Profundities on Prayer

There was a period in my 40's when I dug into the study of Prayer with everything I had. Sparked by the power witnessed through a triple-braided prayer challenge by Anne Graham Lotz, I attended Prayer Bible studies, sat at the feet of Evelyn Christiansen (What Happens When Women Pray), invited Jennifer Kennedy Dean (The Praying Life) to a gathering, led several Prayer Vigils at our Methodist Church, taught a 12 week course on Prayer, and helped build a Prayer Room to support the Hedge Praying that volunteers did during services. The things God taught me about Prayer during that decade filled more than just my bookshelf. He wrote many principles of prayer on my heart and was kind enough to give me some amazing testimonies of His power and grace.

That's why it's amazing to me that some of the teachings I heard at VERGE Conference last week (on Prayer) showed me the power of God to show His mercies new every morning. None of these thoughts on are new ones, but with the Creative God we serve...can be revelatory in any season of life.

I offer them to you, in hopes that the Holy Spirit will also lead your prayer life to a deeper place:

-Without an active Prayer life, we cannot lead others.

-Jesus' solution for rest= Prayer. Hs solution for refuge= Prayer. Hs solution for persecution=Prayer.

- Prayer is seeking the living water.

- Persistence means praying over and over again.

- Spend more hours. Each day. Set aside time.

- Put prayer as the first priority on your to do list.

Combined with the Sword of the Spirit (Word), Prayer is the most effective weapon we have against the warfare. Let's use it, Sisters.

being a better Listener

I spent last week 'drinking from a fire hose' at the feet of about 20 amazing Pastor/Teachers at the VERGE Conference. My Kairos are overflowing and I can barely process one before the next one is tugging at my Spirit. Since we all need encouragement in the way of a little PUSH sometimes, thought I'd share here for us to explore together. So here goes my start 'around the circle' with one that has pushed its way to the top of the journal page...

We have gotten duped into thinking that prayer is talking to God.

Prayer is Listening to God."
Dr. John Perkins

As I reflected on this, it dawned on me that I'm not a very good listener. I've always admired people who were, but acknowledge that it's very hard work for me. As an introvert, I'm always processing, processing - as soon as words are spoken. Sometimes thinking of a response, or what to say next -but mostly just processing. When I've observed really good Listeners in action, they seem to really be engaged in the other person,making eye contact, focused on them alone...almost as they have a blank mind with no other thoughts going on within their cerebrum. So that was my first action item in becoming a better Listener to my God when praying:

1. Look into His eyes, focus only on Him, make my mind stop whirring with thoughts.

Another thing I love about Good Listeners is that they don't Interrupt. They wait and hear the entire thought of the person who is talking - never finishing their sentences or interjecting their own opinions. So if I am to do this with my King, the Creator of the Universe, I will:

2. Wait on Him to finish

Lastly, to hear a person speak their heart, I usually hear Words. Words that are strung together in sentences, sometimes paragraphs, and with women - sometimes a spaghetti trail that takes an hour to untangle. So to really listen to my Savior's heart, I will need His Word to speak the secrets and mysteries He wants to communicate. That leads me to my third action step:

3. Be in His Word daily. Read it. Ask Him what it means for me. Ponder it throughout the day.

So, three things I'm applying - starting today - on my Prayer Life. Any thoughts on how this applies to yours?

CHOSEN.

CHOSEN.
The very word speaks to our hearts, doesn’t it? We all want to be CHOSEN, don’t we? Beginning as young girls, we want to be CHOSEN as a best friend or to be on the best team. Then later, we want to be CHOSEN as President of the Student Body or Homecoming Queen. Some want to be CHOSEN as a date for the prom. Enter our Twenties and we want to be CHOSEN by an employer, by a fiancé or again…by a best friend. Even into our 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and beyond, we still want to be CHOSEN by all types of people, in a variety of settings.

And yet, we ARE Chosen. Each of us have been Chosen by the One who placed the stars in the galaxy and set the tides in motion. Hear these Words from Him to You:

Before you were made in your mother’s womb… He CHOSE you.
Jeremiah 1:5

The Lord has chosen you to be his treasure… He CHOSE you.
Deut. 7:6

You my witnesses, whom I have chosen… He CHOSE you.
Isaiah 43:10

From my years in ministry, this seems to be the recurring theme that women refuse to believe or need to hear repeated: often and directly.

Well, here's your chance! Seacoast Church is excited to announce our first-ever Women's Conference! Held right here in Mt. Pleasant on January 19-20th! No need to get a hotel room, pay for gas, or navigate unfamiliar streets and pricey parking! What is CHOSEN, exactly?

CHOSEN 2012 is a two-day conference experience where you can steal away some hours just for you with over 1,000 Sisters of all ages. It will be a time to play, laugh, sing, and be still while hearing from nationally known speakers. There, you will be reminded that you have been CHOSEN.

Don’t miss this chance to give yourself a gift. A gift of time: Time just for you, with amazing women of God just like you. A gift of encouragement: Encouragement from scripture, songs and life stories. A gift of renewal and refreshing. Renewal of dreams that have been lost while doing life and a Refreshing of your spirit that comes when reminded that He has CHOSEN you.

Early-bird registration is open NOW - but just for 5 more days until 10/31/11. It's an amazing value, to hear speakers of this caliber and have the experience of a lifetime! So don't delay. Sign up today and share this link with other women in your life who could use the gift.

More details and registration here:

www.chosenwomensconference.com

H.O.L.D.F.A.S.T. - Beth Moore part 2

Beth began this Word by reminding us of Deut 6:23: "he brought us out...that he might bring us in". Are you on a journey? In a transition time? The Israelites were too, as they walked in the cracks towards a land of promise. Beth taught us that there are characteristics of our land of promise. One is bearing fruit. As we've studied in John 15, we bear fruit in our land of promise. We are victorious there. We bear much fruit. We don't estimate fruit by numbers but by living in the place where God has called us and we should be homesick until we find it.

Deut 10: 11 says "Go. It is time to go." The word in esv version is "Arise and Go". Up. Resume. Get up. Resume. Some of us need to push restart.
We don't know where it got off course. But somehow, somewhere the train got off the track. We got distracted. Disoriented. Detained. Deprived. Depraved. Destroyed. We made the confession.

Hold fast. Hold on. Two words for us. Have we let something come between us? Is there any air coming through? He holds fast to us for our eternal security. But unless we hold back, we have no earthy security. We will not live in abiding.

John 10:28 - "I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand."

No one can snatch us.
But are we holding tight to him? When was the last time you hugged someone and they didn't hug back? We are called to a reciprocal life. We were called to be impactful people. No one can snatch us out of his hand. When we grab back on, we have life more abundant.

Are you holding fast, Sisters? Is He reaching out to hug you and you're limply hugging back? Maybe not even reaching your arms all the way around Him? Maybe just giving a half-hug or hold back to the Savior? The One who is reaching out to you right now? Hold Fast.

H.O.L.D.F.A.S.T. - Beth Moore, part 1

About 30 of the Seacoast Sisters traveled to Charlotte a couple of weeks ago, hungry for a fresh Word from God and eager to hear Beth Moore in person. We were not disappointed on either count.

Over 9,000 women were in the Phillips Arena, representing over 30 states. I'm always amazed attending these conferences at how alike we are - and yet how different. Almost every woman walking the streets of uptown Charlotte (and dominating the crosswalks I might add) was carrying either a tote bag or a large purse. Those bags were filled with Bibles and notetaking paper, water bottles and snacks - some of which had to be poured out as we passed through the security scan. Some were dressed in heels and jewels, others had church logo t-shirts to ID their sisterhood.

But on the first night, there was an excitement and buzz - much like school children on the first day of school. I looked at one face, and then another, thinking of the lives that have been transformed through this teacher of the Word. Grateful for her gifting and the way God has used her, I know how previous Beth Moore conferences, DVD teachings and books have broken me and changed me as God truths permeated my soul. I can almost name - to a study - which areas of sin God has dealt with each time. So my excitement to hear Beth this time also carried a little anxiety with it. What is is now, Lord? What thing in me has to come out? Deal with me Lord, but if it's not gentle...could you be quick about it?

The worship led by Travis started the process, and stripped us of all we brought in. By the time Beth took the stage and made us feel at home, we were ready. She told us how she always asks God for a Word for each city and it dawned on her recently that He has been faithful in that - always giving A Word. But Beth was really excited because in preparing for Charlotte, God had given her two Words. HOLD FAST.

As I continue processing what those two simple Words from the Lord mean to me, I'll share them here over the course of this week's blog. So if you're needing a fresh Word and wishing you could sit at the feet of Beth this week, HOLD FAST and we'll explore it together right here.

Help! I'm Molting!

Another Guest Post by Tzeitel Hirni...enjoy!

“By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.”
Exodus 7:16-18

How many of us could live like a hermit crab? Today I had the unlucky pleasure of witnessing the molting of my daughter’s hermit crabs. Now that is change – shed your shell to find a new home! What I marvel at most is they quickly recover and go about their merry way. It seems that most people don’t accept change that well. I certainly don’t


God brings on change in all seasons whether you want it or not. Three years ago, change was dropped upon my family and there was no denying the impact it would have on us. It seems there are three options when faced with change:
1. Fight it. Deny its existence and pretend nothing has changed.
2. Roll with it. Move forward whether you welcome the change or not.
3. Ask God. Ask for patience, the ability to accept the change and to act on it accordingly.

Where was I three years ago? I fought it hard…we fought it hard. To no avail, of course, but we did not know that at the time. The denial of change will leave you hanging, grasping for a rope that does not exist. Let’s face it; we can only hang so long, option one is not ideal.

Where was I two years ago? Rolling with it. That is not a bad state to be in, emotion wise, but again not ideal. True acceptance is important.

Where was I one year ago? I began asking God for patience, understanding, and most importantly acceptance that this change has a purpose. I did not know the purpose then, but over the past year I have had some ideas. I think the most important thing to understand is that change is continuous. It may have an impact and it may not, as it is a mere puzzle piece. Exodus 7:16-18 is an example where turning water into blood did not have an immediate impact on Pharaoh’s decisions but soon enough, with continuous change, it really was an important part to the equation.

That being said lets skip to option #3; after all, what do we have to lose? Change is inevitable and we might as well ask God – patience, acceptance, and acting accordingly are priceless!

HOLD FAST

Sisters,

I was so blessed by the teaching received last weekend in Charlotte at the Living Proof conference with Beth Moore, my notes are overflowing and I've barely had time to review them this week.

I do plan to blog some of her major points here in the next week, but in the meantime wanted to share these words. At the end of the conference, we paired off (all 9400 of us!) and recited these words to one another. Our Seacoast Sister Bonnie Wallace wrote to Living Proof this week and got a copy of the commissioning. I share it with you here, knowing that the words are powerful and God-given...whether you read them aloud in the quiet of your home or stand face to face with an army of princess warriors.

Was particularly reminded of why my "Crown" finding yesterday was so God-timed with the line I had just read last weekend referring to it. Enjoy and be Blessed. Debbie

Charlotte Commissioning

My Dear Sister

Your God brought you here

To hear two loud words:

HOLD FAST!

When the earth quakes around you

And the flood waters rise

Hold Fast to Jesus

He is your praise

He will never do you wrong

Today, He calls you back to your feet

And back to your journey

Up and Resume, Dear Sister!

Your Promised Land awaits you

But you better be warned

The devil’s not gonna like it

Be strong and courageous

Stand your ground

Fight the good fight

Until your hand freezes to your sword

Hold on to what you have

Let no one take your crown

Until you cast it at Jesus’ feet

For the Lord IS your Life

Until you see His Face

Let me hear you say

H.O.L.D.F.A.S.T.

God has set His Love upon me!

© Beth Moore 2011