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Jesus—An Excerpt from Pursuing the Christ by Jennifer Kennedy Dean

November 30, 2018 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Today on the blog I’m thrilled to introduce Jennifer Kennedy Dean as a guest contributor. You will enjoy Jennifer’s thoughtful, elegant writing style in this excerpt from her newest book, Pursuing the Christ—Prayers for Christmanstime. Read to the end for links to her ministry and books.

Jesus

Christmas is the day we have marked on our calendars to celebrate that pivotal event upon which all human history hangs. On a certain day in time and space, the eternal Word entered into our circumstances, clothed in flesh and born of a woman. In marking time, there is before, and there is after. All time is measured from the moment when the Word became flesh and took up residence among us.

It is easy to be distracted from the celebration’s true purpose. Too many of us know the Christmas season can quickly disintegrate into stress, greed, busyness, competition, and emotional overload. We enter again into the season we regard as holy but that too often becomes encumbered with the mundane.

This year, as we approach the celebration of His coming, I challenge you to focus on the Glory, not the glitz. Keeping our hearts anchored on Jesus, let’s celebrate Him in all our festivities. Let’s let the wonder of His incarnation be the center of our thoughts. The wonder that Jesus so valued each of us He left His throne from which He heard the continual cry of, “Holy, holy, holy,” to take on a man’s frame and hear instead, “Crucify Him!” (Revelation 4:8; Matthew 27: 22–23 NIV).

He who “lives in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16NIV) was willing to approach mankind so that frail humanity could see the glory of God. Christ has revealed the invisible God, bright glory filtered through His body of flesh so we would not have to hide our faces from the unapproachable light. Because we could not bear the sight of His glory, He veiled His glory in flesh and brought the beauty of heaven right down into the muck and mess of mankind.

Why would the Beloved become the Despised? Why would heaven’s Darling become the lightning rod for heaven’s wrath? Why would the King become a servant? The Scripture describes it this way: “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7 NIV).

If the King of kings had taken the nature of an earthly king, that would have been a stunning act of condescension. If that were the story, we would be marveling at His unfathomable act of humility.

He did not take the form of an earthly king. He took the form of a servant. Breathtaking. Incomprehensible. Incalculable. The very God of the universe, by whom all things were created and through whom all things hold together, divested Himself of His rights and privileges to move from “God for us” to “God with us.”

All for love’s sake.

Jennifer Kennedy Dean

Adapted from Pursuing the Christ

Prayinglife.org

About Jennifer

Widely recognized as an unusually gifted communicator of the deep truths of God’s Word, Jennifer speaks all over the country calling God’s people to discover the difference between “a prayer life” and “a praying life.”

prayinglife.org/products/pursuing-the-christ-prayers-for-christmastime/

Intercession in All Seasons of Life

March 21, 2018 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 2 Comments

The article on the blog today first appeared in the April-June 2017 issue of PrayerConnect magazine. Chaplain Dorothy Bayles and the child intercessors at the Children’s Rehabilitation Center, in Oklahoma City, continue to inspire my praying life. Although written to encourage intercession for anyone facing painful or uncertain circumstances, these children will encourage you, regardless of your current circumstances.

The Gospel echoes down every hall of the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany, OK. The words of Jesus resound, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt. 19:14).

Gretchen* is one of the children hospitalized at the Children’s Center. She once played the violin and ran outside like any active little girl. Now, because of disease, she’s trapped inside her body, unable to speak. She remembers what her life was like before.

For eight years, Dorothy Bayles has served as chaplain to patients and staff at this facility where children like Gretchen receive care. According to Dorothy, 99% of the children do not verbalize. They communicate by looking to the right or left, or by blinking to signify yes or no. The staff uses pictures to communicate with the children.

Despite physical limitations, their connection with Jesus can go deep. During one encounter with Gretchen, Dorothy told her the story of Jesus. Before Dorothy left Gretchen’s bedside, she whispered, “God loves you and I love you.”

Later, in a therapy class, Gretchen refused to work. The therapist realized Gretchen wanted to see the chaplain. Gretchen’s question to Dorothy: How do I know God?

Many of the patients at the Children’s Center deal with loss, leading to guilt and depression. These feelings are especially true for those who remember their lives before injury or disease robbed them of the ability to move and communicate with the outside world.

So Dorothy told Gretchen, “You can put your guilt, disease, disappointment, and depression on Christ’s body or you can carry them on yours.” Gretchen chose to give her burdens to Jesus.

Gretchen’s countenance displays evidence of her life changing experience. When Dorothy tells visitors about Gretchen’s relationship with Jesus, tears of joy flow down Gretchen’s face. When asked how Jesus changed her life, Gretchen communicates: I dream about Jesus a lot.

Intercession in Difficult Seasons

Gretchen is also an intercessor. She represents many children at this hospital who have embraced prayer as a balm for their spirits and an opportunity to move beyond their limited boundaries to touch other people. These children provide special motivation for anyone experiencing illness, desperate circumstances or prolonged periods of uncertainty.

When we ourselves experience a difficult season, we can ask God to increase our desire to intercede on behalf of other people. Intercession accomplishes something powerful in the life of the intercessor. It unites our heart with God’s heart, enabling us to grow in compassion and love for others.

Intercession also provides the opportunity to actively participate in God’s Kingdom. Prayer moves beyond limitations of geography, time, and circumstances, affording us the privilege of making eternal deposits for others.

The following suggestions can help those in challenging situations to navigate meaningful intercession:

View this season as a calling from God. He may be presenting special opportunities to you.
Recognize that intercession doesn’t have to be long-winded or tiring. Intercession can even consist of thinking of people and asking that they experience God’s presence.
Set aside a specific time for intercession. We can pray anytime and anywhere but designating a time to pray, accelerates our commitment to pray.
Pray with and for people who come to visit. Your prayers together bring mutual encouragement.
Remember that praying with others can be a phone call away. If you can, connect with people by phone and offer to pray for them. That simple act will minister to both of you!
Consider writing a personal note to people for whom you pray. A written note allows the person to read your prayer, a Scripture verse, or a word of encouragement whenever they need strength.

My mother experienced considerable limitations during the last years of her life. From the corner of the sofa in her home, she continued to pray for her family, and for others God brought into her life, including missionaries serving around the world. Although she was sometimes homebound, her prayers carried global reach and eternal significance.

Shifting Focus from Self to Others

Dorothy describes the children she ministers to as furnaces of prayer. They operate in the priestly ministry of go-between. They stand between heaven and a need on earth to petition for a breakthrough. Intercession brings them pleasure and gives them a sense of purpose.

Dorothy leads the children to pray for themselves, their families, their friends, the facility, the chapel, and the world. These child-intercessors take their high calling seriously.

One young man, Patrick, has lived in the facility his entire life. He didn’t think God loved him, but when Dorothy asked him to pray for the hospital administration, her invitation excited him. Praying for the staff helped shift his focus from himself to others—and ultimately to God’s goodness and love.

Through the ministry of intercession, we invest in another person’s life. Intercessory prayer draws us beyond the horizons of our trouble and pain. Our investment in other people enriches us and accelerates God’s purposes on earth.

If you are a prayer leader in your church or organization, ask God to open your eyes to recognize intercessors in unexpected places. You might find them on prayer request lists. They might be homebound or in nursing homes. They might be people who have withdrawn from life as a result of tragedy or loss.

You can mentor them in prayer, strategically developing a ministry that not only encourages those with challenging illness and pain but also helps them recognize their value to the Body of Christ. Much like the children in the rehabilitation facility, a specific prayer assignment can turn a time of isolation and loneliness into a season of fruitful intercession. My friend, Beulah—now in her eighties—is a role model in prayer. She has always been an intercessor. But after her husband died suddenly, she made a life-changing decision to move from her home in South Carolina, to a small town in Georgia, near the campus of a small college.

She answered God’s call to pray for the school and for every student and faculty member. She prays for each one by name every day. Instead of allowing a season of loss to define her, she made the choice to increase her investment in others through prayer.

Embracing the Secret Place

Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matt. 6:6 NKJV, emphasis mine).

The children at the rehabilitation hospital understand this truth better than we do. They live in the secret place of the shut door. Physical limitations severely limit their outward interaction, but their inner lives are rich in prayer. They are trapped in their bodies, but the Father “who is in the secret place,” dwells there with them.

Before I learned about the child intercessors in the rehabilitation center, I overlooked the promise in the middle of this verse. I recognized my responsibility to enter the secret place and shut the door, but I missed the assurance Jesus gives us. “Your Father…is in the secret place” (emphasis mine).

No matter how desperate our circumstances, we can rest in the promise of the secret place. When we shut the door, we don’t have to wonder if we will experience God’s presence. He is already there.

This is good news for everyone, but especially for those isolated because of illness. They can seize this time of decreased activity, and fewer distractions, as a time to grow closer to God. Intimacy with Him is a special gift available to all who seek Him. By His presence with us, He replaces loneliness with the privilege of partnering with Him in prayer.

His presence also gives us the assurance that we do not pray alone. When we ask God to strengthen, heal, bless, and transform, His Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Jesus—prays through us. He guides our prayers.

The Apostle Paul writes of this strength in weakness in his letter to the Romans:

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with the will of God (8:26-27).

Identifying with Pain

Most of the children at the Children’s Center live with debilitating pain. Dorothy leaned over the bed of Meagan, a young girl who was obviously suffering. Praying for God to soothe Meagan’s pain and give her peace, Dorothy heard the child repeating the same words over and over: “Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me.” Meagan’s words spoke declaration, comfort, and hope over her pain.

The physical and emotional pain the children experience heightens their sensitivity to pain in others. Little Dorita cried quietly for several days. Then another girl, Michelle, prayed for her and Dorita got better. In child-like innocence, Michelle said to Dorothy, “I helped her today. Aren’t you going to say thank you to Jesus?”

If you are experiencing painful illness or injury, consider devoting a portion of your day to praying for those who are also suffering. Your place of personal difficulty allows you to intercede from a position of deep understanding and sensitivity. Pray with faith, knowing God is all-powerful and loves you—and the people you are praying for. Pray with joy and thanksgiving that God hears your prayers.

Intercessory prayer reflects God’s character of love and mercy. As we release mercy and love to others through prayer, mercy and love multiply within us. Intercession helps us reach beyond ourselves and grow in compassion for others.

Dorothy impacts the children’s lives, but they also touch hers. She says, “God invites us to a broader life. If I hurt, I pray that God will use it for his glory. Whatever pain I experience, I pray for God to help me focus my attention on prayer for others.”

Paul wrote, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). These children model this verse and inspire anyone afflicted with physical pain or painful circumstances.

Moving Beyond Limitations

Douglas, a young man living at the Children’s Center several years ago, was completely paralyzed, but verbal. A visiting chaplain, making his rounds through the halls of the Children’s Center, asked Douglas about his spiritual life.

“Do you want to know my favorite Bible verse?” Douglas replied. He then quoted: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

These children are role models of courage. Their zeal for Jesus challenges us. Their ardor for prayer convicts us. In their limitations, they teach us to look beyond the borders of our circumstances and embrace unlimited opportunities in Christ.

They model a truth that whatever season of life we are in, God’s Spirit always empowers us to partner with Him as transforming agents of intercession. Truly, “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

*Some names have been changed in this article.

How are you inspired to pray?

Learn more about PrayerConnect magazine and the Children’s Rehabilitation Center.

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

March 18, 2017 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 24 Comments

All things are possible with God. Mark 10:27b

It surprised me how often I regretted leaving the yellow shopping bag of disposable placemats on a bench in the Atlanta Airport Rental Car Center.

I remember the forgotten bag the moment my preacher man and I walk into the airport terminal, two train stops away. By then, time is short. We can’t go back or we will miss our flight home to Oklahoma.

I was thinking ahead when I purchased the placemats at a cute shop in Macon GA earlier in the day. They were for a party we planned to host in two months. I’d made my party planning list, and I was marking it off. This purchase was supposed to be one and done.

And then I left them.

Instead of reading my book on the plane home, regrets busy my mind. I rehearse reasons why this minor glitch should not upset me.

They are only paper (although elegant paper).
I’m scheduled to return to Macon before the party.
I can purchase them again.
Why am I hung up on paper placemats?
I didn’t get this upset when I left behind two dresser drawers of clothes in a hotel, at a seaside town in Italy.

Several times over the next few weeks, I sense the urge to pray about those abandoned placemats.

And then I analyze. It’s a random package left on a bench in one of the largest airports in the world. Nothing identifies it as mine. I live 1,000 miles away…

On and on I go, lassoing faith into a circle of doubt.

The only words I say aloud, “Lord, this is so complicated!”

One month later

My preacher man and I attend an event in North Carolina. My sister and her husband, who also live in Oklahoma, are there too.

She asks me where we’re going next, and I tell her.

“We’re going to DC to celebrate Thanksgiving with our children. And then, we’re going to Macon GA because I bought these placemats…”

I’m about to spill the sad story when she interrupts me with an astonishing announcement.

“Your placemats are in my car!”

“My placemats? The ones I left on a bench in the Atlanta airport?”

“How is that possible?”

A woman working at one of the rental car desks next to the bench where I left the package, decides to check on it. She usually calls security for abandoned bags, but since it was there all day, she picks it up.

The store name and phone number are on the receipt. She calls the shop and asks them if they remember who bought the placemats at their store earlier in the day.

The shop owner confuses me with my sister, Susan. So, she calls Susan, who’s traveling in Romania, and leaves a message.

“A woman located the placemats you left in the rental car center in Atlanta. I have her contact information so you can arrange to pick them up next time you fly through Atlanta.”

Susan wonders. What placemats? I don’t remember buying placemats.

She arranges to pick them up anyway, since everyone insists they belong to her.

Now, they are in her car, right there in North Carolina.

Exactly as God planned it.

All at once, I remember what I said to God, “Lord, this is so complicated!”

And in my spirit I hear Him reply.

“Is anything too hard for Me?”

Lest you think this story is only about paper placemats, let me assure you. God’s question penetrated into big, deep down dreams in my heart still awaiting fulfillment.

God asks Sarah the same question at a time when she doubts God will give her the child of her dreams (Genesis 18:14). He asks Jeremiah that exact question when he struggles over the destiny of Israel (Jeremiah 32:27).

And I wonder, if maybe today, He’s asking you too.

Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord? Genesis 18:14a AMP

I’d love to hear what God is saying to you.

What’s in Your Hands? Release It to God

October 5, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 10 Comments

Praise be to the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers to do battle. Psalm 144:1

I procrastinated for years before beginning a blog.

The idea scared me. Intimidated me. Paralyzed me.

Millions of other people publish blogs—people far more creative, far better writers than I.

But when I hear a ten-year-old’s response as her grandmother reads Psalm 144:1, I gather courage.

She gives wise, out-of-the-mouth-of-babes response.

“That’s the reason we write! He trains our fingers to do battle.”

David

Previously, I read Psalm 144:1 from the perspective of David, warrior king, fighting to possess land, battling to establish borders of his earthly kingdom.

But I began to read David’s words as David, worshiper, musician, songster, writer, warring for spiritual territory.

David battles with his fingers as he plucks the strings of his harp, soothing Saul’s tormented spirit.

With words on parchment, he pours out his problems to God. He announces Divine intervention in issues troubling him.

He encourages his heart, and his words encourage us.

Through David, we hear God’s announcement of Good News as the Holy Spirit inspires him to prophetically proclaim Jesus Christ, the ultimate Victor.

We read David’s psalms today, because his fingers battled with words, his hands responded to God’s leading, leaving a legacy of poetry for every human emotion, for every trial and victory.

I gather courage. I begin to do battle with the blank page, waging war with the blinking cursor.

Paul reminds us how we war.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

You

How has He trained your hands for war and your fingers to do battle?

It might not be as a writer, but He’s placed an instrument of His goodness in your hands.

When Moses questioned whether he was the right person to deliver the Israelites out of slavery, God asked Moses:

What is in your hand? Exodus 4:2

The simple rod in the hand of Moses, transformed into an instrument of deliverance when placed in the hands of God.

The gift God gives into your hands becomes an act of generosity when you release it. Be generous for His glory.

With the instrument in our hands, we champion justice.

Our fingers release comfort, binding up the broken hearted.

Whether with words or actions, we proclaim freedom for the captives. We preach Good News to the poor.

We encourage the downtrodden, pointing them to hope in Jesus Christ.

And with grateful hearts, we give praise to the Lord, our Rock, who trains our fingers. Who anoints our hands, gracing us with the pleasure of partnering with Him.

What’s in your hand? I’d love to hear from you.

Three Benefits of Surrendered Prayer

August 18, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 4 Comments

I desire to always pray with the surrendered, hands-off abandon like this prayer that changed my life: “Increase my faith, Lord. And do whatever it takes.”

I agree with the psalmist who said of God, “You are good and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68).

Yet, I sometimes live with tension between what I perceive as good, and the good God might choose for me.

Jesus models how to pray with complete trust in God’s choice.

When the time drew near for Him to go to the cross. He prayed, “Father, glorify your name” (John 12:28).

During His night of prayer in Gethsemane, Jesus yielded to God’s plan to bring salvation to the world. He declared, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

He chose God’s good over His comfort. He chose God’s glory over His relief.

O. Hallesby wrote in his book, Prayer:

“To pray is to let Jesus glorify His name in the midst of our need.”

What happens when it’s God’s glory we crave? When we want only what He wills, when He wills it?

We experience His unlimited resources

Praying human solutions limit us to human resources. When we rest in God’s chosen outcome, the resources of the universe await His command.

We can trust Him to bring about an answer only He can achieve. And He receives glory as a result.

We enjoy His greater good

We only see our circumstances from flawed perspective. What seems good in the moment might bring disastrous results in the long term.

When we pray for God’s solution, He prepares people, arranges events, and calls on resources to bring about the answer we would have chosen if we knew what to ask.

He alone sees how our circumstances fit into the big picture of His purposes.

We experience deeper intimacy

Emptying ourselves of desire to get our own way brings enrichment, satisfying us beyond imagination. When He receives glory, He gifts us with Himself in greater ways.

When we trust God with our circumstances, we encounter a steadying peace only He can bring. We experience greater awe in how He will choose to move in our lives in the future.

Do these benefits empty us from suffering and disappointment?

No.

But we can depend on Him to invade our trouble with His mercy and goodness. We can count on Him to deliver us from problems or give us grace to persevere through them.

As God helps us in our struggles, He gets the glory. And we get the benefit.

When His glory becomes our chief desire, His choice become our greatest outcome.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Six Helps for Crossing a Bridge of Transition

July 27, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 22 Comments

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

When I was growing up, my family vacationed in the Great Smokey Mountains. Near our vacation spot was a swinging bridge–just wide enough to walk across.

That bridge terrified me!

My heart is beating fast as I remember the experience. Not only do I not like a bridge moving beneath my feet, I also don’t like heights.

In case you’re not familiar with swinging bridges, check this out. But trust me, this bridge is a modern feat of engineering, unlike that rickety thing I remember. (http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/mile-high-swinging-bridge-nc/).

It occurred to me much later, how a season of transition is a lot like a swinging bridge.

Maybe you can relate.

You’re comfortable in your current place, but you sense God urging you to greater depths in Him, more profound usefulness, and enlarged anointing.

Between you and God’s plan is a bridge of transition shifting beneath your feet.

Yet, seasons of transition are necessary.

So how do you get across the swinging bridge of transition? Here are a few suggestions.

Live life inside out

God works from the inside out, and we live from the inside out when we allow Him to shape our inner person, no matter how uncomfortable His methods.

Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst. The wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. Matthew 9:17

The person we are today can’t hold the increase God plans for us. Increase requires a new container—flexible, changeable. Jesus is the change agent. He does the work of spiritual transformation, but the catalyst is our cooperation.

Continue in Bible study and prayer

You might need to increase your time in Bible study and prayer. Although God’s methods of speaking to you are limitless, He speaks most often through prayer and His Word. Don’t just read the Bible. Allow the Bible to read you. God is Truth and our contact with Truth changes us, and readies us for a new season. Let down your guard before Him and allow Him to prepare you for your next place.

Move into unchartered territory

You need a compass, not a map. God wants to move in your life in a new way. His methods might not resemble His work in others, so put aside fear keeping you from charting new spiritual territory. Ask God for a greater measure of His love for you and your love for Him. Remember, God’s love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).

Silence negative thoughts

Use your authority in Christ to silence the voice telling you God can’t use you. The enemy uses our first person voice to discourage us:

I’ve made too many mistakes.
I’m too timid. I’m not smart enough.
I’m too busy.

Heed only the voice of the Holy Spirit. His voice always brings hope, and never condemnation. You are the vessel He has chosen for a place only you can fill. God’s purpose for your life transcends any failures, and exceeds any deficiencies. Put your confidence in God, and not in yourself.

Commit to finishing

Endurance is the mark of the faithful. It takes us longer to change than we think. Take comfort in these words: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

Focus on Jesus

Have courage, and remember, God has prepared your future. Although the bridge of transition seems unstable, God never leads you where he has not gone before. Don’t trust your eyes, but trust Him instead. He transforms a swinging bridge into solid ground.

How do you handle times of transition? I’d love to hear from you.

Meditation on Morning

June 28, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 4 Comments

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Matthew 6:33

The day awakens as the sun raises its golden head, sending a glow of light to separate the night from the dawn. The light slowly widens like a sleepy eyelid opening to greet the morning.

I’m not the only early riser for the yard is alive with birds. Their feathers of vivid blues, reds, and subtle grays catch the sunbeams, now cascading over them in a shower of light.

Soon I’m smiling as I see them fluttering beneath the bird feeder.

I watch as sparrows scatter seeds from the feeder to the ground, inviting birds of all kind to feast from their table of bounty.

They’d be no need to claw the soil today. Breakfast appeared from above.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…Matthew 6:26a

In another section of the garden, a mass of day lilies unfurl golden trumpets in response to the warmth of the sun. They signal a silent reveille, heralding the morning.

Their beauty sounds a note in my heart.

See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these…” Matthew 6:28, 29

I slip from the garden, back inside to face the day. My face is warm from the sunshine. My heart, aglow from the drama of the morning.

Already the day moves at a faster pace, but I’ve no need for anxiety, for the rest of the message resounds like a song of assurance.

“Are you not more valuable than they?” Mathew 6:26b

I can face whatever the day brings with confidence, for I have witnessed God at work in nature, and I rest secure.

His promise to meet my needs is just as sure.

And for you, dear friend?

His promise is also yours.

Thank you, Father, that what we need today, you graciously supply.

What are your thoughts? I welcome your comments.

Confessions of a Sleepwalker

June 15, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 17 Comments

When I was younger, I walked in my sleep.

I outgrew my nighttime wanderings, but not before my four sisters collected a few stories, retold at family gatherings.

The most repeated one is about the night I ate half a chocolate cake.

The next morning, on the polished surface of our stainless steel countertop, sat the remaining evidence.

Someone had eaten chocolate layer cake with her hands.

I’m not sure what incriminated me. Maybe, the chocolate under my fingernails?

Whatever. I had eaten half a chocolate cake.

Over time, my family saw the humor in my sleepy stroll.

I never did.

I figured, since I had eaten half a chocolate cake, I should remember the pleasure of eating it!

Awake, O Sleeper

Recently, God reminded me of my nighttime chocolate cakewalk. He awakened me to his perspective.

He pointed out how often I rush from one event to the next, living a blur of moments.

It’s impossible to remember something we never fully experience.

I wondered what I had missed. And I realized…

I am still a sleepwalker.

I have a feeling I’m not alone. Life has a way of sweeping us into the forced march of the calendar, the warp-speed of doing more, experiencing less.

Hurry is a trap.

Hurry numbs us to the awe of God.
Hurry dulls our ears to God’s voice.
Hurry robs us of thanksgiving.
Hurry distracts us from remembering well.

Hurry is a thief.

Arise and Shine

Wherever you are, be fully there. ~Jim Elliot

Recently, I heard a wise man restate Elliot’s quote, voicing his personal resolve.

I am determined to be where I am.” ~Ronnie Floyd

Our lives are not a highlight reel of events, circled on calendars, checked off on the to-do list of the day.

Life involves a succession of ordinary moments, lived well, marked by mercies new every morning.

You must be fully aware to experience them, in order to remember them.

So I resolve to be fully present, even when I’m busy.

I am determined to be where I am.

I want to remember well.

To respond to God’s present tense voice
To recollect God’s grace in the ordinary
To recount God’s faithfulness
To recite in my heart every mercy moment
To recapture a response of thanksgiving and worship

I don’t want to be a sleepwalker in life.

Perhaps you need to wake up, too.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

I’d love to hear from you. I value your comments.

Three Helpful Prayer Habits

May 31, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 6 Comments

Several years ago I visited a prayer room in a Modesto CA church, identified with a sign over the door: The Furnace.

I stepped over the threshold, entering a space saturated by prayer, filled with intercessors. I sensed a powerful presence of God. Tears flowed. I began to pray.

The Holy Spirit fueled the Furnace, and what happened in the Furnace fueled the church. The atmosphere invited prayer, because in this room, prayer happened consistently, passionately, habitually.

My experience continues to influence my time with God. I witnessed how a habit of prayer in a specific place, at a specified time, created a response of prayer.

I wondered what could change in my life and my home by adopting a few prayer habits.

Choose a Prime Time

Prayer isn’t about an appointment to keep, but a relationship to enjoy. I love how God interrupts my day, surprising me with moments of grace, inviting me into spontaneous prayer.

Be open to praying anytime, anywhere. Also remember, choosing a consistent time to pray encourages a lifestyle of prayer.

The psalmist stated his best time, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you” (63:1). The word earnestly means first thing in the morning, first in order of priority.

Like the psalmist, many people enjoy God-time before daily events crowd their schedule, before turning on the morning news, checking social media, reading emails, or eating breakfast.

But if morning isn’t ideal for you, find a time when you can give God undivided attention.

Since he neither slumbers nor sleeps, every moment is morning to him.

Choose a Welcoming Space

For the past 15 years, my spot has been a walk-in closet adjoining a bedroom. It might not seem like the most comfortable place, but I don’t mind sitting on the floor (I got that from my dad).

It’s separated from household responsibilities. I’m less likely to be interrupted, since reaching my secret place requires opening several doors.

In the darkened seclusion of my closet, I block out distractions. I can’t see pillows to fluff or pictures to straighten, and I’ve learned to ignore the clutter of shoes on the floor.

I turn on the light to read Scripture. I turn off the light to listen to God.

Your spot might be a space in your bedroom, a chair in the corner of your family room, a place at your kitchen table or a favorite spot on your patio.

Wherever you choose, go there often.

In time, entering your space will signal prayer.

Choose to Model Prayer for Children

For parents with younger children, an uninterrupted prayer time is almost impossible.

One mom uses her children’s nap time as her quiet time. When they awaken early, she sits them next to her with a book until she finished her time with the Lord.

This mom found her girls, on separate occasions, propped in her bed with Bible and pen. Each child told her they were having their God-time, just like her.

My mom and dad modeled prayer for our family. My mom chose a corner of the sofa where she read and prayed. My dad prayed aloud in his room, kneeling by his bed.

Hearing my father pray gave me a sense of security. I trusted God to meet the needs of our family because my dad asked him to. I learned prayer because I grew up seeing and hearing prayer modeled.

Prayer habits are not for the purpose of forcing prayer. Prayer habits are to fuel prayer-passion in our lives, our hearts.

Our homes and our hearts can become a Furnace for prayer.

What prayer habits have you formed? How have they helped you? I’d loved to hear. You’ll find the comment section at the beginning of this post.

A Word from God About You and Me

May 17, 2016 by Rebecca Shirey Filed Under: Uncategorized 4 Comments

When negativity about my worth crowds out good thoughts, I take my I’m-not-enough-thinking to God, asking him to open my eyes to his perspective. He shows me truth through the lens of Scripture, encouragement for you and me.

Do you realize your place in chronology of Scripture?

First, the Word. Always and forever.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1

Next comes you.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4

He Chose You

Before God hovered over the void, speaking life and form from nothing, you existed in him. Before time began, he knew you. He loved you.

With utmost care, he selected your 10,000 sets of genes, and your 23 pairs of chromosomes, thus creating his design for one-of-a-kind you.

He created you for purpose. He marked you for greatness. Not greatness by societal standards, but by the measure of Christ in you.

He Planned for You

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:11

Before time began, he wrote the pages of your life, his grand plan for you to bring him praise.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

At the exact time of his choosing, he released you into the world.

He sent you out of the Word, as a word to your generation.

He Works in You

God exerts the force of his energy on your behalf, working out his highest possible good in you.

…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13

He works his word in you, and he works his word through you.

He Works it Out for You

What is he working out?

Everything you face. Not just some things.

He’s working out everything.

So find encouragement in these everything truths.*

Everything is possible for one who believes. Mark 9:23
Everything is under his feet. 1 Corinthians 15:27
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

You are a word out of the Word, sent by the Word into this time in history.

So rest in this final word, dear friend.

God’s word will not return to him empty, but accomplishes what he desires and achieves the purpose for which he sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

How are you encouraged today?

*Italics mine