in your presence

I see my faith affirmed in your presence

I see curses broken in your presence

I see miracles performed in your presence

I see me being transformed in your presence

So while the crowd will always be there

I will continue to press to meet and touch you

I WILL PRESS TO PRAY

 

Don’t answer your own prayers. Wait on God!

 

We pray.  Then we wait.  And wait.  And wait. We become impatient.  Then we come up with the clever idea that God needs our help so we create a plan to answer our own prayers!  Ever been there?  Confession:  I have, more times that I would like to admit. Thankfully I am becoming a little wiser and learning that waiting on God is worth it.

Are you still waiting on God to answer your prayers?  What are some things you have done to help you as you wait?  

Speaking the word of God over your child

I want to encourage you to really consider the words that are coming out of our mouth when speaking to your children.  It is easy to become careless with our words.  However, a big part of parenting is blessing (affirming) our children.  Speaking the word of God over them is the best affirmation.  As I speak the word over them, it shapes their identity and they recognize who they are in Christ. Blessing my children with the word of God also combats the schemes of the enemy and cancels every curse.

Below is a brief worksheet that I created to get the process started to encourage you to speak life (blessings) over your children.  Take some time to fill out this worksheet and reflect on the suggested verses. Pray and ask the Lord to help you prioritize spending time with in prayer and the study of His word so that He can fill your mouth with what to say as you parent.  Be sure to visit this link for suggestions on scripture that you can speak/pray over your children.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

BLESSING OUR CHILDREN BY SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD OVER THEM

 

Scripture tells us that _________and ___________ are in the _________of the _________(Proverbs 18:21).

Whose words should you speak over your children?

John 6:63 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Can we speak life (the word of God) over our children?  Can we decree blessings over them if we don’t know the word?

Briefly write down your game plan for studying God’s word starting this week.  Consider the following questions as you create your plan.

1. What time are you most alert to study God’s word?
2. How much time per day do you commit to studying God’s word?
3. What passages will you focus on to begin your study?

 

Let’s get personal

On a normal day, what are some of the things you say to your children (when you are angry with them, when their behavior displeases you, when they interrupt you)?

 

 

What are your biggest areas of struggle as a parent?  In what ways have your children challenged you?

 

What are some specific scriptures you can speak over your children to combat these issues?

Don’t forget to visit this site to get ideas on scriptures you can pray over your children. Be blessed!

No Pretending Honest Prayers

I used to be really good at playing pretend but then I got tired.  Somewhere along the road, I realized that playing games can get real old.

When I stopped pretending, that’s when I learned how to pray

Stop pretending that everything is ok when it is not

Stop pretending like it doesn’t hurt when it does

Stop pretending that I want to do the right thing when everything in me is screaming go left

Stop pretending like I am perfect.  Oh you already knew…I am not

So I pray

Real prayer

No script

No pretense

Honest I don’t want to do it God

This is just not fair God

How come God?

Child to parent dialogue

My Good Good Father…He listens

I cry

I whisper the darkest secrets of my heart

Thoughts I didn’t even know where there, ugly thoughts

Prayer is my therapy, I unload the burden

He continues to listens

Yes I have a really good father… I am blessed like that

I am learning He is not looking for an act

He requires honesty

The kind of honesty that scares nice church folks

Yep I know the right answer… I shouldn’t think like that

But what happens when I do

Confession:  And I sometimes do

I pray

Honest Prayers

No pretense cause that’s outdated and ineffective

In honest prayers, I am not the only one that speaks

My good good father he response

With love

With His truth

He knows that even in my brokenness

Even in my humanity

I have said Yes to His will, Yes to Him being Lord of my life

A Yes I won’t take back

So in my no pretending prayer

He molds me

He refreshes me

He reminds me

He corrects me

He fills me again with His spirit,

Bringing an even greater death to Anika

How about you over there, have you been praying no pretending prayers?  Or is it difficult for you to share the ugly parts of you with God?  Leave a comment and let me know.

 

 

Holy Ghost Wildfire

 

I have really been thinking about the fire of God lately and quite frankly I DON’T WANT TO SHAKE IT.  I don’t want it to be a fleeting thought.

I want His fire to consume me.

I want to believe that He still makes visitations like He did in Acts Chapter 2.  The more I go with God, the more I hunger for His fire.  Not just for the power but for the purging.

I want to look more like Him…not thinking of myself more highly than I ought to, not striving to please man, not having an inward focus, and not putting a cap on my ability to love.  I want His supernatural love to flow through me….an overflow!

I can’t get to this place without His fire. I can’t live beyond what is normal without His fire. I won’t be willing to color outside the lines without His fire.

I want to operate in boldness and not be paralyzed by the possibility of being persecuted and not being liked. I want to speak His unpopular truths  without reservation even though I know there will be a direct backlash. Yes Jesus I want a Holy Ghost wildfire in me.  I want you to set a fire down in my soul!