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Ask to Get Out of the Boat

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In order to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat and let God draw you farther into the storm!

Ask To Get Out of The Boat

My Pastor loves to say that everything we experience with God starts with God’s invitation. Personally, I have always liked that quote. I’ve used that quote with other people and his logic made perfect sense. Recently, I’ve been looking at reciprocity and how God waits to be invited into our situations and circumstances. Jesus waited until Peter asked to command him out of the boat. Only by asking to be called out of the boat was Peter able to do far more than withstand the storm.

God’s Invitations

Our experiences with God definitely start with an invitation. God invites us to accept him. He invites us to love him. Jesus invites us to believe in the power of his life, death and resurrection. There is an old picture that has been around since I was a kid that shows Jesus knocking on a door with no handle. Just like the door, which can only be opened for the inside, Jesus waits for us to open ourselves and let Him into our lives.

In order to become a Christian, we absolutely need to accept the invitation of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice. Afterward, God invites us to partner with him in seeing his will be done and heaven brought to Earth. And God continues to invite us regularly. He asks us to do all sorts of things, big and small, if we are willing to listen.

But should we always wait on God’s invitation?

You are invited to get out of the boat and walk on the water.
While our relationship with God starts with Christ’s invitation, God also waits for us to invite him into our circumstances.

Reciprocity in Relationships

In any good, healthy relationship, there must be reciprocity. We expect our friends, significant others, etc., to reciprocate our attention and investment. When we invite them out to do something, at some point, in order for the relationship to continue, they must invest and invite us back. Right?

I grow tired of a relationship if it is always at my request and I’m sure you do too. Its exhausting and makes the relationship feel fake when you feel like you are the only one who cares. God may never give up on us the way we sometimes give up on others and yet God wants our invitation just as much as we need his.

The Importance of Acceptance

God loves us so much, He sent his only son to take our place. This was done to restore our relationship with Him. And yet, we have to accept that invitation. We have to accept Him. A huge part of the salvation story is that God respects our free will. He gives us choice. And part of that choice is whether or not we continue in relationship with Him. He would rather we be hot or cold, all in or all out, than lukewarm.

We are disgusting to him when we profess to believe but aren’t fully committed. When we say we love him but don’t walk with him daily he threatens to spit us out.

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Rev 3:16 ESV

God expects an intimate relationship with us. He expects us to spend time with Him, talk to Him and invest in Him the same way he loves, talks to and invests in us. What if he is also waiting for us to invite Him back?

Walking on Water

In Matthew, we see the story of Jesus walking on water. It’s a common story that I’m sure most of you are familiar with it. I’ve heard many sermons over the years on the power of Jesus to calm the storm, why he called Peter out of the boat, etc. But Jesus isn’t my focus in this passage today. Today, I want to look at Peter.

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14: 22-33 (ESV).

The 10 Year Storm

When I lived in California, my house was technically located in a flood zone. We never had water in our yard but this flood zone wasn’t for a normal desert monsoon. This flood zone was for the 10, 15 and 20 year storms. This area flooded only during the massive storms that hit so infrequently they are named by the average length of time between them. While we did have several storms that filled the wash behind our house, we never experienced anything that came close to flooding our yard. The size of storm needed to do that was extraordinary, and uncommon.

Likewise, the storm the disciples were facing wasn’t a normal summer squall but rather something out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was a 10 year storm. I don’t know exactly how bad it was but I do know it wasn’t a common storm.

Getting Out of the Boat

Several of the disciples were fisherman. Going on a boat wasn’t new to them. This was their life and their livelihood. They were as comfortable on their boat as we would be at our desks. And yet this storm was enough that the other fisherman had probably headed into shore, tied their boats up and went home, praying their boats would survive the night. It wasn’t the kind of storm you wanted to be caught out in open water for.

Getting out of the boat means inviting God to call you further into the storm.

Are you comfortable in your house? Your car? Your office? Even if you hate driving, being in your own car is probably less stressful than being in a rental or having to take a bus. These men were comfortable on a boat. They wouldn’t have been afraid of large waves or big winds. The waves that ‘tossed’ the boat about could more aptly be described as crushing, devastating waves.

We can get too comfortable in our comfort zones. We can reach a place of complacency where we don’t want to leave it.

Experiencing the Extraordinary

Can you imagine being out on the water in a storm big enough to disturb those with you who worked on the water for a living? While you’re watching the fisherman starting to get upset and panic, you suddenly see a man walking towards you through the wind and waves? Would you believe your eyes or would you think something really strange and probably bad was happening?

When Jesus approached his disciples, walking on water, they disbelieved. They called him a ghost. I think it’s safe to say that it was such an abnormal event that you and I would have probably looked twice and second guessed too.

in order to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat

Peter stands out from the rest though. Peter didn’t say “come closer so we can make sure its you.” Peter said “if it’s you, command me to get out of the boat.”

Inviting a Command

Think about this for moment.

Peter could have gotten out of the boat on his own. But what would have happened? Peter didn’t have the power to walk on water the way Jesus was. Peter couldn’t have swam through the storm to Jesus either; the storm was too great. Peter knew that Jesus being the Son of God and having command of the storm and him was the only way in which he would reach Jesus.

Courage to Get Out of the Boat

Peter obviously didn’t doubt that it was Jesus walking towards them. He knew that only the Son of God could have walked through the storm. Only the Son of God could have walked on water. Knowing it was Jesus is what made Peter fearless. He had no doubt, that if Jesus commanded him, if Jesus conferred the power upon him, that Peter could walk on the water as well.

But Peter knows that getting out of the boat, alone in his own power, isn’t enough. So Peter asks his Lord to command him out of the boat.

Peter didn't wait for Christ to reach the boat. He asked Christ to command him out of it.

Peter invited Jesus to command him out of the boat. He asked. He didn’t wait for Jesus to have the idea himself. And Peter didn’t sit in the boat waiting for Jesus to come to him. Peter knew that with the Lord all things are possible and that he could join Jesus where Jesus was. He knew he didn’t have to wait! Peter’s faith was greater than the storm and even greater than what we know to be possible.

And how was Peter rewarded?

In asking Christ to call him out of the boat, Peter did the extraordinary. He went beyond staying safe in the boat, holding on to his comfort zone, to doing something no one else in history can claim to have done – he walked on water with Jesus Christ.

Jesus said come and Peter did. He got out of the boat and began to walk on the water towards Jesus.

But just like us, Peter looked around. He took his eyes off his Lord. Peter saw his circumstances, the wind and waves, and he realized the full extend of the situation he was in. He was walking on water, in the middle of the sea, no where near shore and increasingly farther from his boat.

Peter had no life vest. No safety net. But Peter had everything he needed. He had Jesus.

Isn’t that enough?

Distracted by the Storm

I don’t know about you, but I tend to get distracted by the chaos. The storm around me steals my attention and I get overwhelmed by the wind and the waves. I take my eyes of Jesus and I start to sink.

How many times do you feel like you are drowning and going under? I can think of at least a dozen songs with references to drowning and going under because it is a universal feeling.

But sinking, and drowning, is not our inheritance. That is not our fate or destiny. We are promised life and life abundantly.

Feeling overwhelmed, like we are drowning in the storm is not our emotional inheritance! God promises us peace that passes understanding.

Peter didn’t succumb to sinking. When Peter grew frightened, he called out to Christ. He asked for help. He begged Jesus to save him. Again, he asked!

Jesus knew Peter was sinking. He knew Peter couldn’t walk on the water on his own. He certainly knew Peter’s faith would be tested when he was fully out of the boat without a safety net. But Jesus didn’t hurry to Peter’s side. Jesus waited. Much like Jesus waited when Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited to help Peter until Peter realized the full extend of his need.

Peter had to call out to his Lord. He had to swallow his pride, admit he couldn’t do it on his own and fully rely on Christ. Peter had to ask Jesus to do something. He had to invite Jesus fully into the situation and fully rely on him to act on Peter’s behalf.

Jesus waited until Peter asked to be saved before he reached out to pull Peter from the waves.

And Jesus did. He immediately reached out his hand to grab ahold of Peter. He pulled him back up and asked why he doubted.

Chastized for Doubting

But I doubt. Don’t you?

What is your comfort zone? What are you holding on to? How are you doubting that Jesus is enough? Do you fully trust him to let go of your safety net and step out in extreme faith?

Is there something you are being called to do that you can’t muster the courage for? Is there a dream or passion that you are waiting for God to give you the green light on?

This blog is out of the boat for me. I regularly feel like I won’t be able to keep up with it, will run out of things to say, ramble incoherently or that it won’t be a help to anyone. And yet I know that these are lies. Already, in a few short weeks, I have been encouraged to keep going because my words have meant something to people. But this is out of my comfort zone! And there are other areas of my life where I could ask to be called out of my boat.

Back in the Boat

When Peter and Jesus got back in the boat, those in it acknowledged the strength and power of the Lord. The others saw what Peter had done and praised Christ.

Likewise, our testimony bolsters those around us. They see what God is doing in our lives and it encourages them. Our testimony is enough to sway unbelievers, and encourage other believers. But even while they can praise God with us for what Jesus has done in our lives, it doesn’t affect them the same way it does me. To us, it is personal. It is something impossible to forget. And its something personal between us and God.

Where Can You Invite God?

Peter was proactive. He reciprocated Jesus relationship easily because he walked with Christ in the flesh. But we have something Peter didn’t have. We have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us so we have no excuses. He is with us all of the time. And while the Holy Spirit does invite us to do things on a regular basis, he also respects our choice and free will and will wait for us to invite him back. Just like Peter didn’t wait for Jesus to call him out of the boat and he didn’t wait for Jesus to save Him, we need to not wait on the Lord to step in but rather actively invite Him.

Where can you invite Jesus more fully into your life today? I would challenge you to examine your comfort zones. Is there a storm you could be stepping into instead of staying safe from? When we take a step of faith, the Lord will never let us drown. Like Peter, we can walk on water with Christ.

If Jesus was walking on water toward you, would you ask him to call you out of the boat? What would that look like in your life? How can you share your past experiences with others? How can you invite God to use you more?

Prayer

Father,

Often times I feel like I am drowning. I look at the circumstances instead of you and I feel myself sinking beneath the waves. This is not my spiritual inheritance. This is not the feeling you have gifted me with.

I ask you for your peace that passes understanding. Calm my fears and worries that I can rise above these circumstances and walk with you, fearlessly.

While there is nothing wrong with staying in the boat like most of the disciples, safe and secure, I want to be like Peter. I want the courage and audacity to ask to be called out, to do something extraordinary.

in Jesus’ name,

BreA

When God Answers Prayer: Prayers in Bowls 6

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How do you respond when God answers prayer?

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When God Answers Prayers: Prayers in Bowls 6

God answers prayer every day. In big ways and small ones he is constantly moving at our request. We know this because scriptures tell us repetitively. Christ, himself, told us that “whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matthew 21:22).” So we can, without doubt, know that God answers prayers. It is usually not on our time or in the way we except but He absolutely does answer.

Prayers in Bowls

We have been talking about Revelations 5:5 and God storing our prayers in bowls. We’ve looked at prayer equity and how we need to pray without ceasing in order to fill our bowls. We’ve also discussed what we can do to stay busy while we’re waiting and how to wait well. These are all important concepts and if you’ve missed any, I would encourage you to go back and check them out!

God Answers Prayer

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Scripture assured us that whatever we ask of the father, through Jesus Christ, we will receive

Today, we’re looking at ways we can respond when God answers prayer. The Old Testament is filled with ways people responded to answered prayers.

Gratitude

It almost goes without saying that we are to give thanks when God answers prayer. Our response when God answers prayer is gratitude. We know this and it’s usually easy to say thank you but there is so much more to gratitude and gratefulness than merely expressing our thanks to God.

Everything God does, including the blessings He pours out upon us, are a testament to His love for us. And while He loves to lavish good gifts on us purely to bless us, He also uses those blessing to help reach others.

It’s easy for us to look at our blessings selfishly and to forget that we are commissioned to be His agents on Earth, spreading the good news of how much He loves us and others. How better to share his love than to share what He has and is doing for you?

Other than saying thank you to God directly, how do we express our gratitude when God answers prayer?

The Old Testament is filled with ways the people gave thanks. There are two main categories for how people gave thanks: praise and worship. The Psalms, especially, are filled with examples of people’s responses to God answering prayers. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Praise and Worship

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Praise and worship are classic responses when God answers prayer.  The Psalms are filled with dozens of verses where the Psalmist tells of praising and worshiping God for what He has done.  Praise and worship often get lumped together though and many don’t actually know the difference.  But there is a difference between the two!

There are two ways we can praise and worship the Lord.  Publicly and privately. 

Praise

Public praise is a collective experiences that acknowledges how God is working in the community – whether a family, church, ministry,  or something else.  While both praise and worship can be done alone or in community, the difference is that one is meant to be an outward confession of faith and thanks while the other is an inward adoration.  Often, the two go hand in hand which is where I believe the confusion lies. 

Psalm 9: 1-2 gives us a great look at what praise is meant to be.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart and (I will) tell of all your wonderful deeds.  I will be glad and rejoice in you and will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Praise can be word, song or thought.  It is being glad and rejoicing in who God is and what He has done.  To praise is to tell of or confess what God has done.

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.  Psalm 22:22

Testify

Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long. Psalm 35:28

When God answered prayer, the Psalmists often would express their desire to testify to His goodness.  Our witness is meant to encourage and bolster others.

God exists in relationship and relationship is important to him.  He is one in three and in perpetual relationship.  Additionally, He likens the relationship between Christ and the church to that of a marriage.  Likewise, we are not meant to exist alone.  As we’ve looked at before, community is an important part of our walk with God because we find strength in others.

Just like praising God for the answer to other’s prayers bolsters our own strength and reminds us that God is active, our answered prayers are the encouragement others need to give them hope and strengthen their faith.  There is great encouragement found sharing our testimony with others.

Feast

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the Bible is full of references to feasting as a way of praise God when He answers prayer.

While perhaps not mentioned in the Psalms, feasting is a strong Old Testament Tradition for giving thanks when God answers prayer and is an act of praise. After a victory in battle or God saving someone, there was often a feast.  Passover is a celebration of God rescuing his people and a celebration of freedom.

In modern times, while many have moved away from Biblical feasts, we still feast to give thanks. Thanksgiving is great example of how, even with God removed from the situation, we have an innate desire to collectively count our blessings and share with those we care about.

Worship

Privately, worship is done exclusively for ourselves.  It is us, in our hearts and minds, giving glory and thanks to God for who He is and what He has done for us.  Publicly, praise is about joining together as a community to praise God. 

Worship is an inward act from our hearts to God.  Isaiah 29:13 gives us a good look at the difference between praise and worship. 

These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Isaiah 29:13

While the first people in this passage were outwardly praising God, they hearts were wrong and they were not worshiping.  John gives us another look at this saying that true worshipers will worship in the Spirit because it comes from the heart.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.  John 4:23-24 (NIV)

While praise and worship absolutely can be done through song, it isn’t necessary for either.  Simple prayer can be praise and worship, as can be sharing a testimony.

Sacrifice

He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it of peace offerings and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:16

Let’s be clear.  God isn’t asking us to go out and kill the fatted calf or the unblemished lamb as in the days of the Old Testament.  However, when God gives us to us and blesses us, we are to give back.

Donations and Tithes

God blesses us regularly with provision.  We have jobs that pay bills and are asked to return a portion of this to do God’s work on Earth.  This tithe is one way we sacrifice to give back and thank God for what he has graciously blessed us with.  But it goes beyond our tithe. 

Donations to churches, charities, etc. can stretch us out of our comfort zones.  Often times families will ask for donations in lieu of flowers at funerals.  It is becoming common for my generation to ask for donations to a charity of personal significance instead of birthday/wedding/graduation gifts. 

Time and Energy

Outside of financial gifts, there are other ways we can make personal sacrifices for God’s glory.  We can offer up our time and energy, volunteering.

Sometimes volunteering is a major commitment.  It can be working in a ministry at church or going on a mission’s trip.  But often our volunteering is in much smaller, every day ways.  It can be taking a meal to someone to offer support, running an extra errand for an elderly neighbor who can’t do it themself, or taking someone out for coffee just to listen.

Whether for an organization, a ministry or even to help do something for someone in need (I recently heard a story of a friend committing to mow a neighbor’s grass for the entire summer while they were recuperate from knee surgery), there are ways we can all carve some time into our busy lives to give back in some way, big or small. 

Sacrifice as Worship

Sacrifice can be an act of worship as it is something done between us and the Lord. While it opens to doors to acts of praise by allowing us to share our testimony with others, the sacrifice its self is not an act of praise. It is not meant to be something we do publicly. In Luke 18, Christ warns about the state of our hearts when tithing. Christ specifically warns against giving to be self-righteous and says that anyone who exalts himself will be humbled. It is important to note that we don’t give anything, time, money or any other resource, for the sake of attention. We are to give because God gave to us.

Start writing or type / to choose a block

Bless the Lord

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.  Psalm 16:7

Another way we can show gratitude when God answers prayer, is to follow the Psalmists’ example of blessing the Lord. Blessing the Lord is pure worship.a

What does it mean to bless the Lord?

This one confused me for a long time.  I understand that we are to bless our enemies, to pray fo them to receive blessings and to speak well of them instead of evil.  But how do we bless God?  Why does God need our blessings?

In the Scripture when God “blesses” men they are thereby helped and strengthened and made better off than they were before, but when men “bless” God he is not helped or strengthened or made better off. Rather (with C. A. Keller in THAT, I, 361) man’s blessing God is an “expression of praising Thankfulness”, when the OT speaks of blessing God it does not “designate a pro­cess that aims at the increase of God’s strength” (THAT, I, 361). It is an “exclamation of gratitude and admiration” (THAT, I, 357). What Does It Mean to Bless God by John Piper

Why should we bless the Lord?

To bless God is simply to express our gratitude and admiration.  We’ve looked at how gratitude is an attitude earlier in this series and how practicing gratitude changes us.  Again, in blessing God, our blessings are not for his benefit.  Our blessing God is for our benefit.  It is to recount and remember all of the ways that he has helped us, giving testimony to him as in order to remind us.

What does it mean that we can bless God? If God is perfect, how can we bless Him? To bless God simply means to praise Him or to honor His name. The Hebrew word translated “bless” in the Old Testament literally means to kneel, indicating the idea of honoring the Lord. We do not add anything to Him when we bless Him, yet we worship Him as our appropriate response to His greatness and His love for us. How Can We Bless God? What Does it Mean to Bless God? by Compelling Ministries

My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.  Psalm 26: 12

Meditate

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Meditation can be a form of worship.

Christians often fall into two thoughts when it comes to meditation.  On one hand, some believe it is totally fine and adopt dangerous practices of mediation that are unbiblical.   On the other, I have heard arguments that meditation isn’t Christian and that Christians shouldn’t participate under any circumstances.  The truth, as it often is, is in the middle.  It isn’t the practice that is inherently bad.  The danger comes when we take our focus off of the Lord.

Meditation, however, is another way to give thanks and show our worship when God answers prayers that can be found in scripture.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

Meditation how good God is and what he has done is one way we can show gratitude.  We are told to hid God’s word in our hearts and to think on what is right and just and true. This is meditation. Prayer is meditation. And meditation can become another an act of worship.

Songs of Praise and Worship

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Music can be both praise and worship and is often an integral part of both.

Songs can be a part of praise and worship and something we can do to give thanks to God as seen throughout the Old Testament.  The people sang and rejoiced and offered their praise and worship to God through music. Singing, is interestingly, an act of both praise and worship and why it is often included in church events.

Music has a way of reaching our hearts like nothing else.  I have often heard people say that they either loved or hated a Sunday service based solely on the songs played and whether or not they were able to enter into a worshipful state of mind.  Music can reach our soul and express things that we may not be able to put into words.  For this reason, song is a fantastic way of honoring God when he pours out his blessings and answers.

and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,
“For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,”
the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.  2 Chronicles 5:12-13

I love the imagery of this passage especially.  The praise and worship music, specifically the songs of praise and thanksgiving, brought the full glory of God into the place and filled it with a cloud of God’s physical presence. 

Giving Thanks When God Answers Prayer

There are many biblical examples of people thanking God for answered prayers.  From praise and worship to public testimony, singing to feasting, there are so many ways we can express our gratitude when God answers prayer.

While we have some opportunities for these methods of giving thanks that arise through out the year in the form of holidays and occasions, I would challenge you not to wait for a special occasion. Create your own. The next time God answers prayer, give thanks in a mighty way!

Prayer

Psalm 8 is a great testimony to the works of God.  The entire Psalm is a praise report where David recounts the works of the Lord and how He moved on David’s behalf.  We are still reading David’s remembrance, his testimony, today and sharing in David’s praise and worship.

Psalm 8

How Majestic Is Your Name. 
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, 
you have established strength because of your foes, 
to still the enemy and the avenger.   
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 
what is man that you are mindful of him, 
and the son of man that you care for him? 
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.  
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet, 
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field, 
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth

Prayers In Bowls Series

If you missed any of the posts in this series, check them out here!

I would love your comments! A link to comment is currently at the top of each post (until I figure out how to change it). 

If these posts have been a blessing to you, please share them!

Thanks,

BREA

Fighting for A Breakthrough: Prayers in Bowls 5

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We’ve been looking at how God stores our prayers in bowls, based on Revelations 5:8. We know we are to pray without ceasing and that it takes time to build up equity and fill our prayer bowls. But do you ever feel like prayer isn’t enough? Sometimes we find ourselves up against situations or strong holds that just don’t want to budge. We can find ourselves feeling like we’re losing no matter how much we pray. While prayer is always our number one weapon, it isn’t the only weapon in the battle. Occasionally, we find ourselves fighting for a breakthrough. In those instances when we feel ourselves losing ground, we need to look to God and ask if there more He wants us to do.

Fighting for a Breakthrough

There are several ways we can intensify our spiritual warfare. Giving thanks, acting in faith and fasting are just a few of the ways we can find ourselves fighting for a breakthrough.

Be Still

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. Exodus 14:14

It is important to note that sometimes our seasons of waiting are calls to genuinely sit and rest, to wait on the Lord and let him move on our behalf. But other times, our seasons of waiting are actually calls to action. Personally, I am usually move between periods of being still and of taking action during the wait. It takes a significant amount of time in prayer to discern between being still and fighting for a breakthrough. Typically, in the waiting seasons, I am led through periods of rest and recuperation where I am to be still only after a period of intensified spiritual warfare using one or more of the methods listed below.

With Thanksgiving

We looked at the importance of giving thanks in a previous post. We are to give thanks in all circumstances including in our trials and sufferings. For this reason, giving thanks is a crucial part of fighting for a breakthrough because praise and thanksgiving are the keys unlocking heaven.

Giving thanks can be hard. Finding things to be grateful for can be especially difficult when we are in the middle of struggles and trials. It isn’t easy to deal with a sick loved one, a wayward family member, the loss of a job or any other negative and be glad for it. And yet, we are to do just that.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials… James 1:2

The hardest part is the most important

Giving thanks is often the hardest step of fighting for a breakthrough for me yet it also tends to be my most important one. 

The act of giving thanks is not optional.  The bible says we are to give thanks in all things (Colossians 4:22).  This means even in the storms and trials.  More so, it means being thankful for the storms and trials.

give thanks for the storm, not just in the storm fighting for a breakthrough

Personally, when I get to the point of being able to thank God for the storm, my perspective has finally changed enough that my eyes are off of myself and fully on God.  It takes a lot of prayer, a lot of exposing lies and even more transformation of my heart, as we’ve looked at in previous posts. It’s usually a painful and messy process but when I finally reach the point of being grateful for the storm and lessons learned, I’ve reached a place of peace no matter how much everything around me continues to rage.  Its gratefulness for the problem that shows I have learned something valuable and matured enough to see God’s goodness in the middle of the mess.

Giving Thanks is for Our Benefit, Not God’s

Giving thanks isn’t for God’s benefit. God knows who He is. God knows what He has done. Giving thanks is for our benefit.

We are so quick to forget what God has already done for us. We tend to loose track and focus on the negatives instead of the positives. The Old Testament is full of stories of Israel forgetting what God has done for them, turning away and Him calling them back. But the truth of the situation is we all do the same thing; We all forget, fall away and need to be led back. We like to pretend we can do things in our own right and power until it all blows up around us.

Giving thanks isn't for God's benefit. Giving thanks is for our benefit Fighting for a breakthrough

Giving thanks isn’t to remind God of what he has done. It is to remind us. It is to remember that He is good, that he loves us, takes care of us and has done great things for us. We give thanks to remember that if he has done something in the past, he can and will do it again. We give thanks to remember that he is greater than our circumstances, in control and has a plan.

And believe me, it’s enough to be grateful for only that: that God is in control and has a plan for our good even if we can’t see it in the present. Sometimes, in the middle of the mess, we can’t see how it can possibly be for our good. Peace can be found in simply saying “God, I know you have promised to work all things for my good. I don’t know how you are going to turn this around but I am thankful that You will.”

Fake it ’til you make it

It’s important to add… it’s ok to ‘fake it until you make it.’  There have been so many nights I have praised God and listed things I’m grateful for with a bitter heart and grudging attitude.  Sometimes listing things I’m grateful for feels like a lie. But… I have always found that God shows up and honors the attempt.  While He likes it when our gratitude is genuine, our obedience in giving thanks is, in its own right, an act of faith. And it may take time; days, weeks, even months; but eventually he does work a miracle — in us.  

Our hearts and attitudes change when we give thanks. We may not start by being genuinely grateful, but gratitude is an attitude that builds with practice. Once you start being grateful, its easier to continue because you start looking for things to be grateful for. And the more you look, the more you find.

Thanksgiving Unlock our Prayers

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Phillipians 4:6 (ESV)

CALLING INTO BEING

I believe the reason for my prayer answers was a result of consciously including thanksgiving in my petitions.

Gratitude acknowledged my faith in God for answers I had not yet received.

Who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”(Romans 4:17 NKV)

Thankfulness calls into being that which does not yet exist. It gives life to our requests, creating the movement that brings  answered prayer forward to the present.

Being thankful for answers yet to come is the springboard to faith, the catalyst that gives life to our prayers.

Barb Smith, Is Thanksgiving the Key to Unlocking Prayer

GRATITUDE AS A WEAPON

When I say that thanksgiving can be a method of spiritual warfare, I’m not talking about the things I try to thank God for on a daily basis to practice gratitude and as part of my normal, daily prayer life. The method of thanksgiving I am talking about right now is looking at gratitude as a weapon.

Too often we don’t remember that gratitude is a spiritual weapon. Hence, it is the most underused spiritual weapon. Our enemy doesn’t like our prayers of thanksgiving. Satan doesn’t want us to treat God like God. He doesn’t want us to give thanks and praise. Because then he is powerless. But hey, isn’t that exactly what we want? If thanksgiving gets our enemy to run to the hills, we need to cultivate the attitude of gratitude like our lives would depend on it. We need to guard our lives with gratitude. We need to purposefully use the most underused spiritual weapon.

Mari-Anna Stålnacke, The Most Underused Spiritual Weapon

WHEN GRATITUDE BECOMES WORSHIP


This is the type of gratitude where we sit down and deliberately focus on being grateful and thanking God for the things He is and has done. These are prayer sessions that focus on gratitude and nothing else. This is saying “I see Your presence and I am willing to praise you and thank you in the storm and for the storm.” This is using gratitude as a form of worship.

Gratitude is an attitude practice gratitude until it becomes worship

We make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him praise, no matter what we are facing, we suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the struggles over us.

There’s power in our acknowledgement that He is worthy, above all else, of our worship and praise.

THE HOLY SPIRIT urges us onward, to press in close to him. Doesn’t matter how good or “not so good” we feel like we can sing, doesn’t matter if we like upbeat worship, more reflective songs, or traditional hymns. (It) Doesn’t matter if we’re alone, with a few, or in a big group. Doesn’t even matter whether we “feel” like it or not.  What matters is this – our hearts in tune with our Creator and King.

Pastor Axel, The Power of Praise and The Key to Answered Prayers

Thanksgiving is the key to unlock our prayers. Thanksgiving allows our prayers to be heard.

With Praise and Thanksgiving

Praise is another important component of spiritual warfare.

I don’t know many people that are familiar with Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, but the Lord sent him against an enemy army with songs of praise.

And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 2 Chronicles 22 (ESV).

The whole enemy’s army started to fight one another and kill each other! None of them remained alive! Jehosaphat never even lifted his sword! Are songs of praise effective? Absolutely! They defeat vast armies!

Let’s especially pay attention to the phrase: “As they began to sing and praise”. The cause of Judah’s victory is given to their songs of praise. Praising God invites Him into your situation and chases the enemy away!

Rob Chaffart, The Praise Principle

Our praise changes atmospheres. Similar to how a compliment can brighten someone’s entire day, our praise can brighten the atmosphere around us. When we praise, angels join in. Praise causes demons to flee. We unlock the doors of heaven and bring heaven to earth with our praise.

Our praise is a sacrifice to God. It drives away the enemy and purifies our surroundings.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

If you are stuck and in need of breakthrough, spend some deliberate time in praise and thanksgiving.

Speak Life and Truth

The next way we can increase our spiritual warfare when fighting for a breakthrough is to speak life and truth. The tongue has more power than we realize.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21 (ESV).

There is a warning in this Proverb. The Bible tells us repeatedly that we will reap what we sow. If we plant the seeds of discord, if we speak death and curses over others, we will get back the same. If we speak life, love, compassion and the fruits of the spirit, we will also get back the same.

This isn’t a 1+1=2 formula. You can be kind to someone who isn’t kind back. You can speak life over a situation that continues to deteriorate. And yet, what we speak matters far more than we often realize.

Beware of What You Speak

Have you ever tried to make amends with a person while talking badly about them to others? More times than not, what was said gets back to the person and makes the situation that much worse. Its classic ‘high school drama.’ But its classic for a reason and is a lesson that we all learn at some point through first hand experience. Like wise, what we speak over situations affects them directly.

Fighting for a breakthrough includes speaking life over situations
What we speak over a situation has the power to affect it. Are you speaking life or death?

Robert Henderson has several books regarding the Courts of Heaven. So far I have only been able to listen to a podcast on the topic but the books are on my reading list. Henderson illustrates how Heaven operates under rules and regulations. The enemy is able to use our words as against us as curses, strong holds and binding agreements. Likewise, God can use our words as binding agreements.

What are you speaking?

Are you speaking life? Do you bless those that curse or injure you the way the Bible calls you too? Do you speak wisdom and truth into your circumstances? Or are you reliving the hurts, poking at wounds, cursing inadvertently by speaking out of hurt, anger and frustration?

Psalms 37:30. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom and his tongue speaks justice.

We have the power to speak life or death over our situations.  What are you saying?  Are you building up others, speaking life and being loving or are you gossiping, slandering and speaking curses?  What we say matters.  When we speak life, we allow room for God to move.  Our words, and the hope and faith driving them, become a prayer and a prophecy.  Likewise, if we speak ill, our words carry death and destruction and give power to the enemy, releases curses. 

If you have spoken ill over your situation, ask for forgiveness and ask God to break any curses you unknowingly made.  Then consciously choose to speak life moving forward.

Fast

There are several different types of fasts.  No matter which one you chose, the point is to give up something, usually food, to make more room for God.  The hunger pains are used as reminders and opportunities to pray often with specific intent.  

We give up food in a fast in order to make more room for God

Betty, over at The King’s Diadem has a fantastic article on fasting she’s allowing me to borrow from.

The goal of fasting is separation of self unto God in prayers amongst others. All through the Bible there are accounts of people who fasted for various reasons. Jesus fasted to receive power from on high, Esther fasted to receive favor from the king, Daniel fasted for God’s mercy.

Matthew 17:21
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.


This implies that Jesus was probably living a fasted life since he was able to cast out the evil spirit. Mt 17:18

This implies that Jesus was probably living a fasted life since he was able to cast out the evil spirit. Mt 17:18

So there are certain situations, … and problems that will only answer to a combination of prayer and fasting. I call it prayer and fasting combo. This combo brings down the power of God so that knotty issues are quickly and easily resolved.


Betty @ The King’s Diadem, Keys to Praying and Receiving Answers to Prayer (2)

Rejoice with Others

Surrounding ourselves with other believers who are aware of our struggles is important because it cultivates community strength. When we are discouraged, others can help share the burden by listening and commiserating. Additionally, they can offer words of support and comfort. Further, they can speak light and life into situations when we are too close to the problem to see clearly. The Bible clearly states that we are not meant to walk alone and warns us specifically against it.

Community is extremely important as we are not meant to be alone.  Especially in times of waiting, we easily get consumed by what we are waiting for and stop seeing all that God is doing around us.  It is important to stay connected, in bible studies, small groups, prayer groups and other small groups that provide accountability, not just be connected to the church at large.  It is important to have open, honest conversations with people that can remind you of what you are waiting for and provide encouragement.  As we looked at in previous posts, its easy to get discouraged and start doubting God or want to give up waiting on His promises to manifest. The strength of other believers becomes important for two reasons.

We find strength in community.
We are not meant to walk alone. We find strength in community.

Strength in Community

For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Ecclesiasties 4:10

Another benefit of sharing our struggles and joys is that others can remind us of them when we need it. Our mentors and friends can remind us of how God has showed up for us in the past because they have been through other situation with us. But they also can remind us of what God has spoken and stand with us while we wait.

Unity in Prayer

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on each shall be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:18-20

Jesus makes it very clear in the Gospel that believers can provide unity for each other in prayer. Similarly to what we looked at above, and how life and death lies in what we say, what we pray has the power to loose heaven or hell on earth. Further, Jesus promises us that the Father will grant whatever we agree on in collective prayer.

One of the greatest benefits of staying in community is the ability to pray with other believers. To gain unity in prayer to collect on the promise of God.

Reminders that God is Active and Listening

Its equally important to be present and there for others through their struggles.  While it can be frustrating at times to see God answer the prayers of others, it is still important to see God actively at work in the lives of those around us and to give thanks and rejoice with others when their prayers are answered.  

We gain strength by being present for others and in praying for them. It helps to take our mind off of ourselves and not be selfishly focused on our own problems. It provides us the opportunity to reach out and walk alongside others for strength and fellowship. But it is also in praying with them and seeing the answers to their prayers, that we gain faith and trust that God is hearing our prayers and will answer our own. The reminder that is critical when are in long seasons of waiting as it can be easy to loose hope or think that our prayers aren’t being answered. Further, we find moments of joy and celebration where we can step out of our circumstances and rejoice with others over answers they have received.

Called into Action

The last way we can find ourselves fighting for a breakthrough is a little harder to define because they are personal and situation specific. The Bible is full of God ordering his people to step forward in faith. They are told to act take action. Noah was told to build an ark. Joseph was told to store food for a coming famine. Joshua was told to walk around a city and blow the trumpets to get the walls to fall. Moses’ sister put him in a basket in a river to save his life. Story after story has God’s people going out on a limb to follow God through huge acts of faith.

I doubt it’s something as extreme as build an ark. While we are occasionally called to do something extreme, our calls to action are usually everyday things. Simple stuff. But there is probably something that has already crossed your mind reading this. Do you owe someone an apology? Do you feel led to take a meal somewhere or visit someone who is sick? Was there someone you were supposed to call or something you were supposed to say to someone to encourage them?

There are many little things we are called to on a daily basis that we easily ignore because we are busy. What is God calling you to do?

What step is God calling you to take in fighting for a breakthrough?

Fighting For A Breakthrough

We’ve already looked at how we need to pray without ceasing in order to fill our prayer bowls. But there are times when prayer isn’t enough. The Bible specifically mentions a type of demon that can only be sent out by the combo of prayer and fasting.

Prayer and fasting.

Prayer alone is not always enough. The Lord will call us to specific kinds of action during different seasons and over different circumstances. We have looked at how we are clearly directed to pray and how failing to do so is a sin in other posts. There are other actions, however, that are not so clearly directed. Our job is to listen and discern when God is calling us to take the next steps.

A Call to Action

Personally, I have been called to different things at different times during my season of waiting. The calls to action I have received have included:

  • fasting
  • prayer watch
  • abstaining from things like social media, tv, etc.
  • focusing on giving thanks for extended periods of time
  • really controlling my tongue and focusing on speaking life
  • taking specific steps in faith

I would challenge you, if you are in a period of waiting, especially if it is an extended period, to ask God if there is any action he would have you take. The lack of movement in your situation could be a sign that God is waiting for you to step out in faith and start fighting for a breakthrough!

Prayer

Father,

You know that sometimes we feel desperate for answers. If there is something that you would have us do while we are waiting please let us know. Help us to discern when you are calling us to be still and when you are calling us to take action.

in Jesus’ name

If you missed any of the posts in this series, check them out here!

I would love your comments! A link to comment is currently at the top of each post (until I figure out how to change it).

If these posts have been a blessing to you, please share them!

Thanks,

BREA

Pray Without Ceasing: Prayers in Bowls 2

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Last week, we started looking at Rev 5:8 and how God stores our prayers in bowls.  We talked about prayer equity and how failing to pray can be considered a sin.  Today, we’re going to look specifically at filling your bowl and what it means to pray without ceasing.

If you missed that article, check it out here:
Waiting For the Fill-up: Prayers in Bowls 1

1 Thes 5:16- Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you.

We fill our bowls by praying and we know we are called to pray without ceasing. But what does that look like?

God Stores Our Prayers

Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

It is an amazing thought that God not only hears, but keeps our prayers.  He stores our prayers until there is enough equity to pour out his answers and blessings. If you missed my first post on prayer bowls in heaven, check it out here Prayer Bowls 1: Fill Your Bowl

Not Praying is a Sin

Paul tells us that failing to pray is a sin.  For this reason alone we should be praying. Paul talks specifically about intercessory prayer and praying for each other but all prayer is important. God wants to spend time with us. He wants to talk to us and have a relationship. But in order to have a relationship with someone, we have to spend time with them. We spend time with God by praying.  

1Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.

Above and beyond just praying, we are called to pray without ceasing.

What is Praying Without Ceasing?

For a long time, the idea of praying without ceasing felt like a lofty feat that only the super devout with tons of time could even hope to achieve.  And yet, that call goes out to each and every one of us. So what does it mean to pray without ceasing? How do we pray without ceasing? 

Talking to friends before writing this, some were under the impression that praying without ceasing means to talk to God all day long. Each admitted to feeling like they don’t pray enough and that there is no way we can pray without ceasing in our normal, daily lives. And yet that is exactly what we are called to do. One replied that she thought our thoughts should be directed towards God at all times or we should be reciting prayers like Our Father and Hail Mary in our idle moments. I don’t necessarily think God wants to hear our constant, mindless chatter anymore than anyone else.  Contrasty, what he does want, is our dependance. He wants our openness to him, and our willingness to come to him first, not last. 

Seeking Advice

In truth, seeking wise council is important and we are told in the Bible to do so.  Psalms 19:20, Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 13:10, Ecclesiastes 4:13.  Over and over, we are told that the wise seek advice while the foolish refuse instruction and do their own thing.  While it is important to seek out mentors and Godly advice from those we trust, the council we most need to be seeking is the Lord’s.  

Where do you go first?  Do you pray or do you vent to your friends?

mentor, wisdom, advice, praywithoutceasing, prayer, Jesus, bible
the Bible encourages us to seek out wisdom. Its important to have trusted mentors and friends we can go to for advice!

What is Praying Without Ceasing?

To pray without ceasing is to stay in an attitude of prayer at all times. That can mean different things at different times. Some times, to pray without ceasing is to hold up our struggles as we are in them.  Other times, to pray without ceasing means to give thanks quickly and frequently when God blesses us with answers, blessings or signs.  Additionally, to pray without ceasing is to be mindful of our need for God and his presence in our lives. It can be recognizing when we sin and asking for forgiveness and guidance on how to make things right in the moment instead of waiting until later. To pray without ceasing is about listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and taking the time to pray for the things that He puts on our minds. To pray without ceasing is to rememeber to see the signs around us that God is with us. It’s being mindful and grateful of beauty, love, friendship, etc.

God is with us. He loves us and He gives us reminders of that all the time if we attention. To pray without ceasing is to keep your focus on God and to tune in instead of allowing life to distract you. There are so many moments in the day when we can turn to God if we would just be willing to take them.

Ways to Pray Without Ceasing

1.  Give Thanks In All Things

Gratitude is an attitude!  It is possible, even in the struggles to find things to be grateful.  We need to practice looking for things to be grateful for.  For example, did you receive unexpected help today?  Did God send a beautiful sunrise or sunset?  Was a song on the radio exactly what you needed to hear?  Did God send someone to speak a kind word when you feeling down?  Any unexpected blessing no matter how big or small needs a moment of gratitude.  Pay attention and practice noticing the little things. 

Gratitude is not an attitude that comes easily to most of us and its easy to stop paying attention.  I find, every time I tune back in to God, that I am amazed how many little things there are over my day.  God is constantly talking to us.  How often do we take the time to listen?  When you add up all of those little things, it turns into something big.  It’s the way God confirms his love for you on a daily basis. And that is something worth paying attention too!

2.  Use the mundane moments

Our lives are full of down time.  It could be waiting to pick kids up from school, moments spend folding laundry or washing dishes, vacuuming the floor or driving to work.  There are so many moments in our day that we could spend in reflection and prayer if we tune in instead of tune out.  

I would challenge you to turn off the car radio, use the time spent vacuuming or washing dishes, use the time in the shower. That’s wasted time that could be spent in prayer. Sometimes it’s just using the silence to let God speak to you.  No matter what it is, use the mundane moments between things to put your focus back on God.

Whatever your mundane moments are, whether it’s commuting to work or picking up toys, walking from one meeting to the next or walking the dog, use those moments to tune instead of out.

3.  Be transparent

This was hard for me for a long time.  I always read the verses about being grateful and didn’t realize that I didn’t have to force something that just wasn’t there.  Yes, we need to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, but that doesn’t always mean that things are perfect.  It doesn’t alway mean that we can give thanks for our struggles and situations. We may not be there yet. It takes time and God’s help to reach that point.  In the meantime, it’s okay to be angry, sad, frustrated, hurt or whatever else we are feeling. 

Every time I get real and pour out the ugliest parts of what I’m thinking and feeling, God meets me in those places.  He lights up the darkness and does something in me.  That is when I truly experience God’s peace.

4.  Ask for forgiveness

Repentance is something that we are constantly in need of.  It is good for our mind, emotions and soul and we need it in order to fully experience God.  Therefore, I would challenge you, every time you mess up to ask for forgiveness in that moment.  Then, ask God to show you how you can make things right or if something needs to be done to address the issue in the physical world.  We don’t need to be constantly focused on our sin but we do need to confess it and move on.  Sin is not something we want to let linger or fester in our lives and the faster we address the issue, the easier it is to root out.  

5.  Pay attention to your internal dialogue

Frequently, my pastor reminds us that the person who talks to us the most, is us.  We are the loudest and most constant voice that we hear.  What are you saying to yourself?  Are you worrying about what is troubling you or are you giving that up to God?  Do you continue to beat yourself up over something that you’ve done or are you asking God for forgiveness?  Pay attention to your internal dialogue, especially when you are stuck on repeat.  Those repetitious thoughts are often the things that we are holding onto and refusing to really surrender to our Heavenly Father.  

6. Beware what you consume

There is a quote that floated around recently on social media that is a great reminder for all of us.  “Your diet is not only what you eat.  It is what you watch, what you read, what you listen to, the people you associate with. Be mindful of the things you put in your body emotionally, spiritually and physically.”  Similar to how our internal dialogue dictates out outward responses, what we consume can either build us up or consume us.

To that point, my local Christian radio station, SmileFM, has a 30 day challenge.  They say, that if you listen to their station only for 30 days, you will notice a difference in your outlook and attitude and that you will be happier and more peaceful.

If we are what we consume, what are you consuming?  Are you consuming things that are healthy, lasting, uplifting, that will feed your body, mind and sou? Or, conversely, are you consuming the spiritual and emotional equivalent of junk food that tastes good in the moment but leaves you feeling stressed, and depleted later?  Small changes can and do make a big difference and lead to more small changes.  Try switching your car radio to a Christian station or playing praise and worship music around your home or playing a pod cast of a sermon.  

7.  Read your Bible

the Bible

It’s really easy to pour out our hearts but is often much more difficult to stop and listen as God tries to pour out his. Reading the Bible daily is the best way to hear God’s words. The read-the-Bible-in-a-year type challenges are fantastic and a great way to familiarize your self with the entire book. Studies, that focus on breaking down specific book, topic or passage are fantastic for going in depth and learning more. Even just reading passages and asking God what he wants to show you is an effective way of reading.

Devotions

Often times, especially in certain seasons of life, we find ourselves to busy for even the smaller of these options. A bible app that can read to you while you in the car or doing chores can be an excellent way of getting the Bible into your daily life.

Daily devotions can offer a single verse for those under enormous time constraints. There are great apps and email services so you don’t have to buy a book and make time to sit down deliberately. Some are short enough you can read them in a minute or two but give you something to meditate on each day.

Use the time you have

Reading the Bible is extremely important and, in truth, it is best to sit down with an actual book when you have time to sit, pray and meditate over the scriptures. We aren’t always in seasons of life where this is possible.

While it’s extremely important to sit, be still and read his word directly we may not have the availability to do so each and every day. The Father doesn’t want us to beat ourselves up over what we cannot do. He just wants to spend time with us- as much time as possible. Ask God to show you where you have time and what you can do. God would rather spend 2 minutes with you today than wait 2 weeks to spend 20 minutes. It isn’t that the 20 minutes is any less important. I would strongly argue it is more important long term. However, God knows that we need him daily, moment by moment and that time now is better than time defered. He will show up and use the time you give him.

bible, Jesus, pray without ceasing,
the Bible is the #1 way that God speaks to us. Are you spending enough time in yours?

8. Meditate on God’s word

There are all kinds of ways to meditate over the word of God. Some including quiet reflection, journaling, meditative coloring, etc.  Some ways are easier for some that others. 

I tend to pray late at night and will often fall asleep when I try to sit quietly to wait for God to speak.  Often, I find that journaling is my best way to hear from God.  I’ll sit and write, and keep my pencil moving for either a set period of time or until I feel like I”m finished.  Its easiest for me if I don’t think about what I”m writing but rather let my mind wander.  I will pray as I do this and ask the Holy Spirit what he wants to tell me.  Usually, I am surprised when I go back and read what I’ve written because it contains things I never actively thought.  

Similarly, a great way to meditate on God’s word is to write it out. Simply copying scripture helps us to understand and remember it better. In a like fashion, memorizing scripture is a classic, tried and true way to meditate on God’s word.

 

9.  Perform Acts of Service

Prayer doesn’t always have to be active talking.  Acts of service can be prayers.  Mundane chores can be acts of prayers.  Prayer is an attitude of seeking God in all things and doing all things in a manner that is uplifting to others and ourselves.  I would challenge you to pick something on this list to focus on and try to make small changes to include God in more of your daily life.  If you don’t know where to start, gratitude is always an excellent beginning!

10.  Find time to listen

Talking to my friends, it seems that a lot of us fall into the trap of talking at God.  Often, it’s easy to miss hearing God speak back because we aren’t listening, don’t think its him or don’t believe that he regularly answers. Personally, I spent years thinking God didn’t speak to me because I didn’t know what to listen for! It’s easy to forget that prayer is a two-way conversation. 

God speaks to each of us differently and uses different methods at different times. Maybe there is a song, devotion or scripture passage that God wants to speak to you through.  Perhaps you’ve a dream or vision.  Often, God speaks in a small voice that sounds like your own. It’s a thought to do something specific that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.  Whatever it is, you won’t hear it if you aren’t listening.  Take some time to be still and ask God what he has to say.

What happens when the bowl is full?   

When the bowls are full, God moves.  

Daphne Delay’s article Golden Prayer Bowls quotes Jentzen Franklin: “What a marvelous image! When you pray, you are filling the prayer bowls of heaven. In God’s perfect timing, your prayers are mixed with the fire of God (His power) and cast back down to earth to change your situation… Even if you don’t feel like anything is happening in the natural world, when you pray, you are filling the prayer bowls in the spirit realm. When they are full, they will tilt and pour out answers to your prayers!” (originally from The Amazing Discernment of Women, by Jentezen Franklin)

And that does fill me with hope!  

Knowing that my praying without ceasing fills my prayer bowl faster and brings God’s blessings and answers is a huge encouragement to not give up. When I am feeling frustrated, it’s a good reminder that I have a job to do that is mine and mine alone. I can fill my bowl while I am waiting on God in faith.

Stuck in the Waiting

I know waiting for the pour-out is not easy.  At this moment, I’ve been waiting on prayers that feel important and urgent to me.  I don’t understand why sometimes the answer is ‘wait.’ Further, I don’t understand why, sometimes, we have to wait so much longer than than those around us asking for the same things. At the present time, I’m in a season where I sometimes think ‘wait’ should be a curse word!  While it’s hard, and painful, waiting reveals a lot of the ugly in me God needs to prune in order for me to bear good fruit, to be a better person, to be more Christlike.

Our  mission doesn’t change in the waiting though.  We are called to pray without ceasing and to fill our prayer bowl. Next time, we’ll talk about waiting.

I’d like to leave you with the following:

Psalm 130  A Song of Ascents

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!

For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with him is plentiful redemption.

And he will redeem Israel

from all his iniquities.

Prayer

Father,

We know that prayer is important.  Even though You call us to pray without ceasing, we know that we fail miserably.  We are constantly distracted by the noise around us and ask for your forgiveness.

Help us to remember that our prayers are not always answered instantly.  Remind us that our prayers gain equity and that we should never give up on them.  You have promised to hear our prayers. Additionally, you have promised that whatever we ask in faith will be granted to us.  We can trust that you are not a God who lies and that you will answer. Give us the endurance to not give up when we grow weary.  Help us to pray without ceasing.

Thank you for hearing our prayers.  Thank you for always answering our prayers.  Help us to see the answers when they come in ways we don’t expect.  

In Jesus’ name!

All verses taken from Bible.com ESV translation. Any emphasis added is mine.

If this was helpful to you, please check out the other articles in the Prayers In Bowls Series:

Fill Your Bowl: Prayers in Bowls 1

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Last summer I remember I reading The Bowls are Tipped and Revival Rain is Here by Jenifer Martin.   At the time, prayer equity was a brand new concept to me. I’ll admit I struggled with the idea for quite awhile. I couldn’t fathom that God would store up prayers like a savings account. That seemed too cold and business-like for a God who loved enough to send His only son. That I would have to fill my bowl before God would answer seemed to place to much burden on me and take the emphasis off of God.

God has slowly been revealing more and more on the idea of prayer equity and needing to fill my bowl with prayer though.

 Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

When God Repeats Himself

Around the same time, that verse came up several times in different ways.  First was a casual conversation referencing prayer bowls. Second was a repeating image of hundreds of prayer bowls stored on shelves.  I kept getting mental images, actual photos, etc. Last, I studied several passages on how our prayers rise up to heaven as a sweet fragrance.

The more times God says or shows me something, the more important is usually is.  

While I have heard this verse before, the idea of prayer bowls was mostly unknown new to me. Prayer bowls or incense have never been part of my prayer practice. I have never paid attention to biblical references of prayer being an incense, or sweet aroma to the Lord.  That God would store my prayers until there was enough of them and I need to fill my bowl was intriguing.

I’ll admit I wasn’t too comfortable with the idea of prayer equity at first but the concept kept repeating.  When the Holy Spirit kept bringing it up, I knew it was time to sit with it and ask what it was he was trying to show me.  

Receiving the Download

Just a few days later, I happened to be at the splash pad with my children.  I watched as my boys stood under the tipping buckets anxiously waiting for them to fill and spill over.  The boys were filled with hope, joy and anticipation as they waited for the bucket to tip over on top of them.  The boys didn’t mind waiting as the bucket filled because they knew the outcome was going to be great. They had no doubt the buckets would tip as soon as they were ready.  Children’s joy and enthusiasm can be so contagious!  I was enjoying watching my children play and have fun when the Holy Spirit reminded me of what I read.  Suddenly the Holy Spirit was pour out equal measures of knowledge and conviction.  I watched the buckets fill over my kids and knew, without doubt, that I wasn’t filling my bowl enough.

Like these tipping buckets, God is waiting for us to fill our prayer bowls so he can pour out his answers.

God Doesn’t Move without Us!

God wants to pour out his blessings upon us but God doesn’t move without us.  He requires our partnership!  We don’t get to tell God what to do but we do get to ask and he does wait for us to ask before he moves.  It is our prayer that allows him to move his hand.  This is why it is so important to pray without ceasing and fill your bowl.

I’m not talking about Genie-in-the-sky, wish list prayers where we ask for anything and everything we want in the moment.   While these prayers aren’t inherently wrong, these prayers tend to be selfish in nature. As a result, it is hard to know if we are praying in alignment with God’s will.  God absolutely cares about our wants, not just our needs. However, we are called to be kingdom focused, not self-focused.  God will often grant our wants and not just our needs, but he grants our wants as gifts, not as demands.

A quote by Dave Willis sums it up beautifully.  “If all your prayers were answered, would the world look different or just your life?”  

God isn’t in the business of making all our dreams and wishes come true, but our prayers do matter.  The bible says the “earnest prayers of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (James 5:16 Amplified).”  

How Do We Become Righteous?

2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ESV

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of words done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. ESV

Proverbs 3:33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. ESV

This is a complicated idea so I’m going to try to keep it simple.  Righteousness is living in a state of repentance followed by our willingness to follow God’s leading and act in a way that is Christ-like.   Accepting the work Jesus did on the cross to set us free from sin and allow us to stand before the Father blameless is the beginning of righteousness.  It is a result of the ultimate act of love and mercy and accomplished only through faith. Righteousness, however, also include a level of responsibility to act in a Christ-like manner. As Christians, we are to bear good fruit. Part of righteousness is doing good and renouncing sin. 

It is important to differentiate between righteousness and salvation at this point. While righteousness absolutely has a component of doing the right thing, salvation is never based on works. Salvation is founded, solely, in the work of Christ on the cross.

Righteousness Versus Salvation

When we take the time to confess our sins, wait for and then pray in the Spirit, God hears our prayers and is free to move because of them.  When we are praying in alignment with the Holy Spirit, our prayer releases heaven on Earth. We pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done” to partner with God in accomplishing his plans. This puts God’s will above our own. It allows us to be his instruments and tools.

Are You Filling Your Bowl?

Our call is to pray without ceasing. We are to pray until we fill our bowls. We are told to ask and keep asking, seek and keep seeking, knock and keep knocking, until the answer comes (from Matthew 7:7-8). Our job is to make prayer deposits until we have enough equity and interest for God to ‘cash out’ the prayers.

Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they out always to pray and not lose heart.  

Jesus told a parable about a widow who kept asking a judge for help in gaining justice against her adversary.  The judge ultimately gave in because she did not give up.  Another story involves a man asking his friend for a loaf of bread in the middle of the night. His friend didn’t give him the bread to be kind. The friend gave the man bread due to the man’s persistence. Likewise, the Father answers our prayers when we do not give up.  Sometimes the answers are swift and other times we have to wait for long periods of time, but if we give up before the answer comes we can loose out on the answer entirely. 

Failing to Pray is a Sin

1 Samuel 12:23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and right way.

Read that last one again… “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.”  Wow!!!  Not only is that a serious call to intercessory prayer, but it also clearly states that praying occasionally isn’t enough.  Failing to pray is actually a sin against the Lord.

This drastically changes my perspective on prayer when I think about needing to fill my bowl.  

If failing to pray is a sin, we absolutely need to take it serious.  If all of our prayers are filling our bowls and waiting for enough equity for God to pour out his answers, then what are you missing out on? What have you given up on too early because you either didn’t see an answer or didn’t initially get the answer you wanted?

Failing to pray is a sin!

Receiving What You Ask For

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you ask in faith.

I have always known that prayer was important: prayer is how we communicate with God. If you spend time any time in church, it seems, you’ve heard the verses on pray without ceasing, ask and keep asking, you will receive what you ask in faith, etc. I have seen each of these what feels like a million times. I have never seen the verse saying failing to pray was a sin though.

Matthew, Mark, John: they all write Jesus’ promise that whatever you ask in him, the Father will give to you. So pray without ceasing. Fill your bowl. Don’t become complacent, fall into sin and loose out on your answer by giving up too soon.

What does praying without ceasing mean to you?  Do you think it’s possible with the busy lives we live?  Let me know what you think in the comments. We’ll be talking about that next time!

1Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you…

Prayer

Father, 

I didn’t realize that failing to pray was a sin.  I confess that I have put it off, waiting until the end of the day or skipping it entirely. It is easy to fail at prioritizing my prayer life the way I should. I often offer you what is left of me instead of the best of me.  Too often I fall into the trap of selfish prayers and praying for what I want for myself and my friends and not always praying for others the way I am called.  I forget to pray for situations and causes that are on your heart.  I get so tired and busy that I fail to listen to what you are saying back to me.

Please continue teaching me how to pray and what to pray for.  Show me what it means to pray with out ceasing. Help me to cultivate the attitude where that is possible in my life. Continue to show me what your will is. I want to learn how to mean “Your kingdom come and Your will be done.” Thank you for your guidance and wisdom. Thank you for growing my faith in this area.

In Jesus’ name

If you’ve missed any of the articles in this series, check them out here:

If this article was helpful, check out the rest of the series!

Resources

http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/golden-bowls-prayer

http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=19786

https://www.fromhispresence.com/your-prayers-are-this-important-to-god/

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