7 Prayers That Work

  Here's a guest post (combo devotional and prayer!) from my friend Tracey Kelly. Psalm 62:8   Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.   I often think that asking God hard questions is an act of unbelief in him. It feels like I don’t trust him if I admit that I don’t understand what he’s doing. But questions and trust are not opposites. I can be confused and trust him at the same time. I can bear heavy feelings, admit my doubt and fear, and still know that he is good. Bringing the ugly stuff to God is a bold act of faith . Our relationship is so authentic that it can carry the weight of hard things. If I didn’t go to God with the really hard stuff , what does that say about my relationship with him?   It matters who I run to when life is dark. It matters where I hide and where I look for light. My direction reveals the authority is in my life. What if true communion with Jesus looked like a heart poured out completely--a tota

  I read 1 Samuel 14 today. Such a cool story.  Back story :  Jonathan and his father King Saul are the only people in the arm with swords (can you imagine!?) because the Philistines had a monopoly on blacksmithing. That's not a good strategy for winning a war. Problem : Jonathan wants to attack an entire Philistine outpost on a cliff, at night, with only his armor-bearer. They have one sword, and they have to scale a cliff to get to the enemy. Jonathan is tired of losing . He's tired of his father disobeying God's commands. He wants justice . He wants righteousness . He knows they should be ridding their land of the Philistine's godless influence.  And he's not afraid of the cost. What Jonathan says : "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving , whether by many or by few." (1 Sam. 14:6) What happens : They go--just the two of them--and call up

  I read Philippians Chapter 1 this morning, and I thought of you.   All of you.   I realized how much we need to pray Verse 9-11 for one another. So here is powerful intercessory prayer, straight from the Bible-- Philippians 1:9-11 .  I'm praying it for you! Dear Holy Spirit who intercedes for us, May we intercede for one another like this: "And this is my prayer:  that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best  and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God." In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

  Oh, Lord, Please give my friend courage and wisdom to stand in the midst of crisis. May ________ see true North-- You are guiding _______ toward the light of your purpose. You have a greater plan for ________ than anyone can see. Transfer your power because you are the Rock. Affirm your steadfastness because you are the God who is Present . Remind of your love because you are Jesus, Savior. Whisper encouragement because you are the Comforter. Infuse boldness because you are the Mighty God of vengeance and the Defender of our souls. Nothing is too hard for you. Nothing surprises you. Nothing changes your plan of love and salvation for us. May ________ feel your presence before, beside, behind, and with him/her because you are a God who protects us. Fight for us and win for us. It's what you do! Surround us. We are safe with you. In Jesus' Everlasting name, Amen. 2 Kings 6 :13-18 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surround

  Here I am again, trying to trust You, God. In the last year alone, I've posted 9 prayers specifically addressing the issue of trusting God. Given the year we've had, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And here I am, about to post another prayer about trust. This week, during my prayer time (which I usually have while I walk my neighborhood), Kari Jobe's song " Trust in you " played on Spotify through my Airpods. It struck me that I'm still struggling over this same issue of faith. I still doubt and worry about what God is doing in my life. Where are you taking me, God? What am I supposed to be doing? Why do I feel so afraid? So unsettled? I'm discouraged that trusting God remains difficult, no matter how much or how long I've worked on it. I'm choosing to trust God again today. Moment by moment. This year. (Read a whole blog about this struggle here .) So here's a song to inspire you and a prayer to transport you into God's presence,