Have you ever just woken up one day and felt the urge to pray about something that didn't make much sense?
Like, "Uh, ok God, why am I suddenly feeling the urge to pray about this? This is not something I really want to be praying about." But it's just too late by then. You feel it like a weight on your heart, so you have to pray about it. Well then weeks go by and it begins to be frustrating. You still feel this ache in your heart to pray about it, and yet you hear nothing from God, no direction, no peace. It begins to hurt because it's on your mind a lot and you want to pray for a specific outcome to this situtaion, but maybe that's not why God is asking you to pray. So then how to pray, what to pray for?
I don't know.
And to sit in silence, trying to listen... what a task! I wish I could say that it was an easy and beautiful thing, to sit in silence before the Lord. It should be. But it's hard. It's hard when I go back and forth between saying, "Help this to be the outcome" and "Just give me peace no matter what happens." I question whether or not God wants me to pray with persistance and faith for what I really want instead of letting my doubts toss me like the waves of the ocean, or if He wants to teach me to be satisfied in Him if the outcome is opposite of what I want. So then I don't want to pray about it, I just want to sit in silence. And still nothing.
But that doesn't stop me.... I can either have this on my heart and mind and not pray about it, or have it on my heart and mind and pray about it. It's not like not praying about it would help at all!
But man, it's like a rock sitting on me, and I just want it off.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
The writer of the Bible is also writing your life
I taught a 6th grade girls small group for 2 years, then a high school girls' group for a year, and then stopped because they were no longer doing small groups and I was starting my year of student teaching. For about a year (Aug 2010-Dec 2011) I helped plan and serve with a young adults' worship service on Sunday nights at my church. It only lasted for the year of 2011 though - we couldn't get enough people to come. I think being 30 minutes away from any college hinders the location and it just wouldn't get off the ground. I also did nursrey once a month for several years. So since January I haven't been serving in the church, and it may have been the first time ever that I haven't been actively serving or doing something in the church. Partly because I was between two churches, but also because I didn't know what I wanted to do or where to serve and felt no direction.
When I came back from Slovakia, part of my frustration was, "What am I doing here?? Nothing!!" I put prayer into high gear and decided to switch churches to Northstar, and asked our young adults' pastor, Bryan, "Where do you need me?" He said to help with the youth since they are starting small groups soon. I said I'd like high school girls but didn't care which grade, so he will be letting me know which grade. I'm so excited! From what I know I will be with one other woman so that we can co-teach and when one of us is sick or out of town the other can teach. I'm so excited to start! I know that youth ministry is also challenging but am ready to do this again. I am already praying hard for the girls that I will meet and that will be in my group. I am stoked.
Also, last Sunday morning I woke up to a facebook message from the guy at Northstar who takes pictures and videos, who also went to Slovakia with us, named Chris. He asked if I would help take pictures at the church picnic that night since he would be doing video and others would be taking some pictures and videos too. I was excited and was like, "Yeah! I'd love to!" and even though I felt a little uncomfortable because I didn't know that many people overall, I still loved it. Talking to my parents that night, they said, "Well, we know that sometimes when a job you have isn't enjoyable or where you want to be, you can always find other things outside of your job to enjoy. Since you like taking pictures, maybe you could see if Chris needs any help." I thought he probably wouldn't because Northstar is such a big church that he would have a million people wanting to help out. It's like when people want to sing on stage in a big church... well they only pick the best people or who they know because probably 100 people think they want to sing on stage. But I thought about it and thought that even if they didn't need "help," I'd still like to learn stuff. I called Chris at the office Tuesday and left a message, and didn't hear back. I called again Thursday and he wasn't in the office. Thursday I talked to Bryan and asked when Chris was in the office and how I thought about asking him if he needed help with anything. He laughed and said, "It's funny you say that... we had a staff meeting and we were thinking of some specific stuff we need done, and we brought up your name!" I thought it may have been because I called Tuesday even though I didn't say why I was calling, but when I told Chris I called he said, "Oh, the light on my phone is broken so I never know if I have voice mails! I didn't know you called." For now I'll go in maybe once a week in the morning and we'll go from there and see what areas he needs help in! I'm so excited about this as well!
Without having a place to serve in the church, it just added to my feeling like a fish out of the water. Step one: find a place to serve in the church. Done. Step two: find a job that pays more and that is more enjoyable for me. I have no idea what that is right now. I wish I did, and I wish I could just send in my picture to a website and they could scan my face and say, "Your perfect job would be...." I don't really know what God has planned for me as far as a career or how I get past minimum wage, but maybe God has been waiting for me to get plugged back in to serving before finding a new job. When people ask me, "Well what do you like doing that you could do for a job?" I just get frustrated because I know they mean well, but trust me, I have been on all the search engines typing in key words to look for jobs that I don't know exist, or what I would like to do. I like to read, write, sing, play piano, take pictures, work with kids, teach, work with middle and high schoolers, go on mission trips, travel, go new places, and be on computer related things (facebook, youtube, blogs, pinterest). As the saying goes, "I do many things well, none of which generate income." I think I'd like a church job, but those are hard to get. I still like working with kids, but I don't what else to do with my degree that is not in a classroom setting. Still searching. I've been looking for full time baby-sitting jobs recently, but it's not happening so far. It's ok though. God's got it.
I read 1 Samuel the other day. Yep, almost the entire book in one sitting. I just opened up the bible and saw a verse at the beginning of that book that caught my eye, and started reading. I read like I have never read it before. I have, but I don't remember it for some reason. It came to a funny part to me - Saul's dad sent him out to find his lost donkeys. Meanwhile God told Samuel, "I'm sending you a guy who will be king I have chosen, you'll see him tomorrow morning." When Saul can't find the donkeys, the guy with him says, "Well I've heard this guy Samuel is a Seer and might know where your donkeys are." So they go to Samuel and Samuel says, "Yep, I know where your donkeys are, I'll have my men hold them for you down the road on your way home, but I'm also here to tell you that you're going to be king." Saul gets the donkeys, goes home, and doesn't tell anybody. Probably because he thinks it's crazy. Nobody has been king of that area up until that point anyways. Then when ALL these people get together to hear who the king will be, Samuel says it will be Saul and they can't find Saul. Samuel asks God where he is and God says, "He's hiding in the baggage." I seriously laughed out loud at that! And yep, he was hiding!
God used lost donkeys to lead Saul to another land where he would become king. Something so minor became the leading to something so much bigger. I know that the bible is FULL of stories like that, showing how God orchestrates so many things together and weaves details together that mere humans could not, in order to accomplish His will. It is so encouraging for me to know that although my life sometimes feels like a mishmash of random stuff, He is putting all of those details together to put me where He wants me!
There are still more things that I am praying about that I need to hear from the Lord that have been on my heart. I recently thought... if something is so important to me but I feel like I'm not hearing God or that I'm not at peace about something that is constantly on my mind and heart, why would I spend hours in my day listening to music, being on facebook, and reading books when I could be sitting listening to the Lord and praying about it? If it's so important, why am I not praying more? So I am praying not only for myself and guidance in many areas, but also for many of my friends and family. It is such a joy to pray for others when you truly do it. It's true - sometimes when the only thing you can do is pray it feels frustrating, but that just means that God is doing all the work and all that could come out of it would be all from God. I have such a difficult time knowing when to act or when to wait, as I would much rather act. But there are some things where it has to come from God or God has to work in other people to bring things about.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me, listened to me, given advice, and encouraged me for the past year!
I am so excited to see what God has planned over this upcoming year. I know that He is the writer of the bible, and the write of my life, which means that throughout that ups and downs and long periods of waiting and unseen reasons, God has a beautiful story to write.
When I came back from Slovakia, part of my frustration was, "What am I doing here?? Nothing!!" I put prayer into high gear and decided to switch churches to Northstar, and asked our young adults' pastor, Bryan, "Where do you need me?" He said to help with the youth since they are starting small groups soon. I said I'd like high school girls but didn't care which grade, so he will be letting me know which grade. I'm so excited! From what I know I will be with one other woman so that we can co-teach and when one of us is sick or out of town the other can teach. I'm so excited to start! I know that youth ministry is also challenging but am ready to do this again. I am already praying hard for the girls that I will meet and that will be in my group. I am stoked.
Also, last Sunday morning I woke up to a facebook message from the guy at Northstar who takes pictures and videos, who also went to Slovakia with us, named Chris. He asked if I would help take pictures at the church picnic that night since he would be doing video and others would be taking some pictures and videos too. I was excited and was like, "Yeah! I'd love to!" and even though I felt a little uncomfortable because I didn't know that many people overall, I still loved it. Talking to my parents that night, they said, "Well, we know that sometimes when a job you have isn't enjoyable or where you want to be, you can always find other things outside of your job to enjoy. Since you like taking pictures, maybe you could see if Chris needs any help." I thought he probably wouldn't because Northstar is such a big church that he would have a million people wanting to help out. It's like when people want to sing on stage in a big church... well they only pick the best people or who they know because probably 100 people think they want to sing on stage. But I thought about it and thought that even if they didn't need "help," I'd still like to learn stuff. I called Chris at the office Tuesday and left a message, and didn't hear back. I called again Thursday and he wasn't in the office. Thursday I talked to Bryan and asked when Chris was in the office and how I thought about asking him if he needed help with anything. He laughed and said, "It's funny you say that... we had a staff meeting and we were thinking of some specific stuff we need done, and we brought up your name!" I thought it may have been because I called Tuesday even though I didn't say why I was calling, but when I told Chris I called he said, "Oh, the light on my phone is broken so I never know if I have voice mails! I didn't know you called." For now I'll go in maybe once a week in the morning and we'll go from there and see what areas he needs help in! I'm so excited about this as well!
Without having a place to serve in the church, it just added to my feeling like a fish out of the water. Step one: find a place to serve in the church. Done. Step two: find a job that pays more and that is more enjoyable for me. I have no idea what that is right now. I wish I did, and I wish I could just send in my picture to a website and they could scan my face and say, "Your perfect job would be...." I don't really know what God has planned for me as far as a career or how I get past minimum wage, but maybe God has been waiting for me to get plugged back in to serving before finding a new job. When people ask me, "Well what do you like doing that you could do for a job?" I just get frustrated because I know they mean well, but trust me, I have been on all the search engines typing in key words to look for jobs that I don't know exist, or what I would like to do. I like to read, write, sing, play piano, take pictures, work with kids, teach, work with middle and high schoolers, go on mission trips, travel, go new places, and be on computer related things (facebook, youtube, blogs, pinterest). As the saying goes, "I do many things well, none of which generate income." I think I'd like a church job, but those are hard to get. I still like working with kids, but I don't what else to do with my degree that is not in a classroom setting. Still searching. I've been looking for full time baby-sitting jobs recently, but it's not happening so far. It's ok though. God's got it.
I read 1 Samuel the other day. Yep, almost the entire book in one sitting. I just opened up the bible and saw a verse at the beginning of that book that caught my eye, and started reading. I read like I have never read it before. I have, but I don't remember it for some reason. It came to a funny part to me - Saul's dad sent him out to find his lost donkeys. Meanwhile God told Samuel, "I'm sending you a guy who will be king I have chosen, you'll see him tomorrow morning." When Saul can't find the donkeys, the guy with him says, "Well I've heard this guy Samuel is a Seer and might know where your donkeys are." So they go to Samuel and Samuel says, "Yep, I know where your donkeys are, I'll have my men hold them for you down the road on your way home, but I'm also here to tell you that you're going to be king." Saul gets the donkeys, goes home, and doesn't tell anybody. Probably because he thinks it's crazy. Nobody has been king of that area up until that point anyways. Then when ALL these people get together to hear who the king will be, Samuel says it will be Saul and they can't find Saul. Samuel asks God where he is and God says, "He's hiding in the baggage." I seriously laughed out loud at that! And yep, he was hiding!
God used lost donkeys to lead Saul to another land where he would become king. Something so minor became the leading to something so much bigger. I know that the bible is FULL of stories like that, showing how God orchestrates so many things together and weaves details together that mere humans could not, in order to accomplish His will. It is so encouraging for me to know that although my life sometimes feels like a mishmash of random stuff, He is putting all of those details together to put me where He wants me!
There are still more things that I am praying about that I need to hear from the Lord that have been on my heart. I recently thought... if something is so important to me but I feel like I'm not hearing God or that I'm not at peace about something that is constantly on my mind and heart, why would I spend hours in my day listening to music, being on facebook, and reading books when I could be sitting listening to the Lord and praying about it? If it's so important, why am I not praying more? So I am praying not only for myself and guidance in many areas, but also for many of my friends and family. It is such a joy to pray for others when you truly do it. It's true - sometimes when the only thing you can do is pray it feels frustrating, but that just means that God is doing all the work and all that could come out of it would be all from God. I have such a difficult time knowing when to act or when to wait, as I would much rather act. But there are some things where it has to come from God or God has to work in other people to bring things about.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me, listened to me, given advice, and encouraged me for the past year!
I am so excited to see what God has planned over this upcoming year. I know that He is the writer of the bible, and the write of my life, which means that throughout that ups and downs and long periods of waiting and unseen reasons, God has a beautiful story to write.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
God is bigger than our insecurities and stronger than satan's attacks
It's almost 4:30 AM. It's a terrible time to be up blogging, even though I don't have to be at work til 1 PM (so I have to be up by noon). But there's never a bad time to give God glory.
Let me tell you how satan has been attacking me these past few weeks. He fills our brains with lies, I know that. He attacks the emotions. He knows your weak points and brings them under a microscope. It's been building and building until tonight when I was about to go to bed and decided to pray first, I just bust into tears. I felt no peace whatsoever.
I'll skip over names for this because it doesn't really matter. Friend A: She's getting married in October (I'll be in her wedding!), she just got a teaching job in Smyrna, when she gets married she's moving to Newnan, and she has been close to a best friend for about 5 years. With our totally different schedules, it's hard for us to get together. I haven't seen her since a week before we left for Slovakia. We've been texting, trying to get together, but we haven't been able to yet, and she starts teaching next week. I know she's not avoiding me, but I feel like I'm about to lose a best friend. I feel like her time in my life is...over. Friend B: She's been out of town, I've been out of town, we've both been busy, she starts school again soon...I haven't seen her in 2 months and she's also a best friend. We keep texting as well, but she hasn't gotten back to me on when is a good time for her to get together. She's seen other friends we have already, and I think, "Why not me? Why hasn't she made time for me yet? Why hasn't she texted me back to let me know when we can get together?" Friend C: I see her every week at bible study and she has been there for me through the hardest times over the past year and a half. She's held me when I cried, she's prayed for me, she's listened as I poured out my heart, and she's given me advice. Her new class and work schedule which start in 2 weeks will not allow her to come to bible study until December. She's not able to text or e-mail much, so outside of bible study it's sometimes hard to get in touch. I worry that I won't see her for 4 months. Friend D: D for "don't I feel dumb." It's a friendship that I miss, that God has just allowed to never come back together again. I sometimes think we can be friends again, but then feel stupid because that person makes no effort or makes me feel so embarassed that I even spoke to them whether they meant to or not. Like I want to say, "Oh, sorry for asking how your week was, I'll leave you alone." I don't know why I try, but something in me always does.
Situation E: Why is it that when other people plan events, tons of people can come, but if I try to plan events, nobody can come? I want to have friends over Friday night to play games at my house - I haven't invited anyone to my house in 2 years - but either people are busy or just haven't responded. So I'm pretty sure, like usual, no one can come. And that makes me feel like, "What the heck?! Why should I even invite people to hang out?" Situation F: I totally understand how when you do certain things, you only invite 2-3 people, not everybody you know. Like when my friend Christina and I went to a bunch of places last week, I only invited her and our friend Marissa because we went to SK together. Or if you want to go to the movies, you can only invite 5ish people, not 30. Cool. But it's sitll hard when you hear or see your other friends going places without you. You wonder, why wasn't I invited? Did they know I was probably working? Was it a last minute thing? Or did they literally just invite a few people to keep it small? But why those particular people? Why not me?
Ah yes. Let's just wrap it all up and summarize the above two paragraphs with these words: jealousy, awkwardness, frustration, fear, worry. Times 10. Yep.
So thanks to satan I felt like a total loser, questioning if my friends were actually my friends, and wondering if they all secretly hated me or are hoping to get rid of me soon. I sat before God and told Him all this - whined and complained - and then decided to thank him instead, and pray for each of the friends in my life. Friend A: I prayed that her marraige would be strong and based on Him, that her job would go SO great, that her wedding would be stresss-free. Friend B: I prayed for her to have peace and joy that only comes from Him no matter what her circumstance are or soon will be. Friend C: I prayed her new job would be amazing, that her classes would not be stressfull, and that she would find direction from Him in everything. I prayed for SO many more people, the list just went on and on and on. I thanked Him for each and every one of them, and remembered how 2-4 years ago I had hardly any of these friends and lacked close friends. I reminded myself how my contentment and joy and peace and self-worth does not come from the people I love, but from Him alone. I can't make decisions in life based on these people, but on what God leads me to do.
And I sat in silence for a while...that is so hard to do. I didn't hear God directly say anything, but as I sat, I asked Him to let me see my life through His eyes in the bigger picture. Peace washed over me. I imagined my grandma who is 85 talking about a problem she had when she was 24. Well it probably wouldn't matter any more! I imagined looking back and adding Starbucks to the list of jobs I've had and that's about it...having it in the list of things I've done. Life is short. Life is about telling others about God. Life is about knowing God better and deeper. Life is about serving and loving others. Life is about keeping your eyes on God in spite of the attacks and the fears and the worry. Satan will shoot arrows and even use people we know and love to help shoot them at us too, but GOD is bigger. He is greater than all of my emotions and worries. I am so thankful for a God who made the universe, counting every star and every hair on my head. His love is more than we can comprehend and more than we will ever know until we reach heaven. That day when we reach heaven....that will be the most amazing thing ever, that will far surpass all earthly trials we go through.
Let me tell you how satan has been attacking me these past few weeks. He fills our brains with lies, I know that. He attacks the emotions. He knows your weak points and brings them under a microscope. It's been building and building until tonight when I was about to go to bed and decided to pray first, I just bust into tears. I felt no peace whatsoever.
I'll skip over names for this because it doesn't really matter. Friend A: She's getting married in October (I'll be in her wedding!), she just got a teaching job in Smyrna, when she gets married she's moving to Newnan, and she has been close to a best friend for about 5 years. With our totally different schedules, it's hard for us to get together. I haven't seen her since a week before we left for Slovakia. We've been texting, trying to get together, but we haven't been able to yet, and she starts teaching next week. I know she's not avoiding me, but I feel like I'm about to lose a best friend. I feel like her time in my life is...over. Friend B: She's been out of town, I've been out of town, we've both been busy, she starts school again soon...I haven't seen her in 2 months and she's also a best friend. We keep texting as well, but she hasn't gotten back to me on when is a good time for her to get together. She's seen other friends we have already, and I think, "Why not me? Why hasn't she made time for me yet? Why hasn't she texted me back to let me know when we can get together?" Friend C: I see her every week at bible study and she has been there for me through the hardest times over the past year and a half. She's held me when I cried, she's prayed for me, she's listened as I poured out my heart, and she's given me advice. Her new class and work schedule which start in 2 weeks will not allow her to come to bible study until December. She's not able to text or e-mail much, so outside of bible study it's sometimes hard to get in touch. I worry that I won't see her for 4 months. Friend D: D for "don't I feel dumb." It's a friendship that I miss, that God has just allowed to never come back together again. I sometimes think we can be friends again, but then feel stupid because that person makes no effort or makes me feel so embarassed that I even spoke to them whether they meant to or not. Like I want to say, "Oh, sorry for asking how your week was, I'll leave you alone." I don't know why I try, but something in me always does.
Situation E: Why is it that when other people plan events, tons of people can come, but if I try to plan events, nobody can come? I want to have friends over Friday night to play games at my house - I haven't invited anyone to my house in 2 years - but either people are busy or just haven't responded. So I'm pretty sure, like usual, no one can come. And that makes me feel like, "What the heck?! Why should I even invite people to hang out?" Situation F: I totally understand how when you do certain things, you only invite 2-3 people, not everybody you know. Like when my friend Christina and I went to a bunch of places last week, I only invited her and our friend Marissa because we went to SK together. Or if you want to go to the movies, you can only invite 5ish people, not 30. Cool. But it's sitll hard when you hear or see your other friends going places without you. You wonder, why wasn't I invited? Did they know I was probably working? Was it a last minute thing? Or did they literally just invite a few people to keep it small? But why those particular people? Why not me?
Ah yes. Let's just wrap it all up and summarize the above two paragraphs with these words: jealousy, awkwardness, frustration, fear, worry. Times 10. Yep.
So thanks to satan I felt like a total loser, questioning if my friends were actually my friends, and wondering if they all secretly hated me or are hoping to get rid of me soon. I sat before God and told Him all this - whined and complained - and then decided to thank him instead, and pray for each of the friends in my life. Friend A: I prayed that her marraige would be strong and based on Him, that her job would go SO great, that her wedding would be stresss-free. Friend B: I prayed for her to have peace and joy that only comes from Him no matter what her circumstance are or soon will be. Friend C: I prayed her new job would be amazing, that her classes would not be stressfull, and that she would find direction from Him in everything. I prayed for SO many more people, the list just went on and on and on. I thanked Him for each and every one of them, and remembered how 2-4 years ago I had hardly any of these friends and lacked close friends. I reminded myself how my contentment and joy and peace and self-worth does not come from the people I love, but from Him alone. I can't make decisions in life based on these people, but on what God leads me to do.
And I sat in silence for a while...that is so hard to do. I didn't hear God directly say anything, but as I sat, I asked Him to let me see my life through His eyes in the bigger picture. Peace washed over me. I imagined my grandma who is 85 talking about a problem she had when she was 24. Well it probably wouldn't matter any more! I imagined looking back and adding Starbucks to the list of jobs I've had and that's about it...having it in the list of things I've done. Life is short. Life is about telling others about God. Life is about knowing God better and deeper. Life is about serving and loving others. Life is about keeping your eyes on God in spite of the attacks and the fears and the worry. Satan will shoot arrows and even use people we know and love to help shoot them at us too, but GOD is bigger. He is greater than all of my emotions and worries. I am so thankful for a God who made the universe, counting every star and every hair on my head. His love is more than we can comprehend and more than we will ever know until we reach heaven. That day when we reach heaven....that will be the most amazing thing ever, that will far surpass all earthly trials we go through.
Discerning the Voice of God
I just started a book last night called, "Discerning the Voice of God," by Priscilla Shirer.
"Do you really think He loved you enough to die for you, but not enough to talk to you?" Of course we know He wants to talk to us...but sometimes I feel a disconect in hearing Him. I feel like a pray a lot and want to hear God, but don't that much. Sometimes it's on specific issues that I need to make decisions in like jobs / careers, what opportunities to take or not take (Kenya vs Slovakia), which place to serve or worship, etc. Other times it's not in things I can personally make deicions in, that only God can make happen, but I don't know how to pray for the right things or if it's in His will or if I'm just praying for selfish things. I've heard of people who said they immediately felt the need to pray for somone or something, and found out later they had been in a car accident or about to drown or something, and a miracle happened where God saved them. Or stories where someone prayed and big things happened, or they felt clarity about something. Do we not tap into the power of prayer more often because we don't know how?
Chapter one of this book is called, "If You're Listening."
"As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut... After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few." - Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
"The enemy wins a victory every time we let our jam-packed schedules invade the sanctuary of our quiet time with God." I work. I hang out with friends. I read books, watch an TV show or two per week on my computer, I'm on facebook, and I do church stuff. Nothing wrong with any of that. But often times it prevents me from having a real "quiet time." It becomes scattered or random or unplanned. I pray throuhout the day, but I don't pause to listen.
"Reading a verse, saying a prayer, or singing a song may help you feel better about checking 'quiet time' off your to-do-list, but these alone won't help you get what you're after - knowing Him more intimately, uniting with His heart, and receiving His direction for your life."
"Once I'm finished bringing my prepackaged matters to God's attention, instead of ending things there - as though I've dutifully delivered my report to Him and can now go on about my business as usual - I don't. I resist the urge to jump to my feet just because, 'I'm done.' Sure, I might be done, but ... what if God's not? I've gotten a chance to talk - to share with Him what is on my mind. Why should I not at least allow Him the same courtesy?"
"Do you really think He loved you enough to die for you, but not enough to talk to you?" Of course we know He wants to talk to us...but sometimes I feel a disconect in hearing Him. I feel like a pray a lot and want to hear God, but don't that much. Sometimes it's on specific issues that I need to make decisions in like jobs / careers, what opportunities to take or not take (Kenya vs Slovakia), which place to serve or worship, etc. Other times it's not in things I can personally make deicions in, that only God can make happen, but I don't know how to pray for the right things or if it's in His will or if I'm just praying for selfish things. I've heard of people who said they immediately felt the need to pray for somone or something, and found out later they had been in a car accident or about to drown or something, and a miracle happened where God saved them. Or stories where someone prayed and big things happened, or they felt clarity about something. Do we not tap into the power of prayer more often because we don't know how?
Chapter one of this book is called, "If You're Listening."
"As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut... After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few." - Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
"The enemy wins a victory every time we let our jam-packed schedules invade the sanctuary of our quiet time with God." I work. I hang out with friends. I read books, watch an TV show or two per week on my computer, I'm on facebook, and I do church stuff. Nothing wrong with any of that. But often times it prevents me from having a real "quiet time." It becomes scattered or random or unplanned. I pray throuhout the day, but I don't pause to listen.
"Reading a verse, saying a prayer, or singing a song may help you feel better about checking 'quiet time' off your to-do-list, but these alone won't help you get what you're after - knowing Him more intimately, uniting with His heart, and receiving His direction for your life."
"Once I'm finished bringing my prepackaged matters to God's attention, instead of ending things there - as though I've dutifully delivered my report to Him and can now go on about my business as usual - I don't. I resist the urge to jump to my feet just because, 'I'm done.' Sure, I might be done, but ... what if God's not? I've gotten a chance to talk - to share with Him what is on my mind. Why should I not at least allow Him the same courtesy?"
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