Preparing for Life's Big Events...Through Prayer

A note to my regular readers: I am taking a little side trip today to introduce a free resource I am working on for my website (shannonmilholland.com). I have noticed through the years that life's major events come with much planning but little prayer. I am writing a 30 day prayer guide to prepare for life's big events through prayer. I invite you to read the introduction and day one entry and would love your feedback. Does this prayer guide strike a chord with you? Does this meet a felt need in your life? Is there something you would change?

Introduction

The dress transforms the bride from ordinary girl to princess.  The flowers mark the air with the scent of love.  The band spills a melody that sweetens the heart.  Every detail is meticulously planned, coordinated and executed.  The day of the wedding is upon you. 

A disciplined regiment of diet and exercise leads to peak physical condition.  Early morning runs build in speed and duration.  Your iPod is packed with motivational melodies.  You stand at the starting line of your first marathon.

Study sessions flicker long past midnight.  Countless example problems are solved.  Thousands of facts are digested.  You sit pencil in hand to take your professional certification.

A big event never goes unplanned.  The graduation gown is ironed.  The baby is showered.  We even purchase new cleats for our son’s trip to the prestigious baseball tournament.  Every bit of the exterior of the event is well thought out.  But do we prepare our hearts? 

I want to invite you to take a 30 day journey with me to prepare for your next big event not just logistically but spiritually.  Together we will pray as we plan.  Come and find peace among the plans.

 

Day One

A Place of Rest

Matthew 11:28-29 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Details swirl in your brain interrupting sleep.  You make lists at stop lights on the back of envelopes.  Ideas come to you at all hours of the day.  Your heart and your body are running on empty.  Weary one, come and find rest.

Today I Pray for You:

·         To unleash your burden.  Roll your cares onto the shoulders of the One who’s able to bear the load.

·         To find peace as you exchange your worries for His peace.

Today You Pray:

God of Rest, I come to You.  I pause here in Your arms.  I breathe in serenity.  You know there are more things to think about than my brain can hold.  I can’t sleep for thinking. 

I sit with my burdens in my arms.  I offer them to You.  Take them from me and give me Your rest.  Invade my frazzled brain with Your peace. 

Thank you for being my place of rest.

It's Because I'm a Mess

Psalm 49:13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves.

In a pre-caffeine haze, I held my iPhone. A smile arced under hair as messy as the Chicago interstate system. My friend offered to make dinner for our Friday night small group. I quickly typed, "____ volunteered but we'll be passing around a new sign-up so the next Ruesday is available."

This tells me:

1) I am clearly watching too much Scooby Doo, Ron't Rou Rink Raggy? 

2) I'm a mess. My small group doesn't even meet on Ruesday.  It's meets on Friday.

I am a mess. I reach my limit and yell at my kids over minor infractions. I give my husband the cold shoulder instead of just expressing my frustration. I dodge a friend who wounded me instead of dealing with an awkward exchange.

I am a mess who desperately needs Jesus. My need is real. It presses against my heart and draws me closer to my Jesus. It floods my thoughts and delivers grace. It humbles my mind and fixes my thoughts on God.

It is a well-known fact men are not attracted to desperate, needy women...but my Jesus is. He runs right into the middle of my mess. He calls my name, smooths my nest of hair and exchanges my mess for His majesty.

Jesus, I'm falling hard on Your lap this morning. My need is great. Your grace is greater. My messy life shouts my need and I'm thankful for my mess. I desperately seek You because I'm a mess.

Starter or Builder?

Today I have the special privilege of introducing my friend, Patti Hazlett, to you.  There are moments in life when you meet someone and know God is up to something big.  That is what happened in my life when I came to know Patti.

You'll want to read her funny tweets here.  You'll be inspired by her blog here and here.  You'll come to know and love my friend as she facebooks here. 

But today I'm most excited she's here with me.  It is my birthday and her presence here is a present both to me...and to you.  Welcome Patti!
_________________________

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16: 18

I don’t want to be a Simon. I want to be a Peter. But most of the time, I’m a weird combination of both. You, too?

Studying Peter’s life, he was one of Jesus’ closest companions. He was beloved. Jesus saw things in him that Peter could not see for himself.

Can you relate? I sure can.

Peter was a great starter. Peter often spoke before he thought through what to say. Peter dove in with both feet, typically without looking.

So often, that is me. I’m a great “idea person,” but sometimes my follow through stinks. I tend to open my mouth before I connect the dots to my brain – and you can imagine the trouble that causes. I’ll commit to things I should really think about first –overloading and overwhelming myself.

I also have a tendency to beat myself up over this side of my personality. And, yes, while some measure of pause and thinking should become more a part of my life, God can use even these traits for good.

Because even with his faults and failures:

·         Peter was passionate

·         Peter was a natural leader

·         Peter had a “way” about him that naturally drew others to him

·         Peter was a good communicator

You know what, those are also things that I can relate to. I see my passion in how I devote so much energy to the things and people I believe are important. People say I have an ability to lead and help others reach common ground. I’ve been a public relations/marketing person for 20 years, I definitely know how to communicate.

How about you? Can you relate to Peter’s upside?

Jesus told Peter that He would build the church on the Rock – the Rock that was Peter. What is Jesus looking at building through you and me?

If I am too caught up in my failures, I lose sight of the bigger picture.  God will use all of us for His work if we are willing to surrender. He can redeem even the biggest failure for sweet victory. He can draw out of us those areas that are beautiful, meld them with what we think are flaws, and create something unique and perfect for His purpose.

If Peter is any example, I will take the bumps and bruises that go with the personality. I pray He cultivates the new person I am in Christ for His greater purpose. Looking at Peter, I’m certain He can do amazing things through regular people just like you and me.

_______________________

Patti Hazlett is a writer whose blog devotionals have struck a chord with her readers. Her ability to look at life through what she calls her “Jesus filter” has taught many life lessons and practical Biblical application. A later-in-life Christian, Hazlett struggled for years to connect the dots between her life and a life as someone who was saved. Her journey took a radical turn after a cancer scare and a heartfelt, honest cry out to God to use her for more than the life she was living. Today, she approaches every day with the prayer to maximize each moment for His glory.

A Security Deposit Box...of Authentic Faith

Psalm 48:As we have heard, so have we seen...God makes her secure forever.

The excitement was palpable.  Fifty thousand bodies leaned as she was introduced.  The headline performer for Women of Faith 2006 took the stage.

I was quite familiar with Natalie Grant's music.  I listen almost exclusively to contemporary Christian music and she is a favorite rotation on almost any station.  I had heard Natalie Grant sing numerous times. 

As she opened her mouth, I registered a sound I didn't recognize.  The person performing on stage somewhat resembled the Natalie on the radio, but this one overflowed with power, energy and a sound so sweet your heart beat faster just to hear it.

I had heard Natalie Grant but seeing her was something altogether different.

In my childhood I was exposed to a number of awe-inspiring testimonies.  They were filled with wonders God performed - alcoholics who never drank again, screamers who now communicated in love and marriages mended by grace.  These words touched my heart but they did not transform my life.

In 2007 I met a woman who lived a changed life.  She was wired enough like me, I could see echoes of her past...

Strong-willed

Independent

Determined

Her past resounded my own. Yet the woman before me shined the light of Christ so brightly, it was impossible to miss.  She literally reflected grace and truth into my life. 

I had heard of God's miracles, even experienced some myself but seeing a miracle had a profound impact on me. 

But what about the Pharisees?  Jesus chastised them for being seen but not being authentic.  How do I develop something seen that is also real and secure?  I develop it in the unseen...

Time alone with God

Tests of my character passed in the privacy of my home

Transformation one moment, one day at a time

Jesus, I had heard about You but now I have seen You.  I have experienced You in person.  You have shaped by strong-will into God-inspired.  You have formed my independence into God-dependence.  You have molded my determination into a life of purpose.  May others see what You have deposited in me - authentic faith.

Does It Count If You Can't See the Flag?

Psalm 47:7-8 For God is the King of all the earth...God reigns over the nations.

I steered my little blue car into the drop-off line a full ten minutes earlier than yesterday.  I was relieved my near tardiness from the day before had escaped the attention of my kindergartner.  In process to a "Mother of the Year" comeback, I hear from the back seat, "You know, Mommy, I wasn't exactly early to school yesterday."

My Clara is adorable but no prodigy.  I assure you, she can't read.  I didn't talk about my blog post either.  It was as if she could see the action taking place in my thought bubble.  Instead of tuning into the destructive thoughts that threatened to follow, I tuned into her heart instead.

She continued, "You know I even had to say the Pledge of Allegiance in the hallway.  Does it count if you can't see the flag?"

This is something I've wondered myself.  No, I don't have deep, patriotic thoughts about the voracity of my national loyalty.  I do, however, sometimes wonder why I pray when I can't see God at work.

Do you ever feel that way?  Does it count if I can't see God?

It Counts Because He Sees Me

The beginning of the school year here in Tennessee means parents have no online access to their child's grades for the first few weeks of school.  Each August I get glowing reports from my girls.  I hear about every success - every quiz whizzed and each test aced.  Grades more average than ace fail to receive a mention.  My kids forget online access is coming just after Labor Day.  Eventually I'll know every grade but they live like I won't.

That's what happens when I forget God sees me.  My perspective doesn't matter.  I am in His loving eye whether I acknowledge it or not.  How thankful I am for Jehovah El Roi - the God who sees.  I pray not because I see Him but because He sees me.

It Counts Because It Changes Me

My circumstances may not change.  God may not move mountains with every word I utter.  But my heart is radically transformed when I pray.

Bitterness falls to forgiveness.  Anxiety folds into peace.  Control flips to freedom.

Just because I don't see the results I am looking for in my situation doesn't mean my prayers are ineffective.  Whether or not my circumstances change, I do.  I pray not because I get what I want but because I become what I want.

Jesus, You are the King who sees me.  You are the King who changes me.  It counts because my audience is with the King.

A Confident Heart

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

How do the mornings slip by so quick? Clara wasn't late to school but she wasn't exactly early either. Getting your kids to school early is the mark of a well-organized, thoughtful mother, right? My heart began to taunt me.

If you were a good mom you'd never have trouble getting to school on time.

Clara's teacher has you figured now.  You can't fool her into thinking you're a good mom. 

You should get an "F" on your daily mom report card.

God's truth pierced my thoughts.

Shannon, your heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9)

Shannon, I the LORD search your heart and examine your mind (Jeremiah 17:10)

Shannon, I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)

Jesus, thank you for helping me recognize the downward spiral of my thoughts this morning.  You broke through and turned the spiral upside down and back up to You.  In You, I find refuge.  In You, I draw strength.  In You, I grow a confident heart.

I am reading A Confident Heart by Renee Swope.  In her book, Renee shares the key to casting off insecurity.  My thoughts determine my actions.  I must replace my doubts with God's truth. 

I am only in the second chapter of this book, but already it is having a profound impact on my thought life.  I was immediately able to recognize these thoughts, reject them and replace them with God's truth.  Those of you who read my blog daily know I have never recommended a book other than God's Word.  Self-doubt is common to the human condition.  We are all subject to its' deceptive grasp.  Let's read Renee's book together and confidently stride into God's best for our lives.

Do you struggle with doubts or insecurities?  What are some of your favorite ways you counteract those negative thoughts?

Beautiful Girls

Psalm 45:10-11 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear...The King is enthralled by your beauty.

"I don't like these things that stick off my head," Carynne (4) pouted into the full length mirror.

"But that's how God made you. And He made you beautiful. Each person is unique." Clara (5) returned.

I stood half-dressed with crazy, uncombed hair in front of the same mirror.  I saw beauty.  Not the natural, genetic kind. Not the brand that can be purchased, trained or concocted.  I saw beauty that flows from the heart.  Clara saw it too.

Carynne's hair falls in gentle curls like a peaceful ocean reaching its' shore.  She sees curl and wants straight.  Clara's hair is stick straight and currently whacked.  She didn't look in the mirror and see her deficiencies or her sister's.  She saw God tenderly loving her.  She let God love her sister through her.  That, my friends, is beauty.

What I want most for my daughters when it comes to beauty, is for them to implant in their hearts God's love affair.  Knowing Him intimately brings out the beauty tucked inside all of us.

Jesus, I sit hours later fully dressed and without a stitch of makeup but I feel lovely.  I have drenched my skin in Your word, my hair in Your grace and my face in Your love.  You are enthralled with my beauty.  I am enthralled with You.