Labor Earnestly in Prayer

I love the people God has placed in my life. I would say, without hesitation, that the relationships I have with my family and my friends are, aside from my relationship with God, the most important things in my life. More important than my job, my possessions, or money. That is why the chapter on Intercessory Prayer in Heald's book "Becoming a Woman of Prayer" hit me so hard. If the people in my life are as important to me as I am claiming them to be, than this chapter should be a refresher for me, something that I am doing right. I thought it would be, but instead I find myself yet again convicted of a lacking prayer life.

In Colossians 4:12 Paul (my biblical crush) says of Epaphras: "always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." I can't say I remember the last time I labored earnestly in prayer for my family or friends. When my sister calls and says she has a huge exam, I pray. When I hear someone in my family is sick, I pray. When the father of a dear friend is going into heart surgery, I pray. But labored earnestly is a stretch. And the "always" part is a complete miss. I'm more of a "pray when situations arise" pray-er than a "always laboring earnestly" pray-er. I'm not okay with that.

Paul was a committed intercessor. He left behind some awesome prayers to pray for those we want to intercede for. I am going to begin to pray Ephesians 3:14-21 for the people that I claim to be most important in my life. I am going to pray that Christ will dwell in their hearts, that they will truly know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that they will be filled with the fullness of God. Who are you going to labor earnestly for in prayer?

It's not only Paul that calls us to labor earnestly. In John 17:21-22 Jesus says, "that they may all be one, just as you, Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one..."

Jesus is calling us to oneness with each other. "The Lord wants us to be to one another what He has been to us in love, forgiveness, and unlimited concern" (Lloyd John Ogilvie). One of the ways we can experience this oneness through intercessory prayer.

It is a privilege to labor earnestly for one another in prayer- a privilege that I have not been taking advantage of. I don't want to pray for the important people in my life only when situations arise that beg for prayer. I want to always labor earnestly in prayer. I want to pray the way Paul did- by putting greater value in prayers pleading for spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment rather than less suffering, material wealth, better jobs or good grades.

Are you laboring earnestly for the people in your life? What would you like to change in the way you pray for others? I challenge you to change it and experience the oneness God calls us to experience with one another!

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you."

1 Samuel 12:23

Seek first God's Kingdom

A couple of weeks ago I tried out a new church service. Before they started the sermon, the congregation recited the Lord's Prayer. I half-heartedly recited it along with everyone else and didn't think much of it.

Now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop reading Cynthia Heald's book on prayer, and the chapter I'm at is all about the Lord's Prayer. Interesting. So I start to read through the chapter but don't really dig into it as much as I normally do, because it's the Lord's prayer. I've had it memorized since elementary school, what more is there to learn? Then I get to the last page, and God finally got my attention. Cynthia used the Lord's prayer as a model for her own prayer (you know, putting God's words "Pray then like this" into action). One particular part jumped out at me:

"Your kingdom being established here on earth needs to be a burning concern of mine as I pray and as I live. Wanting Your will and Your glory to be evidenced in our world begins with me."

The only burning concerns I have had as of late are either work related, or super-awesome-spy-tv-show Chuck related. So what kingdom am I establishing? If it all begins with me, then not many people I interact with on a daily basis are seeing evidence of God's glory. Work is becoming my kingdom. My little k. (Yes Dad, I can remember that far back.) I am putting all of my effort into furthering my little k, the kingdom I can control, rather than only concerning myself with the big K, God's Kingdom. Jesus was and is all about the Big K. He came to fully invest himself in the big K, and asks us to do the same:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..." Matthew 6:33

I am going to seek the big K, and surrender my little k to Him. If the Lord's will and glory being evidenced in the world begins with me, then I better start focusing on Him! I need to start every day asking God to reveal to me how I can help to establish his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I need to seek first his kingdom. The rest will follow.

So here is my new focus: (deep breath) I am going to let God show up in my little k rather than keep him separate from it. I think that is going to be awesome (and so very very hard)! God is probably smiling thinking, it's about time Sarah, just trust me already!

So I will end by asking the same question my dad asked last year, what are your little k's? Stop holding on, surrender them to him today. Seek first God's kingdom! You won't regret it:)

Trust in the Silence

In my quest to transform my prayer life, I recently blogged about my desire to transform my definition of an "answered prayer." My desire has been to thank God for listening to my prayers, regardless of if I get an expected response, a promise, an explanation, or a flat out no. Well, what if all I get is silence? What if I hear nothing from God? Then what?

Silence. This has been my most recent struggle.

Last weekend I went home for the wedding of two of my dear friends. I had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time, because all of my friends would be back to celebrate. But as I spent the weekend catching up on their lives, I realized that's all it was- catching up. It was a fun time to dwell on how it used to be, but it was a time that was also going to end. We were all going to go our separate ways once the weekend was over. So as fun as it was to catch up on their lives, it was also a time that reinforced the fact that Pittsburgh is my new home (for now).

So as I dwelled on the truth that Pittsburgh is where God wants me, I was frustrated that I couldn't say why. Why does God want me in Pittsburgh? What is his will for me here? That has been my prayer since June- that God would reveal to me why he wants me here. I don't want to miss out on his purpose for me in Pittsburgh. But God has been silent. I've met a few people, tried out a few churches, and met a couple of neighbors. But nothing that screams, this is why God brought you here! I don't expect him to reveal everything he has planned for the next six months, but it would be nice to be lead to a church, to a community of believers, to something that makes me believe this move was worth while.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

And lead me in the way of everlasting!"

Psalm 139:23-24

When I allowed God to search my heart- I guess that's what it all came down to- selfishness. The pleading question of my heart is not, "God, what is your will for me in Pittsburgh?" but, "God, make your will something huge so that this stretching move can be labeled worth while for me." God has a purpose for me here. But until my heart wants that purpose revealed for pure reasons, my prayers will not be answered. I want to believe that if I only make one friend, if I only pour into one person, if God only teaches me one lesson through living in Pittsburgh, it will be beyond worth it. Because being where God wants me, being in the center of his will, is the only thing that matters. So I will continue to confess my selfishness and ask for his forgiveness. Then, eventually, my prayer will be one that He can take delight in.

And if he continues to be silent, then I will turn to one of my favorite verses as I learn to trust him in the silent times. To rest in him during silence.

"My soul, wait in silence for God only,

For my hope is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken."

Psalm 62:5-6