A Call to Prayer

Evil is real.
Pornography is evil.
It is a tool of the enemy and affects many people.

When I first heard of the men’s conference that was focused on porn and its affects, I was glad that the light of Jesus is being shone on this dark topic.

I know that not only men are affected by this addiction.
If you suffer from an addiction to porn, I pray that God will free you from bondage. I pray that your behaviors and desires will be changed, to the point that the mere thought of engaging with any form of porn will make you physically ill.  I pray for repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation in your life.

If you would like prayer for this topic or anything in your life, please email womensministry@dwgc.org. A group of ladies will pray for you and your request will remain confidential.

As stated above, pornography is evil. We do not need to be in despair. God has equipped us with the weapons of the Word, fasting and prayer to combat the evil we face in this world.  With this in mind, about a week prior to the men’s conference in May, I decided to invite anyone to join me at my home church to pray during the conference on Saturday.  No one was able to join me physically, but I did create a web conference. Two other ladies joined me through this. The format was silent and there were no web cameras on. I typed out prayers on screen, as the Holy Spirit led.

Pornography leads to an increase in the demand for victims of human trafficking.
Please also join me in praying for this:

Lord, for the victims, let them be freed in this life, and turn to you.
For those who profit from selling other humans, let them be broken and turn to Jesus on the cross, and repent.

The following are the prayers shared during the gathering for the men’s conference.

Please join me in praying for:

o Ray Ortlund (author of Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility)
            Thanksgiving for his call to speak out against pornography
            Gift of his message
            That his words will touch the hearts of all who attend the conference

o All of those who attended the conference

            Holy Spirit, move through that place. Open hearts and minds

            That they will be moved to SPEAK OUT AGAINST

            They would be equipped to be the spiritual leaders of their families.

o Freedom for all who are in bondage to addiction

            Jesus, break the chains!

o Family members and broken relationships that have been affected

            Restoration of trust

            That marriages will be a reflection of Christ and His church

            Grace and love will prevail in the relationship

o Women, whose partners or other family members are addicted, who feel that they have to suffer alone

o That any generational curse is broken

            that there is no stronghold on the young

            that any exposure is swiftly and divinely erased from their minds

o Victims and all involved in sex work

            Circumstances in their lives that led to their exploitation

            That they will know Jesus and see themselves as He sees them and know His love

            full healing of mind / body / soul

o Children who are victims

            Lord, have mercy

o Everyone involved in the porn industry - those profiting from or contributing to it

            That they will come to know Jesus and accept Him as lord and savior

            Their hearts will be broken

            They will see their victims as Christ sees them

o Jesus, Shine your light on this plague of the land

o For anyone you know who is in bondage

            Holy Spirit, guide them and convict them

            That they will overcome, and help others they know

John 1:5 

The light shines in the darkness, and darkness has not overcome it.

2 Cor. 10:3-5

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

2 Chron. 20:15

This is what the Lord says to you: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.

For the battle is not yours, but God's"

REPENTANCE

FORGIVENESS

RESTORATION

Amen!

Sometimes when the power goes out at my house, I have a terrible habit of continuously trying to turn the lights on. Then, as I move about the house and get busy working on other things, I forget about the lack of electricity. I keep doing this repeated action and almost seemed surprised by the outcome every single time.

If I decided to stand in my kitchen and keep flipping the light switch on in a "try harder attempt" to overcome that lack of electrical current flowing into my home, most observers would be concerned for my sanity. No amount of turning on the light will cause the bulb to be illuminated without access to electricity.  

Sometimes my approach to prayer can look a great deal like this exercise in futility. I pray, but I get distracted, confused, concerned, and defeated. How often am I simply approaching prayer with little preparation?  

Are my prayers plugged into the power source God has provided? In my case, not always. If I am being honest, not very often at all. I want to complete my prayer tasks rapidly in the name of efficiency. I want to move through a list of requests and check them off. And yet I struggle... 

So, what is the power source?  

Before I can plug into God's powerful provision, I need to review some basic communication principles. Prayer is, after all, my communication with God. So how does God speak to His people? How do I hear from Him? 

Psalm 19 points to one way God speaks: through his glorious creation.  

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Psalm 19:1-6 NIV

In His kindness, God also speaks through the Bible.   

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

    making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

Psalm 19:7-10 NIV

Every sunset, sunrise, mountain vista, or starry sky speaks volumes for God and His character. God reveals Himself in the world He placed His people in. If I choose to notice, I can take in God's stunning creation every single day. 

In His kindness, God also speaks through the Bible.  

God's word provides warnings, guidance, and soul nourishment. It refreshes the soul. Since He created me, He knows exactly what my limitations are. God knows what I need and what would be best for me to avoid. The Bible overflows with gifts for me, but I must open them. Also, and perhaps the part I have so often missed, I must take time to meditate on God's word.  

Sadly, the secular world has hijacked the notion of meditation and perverted it into something to avoid at all costs. While Eastern meditation practices are not tools for me to use, the practice of meditation itself is neutral. It all depends on the focus of my meditating mind. Spending time focusing on God and His word is a way for me to tend my soul and plug into the power source God has provided. Taking time out of my busy schedule to sit and dwell in God's presence as I read or listen to His word provides a needed reset.  

11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

Psalm 19:11-13 NIV

Focused time in God's word can keep me on track with His will and serve as a warning when I go off course. God's word brings ongoing transformation.  

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 NIV

This final verse from Psalm 19 is a pattern for powerful prayer. Donald S. Whitney, in his book on spiritual disciplines, explains, "...meditation was a catalyst that catapulted David (the author this Psalm 19) from the truth of God into talking with God." Taking time to process the input of God's word steeps my heart and mind with His presence. Continually repeating this process with a daily intake of scripture begins to change me from the inside out. My prayers will transform because I will want what God wants. My mind will shift because I will think about what God thinks about. My heart will change, and I will enjoy what God wants.  

The psalms can provide an ideal starting point for meditation that leads into prayer. Each psalm provides both a focus for meditation and a written prayer. For example, read Psalm 19 to begin and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight one verse or phrase.

Ways to Meditate on Scripture

• Read the psalm a second or third or fourth time

• Read the psalm in different versions of the Bible

• Listen to someone else read it to you

• Look for a song that features the passage of scripture you chose

• Try drawing a picture or painting something from the psalm

• Read each line, pausing and listening for God to speak between each one

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you something fresh and new hidden in the text

Prayers prayed after a meditation time will be more focused and have greater clarity. This exercise will increase confidence in prayer. My heart is instructed by the truths found in scripture.  

How about you? Do you meditate on scripture before you pray? What passages of scripture do you use? I would love to hear about your experiences.  

**This post was originally published on my blog: Soul Tending in the Psalms @ antheakotlan.com.

Prayer and Power Source

Prayer Art - Sarah Kate Davis

I used to think art was something only a few gifted people could do. And adding prayer to the art made it sound even more inaccessible. But, the Lord is faithful to share his heart with those who seek it. Let me tell you how prayer art works in my life.

I love color. When I graduated college and started collecting decorations for my first apartment, I thought neutrals were the way to go. I thought: neutrals = classic. I wasn’t wrong, and some people rock the neutral palette as a lifestyle, but I am not one of those people. I need to be surrounded by colors that are bold and bright and vibrant. To me, color = life. It only takes a quick glance at creation to see God feels the same way. The world is full of tropical plants living in green humidity, deserts dressed in bold red heat, Arctic waters brimming with deep blue life and humans designed with a vast array of melanin in skin tones. God made the world to be full of color and it is breathtaking. So, when I approach prayer art, I am drawn to color.

There are people who prefer painting with acrylics for the structure or oils because something can always be changed. I prefer painting with watercolors because I have less control in the process and it’s easy to see redemption in my painting mistakes. (I think we can all agree letting go of control is a difficult discipline.) In cooking, there is a French word for the process of gathering and measuring all the ingredients you need before you begin cooking; mise en place. This is a time before the actual cooking happens when the chef takes time to prepare the space and their mind. I like to mirror this practice before I begin painting. I gather my brushes, fill a jar with water and lay out the paper. Once the physical space is cleared, I invite the Holy Spirit to calm my mental and emotional space. I sit quietly and ask for alignment with Christ. I ask the Lord to bring someone to my mind to pray for while I paint and then I begin.
A few months ago, the Lord gave me a picture of my next prayer art project. I saw a simple black outline of a person filled with colors. The colors were wild and beautiful, and each had a specific meaning for the person. Thinking about it now, I wonder if that’s how God sees us, full of beauty and wildness and intention.

The painting pictured is a result of that vision. Once I had completed my own version of mise en place, the Holy Spirit immediately suggested a family who is very dear to my heart. I started with the outline and let the Spirit guide the colors I chose. I started with blue because the family is connected through baptism. There’s yellow at the crown of each head to represent the light of Christ. The mother and daughter are connected by warm colors for great passion and emotional strength. The father and son are joined by a cool blue for their ease with whatever comes their way. The entire family is united in green for their continued growth in relationship with each other and the Lord. The bottom is filled with purple because they are a redeemed people. The mixture of green and blue at the top is a prayer that they might meet all coming changes with inextinguishable hope and a steadfast trust in the Lord.

I used to think I wasn’t good enough to be a prayer artist, but now I know the Lord takes me (and my art) as I am.

Prayer Reset
Part II

4)    Plan

I learned this acronym a long time ago. It brings needed structure to my prayer time. I can get lost when praying, just letting my thoughts wander. (For that same reason I like to pray out loud.) I have found this acronym, ACTS, to be helpful both when I am alone and with a group.  ACTS stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication.

Adoration: Enter His courts with praise. Psalm 100:4. Spending a few moments at the outset of prayer in praise to God for who He is shifts our eyes off our circumstances and onto our almighty all-sufficient God. This is a time to remember God’s character and attributes such as His mercy, His power and might, His love. It is also the time to focus upon aspects of who He is. For instance, I might say, “You are the Good Shepherd, the Alpha the Omega, the One who is and was and will be. You are my Rock, my stronghold and defender.” Begin with praise.

Confession: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9.

Before we go further in prayer, we take a moment to reflect on our lives, asking the Holy Spirit to convict us of any sin we have not dealt with before the Lord.  We need His cleansing and forgiveness. Ask Him to search out your heart. Wait on Him. If He brings anything to mind be sure to deal with it by turning away from the attitude or behavior. Confess your sin to the Lord. (Confess means to say the same thing as; you confess your sin when you call it sin and do not excuse or minimize it. Sin is when we go our way and not God’s way.) Receive His forgiveness with thanksgiving.

We do this daily so we stay confessed up!  Keep short accounts with God. He is looking for followers who are blameless not sinless.

Thanksgiving:  Enter His gates with thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4. Take a moment to thank the Lord for what He has done.

Have a grateful heart, remember and be thankful. You cannot be arrogant and grateful to the Lord at the same time. We acknowledge that the Lord is the giver of every good thing. We are not self-sufficient. Thankfulness puts us in the right position to receive His blessings. We recognize His goodness and our neediness.

Supplication:  Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.  Psalm 62:7. Level with the Lord. Be honest about what is going on in your heart. (The Lord knows anyway.) I like to imagine my prayer requests and the burdens of my heart are gathered into a backpack. When I come before the Throne of Grace I release all the contents of the backpack and leave them at the feet of the Lord, trusting Him with all of them. Pour out and release are the words that aptly describe supplication.

5)    Pen and Paper

Finally write down what you are praying about and when you get an answer, record it too.  You may not believe this but as time goes by you will not remember everything you have prayed for.  When you later read your prayers and answers you will be amazed. Recording your requests will be an incredible faith builder.  I have composition books where I journaled my prayers from years past and it blows me away to see how the Lord has answered my simple requests.  He is full of mercy and faithful. He wants us to put Him on display.

Are you ready for a prayer reset? You are welcomed into the very command center of the universe. The doors have been opened and you are invited to approach the throne of grace and make your requests, leaving your burdens at the Lord’s feet.  You can change the future. Avail yourself of this awesome privilege. Ready, set, go!

Additional resources can be found here: https://subspla.sh/ftrcsyk

Prayer Reset

Part I

“Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Every once in a while, I need a jump start to my prayer life, something to keep me on track. Sometimes I let things slide and I need encouragement to persevere.  I need a prayer reset. You may be like me.  If you can identify with me, I want to share a few thoughts that have helped me bring more consistency and fruitfulness to my daily time of focused prayer.

1)    Priority

Prayer is important. It was a game changer for me when I realized that prayer really does change things. I mean my little feeble, not flowery or beautiful, but simple prayers can move the heart of God and change things. Taking the time to pray makes a difference. Jesus modeled the importance of prayer by often slipping away to get alone with His heavenly Father in prayer. If He needed that focused time, how much more do we? Paul knew the importance of prayer, he often asked for others to pray for him in his epistles. “Pray for us…and I urge you all the more to do this that I may be restored to you the sooner.”  Hebrews 13:18-19. Paul knew the prayers of believers could change the future!

We know that God is sovereign and all-powerful. We know He can do whatever He wants, but for some reason He often limits Himself, waiting until we join Him in accomplishing His purposes on earth through prayer. It is humbling to think that God is waiting on our prayers. In fact, some things will never happen because we fail to pray. (No guilt, just pray!) “You do not have because you do not ask.” James 4:2. We need to ask. If we really grasped this truth we would never get off our knees! Make prayer a priority.  Before you reach for your phone in the morning, have your time alone with the Lord.

2)    Place

We can obviously pray everywhere we go and we should!  But it is also a good idea to have a set place for daily prayer. I literally take the advice of Jesus and go into my closet. It is a place where I know I will not be interrupted. Ask the Lord, be creative, you will find the right place for prayer.

3)    Position

I suggest you get on your knees to pray, who else do you kneel before when you talk with them?  Kneeling demonstrates the honor we give the Lord and our humble place before Him. Jesus modeled kneeling in prayer when He prayed in Gethsemane. Paul modeled kneeling in prayer throughout his Epistles. “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.”  Acts 20:36

Additional resources can be found here: https://subspla.sh/ftrcsyk
**For more steps to taking a “Prayer Reset,” check our next blog post scheduled to appear on Thursday, July 14th.

Praying God’s Word and Persistence in Prayer

I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.
- C.S. Lewis

Prayer is a foundational spiritual discipline for the Christian. It is crucial. It is expected. Jesus prayed. When Jesus offers prayer guidance he says “when you pray” not if (Matthew 6). Prayer is our lifeline to God.

God delights in your prayers. Whether they are eloquent sonnets or a simple, ‘Lord, help me,’ the most important thing about prayer is that you pray. We may start with requests and that is okay. The Lord invites us to cast our cares on him (1 Peter 5:7). Persisting in prayer the Lord adds to our prayers of spiritual milk and grow us into the tough chewing and hard to swallow components of prayers such as waiting, fasting, preparing for the “No.”, or clinging to prayer when the healing does not come the way you prayed it would.

In my own prayer life, the greatest turning point was learning to pray God’s word. When we pray scripture, we are truly wielding the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). When we face the enemy in the trenches of spiritual warfare, the word of God prayed aloud proves to be an effective tool powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). When you add scripture to prayer, buckle up my friends because a change is going to come.

Your prayer life will have peaks and valleys. You may go from bold prayers affirming God’s promises to prayers that are mere whispers. Some prayers seem to bounce off the sky as you repeat them over and again. No matter what, persevere. When things go right, pray. When things go wrong, pray. When you don’t know what to pray, keep praying for the Holy Spirit will intercede for you (Romans 8:26). Don’t grow weary. He works even when we cannot see it.

Persistent prayer yields fruit. Years ago, I joined a prayer team. Every week we received a request for C’s salvation. Years after the Lord moved me from that church, I remained on the email list. I will never forget the day it came. “Good news, C has accepted Christ!” Tearfully my heart leapt in rejoicing with the heavenly hosts for C. We all have Cs in our life, so keep praying!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12). If you are new to prayer or a seasoned prayer warrior, the Lord will grow you through your prayer life. We are promised that “God who began the good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, NLT). He is transforming us into his likeness from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) and prayer is a powerful conduit for that transformation.

Using the Book of Common Prayer

Prayer has always come easily to me, and I love to pray. As a young believer I read the Bible and prayed every day. I also met with a small group of women, the five of us gathered and prayed together each week for ten years. I can’t pinpoint when things shifted, but looking back I was becoming disillusioned. There was serious unresolved conflict within our denomination that had grown so intense we could not avoid confrontation. Our family prayed for answers, the depth of the problems and lack of solutions was traumatic for me, I felt devastated.

I started to notice that my prayers felt forced. The place in my heart where prayer usually flowed freely seemed to have turned to dust. My soul felt dry as a desert. I wanted to pray but I didn’t seem able to focus my thoughts. I was also struggling to read my Bible which was something I had done daily for years. Deadness had replaced desire; I was worn down. A friend who attended an Anglican church suggested I try listening to their Sunday messages. It was refreshing and I found the liturgy helped me feel centered again.

Three years later, my husband’s job moved us to Katy, TX.  While looking for a church in Katy, I felt repeatedly drawn to Grace Anglican Community. I thought it was strange that I felt such a pull towards this church and questioned whether my husband who had never been part of a liturgical church, would even consider giving it a try.

I found where the Anglican Church in North America had a copy of their new prayer book online. I had used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) in the Episcopal church as a child. Now, I wondered where it came from and who had written it. I was shocked to find that it had been around since 1549.

As an experiment, I started reading through the BCP and using it to pray. I thought a lot about the four hundred and seventy years that others had been praying using these same words. Maybe some of them had been spiritually dried up and worn down too. What I wasn’t expecting was that this ancient text would begin healing my soul.  I had been taught that using prayers written by others in some way diminished prayer’s power or didn’t count when talking to God. This was not the experience I was having. So much of the BCP is scripture; these prayers were transforming my spirit, filling the parched places, and renewing my faith.

Our family has been part of Grace Anglican for three years now. Once again, I belong to a group of ladies who meet weekly. One of the things that we do together is pray Evening Prayer from the Daily Office. Praying these timeworn prayers with others has been a beautiful, Spirit-filled experience. I thank God for the refreshing He brought to me through this new way of praying. If using the BCP isn’t a part of the way you pray, I challenge you to try it. The Lord could surprise you as He did me by blowing away the dust and breathing new life into your soul.

Kathy Summers

Grace Anglican Community, Katy, TX

Blessed are You O Lord

To be honest, prayer has never been my strong suit. I never thought I was good at it. I always felt like I just came before God with this laundry list of wants - similar to a Christmas wish list that you would send to Santa. The difference being that on Christmas morning you know whether or not you got what you had on your list. God isn't exactly like that. He does not necessarily respond in the timeframe that we had in mind nor in the manner with which we assume. Needless to say, my prayer life was not very fulfilling and I was not really motivated to pray consistently.

Several years ago, the Holy Spirit got my attention with this verse from Exodus 33:11: The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. That's what I wanted! I wanted to have such a rich prayer life that the Lord would speak to me as a man speaks to his friend. So that's what I started praying for. And I started studying Moses to see what he had done to get to the point that his prayer life was so rich and full.

What I found as I looked at Moses and his life with God was that it wasn't about Moses at all, but it was all about God. Prayer is not about what I can get out of God or what He will do for me. It’s not about how eloquent my words are or how many I use. Prayer is about my relationship with God. Period. The abundant prayer life that I was seeking found its basis in my relationship with God. I don't have to worry about how I pray, or what I pray. Or if He answers or how He answers. It is about coming before Him with my whole heart and allowing Him to change my heart. It is about putting aside my laundry list of wants and simply to come and be in His Presence; to sit with Him in the Tent of Meeting; to allow Him to tell me what I should pray for rather than me always telling Him what I think He ought to do. It is about sharing my greatest hopes and dreams and my darkest fears and failures. It is about caring about the things He cares about and being willing to act on the things He asks. Prayer isn't always about talking, or requesting, but also listening and sometimes simply abiding in His Presence. That is where He wants me to be; just like Moses, in the Tent of Meeting, where the Lord will speak to me, face-to-face, as a man speaks with his friend.

I watched a Max Lucado video recently where he addresses the question, “Can we enjoy unbroken communion with God?” In his teaching, he tells us that Jesus did and we can too, and he gives four suggestions for starting: Give God your

·       waking thoughts

·       waiting thoughts

·       whispering thoughts

·       waning thoughts.

Well, I tried that on, but failed miserably. Sometimes someone else’s practice just does not fit us. However, other people’s practices can also inspire us to find our own way. Inspired by a prayer life that enabled me to enjoy unbroken communion with God and was aligned with Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to be faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12), I kept searching for a practice that fit me.

As it happened, I was also watching “The Chosen” series at the time. (“As it happened” – even as I wrote those words, I knew better – nothing is a coincidence; the Holy Spirit was working in me!) I was really inspired by the presentation of the prayer life of Jesus’ disciples. It might almost go unnoticed, but as the ordinary events of the day occur, they are shown praying, “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe…” They prayed when they woke up, when they ate, when they went to bed. How many times do I bless the Lord throughout my day?

Inspired, I researched further and found several of these prayers. Here are a couple of my favorites:

·       In the evening when going to bed
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings sleep to my eyes and slumber to my eyelids.

·       Any time
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who is good and does good.

By the grace of God, I have incorporated these and other “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe” prayers into my daily prayer life. I find them very fulfilling, and a simple way to commune with God throughout my day. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, in Your Name I will hope, for Your Name is good.

Prayer as a Young Adult

Since I was a child, prayer in my family was always important. My parents taught me to pray before every meal and first thing in the mornings. Like most children, I look up to my parents and want to follow in their footsteps, but it wasn’t till I was older that I started appreciating the power of prayer.

Fast forward some years, I was starting college at my father’s Alma Mater with a scholarship and my four-year plan in mind with the confidence that nothing and no one would get in my way. I was commuting over an hour one way to school every day and working full time. Looking back, I don’t know how I thought I could do this all on my own. I wasn’t praying like I used, and I started neglecting my Bible time before bed.

Those few months were difficult. I was in my first year of college, working full time, and I started dating for the first time. My relationship started off nice, and I thought we had the same Christian values. Soon I learned that wasn’t the case, and the relationship took a turn for the worse and became abusive. I was in such a vulnerable place. I felt lost and alone, so I started praying again on my drive to and from school. I told myself I would begin dedicating more time to God and start trusting in him more because I knew he had a plan for me and would never abandon me.

When I pray, I ask for guidance and strength to forgive. I had so much heartache and resentment in my heart, but I knew if I stayed strong in my prayers, God would heal and guide me.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

 God blessed me with peace in my heart and freedom from people and things holding me back. The best part was how he blessed me with a job at my church as a receptionist.

 So much for the plan. I thought I had a few years ago. I am nowhere near where I thought I would be, but I am exactly where God needs me to be. For that, I am extremely grateful.

Praying with Children

Last night, in preparation for teaching my Children’s Chapel lesson this week on Holy Spirit, I asked my 87-year-old mother and my 72-year-old husband what they wished someone had told them about Holy Spirit when they were a child. My mom thought for just a second, tears filled her eyes as she put her hand up to her heart, and she said, “That He’s here, in my heart.”

My husband, a retired priest, said, “He isn’t just a Church word. He’s a real
person.” I mention this as I begin my post about praying with children
because I have often failed to remind myself and the children I pray with that prayer is a conversation with God. He’s a real loving person we talk to and listen to, as He lives in our hearts. So however, we teach our children to pray, and there are as many ways as there are people, that is a good place to start.

I wondered if I should write about praying with children or teaching them to pray, and I realized that they are so intertwined as to almost be the same thing for me. As a grandmother and long ago a young mother, I have prayed with my children but usually didn’t take the time to do more than a blessing and a prayer for them. I wish I had taken more time to talk with them about prayer and discuss what we together might pray about. Of course, asking theHoly Spirit and letting them pray would also have been good!

As Children’s Ministries Coordinator at Christ Our King Anglican Church in
New Braunfels for almost nine years now, I have scheduled myself to lead
Children’s Chapel whenever I am in town. When I first arrived, Betsy, my
assistant, led the prayer time. She was using the ripple prayer method, like the ripples in a pond start small around the place where a stone is thrown, starting with ourselves, and get bigger and bigger the farther and farther from ourselves as we go to the whole world. I loved it, and we continued to pray this way for a while, but eventually, I thought to change our routine to something more liturgical to match what the parents were doing in church.

After we light the candles and quiet our hearts before the Lord, I told the
children that we could picture ourselves in God the Father’s throne room,
kneeling before Him seated on His glorious throne, Jesus beside Him on His glorious throne. Psalm 123, “To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art
enthroned in the heavens!”

In advance, we let the children choose one of seven cards with a different
kind of prayer on each one, describing, or letting them describe what each kind is. They are (in this order for reasons we talk about from time to time) Praise, Thanksgiving, Confession, Intercession, Petition, Oblation, and Blessing. Then, the children (and sometimes adults or teens) choose the one they want to pray for that week and in their own words.

One of our larger families must also be using this method at home. When I start to make a mistake about the order, or a new child needs to know what oblation means, these children can help them understand that it is offering ourselves to God. They also know that petition is a prayer, usually for ourselves, that we know aligns with the will of God, such as, “help me to love you more, Lord.”

I offer these thoughts, and this technique to you, to use or not use, as you
are led by our teacher, the Holy Spirit, who knows each of us, and each child we have the privilege to pray with.

Shalom!
Catherine Howanstine
Christ our King, New Braunfels, TX