Last Minute Prayers of Desperation for Tupelo

I had a guest blogger scheduled. Until this minute, I planned to use that post today, but we stand in a precarious place in our little part of the world, and I am compelled to speak into our culture one more time.

I don't want to. This is a hard word, and I prefer light, and joy, and hope.

Today, though, is a day for truth. 

We, as the body of Christ in this country, deserve judgment. I am weeping as I write this, but I know it's true. I haven't been as faithful as I could have been. I haven't loved the Lord with every fiber of my being as I should. I haven't loved my neighbor as myself. If we are honest, neither have most of us who call ourselves the body of Christ.

I know this because I have spent the last fifteen weeks in the book of Hosea and it is obvious that we, as the church, are no better than Israel was at the time of their judgment. I have been overwhelmed with conviction, and still am. I'm also filled with a sense of foreboding. We could very well see the judgment we deserve today.

I do not believe our great risk comes from those who live in our town. I spent 24 hours at the prayer vigil at Temple of Compassion. Not one person there wanted another Ferguson. The only agenda was peace.

Outsiders have come into our community and they want to stir up trouble. Those outsiders have the potential to do irreparable harm. 

Only God can save us.

This is a desperate day, and we must respond with the desperation of the prophets of old, who got on their knees, faces to the ground, in the position of desperate prayer. They fasted and prayed until God moved. This is a time for us to assume that same position of humility, to fast as they fasted, and begin our intercession for this community with true, deep repentance. 

Children of God, we can do the work that must be done. This is a day for humility and turning from our sin. Even the sin we enjoy. We need to be on our knees with gut-wrenching repentance. This is a day for us to beg God for forgiveness and healing. 

We will not have another day to turn this situation around. Now is literally the last moment.

We, the people of God, stand at a precipice. Now is the time to choose life. Now is the time to choose repentance. Now is the time to choose radical, long-lasting change.

it's frightening to think about what God will do with true repentance. We'll have to spend less on ourselves and more on our neighbor. Our lifestyles will likely have to include people who are different from us. We will have to love in ways we never imagined. Give more than we thought we'd want to give.

What we don't yet understand is that, in falling to our knees in real repentance, we might not just make a difference for our town today. We might find a wave of revival sweep through our state and our nation.

That's how it works. Revival only comes after the work of repentance is done. Healing our land only comes after humility and desperate repentance.

It's worth it.

God has promised to heal our land, fill our hearts with hope and joy and love and peace. IF we will do what must be done. Pray. Humble ourselves. Repent.

Today, let's join our hearts together as we fall on our knees and pray. If you haven't seen the prayer guide for Tupelo, I'm including it below. 

This is not a day for finger-pointing. This is not a day for sham repentance. Those days are long gone. This is a day for true humility and repentance. 

Scripture is full of the stories of men and women who did exactly what we will do today. Esther. Hezekiah. Jehosophat. God spared them. Every time. If we do what must be done, we, too, will love God's response. It will be worth the changes we make, so let's do it. 

We won't be the ones who save our town, but our repentance is a critical part of what He does. It will be God alone who saves us. When God moves, if God moves, on our behalf, we must be sure to give Him all the credit. All the glory. All the honor.

Are you ready to help God save a town? He waits for our response, my brothers and sisters. Let's step up and do the hard work.  Today, a nation looks to us to lead the way.

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 esv 
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Here's the full text of the prayer guide posted last night (7/29/16):

Our bill of rights guarantees us the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly. I celebrate those rights, and have sworn to uphold them. More than once. There is no doubt that both groups who have permits to hold demonstrations have the right to do so. 

I do not have a quarrel with the planned demonstrations, and thank God that they (and I) have those rights. I might want to hold a demonstration of my own one day, and I cherish the right to do so.

With that said, it is easy for emotions to become inflamed, and for opposing views to collide. When that happens, it is entirely possible for violence to erupt. 

I have prayed until I'm out of words about the situation in Tupelo and the potential for catastrophe during tomorrow's protests. The presence of KKK brochures in Tupelo has chilled me to the bone. 

In anticipation of the very real possibility of true evil stirring the action, I beg you to participate in a virtual prayer walk of the two areas. 

Evil is here and has the potential to take the day.

This must not be allowed to happen.

As children of God, we can access the power of the One who spoke the earth into being, spoke life into the dead man Lazarus, sustains and maintains the stars in the sky, and holds the earth in place. Our heavenly Father listens when we cry out to Him, and He is more than able to handle the events of tomorrow. 

If we believe what we say we do, we must not sit idly by and do nothing. We can do the most powerful thing of all, and if we do not, it is a travesty. Our Abba Father can help us if we will only cry out. So join with me as we approach His throne.

Before we begin, let's review the primer on Spiritual Warfare found in Ephesians 6:10-20. 

Let's begin by confessing our own sin and trying to clear our hearts of anything that might impair our prayers...

The first protest planned for tomorrow is at 10:30am and lasts until no later than 12:30pm. According to wtva.com, "the route ... will begin on Franklin Street near the BancorpSouth Arena, then down Green Street and finally down Main Street toward Fairpark." There will be a rally there after the march. 

This link will take you to a Google map of the area  to help you visualize the route. (opens in a new tab)

There are at least a dozen businesses along the route. Here's a link to a list of downtown businesses. 

Please pray:

1) That the march will proceed in an orderly fashion.
2) That peace will cover downtown Tupelo like a blanket (My friend, David Davis, suggested this, and he's right.) 
3) That not one word that might incite violence would be spoken.
4) For the protection of all protestors and all law enforcement officers.
5) That agitators from outside our town who want to cause trouble will not even be able to enter our city, whether from car trouble or other divine hinderances.
6) That none of the businesses along the route would be damaged in any way. 
7) That the loss of revenue during the time of the protest will not prove to be catastrophic for them, as many of the businesses are owned by entrepreneurs who are likely counting on no-sales-tax-weekend revenue. 
8) That the perfect love of Jesus will be demonstrated by all believers (regardless of the amount of melanin in their skin) and that it will cast out fear.
9) That no outside influence would profit from the demonstration.
10) That the Shumpert family would be surrounded by the love of God and find the perfect peace that passes all understanding, regardless of how the investigation proceeds.
11) That there will be not even one incident of violence or destruction of any kind. 
12) That God might send a cooling rain that would keep tempers down and cool any hot heads. (If that rain makes violence less likely, all the better. I'm happy with torrents of rain, as well.)

Finally, pray that no sign of the KKK will be present during this protest to inflame emotions or cause worsened fear.

The second protest is scheduled for Ballard Park and will run from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. It's sponsored by the Confederate United Patriots Society. Here's a link to their: CUPS Facebook Page

Please pray:
1) That these protestors will not collide with the Our Lives Matter protesters in any way.
2) That no families will bring children to the park to play and get caught unawares in the demonstration.
3) That the state flag will not be allowed to inflame passions any further.
4) That the KKK will not be allowed on the grounds of the park by divine intervention. (As they, too, have the right to assembly and I'm not sure they can be refused access to the park.)
5) That none of the park equipment and none of the park's facilities will be damaged in any way.
6) That the protest will proceed peacefully, that cool heads will prevail, and that nothing will be allowed to inflame passions or incite violence.
7) That peace will cover the park like a blanket.
8) That the perfect love of Jesus will cast out any fear.
9) That no alcohol that might blunt judgment will be involved.
10) For the protection of all protestors and all law enforcement officers.
11) That agitators from outside our town who want to cause trouble will not even be able to enter our city, whether from car trouble or other divine hinderances.
12) That there will be not even one incident of violence or destruction of any kind. 
13) That God might send a cooling rain that would keep tempers down and cool any hot heads. (If that rain makes violence less likely, all the better. I'm happy with torrents of rain, as well.)
14) That this demonstration will not cause further injury to the fragile peace of our area.
15) That no sign of the KKK will be present during this protest to inflame emotions or cause worsened fear.
16) That those with firearms will leave them in their vehicles, including those with concealed carry permits. (this subject has been mentioned on their FB page, but I did not see a decision from their leadership.)

Most of all, pray that God would be glorified by what HE does and will get all the credit.

We would do well to fast until tomorrow evening, when the protests are over, but we must not stop praying. The enemy of our souls must not be allowed free reign in our town. In the name of Jesus, pray as if the very existence of our town and the peace of our region depends upon it, for they very well may.

Pray, and, like Elijah, keep praying until the cloud comes and God moves.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man ACCOMPLISHES MUCH. 

James 5:16 KJV

but only if the righteous actually pray...

(here's a link to last night's prayer guide if you want to share it: Urgent Prayers For Peace in Tupelo)_

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#prayforTupelo #tupelo #prayforpeace #tupelojuly30

Urgent Prayers for Peace in Tupelo

Our bill of rights guarantees us the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly. I celebrate those rights, and have sworn to uphold them. More than once. There is no doubt that both groups who have permits to hold demonstrations have the right to do so. 

I do not have a quarrel with the planned demonstrations, and thank God that they (and I) have those rights. I might want to hold a demonstration of my own one day, and I cherish the right to do so.

With that said, it is easy for emotions to become inflamed, and for opposing views to collide. When that happens, it is entirely possible for violence to erupt. 

I have prayed until I'm out of words about the situation in Tupelo and the potential for catastrophe during tomorrow's protests. The presence of KKK brochures in Tupelo has chilled me to the bone. 

In anticipation of the very real possibility of true evil stirring the action, I beg you to participate in a virtual prayer walk of the two areas. 

Evil is here and has the potential to take the day.

This must not be allowed to happen.

As children of God, we can access the power of the One who spoke the earth into being, spoke life into the dead man Lazarus, sustains and maintains the stars in the sky, and holds the earth in place. Our heavenly Father listens when we cry out to Him, and He is more than able to handle the events of tomorrow. 

If we believe what we say we do, we must not sit idly by and do nothing. We can do the most powerful thing of all, and if we do not, it is a travesty. Our Abba Father can help us if we will only cry out. So join with me as we approach His throne.

Before we begin, let's review the primer on Spiritual Warfare found in Ephesians 6:10-20. 

Let's begin by confessing our own sin and trying to clear our hearts of anything that might impair our prayers...

The first protest planned for tomorrow is at 10:30am and lasts until no later than 12:30pm. According to wtva.com, "the route ... will begin on Franklin Street near the BancorpSouth Arena, then down Green Street and finally down Main Street toward Fairpark." There will be a rally there after the march. 

This link will take you to a Google map of the area  to help you visualize the route. (opens in a new tab)

There are at least a dozen businesses along the route. Here's a link to a list of downtown businesses. 

Please pray:

1) That the march will proceed in an orderly fashion.
2) That peace will cover downtown Tupelo like a blanket (My friend, David Davis, suggested this, and he's right.) 
3) That not one word that might incite violence would be spoken.
4) For the protection of all protestors and all law enforcement officers.
5) That agitators from outside our town who want to cause trouble will not even be able to enter our city, whether from car trouble or other divine hinderances.
6) That none of the businesses along the route would be damaged in any way. 
7) That the loss of revenue during the time of the protest will not prove to be catastrophic for them, as many of the businesses are owned by entrepreneurs who are likely counting on no-sales-tax-weekend revenue. 
8) That the perfect love of Jesus will be demonstrated by all believers (regardless of the amount of melanin in their skin) and that it will cast out fear.
9) That no outside influence would profit from the demonstration.
10) That the Shumpert family would be surrounded by the love of God and find the perfect peace that passes all understanding, regardless of how the investigation proceeds.
11) That there will be not even one incident of violence or destruction of any kind. 
12) That God might send a cooling rain that would keep tempers down and cool any hot heads. (If that rain makes violence less likely, all the better. I'm happy with torrents of rain, as well.)

Finally, pray that no sign of the KKK will be present during this protest to inflame emotions or cause worsened fear.

The second protest is scheduled for Ballard Park and will run from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. It's sponsored by the Confederate United Patriots Society. Here's a link to their: CUPS Facebook Page

Please pray:
1) That these protestors will not collide with the Our Lives Matter protesters in any way.
2) That no families will bring children to the park to play and get caught unawares in the demonstration.
3) That the state flag will not be allowed to inflame passions any further.
4) That the KKK will not be allowed on the grounds of the park by divine intervention. (As they, too, have the right to assembly and I'm not sure they can be refused access to the park.)
5) That none of the park equipment and none of the park's facilities will be damaged in any way.
6) That the protest will proceed peacefully, that cool heads will prevail, and that nothing will be allowed to inflame passions or incite violence.
7) That peace will cover the park like a blanket.
8) That the perfect love of Jesus will cast out any fear.
9) That no alcohol that might blunt judgment will be involved.
10) For the protection of all protestors and all law enforcement officers.
11) That agitators from outside our town who want to cause trouble will not even be able to enter our city, whether from car trouble or other divine hinderances.
12) That there will be not even one incident of violence or destruction of any kind. 
13) That God might send a cooling rain that would keep tempers down and cool any hot heads. (If that rain makes violence less likely, all the better. I'm happy with torrents of rain, as well.)
14) That this demonstration will not cause further injury to the fragile peace of our area.
15) That no sign of the KKK will be present during this protest to inflame emotions or cause worsened fear.
16) That those with firearms will leave them in their vehicles, including those with concealed carry permits. (this subject has been mentioned on their FB page, but I did not see a decision from their leadership.)

Most of all, pray that God would be glorified by what HE does and will get all the credit.

We would do well to fast until tomorrow evening, when the protests are over, but we must not stop praying. The enemy of our souls must not be allowed free reign in our town. In the name of Jesus, pray as if the very existence of our town and the peace of our region depends upon it, for they very well may.

Pray, and, like Elijah, keep praying until the cloud comes and God moves.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man ACCOMPLISHES MUCH. 

James 5:16 KJV

but only if the righteous actually pray...

____________________

#prayforTupelo #tupelo #prayforpeace #tupelojuly30

Before Magellan

I'm not sure how much Hosea knew about geography, but he wrote about people from areas of the world that had not yet been discovered. He knew about this part of the world before Magellan! People would "come from the west", he wrote, and he was right. Those westerners included me.

Ponder this amazing truth: 

God spoke through Hosea more than 2700 years ago 

about the children He would have in our area of the world, 

even before the greatest minds of the time knew this land mass existed.

It's hard to wrap my mind around that. God knew we would be here from the beginning of time. 

He knew us. He knows us. He will always know us. 

No matter what choices we make, no matter how far we run or how close we stay, He knows us and He loves us. 

We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His knowledge is the same, and so is His love. 

Today, take comfort in the fact that our God knows us. 

He has always known us. 

He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. He always has, and He always will. 

This is what His love looks like: He wrapped Himself in flesh and came to dwell among us. To show us the way. To pay for the sin we couldn't afford.

One day, He's coming back for us. It might be sooner than we think, so let's live ready.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth... For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." John 1:14, 16 nasb

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made up alive together with Christ..." Ephesians 2:4-5 nasb
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Highlights from Hosea, part one of two

Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List 
#Godislove #loveofGod #knownbyGod #disciple #linesfromLeanna

Highlights from Hosea (part one of two)

In case you haven't heard the shouts of joy from my house, let me share my good news. After fifteen weeks of mostly twelve to fourteen hour days and 330 pages of text, I have written THE END on the Hosea study. In a way, those are my two favorite words because they mean I'm moving on to another project. In another way, they're my least favorite words because they mean the long process of edits will soon begin.

For today, I'm celebrating that the hard work has finally culminated in a completed project. As part of that celebration, I'm sharing a few of my favorite truths from the study. 

In case you don't remember, Hosea was a prophet toward the end of the Northern Kingdom. (The Ten Tribes/Israel) Israel was apostate during his ministry, with rampant idolatry and immorality. Their nation looked much like ours does now. 

There was so much sin mingled with the truth of their religion that it rendered it nothing more than a sham. The people twisted the things of God until their relationship with God was nonexistent, and the tenets of their faith were unrecognizable.

God warned the people through multiple prophets to repent or face judgment. At last, He sent Hosea, who lived his prophecy before the nation by marrying a woman who was a harlot. She behaved toward Hosea as the people of Israel behaved toward God. Hosea loved her, redeemed her, and reconciled with her as God had done with Israel. He was a picture of God's love in living color, but yet His people refused to see the truth lived out before their eyes. 

They chose sin and, by that choice, chose judgment and exile. Their sin cost more than they ever believed they'd pay, and ours will, too.

Here's a few key lessons from the first seven chapters of Hosea:
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God has loved us with an everlasting love, and that love cannot be denied.

If we are to forgive as God forgives, we must relinquish our rights to recall the wounds of others and to use their sin against them. We must let it go in the way we want God to let our sin go. Completely.

Forgiveness doesn't give us amnesia. It gives us a kind of spiritual anesthesia. It removes the power of the wound in our lives to continue to hurt us.

Nothing we can devise and nothing this world can devise will ever save us or gives us the righteousness of Christ Jesus. 

God's goal for us is not comfort. It's holiness.

We cannot be a wholehearted follower of Christ if part of our heart remains in love with the world.

Our breath is not our own. it is a divine gift from God and entrusted to us so that we might praise and honor Him.

Like it or not, we, the body of Christ serve as a kind of bridge to God for those who do not know Him. We live out our faith in front of them, and they draw inferences about God by the way we choose to behave. To love. To condemn. A world is watching for us to show them God by our lives.

Even when our leaders (both civil and religious) fail to lead us in a godly direction, we are still accountable for our own choices and our own sin. 

God's goal is not discipline, but correction. Repentance. Restoration.

We serve a God who is long-suffering, kind, and full of grace and mercy. He is not, however, a push-over. He is serious about sin and its price.

We don't sin because we are powerless to resist, but because we choose not to resist temptation.

Our Lord wants a relationship with us that has the fervor of newlyweds and the depth of a decades-long married couple.

We can take comfort from the enduring love of our Lord. His desire is to purify and restore. If we truly repent, He will  forgive. Every single time.

There'll be more from Hosea tomorrow, but for today, let's ask ourselves if our sin (secret or not) has impaired our relationship with the Lord. Do we have the intimacy God intended? If not, are we willing to let go of our sin to embrace the One who loves us most?

Now is the perfect time to be done with our idolatry and our sin and embrace the holiness and righteousness only Christ can give. A dark and perishing world waits for the body of Christ to purify itself and bring the light of Christ and the hope of our Savior to them before it's too late.
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If you're interested in learning more, it's not too late to do the Hosea study. There's a closed Facebook group (you can be added) for asking questions and receiving encouragement and news, but all you need to do is go to lessonsindiscipleship.blogspot.com and check the archives on the right hand side of the page. 

There's an introduction and fourteen chapters. Most people refer back to the first lesson repeatedly for instructions on accessing online links, but you can do the study without the links. Students tell me they've printed each chapter and used a notebook to write their answers. 

The study is designed for you to work in your place, at your pace. Some people have found the accountability of a weekly group to be helpful, but it's not required. 

I hope you can join us in learning from Hosea.
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Praying Elijah-like Prayer, part 2 and the link to part one: Praying Elijah-like Prayer

Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List
#Hosea #Biblestudy #indepthBiblestudy #lessonsindiscipleship

Praying Elijah-like Prayer, part 2

In case you missed it, the blog post yesterday was about Praying Elijah-like Prayer. I have long felt that the "modern" church was sadly missing some of the best parts of the first-century church. When those apostles prayed, seriously great things happened. 

It's a commonly held belief that all the "signs and wonders" were just done to get the church up and running. Some people believe that the miracles were all used up back in the early church.

I was taught to believe that theology, and it was a source of great grief for me. What kind of God calls me to Himself but doesn't save any good stuff for me? Not the Great I AM. That's for sure.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) The God who did the miracles, signs, and wonders in answer to prayer in the first century is STILL the same God today.

So where are the miraculous answers to prayer? As I asked yesterday, "Why, then, do we not see Elijah-style answered prayer?"

My answer yesterday was, "One reason for unanswered prayer might be that we worship the not-so-great me instead of the Great I AM." We depend upon ourselves and the "answers" we can obtain instead of relying wholly on God alone.

After I hit the publish button, I realized I had omitted the most important reason for unanswered prayer.

SIN.

James 5:6 says, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

There's a big difference between a righteous man and those who do whatever they want and call themselves righteous. 

The word translated as righteous is dikaios and indicates one who is "upright, virtuous, keeping the commands of God." We cannot harbor secret sin, or not-so-secret sin and, at the same time, keep the commands of God. 

When we indulge in pride, anger, bitterness, idolatry, lust, covetousness, gossip or whatever our particular sin, it greatly impairs our prayer life/communication with God. It shatters our chance for answered prayer, especially Elijah-like prayer.

When we do not love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, when we fail to love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves, we have not met the high standard of God. Our failure will hamper the answers to our prayers. We don't have to be perfect, but we do have to recognize our failures and address them.

(When I say, "Lord, I have not loved you as I should in this situation. I have loved _____ more than You. I repent of my idolatry and cast it away from me. Forgive me and help me love You more..." I have recognized my sin, admitted it, repented, and asked God to help me make it right.)

Do we want answered prayer, or not? 

That's the question we should be asking.

If we want answered prayer, we must be willing to do what is required. It begins by repentance and turning from our sin. 

Just to be clear, repentance does not mean simply that we agree with God that we have sinned. Repentance means we agree with Him that we have sinned, promise not to do it again, and ask Him for forgiveness. 

The intent to stop doing the sin for which we need forgiveness is a vital part of repentance. 

If we want answered prayer, especially Elijah-style prayer, even our favorite sins have to go. It's that simple.

So the question we all want answered is whether or not answers to Elijah-style prayer are still possible. 

The answer (I believe) is yes. 

I've seen quite a few miracles over the years. Not even one of them had anything at all to do with me. They were all prayed because God whispered that prayer in my heart. All I did was repeat what I heard. Those answered prayers were literally, from beginning to end, all God. 

Not once did those answered prayers happen when I was indulging in secret sin. 

Not once did those answered prayers happen when I failed to repent of all known sin. 

I'm not sinless, so I've gained some solid experience in repentance, and that, my friends, is critical if we want answered prayer. 

When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we are supposed to STOP IT. Repent of it and STOP IT.

That's how it works. 

Now, another point needs to be clarified. Even when I am as repented as I can possibly be, I still can not "get" an answered prayer on my own if my life depended on it.

Answered prayer comes from God alone and our participation in the excitement of answered prayer is birthed in our relationship with Him, built morning by morning. Hours of quiet time, Bible study, meditation, and listening to God are key elements in a relationship with our Lord.

In a nutshell, to have answered prayer (including "big" answered prayer) we must:
1) Get rid of our sin.
2) Have a deep and intimate relationship with our Lord.
3) Quit asking for what we want and starting listening for what God wants.
4) Pray what God wants.

When we pray for what God wants, we will see Him do exactly as He pleases. 

You might recognize that prayer if it's worded a little differently. When Jesus prayed it, He said, "THY WILL BE DONE."

Answered prayer is possible, but much more likely if we pray God's way and for God's will.

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's blog post: Praying Elijah-like Prayer 
Here's the link to: The Prayer List
#prayer #unansweredprayer #sin

Praying Elijah-like Prayer

I've had the subject of prayer on my mind recently, so I started rereading Andrew Murray's classic, With Christ in the School of Prayer. If you've never read it, it's worth the time. I'm doing one chapter a day for thirty days, and it's already made me more intentional about my position when I'm praying, as well as the fervency of my prayers. 

To my surprise, the subject of prayer has come up repeatedly since I started on Murray's book. Sunday, we received a prayer card tucked inside the bulletin. I didn't even notice it until the pastor called attention to it. "What's the one thing you've been praying for that you would like to have a 100% guarantee that God would answer? The one thing you're most concerned about. Write that down on the prayer card and stick it in your Bible." 

Like most people, I have things that concern me deeply. I wrote my top concern on the card.

Our pastor went on to preach about Elijah's prayer. His sermon was so meaningful to me, that I'm sharing my notes.

He reminded us that Elijah was just a common, average man who prayed a huge prayer and it didn't rain for three and a half years. As James tells us, the "effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16) 

Elijah, he said, had a place to pray, (on the mountain) and a posture for prayer. He bowed down with his head between his knees. Elijah assumed a position of humility before God. I don't always prayed on my knees, but that's been my posture more often lately. Urgent prayer needs an urgently humble position.

Elijah also persevered in prayer. He sent his servant to look for a cloud seven times before he saw it. When there was no cloud, Elijah kept praying until there was one.

He had a plan of prayer. He had a specific prayer need (rain) and he didn't stop his prayers until the rain came. Finally, Elijah had a presupposition in prayer. He already knew what God intended to do. He kept praying until God did it.

The pastor invited us to come to the altar with our prayer needs, get on our knees and pray, then leave the cards there. The church staff would meet together to pray over the cards the next day. Nearly everyone in the worship center came forward. It was one of the sweetest moments in church I've ever experienced.

On my knees in the midst of hundreds of other people on their knees, I approached God with my need and left it with Him, along with my card. When I walked back to my seat, I wiped away tears with a firm certainty that God had heard my prayer and would deal with my need.

I've thought about that a lot since Sunday. The response made one thing clear. We all have an area of concern in desperate need of God's divine intervention. 

Why, then, do we not have answered prayer in proportion to our perceived need? Why, then, do we not see Elijah-style answered prayer?

One reason for unanswered prayer might be that we worship the not-so-great me instead of the Great I AM.

In this country, we depend (at least in part) upon ourselves and our ability to meet our own needs. It's when we recognize that we are powerless to meet our need, and that only God is big enough to do it, that we become desperate enough for Elijah-like prayer. 

This is not the case in some places in the world, where believers have neither the luxury nor the safety we have. They are much more desperate, pray with more determined fervor, and see many more dramatic answers to prayer.

Today, let's do what my pastor suggested. Think of that one need that transcends all others. The need of desperation. Write it down, date it, and get in your position of desperate humility and take it to the Lord. Stop trying to solve it yourself. Leave your need with the Lord and do the least American thing possible. 

Wait. Simply wait for God to move. 

Don't try to figure it out. Don't try to solve your problem. Don't doubt that God can handle it. Don't doubt that He will. Just wait.

I've prayed many prayers of desperation over the years. God's answered all of them. It hasn't always been the way I expected or the way I wanted, but they've all been answered in His way with what was best.

Are you burdened? Are you loaded down with worry and concern? Today, take those concerns and needs to the Lord in prayer and leave them with Him. He's big enough to handle all your troubles, and mine, and do what needs to be done.

"The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." James 5:16-18 nasb

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: The Greenhouse: Where Fantasy Meets Reality
Here's the link to the prayer list: The Prayer List
#prayer #Elijah #unansweredprayer #disciple

The Greenhouse: Where Fantasy Meets Reality

Three years ago (maybe four), I saw an ad in a discount tool store sale catalog, and thought I'd found a way to fulfill my lifelong dream of having a greenhouse. 

To be perfectly honest, I wanted a greenhouse that was a "glass house". I imagined a lush tropical garden inside, the sweet fragrance of flowers filling the air year-round. I anticipated starting plants from seeds on my workbench, and growing herbs and vegetables, even in the winter. In this fantasy greenhouse, I'd have a table and chairs so that my friends could join me for prissy-girl-lunch-parties. The fun we would have! I couldn't wait. 

What I bought was a $600 box of parts with a set of directions that didn't quite match up. The frame was aluminum and the panels were flimsy and definitely not glass.

I was not quite ready to give up the fantasy, so I hired someone to do the ground work and gravel floor. More hundreds of dollars.

The gravel floor looked so good that I hired someone to assemble the whole mess (AKA kit). I don't want to be negative about my employee, but, to put it simply, he could neither follow the directions nor complete the project. In his defense, they were terrible directions.

At last, I begged my tall nephew to come help me finish the assembly. Unfortunately, the aluminum frame had been bent a bit during the non-direction-following days, and it never did go together perfectly.

I finally proclaimed it perfect (even though it wasn't) and filled it with shelves, a work bench, seeds, and pots. 

Then, the first storm came and I spent part of the next day picking up panels and replacing them. I put the clips that held the panels back in a more secure manner. I was sure it would hold.

It didn't. 

Two years went by. The storms came. The panels blew off. 

I put them back on with dogged determination and caulked them in place. They blew off. Over and over again. 

Finally, I wore out. The roof panels were too high and I couldn't get them back in before the coming storm. In desperation, we tied a big blue tarp onto the greenhouse and left it for the winter.

By this time, my fantasy had crashed and burned, but I still wasn't ready to give up. Yes, I have literally given the talk on perseverance.

The Hired Hand had a great idea. I should buy some tarp straps to hold the panels in place. I bought the best ones I could find, but they wouldn't stretch far enough. We were out of solutions. 

The Hired Hand finally offered his opinion. We should tear it down and burn it. I still wasn't ready to give up.

Finally, more to humor me than anything else, he suggested I try bungee cords. I just shook my head. After the blue tarp and the failed clips, I didn't have any hope for bungee cords. Since it was my last hope, though, I finally gave in and bought a dozen cords. 

I tried to attach them, but they wouldn't stretch.

I was utterly dejected. After all those hundreds of dollars, all those hours spent reattaching panels and clips, and all the tubes of caulk I'd squirted out, it seemed like I should have a better outcome.

One Saturday morning, I woke with great resolve. I would not be denied. 

I hauled my ladder from the barn, enlisted Sam to hold it, and climbed up with my bag of bungee cords. We worked for hours, stretching bungee cords, praying fervent prayers for help, and sweating as I tugged the cords and begged them to reach across the panels.

After what seemed like weeks, but was only a few hours, Sam and I were drenched in sweat but the cords were in place. The panels seemed secure.

Then, the storms came. The wind blew. The rain poured down. To my absolute amazement, the panels held secure.

They are still in place, the bungee cords hugging them to the frame. For now. Bungee cords, as you've probably guessed, are not a long-term solution. My panels seem secure right now, but they aren't.

I don't know about you, but I've found that life is a lot like those greenhouse panels. More flimsy than you expect, and apt to fly apart at the least little storm. There is nothing this world offers than can hold our lives together when the winds and rains of adversity beat down.

There's nothing that will hold us together, that is, except the no-slip grip of the hand of God. If your life seems frazzled and flying apart, maybe you need the security of the One who created this world and everything in it. The One who sustains the universe and keeps the stars in the sky. 

No matter what comes our way, our God can see us through, hold us together in the worst of times, and bring good from all the bad things we face.

Today, let's stop looking at the storms and turn to the One who made the wind and the waves. The One who calms both the storm and the child in the storm. 

Turn to Jesus and let Him handle whatever you face.

"And he got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm." Mark 4:39 NASB

"And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17

"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand ." John 10:28 esv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Frog Surprise and Having an Egyptian Heart

Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List 

You might also like these greenhouse stories:
Digging, Ditches, and Water
The Blessing of the Busted Pipe 
In But Not Inside 
The Greenhouse
Making Preparations
Answered Prayers in Disguise

#stormsoflife #disciple #greenhouse

The Frog Surprise and Having an Egyptian Heart

Sam and I were sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner. I wanted Sam to eat the last of the squash, but he thought I should have it. When I pushed back my chair to get it from the counter, something about the dogs' water bowl caught my eye. 

The water wasn't just low. The bowl wasn't just dirty. There was something alive in the bowl!

I shrieked and jumped up so fast, I had to grab my chair to keep it from falling over.  

Sam nearly dropped his spoon. "What's wrong with you?" 

"What is in that water bowl?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam laughed. He'd seen me shriek and jump before. "You got a snake over there?"

"No, I don't have a snake. I think it's a frog." I grabbed my long purple rubber gloves, garbed up, and went to investigate. There was, indeed, a big frog in the water bowl. I grabbed the frog and tossed it out the back door. It might not have been with all the gentleness of Jesus, but (in my defense) I was terribly excited.

After I scrubbed and sanitized the water bowl and scrubbed and sanitized my gloves and hands, I sat back down. Sam was still laughing about the possibility of a snake in the house. 

"I'm not worried about snakes, Sam. Tell me how that frog got in my house."

"Well, it went like this. That frog smashed its body down real small, till it was nearly flat, then it scooted under your door and climbed inside."

"Sam, you don't believe that, do you?"

"Yeah, I do. But I'm wondering how did that frog know where the water bowl was?"

Then, it hit me. Mamie did it. She loves to put things in the water bowl. Sometimes she'll move the food from the food bowl into the water bowl and stop it up. 

It's a short leap to assume that Mamie, who loves to chase frogs, had actually caught one, brought it inside, and put it in her favorite storage spot.

I leaned back in my chair, my heart still pounding. "I feel like an Egyptian."

"How's that?"

"You know, Sam, the Egyptians had all those plagues."

"We could ask the Egyptians how the frogs got inside."

Our conversation wandered all over the Egyptians and the frogs and the snakes, but I couldn't get the idea of feeling like an Egyptian out of my mind. I started wondering...

Those Egyptian ladies were just doing whatever Egyptian ladies did when God began to release the Hebrews. The business with Moses and the Pharaoh probably seemed like nothing more than a little political unrest.

Until the water turned to blood. 

That would've been enough for me. I'd have marched in the street to get rid of the Hebrews, but the Egyptian ladies must've been made of sterner stuff. 

Then, the frogs came. 

"The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. The frog shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants." Exodus 8:3-4 esv

If I had to deal with that many frogs, I don't know what I'd have done, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been sit idly by while frogs jumped over me.

It surprises me that the Egyptian women didn't create an uproar, especially when one plague followed another. I couldn't figure it out, until I remembered that God hardened Pharaoh's heart, and that's why he waited so long to let them go.

I don't know if God hardened the hearts of the Egyptians or if they were already hard when Moses got there, but there's one thing I do know. I don't want the heart of an Egyptian. 

I don't want the kind of heart that is so defiant in the face of plagues that I lose my precious first-born because of it.

I don't want a heart so hard that I shake my fist in the face of God and say, "Bring it on," as he rains down blood and frogs and hail and even worse.

I want a tender, gentle heart that loves and obeys and submits to whatever God wants.

Isn't that the kind of heart you want, too?

There's good news. We don't need frogs in the bread bowl to change us. Today, let's ask God to show us our hearts the way He sees them, even if what He sees is an "Egyptian heart". Let's choose a tender, clean heart, and make whatever changes are required to have the heart God desires.   

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."  Psalm 51:10 esv
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Granola That Changed My Day 

Here's the link to the updated prayer list: Prayer List
#cleanheart #frogs #plagues #disciple