Prayer

About early to mid December of 2011, I started to feel as though prayer was going to be my spiritual life's focus in 2012. So much so that, I went out and bought 5 copies of The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson--a book all about prayer. Tag line reads: "Praying circles around your biggest dreams and greatest fears." I figured that if prayer was going to me my focus, then it should also be the focus of my closest inner circle of family and friends. So I gifted it to them for Christmas. Hence the 5 copies. Grin.

I started reading it right before Christmas and in just about 4 weeks, I'm starting to see God reveal things to me...starting to see specific prayers headed down the path of coming true...starting to learn new things to pray for, things I would've never in my earthly nature thought about.

If all this has happened in just a month, I'm a little nervous to see what the remaining 11 months of this year hold! It's a good nervous. More like eager anticipation.

The premise of The Circle Maker is about the true legend of Honi, the circle maker, who persistently and confidently prayed his way through a devastating drought in first-century BC Israel, until the rains came. And boy did they come. You really should grab a copy and read for yourself. I'm by no means doing the blurb of the book justice with those few words.

I'm only about half-way done with the book--only read a few pages every day (can't handle much more than that, b/c it's so meaty)--and have already learned more about God's purpose of prayer in the past 4 weeks, than I learned in the past 16 years as a believer in Christ.

Not only has He challenged me to pray BIG (because anything less offends Him), but He's also challenged me to hyperlink my prayers to promises from Scripture....and instead of limiting ourselves to just praying....also to praise God for how He will deliver on His promises. You see, praying for promises in Scripture is a sure bet (if you're a bettin' person). Those promises WILL come true. I have to be careful to not mix this up with "every prayer is going to get answered the way I want." God doesn't promise that. What He does promise, that if we boldly ask for things in His will (in His scriptures), He WILL deliver (Hebrews 10:23). And since we know our God is a God who ALWAYS keeps His promises, why not thank Him in advance (praising)?

This has radically changed my mindset. I've gone from someone who is slightly hopeful, but mostly doubtful when I pray, to someone who is more confident than ever that He will answer. It's a holy confidence.

So, what prayers am I circling? Here are some that I can mention below (others are private):

• Healing for my family. I am not going to elaborate right now, until we're on the other side of it. I actually even wondered if I should put this on here or keep it private, but I decided to share it, b/c the promises that God has already given me re: my family are astounding: Jeremiah 33:6-11, Jeremiah 30:12-17, John 16:20-24, Ezekiel 36:26-36. Every single one of those passages is circled in my Bible....and in my prayer journal. Fun part is, I'm already starting to see glimpses of this healing and am beside myself. When full deliverance comes, I'm not going to know what to do with myself, except live on my knees in praise, I guess.
  
• My future marriage someday. 'Nuf said. :) I've gone back and forth with God on this. I want to get married, but I don't feel like I'm the marriage "type." Whatever that is. I want to be a wife, but I run (fast sprint) from anything even remotely headed into the realm of a potential relationship. Oh, and I can't picture myself dating to save my life. Seriously. I told a friend the other day, "cultures hat follow arranged marriage customs know where it's at." There are days when I could really see myself defaulting to an arranged marriage and actually being HAPPY with it. Then other days, I knock some sense back into me. Ok, promises around this prayer: also, Jeremiah 33:6-11 (see v. 11 specifically...re: voices of bride and bridegroom). I am convinced this will happen for me, but not until the healing and restoration happens first--both for my family and myself personally. And Romans 4:17-25. This one is especially good for the garbage I lead myself to believe about not being the marriage "type." My favorite part is from the MSG version (v. 19 - 25): "Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said." Wow.
  
• My job. Oh, I got a new job. And I'm moving out of Indiana. I am super pumped. I am circling Eph. 6:19 for this - this verse is actually my 2012 verse of the year. I pray that every time I open my mouth, words would be given to me...goodness knows, how many times I opened my mouth and blurted something out that I wish could be taken back....how many times, the same lips that praised God, also cursed or let others down. How many times when I was supposed to use my mouth to build others up, I tore them down in my selfishness or narcissism. So whether in my new job, the last days on my old job, outside my work environment, I pray words would be given to me from the heavenlies...
• Home sale - see previous bullet. I got the job. I got the start date of the new job. Everyone at work and in my personal life knows....and the last big detail is selling my condo. I worried about it for a while, but then I found James 5:11 (MSG) where I was reminded that God works out every detail because He cares. So, I'm circling that promise...for God to handle every single detail of my move (including sale of the condo). I also have to say, this prayer is a specifically interesting one. God is up to something BIG in this one. I met with a Realtor who was kind of gloom and doom in my opinion. The housing market is awful, things aren't selling for what they're worth, Realtor commission is high, every other condo around me has been on the market for months - some even a year...and blah blah blah. Interesting part, the more she made all these statements, the more my confidence grew in the fact that my condo will be fine and won't get caught up in all the market "drama". How did the confidence grow? God. I seriously can't think of any other explanation. The more she talked about how this wouldn't sell, the more I believed that God will take care of it. Now this may not be selling it (the answer I want), it could be an equally nice situation where I end up renting (maybe what He wants). Either way, I am open to where God is leading in this, and literally have a peace that is surpassing ALL understanding at this point. It's strange. But I'm not complaining. And you know what? I already have some leads - both for sale and for renting/leasing. He's going to do this, and He's going to do it up big!
• Some friends - won't mention names here, but I pray for some of my friends who don't know Jesus. Some of my friends who are married--pray for their relationship with their spouse. Some specific ones who knew Jesus at one point, but have since made different choices. Some friends who are struggling. Some friends who are going through major health issues--I mean MAJOR.
• A book. I want to write a book about my family some day. I don't know what it will be called. Or when I want to publish it. But I LOVE WRITING. And I LOVE A GREAT STORY. And well, quite frankly, I happen to be very close to 4 people who are living quite the remarkable life right now. And while things may not be right YET, they will be (see first bullet point). When God delivers on all the promises listed in the first bullet point, boy, will I have a story to tell for God's glory. SO, I'm praying about it. I don't know any publishers, any big authors who would even be able to coach me in this project. But that's ok to have a dream with the ingredients still missing. After all, the universe was formed at God's command--what is now seen was not made out of what was visible (Hebrews 11:3).
• There are a couple others that I have (or am going to add): church leadership, extended family in India, etc. etc. etc.
  

I wish I had the time to sit here and write all the details of everything that has happened today. Alas, my prayer journal got the honors of that. It was enough for me to end my blog drought and pour as much out as I could on here. I am just thrilled to have a revived prayer life. To not fall asleep when I pray anymore. To pray God's promises, because I KNOW those prayers will be answered. To witness the fruit that is being born from these prayers. And most importantly, the opportunity to praise Jesus for His faithfulness. After all, isn't that what it's all about?

I am really, really, REALLY excited to see what God has in store for the next 11 months. Thank you, Jesus in ADVANCE what the miracles You are about to work.