I pray for your waiting...

The New Year is often a time we make new resolutions and jump into new opportunities with both feet. Plans and schedules undergo reflection, just as our personal lives do - for now, perhaps more than any other month in a year, we are eager to make changes for improvement, in routines both external and internal. In our rush for refinement, however, we may neglect the important step of waiting on God. Therefore, my prayer for families this month is for your waiting.

I pray that as you wait on the Lord you would...

...build strength (Psalm 27:13-14)

...build hope (Psalm 33:18, 20-21)

...be prepared for success (Psalm 37:34)

...be trained to listen to God (Psalm 38:15)

...be made more stable (Psalm 40:1,2)

...move away from revenge (Psalm 40:1,2)

...experience God's compassion (Isaiah 30:18)

...be protected from shortsightedness (1 Corinthians 4:5)

Waiting on God is not a passive experience, but rather an active pursuit. I pray that God would direct your steps forward, and that you would jump in with both feet when, and only when, you are sure God has called you there. I pray that He would be the One you seek to help you change, and that you would listen to His Spirit's direction in what resolutions to make absolute in this 2015.

I pray for your lyrics...

This month, my prayer has been inspired by the lyrics from the Christmas carols I've been listening too...

...oh, do you hear what I hear? .:.

Yes, there are little feet pattering across the floor... cutlery/toys falling... children arguing... car horns beeping... cash registers closing... a cacophony of sounds... but do you hear the symphony within? Do you hear God calling to you, inviting you closer.. deeper? All He wants for Christmas is you. (see what I did there? lol) I pray your heart would be tuned to His voice, and that you would prioritize seeking Him this season.

...let every heart would prepare him room .:.

I pray you and your kin would make room in your hearts for Him to dwell. He came to Earth and dwelt among us. And now, He dwells in us. I pray for intentionality in this for your family this season.

...a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices .:.
Oh, dear child of God, this is a wearying time of year. Days are cold, and newscasts cast dark shadows on the light of God at work in this world.... but He is at work in the world. And remembering the birth of the Saviour, His death and resurrection, revives that thrill of hope, so let all within us praise His Holy name!

...He appeared and the soul felt it's worth .:.

I pray this truth would be made all the more real to you this season. You are SO loved, and SO precious, and the Creator, the Author of life itself, the Eternal One gave His only Son to bring you closer, to validate your worth in the face of an enemy trying to make you believe otherwise. I pray your soul absorbs that this Christmas.

...and wonders of His love.:.

Wonder is a default setting for children. I pray that you would learn from your kids in this way this year, that you would catch a glimpse of how wonder can capture your heart and pull you closer to The Beloved. Let questions unfold in your heart about God's amazing love, and how it completely surrounds you... I pray you let Him pursue you this season and allow His love to penetrate new areas of your heart.

It's so easy to let the depth of this season become mundane and to get lost in the surface details of cookie exchanges, bows and parties. I pray that your hearts would pause long enough this month to expand a little further into the amazing depth God has for you in the story of Christmas. He has so much in store for you!

O, Come let us adore Him!

I pray for your Spiritual Run

I'm praying for your run. Now, not all of us are marathon runners but we are all running a race. So I'm praying for...

Your training - Nobody runs a marathon without training first. Likewise, we need to be training in our spiritual journey, constantly refining our techniques. So I pray that you would retain the scriptures you read (Luke 11:8), that you would look to your Heavenly coach for help (Ps 54:4) and that you would find others to train alongside for accountability (1 Thess 5:11).

Your intervals - In training, these are used to build speed and endurance. In our own lives, we have various seasons of intervals - days and weeks that push our heart rates up, and other days that we use for recovery. I pray these would work as intended - to build you up, and not to discourage you. I pray you would feel strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9) in your uphill journeys and that you would drink living water (John 4:14) to keep you refreshed in your recovery.

Target heart rate - In training this is where you'll receive your maximum benefit. In your spiritual run, this is where you are outpouring from your heart in such a way that you are making the most impact for God's Kingdom. I pray you find your niche, and that you continue to stay in your target zone with God's help, in order to share His heart through you (Colossians 3:16).

Your wall - the point during a race when your muscle glycogen stores become depleted and a feeling of fatigue engulfs you. Spiritually, the enemy wants us to feel burnt out on God, on religion, on serving, on reading our Bible and on anything else that keeps us close to God and on the race path. I pray against this temptation. I prat that when the enemy comes and tries to cut you off (Gal 5:7), that you would cling to the truth and throw off all that is trying to hinder you (Hebrews 12:1).  I pray you would push through the weariness and continue to press forward towards the goal (Philippians 3:14).

Your current mile - I pray that you would be equipped with the right gear, that you would be encouraged in your journey and that you would know in your spirit that you are not running alone, but that God is with you, every step of the way (Matthew 28:20).

Your remaining distance - I pray that wherever God is leading you, you would step forward in obedience (Psalm 119:60).

I pray that wherever you are, from the sidelines to water breaks to hills or long distance stretches, that you would be inspired to keep going, and to do so for the glory of our God!