MTRC: Choice #3

Hey Girls...

We've learned that we need to get up in the morning (still not really consistent with that one yet!) and that once we're up, we need to meet with God to get our day started right. What comes next? Talk things over with God. Yep. Prayer. There's a quote by John Piper that I love. He says, "God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives." God is available to you 24/7. Take advantage of it and talk to Him!

Day One:
Let's start with why we don't talk to God. Are these any reasons why you don't pray more.....

1. Worldliness. Our world affects us more than you think. It exerts a constant pressure on us to conform and live like the world lives instead of God's way. And because we have food, clothing, shelter, family, friends, etc. we wrongly thinkg, Why do I need to talk to God? I've got everything I neet without praying. (I can see myself here. You?)
2. Busyness. We often don't take the time or effort to pray. Prayer isn't a priority. We fill our hours with other things and we're so busy we don't even get around to thinking how prayer fits into our daily lives. (Add this to my list too.)
3. Foolishness. When we're consumed with what's foolish, trivial, and meaningless, we fail to pray. We lose our ability to know the difference between what's good & what's evil, between what's essential & what has little eternal value. Everything becomes a "gray area" that doesn't require prayer...or so we think.
4. Distance. We have no problem talking to our friends. But talk to someone outside our social circle? Forget it. It's the same with talking to God. When our relationship with God isn't a personal one, we find it hard to talk to Him. We don't know what to say and we don't feel close to Him or comfortable in His presence, so we don't share our real selves with Him. Funny thing is, He made us. He already knows every detail!
5. Ignorance. We're clueless about how prayer works. We don't understand how it helps or fits into our relationship with God and making right choices. In essence, we really don't understand God's love for us and His power to make our lives better. (Yep. Check.)
6. Sinfulness. We don't pray because we know we've done something wrong. In our hearts, we know we need to talk to God about it, confess it, and agree with Him that what we did is wrong. What can we do about our sins and failures? Nothing! But He can forgive us and wash us clean. Make a choice to keep short accounts with God. Deal with any sin when it comes us-right on the spot- at the exact minute we slip up and fail.
7. Faithfulness. We don't believe in the power of prayer. Often it's because we don't know or realize the power of the dazzling promises God has made to us. We don't know about His assurances that He'll hear and answer our prayers. We don't think prayer makes any difference, so we don't even try.
8. Pride. Prayer shows our dependence on God. When we fail to pray, in our pride we're saying we don't have any needs. Or worse, we're saying, "God, I'll take care of the situation nad me. I don't need You right now."
9. Inexperience. We don't pray because..we don't pray. And because we don't pray, we don't even think to pray..so we don't. We're like a dog chasing after its own tail. It's a cycle that leads nowhere.
10. Laziness. Maybe this is the chief obstacle. (It is for me, I'm pretty sure.) We won't put out the effort to talk to God. We don't want to take the time. Prayer is an act of the will. It's a choice. We have to want to do it..and then choose to do it.

Any of these ring a bell with you? Or, if you're like me, several of them? Take the time to confess it to God and ask His forgiveness. Then, do something about it. Turn your choice around to glorify Him today. And begin that choice by praying!

Day Two:
Okay, so yesterday we know why we don't talk to God. Let's look at why we should pray. The Bible has some pretty sparkling promises and assurances about prayer. We're going to have a little bit of Bible drill today but I promise it'll pay off! As you read these, take note and write down God's message to your heart regarding your life and how prayer helps you live it His way.

• Jeremiah 33:3- What does God promise to you here?
• Matthew 5:44- Who are we supposed to pray for?
• Mark 11:24- What is the command God tells us to do regarding what we pray for? What's the promise He makes if we obey?
• Hebrews 4:16- What is the assurance we have when we pray?
• James 1:5- What's the promise here?
• James 5:13- What should you do in trouble?
• 1 John 1:9- What does God promise He'll do? Why?
• James 4:2-3- Why does God sometimes not answer our prayers?

Take one of these that really spoke to you (or several if you can't decide) and meditate on it today. Write it  on a card and stick it in your binder or on your dashboard. Slip a piece of paper in your pocket with your favorite promise on it. Treasure it. Ponder on it. Talk with God about it. Hide that promise in your heart so you'll be encouraged to talk to God. He can't wait to talk to you!

Day Three:
Let's look at some people in the Bible who prayed. Don't worry- we won't look at the whole entire thing!
King David wrote the majority of Psalms. Read Psalm 32:1-5. What was the issue in David's life, and how did prayer make a difference? Okay, look at Abraham in Genesis 18:20-22 and 19:29. Talk about bartering with God! Does anyone do this but me? What was Abraham's concern and what did he do about it? And the results? One more person today- look at Nehemiah. Nehemiah lived in the days when Jerusalem had been destroyed and the people had no place to worship. They wanted to rebuild the temple but Nehemiah was concerned for the city's safety because there was no wall surrounding them. He basically prayed and encouraged the people to build a section of the wall at a time. For example, I'd build the part of the wall that's in front of my house and you'd build the part in front of yours. Eventually, it would all connect. Get it? It took a looooong time, right? I mean, build a whole wall around an entire city that's strong enough to stand againt enemy attacks. Nope. 52 days. So how did it get accomlished so quickly? Prayer.

• When discouraged, he prayed (Nehemiah 1:4).
• When seeking direction, he prayed (1:5-11).
• When seeking assistance, he prayed (2:1-5).
• When under attack, he prayed (4:4-5, 9).
• When weak and powerless, he prayed (6:9).
• When joyful, he prayed (12:27, 43).

Prayer can really change things! Philiipians 4:6-8 tells us that prayer can change everything. If it weren't true, it wouldn't be in the Bible. God's not going to waste our time..and His....by telling us things that aren't real. It's not His character. In good times and bad, pray like Nehemiah. God will keep His end of the deal.

Day Four:
We looked at David, Abraham, and Nehemiah yesterday. Who's someone else that you know prayed...and He did it perfectly? (Now is the time for the perfect Sunday school answer...) Jesus! Look at Luke 6:12-13. How long did Jesus pray and what decision did He make afterward? What decisions are you facing? Make a note either on your calendar or in your phone and set aside a specific day and/or time that you will pray about them. Okay, now read Matthew 26:36-46. This is right before Jesus gets arrested...like just a few hours before. What was Jesus's intention (verse 36)? How is the seriousness of Jesus's situation described (verses 37-38)? What was Jesus's posture when He prayed (verse 39)? Jesus was praying about the "cup" of death on the cross. He knew it was soon. How many times did He pray about doing God's will (verses 39-44)? What was Jesus's overwhelming desire- what He wanted above all else- that was repeatedly expressed in His prayers in Gethsemane (verses 39, 42, and 44)? After extended time in prayer, how did Jesus respond to God's plan for Him (verses 45-46)? Will you set aside your own desires and trust God's will for whatever you're facing? He knows best. He loves you with an everlasting, overwhelming love and He's not going to just take your heart and smash it to pieces. He wants the very, very, very, very best for you. And He's completely Trustworthy to do so. Give your desires to Him and trust that He'll guard them and take care of them. Then, submit to His plan. This means even when you have no idea where He's headed or if it seems He's headed in the complete opposite direction. He knows where He's going. Go with Him.

Day Five:
At the end of this chapter in Elizabeth George's book, she has a chart that lists "God's Guidelines for Making Right Choices". I really liked what she said here so I'm basically just copying the verses down and writing what she said. As you read, think about which one you'll really start implementing in your prayer life.

• Walk in obedience to God's Word. "If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable" (Proverbs 28:9). [Yikes! Pretty strong. Make sure you know what God says in His Word. Like I say, it's the ultimate text message. Cheesy, yes I am aware. Read it! If God's convicting you of something and you're not doing anything about it, your prayers stop until you've settled the matter. Be obedient.]
• Bring all your concerns confidently before God. "God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" (Psalm 66:19-20). [I'm guessin' this is a time in David's life when he was good with God. Clean slate. Forgiven. No sin withheld. See what can happen when we're fresh with Him?]
• Remember to pray in times of trouble. "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry...the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles" (Psalm 34:15, 17). [The righteous are righteous not because of anything they've done but because of Christ's blood covering their sin. If you want to read about the difference between the righteous and the wicked, read Isaiah 26:7-11.]
• Replace your worry with prayer. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phillipians 4:6-7). [So good. Worth repeating. And verse 8 tells you what to focus your mind on...not your worries. After you've presented your worries to God, leave them there and think about what He tells you to.]
• Cultivate prayer as a ministry. "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18). [Prayed for your bracelet buddy yet?]

Challenge for the Week:
This may be weird for you but just trust me. Go into your room and shut the door. Lock it if you need to. Turn off everything- tv, phone, radio, everything. Get on your knees on the floor. Pray. Start by just praying God's character back to Him, adoring Him for Who He Is. Try to avoid using "me" or "I". This part is all about Him. Pray things like, "God, You are so good. You hear me when I pray. You hold all the answers. You listen. You are Holy. You are All-Knowing. There is nothing that takes You by surprise......" etc. You'll be amazed at what comes to mind. After praising Him for a bit, move on to thanking Him. "Lord, thank You that you hear me. Thank you for protecting me from the parties that go on. Thank You for caring for me so much that You set boundaries for my good. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for humbling Yourself so much that You came to earth to go through this life so that I would have a God who knows..." etc. After thanking Him for all He's done, start asking Him to move in your life. Ask Him for specific needs. Ask Him for help. Ask Him for peace. Ask Him for wisdom. Whatever you need. Make a list if you need to. He won't mind if you pray with your eyes open. ;) I do it A LOT! We don't get the time to do this very often but I promise you'll be rewarded if you just take a minute and spend some quality, alone time talking to your God. He will be thrilled to meet with you! Make a date with Him sometime this week.


*And if I have any mistakes or something in my posts...tell me! I'll go back in and fix 'em.