Praying Circles Around God's Will

I am reading the book, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. Amazing book! It is a book primarily on prayer. One of the lessons I am learning in this book on prayer is to pray specifically and pray audacious prayers.  Mark Batterson says this, “It is absolutely imperative at the outset that you come to terms with this simple yet life-changing truth: God is for you. If you don’t believe that, then you’ll pray small timid prayers; if you do believe it, then you’ll pray audacious prayers.” Secondly, Mark explains that being specific in our prayers means to “Define your dream, claim your promise and spell your miracle.”  

When  it comes to Children’s Ministry I have heard countless leaders say, “There are always holes in the volunteer ministry. It’s just the nature of the ministry.” But thinking about what Mark Batterson said,this paradigm does not give God permission to invade our faithless thinking. I believe that He can fill every hole and that we can be a different  ministry than most; we can have a Children’s Ministry that is completely staffed with people who are passionate for children and people who are willing to set aside other things in life so they can make an eternal impact on the life of a child. I am circling this audacious prayer for Kids Quest, and I implore you to pray this with me. We serve a big God who can do all things! Amen?

Dear God, the all powerful and all present God. Your will is to reach the children with the sacrificial love and grace of Jesus Christ, your Son. I believe with all my heart 1 Timothy 2:3-4 is true: …God, our Savior, who wants all people (adults, teens and children) to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Make your will our reality by bringing forth the volunteers needed. We believe that you can fill every need! Because you can, we know you will.  Draw all those that have a chosen place to step forward and serve your children. If there is fear in some, demolish their fear. If there is doubt, change it to faith. If there is busyness, open doors for them to walk through. Make provision in every way possible that enables your desire: filling every position open in Kids Quest! Make it possible for us to have a second service at 9:30am with a full staff of 6 teachers and 6 assistants. You can do this and I am praying until it happens. In Jesus name, we confidently ask, because you have said that whatever we ask in your Son’s name, you will do it. Amen.

Ask and You Will Recieve

"If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7

These are the words of Jesus speaking to His disciples and to each of us. This is a powerful promise, "...ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."  Looking more closely at this verse, I pondered that promise and realized that it was conditional. It's condition is remaining in Jesus and having His words remain in us. Looking at this condition, the word "remain" stood out to me. I asked, "What does this word really mean?" Looking it up, I read that it means the following: not to depart, continue to be present, to remain as one - not to become another or different, and finally, to wait for.  

When we take one of those meanings and place it in the verse, we read "If you wait in Me and My words wait in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." 

I saw the connection of waiting in Jesus, His word waiting in me, and waiting on the prayers that God will answer.  Waiting is so much more than just longing, it's abiding, trusting, and marinating in the One Who accomplishes what He promises. There is no doubt for what He will give; there is a knowing, an assurance and a waiting with expectation for what we have asked for. There is this close connection that intimately knows the character of The One Who gives. What are you asking for? What are you waiting expectantly for? Are you marinating in Jesus? Are His words marinating in You? Is your waiting a saturation of assurance?

For Kids Quest, I am waiting with expectation for leaders for our 4/5th Grade Ministry and our K-3rd Grade Ministry. God has been grateful to supply wonderful leaders for our Nursery, Preschool and Special Needs ministry and I am assured that He will provide for these ministries as well. Pray with me.

Dear God, You are our great provider! Jesus told us to beseech the Father for the workers and we are asking with great expectancy for the leaders You have already picked out for the K-3rd grade and 4/5 grade ministry. Open our eyes so we can see them and be assured of Your choosing! In Jesus Name, Amen.

We Call, He Answers

“I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord, and I will obey your decrees… May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word…I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.” (Psalm 119:145, 169 & 120:1)

The book of Psalm is a great guide for prayer. David has given us ways to approach God in all situations. No matter what we are going through or the stresses we experience, we can call upon the Lord and He will answer us!

Dear God, Our Faithful Counselor,

We call upon you and trust you will answer us. We desire to obey your word; we need understanding as we obey your commands and as we walk in your will. We know that your will for each child that attends on Sunday morning is to know you personally, to feel loved by you, to experience your peace. Thank you for each child that you have given us to shepherd on Sunday morning. We ask for more Shepherds to come forward. Your word instructs us to pray without ceasing; the one who persists in prayer will realize answers. We ask for workers to attend to your harvest. Thank you for the eight who have come forward in this last week! We are blessed! You are answering! You are faithful! We continue to ask until each position is filled. We want your heart, your will, your ways!

In Jesus Name,

Amen

An Example to Follow

In Bethany, while Jesus was reclining at the table, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar containing very expensive perfume. Out of an act of worship, she poured this perfume upon his head. Indignant, the disciples claimed “What a waste! This could have been sold and given to the poor!” Certainly, the disciples had good intentions. I mean, isn’t feeding the poor a good thing? (Matthew 26:6-10) 

As with Martha and Mary, Jesus isn’t interested in His disciples doing the “good thing” but instead He is interested in his disciples doing the best thing! Worshiping our God is the best thing! Out of that worship, feeding the poor will come. Because when we worship our God, He plants His passions, His burdens, His desires and His will in our hearts and empowers us to fulfill them.

This woman was preparing Jesus for the death that would pay for all of mankind’s sins. She was about God’s will in this preparation, which ultimately would save the poor and all people from eternal poverty (a forever life without God). This woman is held in memory of her best deed, because her best deed helped propel the finish of the gospel.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for a woman like this, who has given us an example to follow. While we are intent on doing good things in this world, give us insight into what the best things are so that we are about Your Will! In this children’s ministry, Your will is relationship. Your will is to build a bridge between the relationships leaders and children develop that ultimately lead to relationship with You. We pray for connection between leaders and children; between children and You. May our service to you be as the expensive perfume that the woman poured upon Your head. My we prepare the hearts of these children with the Gospel of Your saving grace. May we see ourselves as giving of our time as the best thing we can do, never as a waste. Guard us against the good and propel us toward the best. Reward us with seeing the fruit of our labors. In Your holy name, Amen.

Foundations

This morning I began reading 1 Corinthians 3:10-16 and my heart was drawn to pray for the parents of the children in our ministry at River Club. I am so glad that we have the opportunity to teach them on Sunday, but they need more. I sympathize with parents with all the demands parenthood and their workload that weighs heavily upon them. There is much in our culture that distracts and hinders them from building effectively upon the foundation of Jesus Christ in the lives of their children. Our prayers for them will encourage them and give them strength to discard the unimportant and stay focused on the activities that last for all eternity.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.    For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,  his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.   Dear God, You are our wisdom and our strong foundation. Thank you for giving us Jesus. We pray, Lord, for your strength and your Spirit to infuse courage in parents today; help them to discard that which is temporary and trade it for that which is eternal, especially when it comes to building upon the foundation of your Son in their children's lives. Constantly remind parents in various ways the need for their children to know You through Your word, prayer and worship.  For what is important to parents, becomes important to their children. Help them have the power through Your Spirit to overcome the distractions and hindrances of our culture. Give them discernment to know the difference between what is good and what is Your best. In Jesus Name, Amen.