National Day of Prayer

I'm exceedingly grateful that God doesn't leave us as we are, but is regularly prodding us on to new growth and deeper, richer communion with Him.

God has taken my husband and me on a journey of sorts throughout the past couple of years. He's ignited in us a passion to pray. I'll be the first to say that, while I received Christ as my Savior at an early age and recommitted my life to Him in Jr. High, prayer had never been a consistent, vibrant part of my walk with Christ. Oh sure, I went to Him with my list of needs and requests, but I was somewhat clueless when it came to praising and worshiping Him for Who He is. I rarely took the time simply to linger in His presence. I failed to be still before Him and allow Him to whisper in my ear. My heart has been so encouraged by the request of one of Jesus' disciples...one of the men who walked with Him and knew Him most closely. He said, "Lord, teach us to pray..." That has been my prayer, as well.

Throughout the past couple of years, God has been speaking to me. He's been telling me what He wants. It's no secret. I've clearly heard Him calling me to prayer. I liken it to Him gently placing His hand beneath my chin and lifting it to Him so that He's all I see. And over the past year, we've watched Him doing the same thing in the lives of our church family and friends. One by one, God's people are standing up and agreeing that there's more...so much more...that God longs to do in and through us! God has even used people whom we otherwise would have never met to motivate, challenge, and encourage us to seek God's face! As I see this ripple effect among our church family and friends, my heart is gladdened and exuberant! As I've frequently told my husband, I believe we're on the cusp of God doing some unbelievable, miraculous things within the Body! It blesses my heart to see believers gathered together in prayer and ascribing worth to Jesus Christ!

Today, on this National Day of Prayer, I'm excited to gather with our church family this evening for a Concert of Prayer. My heart is further elated that some of our high school students will be joining the pastoral staff in leading this service. These are the students we love and do life with; the students who are passionately following after God with their hearts and lives. I'm thankful that our three young sons are hearing and seeing what it means to seek God's face, and I pray that God will ignite in them a passion to know Him intimately and deeply.

"A great emphasis in prayer is what God desires to do in us. He desires to get us under His loving authority, dependent on His Spirit, walking in the Light, motivated by His love, and living for His glory." ~ William Thrasher