Draw the Circle Prayer Challenge Week 3 Update
Each week seems to get more and more crazy for lack of a better term, but I talked about that last year: It's time to get crazy! Well it's here.
This week Mark Batterson challenged us to: pray for God to surprise us, for us to set our foot down, and to keep circling.
God Surprise Me
Of course I was hesitant to pray this prayer at first because asking God to surprise me seems like it would be dangerous. My first thoughts were: What if he surprises me and I won't like it? What if it's a terrible surprise?
Here we go with unbelief again! Unbelief tells us not to trust God because we never know what may happen, it's better to try to figure it out on your own.
New year. New Approach.
So I prayed for God to surprise me. His methods and ideas are higher than mine so even though I may think that I know that I know that I know, God knows more.
My level of expectation has increased. I wake up each morning wondering how God is going to surprise me today. It helps me to stay on the lookout for blessings and ways that God is working in my life.
Set Your Foot Down
This morning before church I decided to do my daily prayer challenge. We were challenged to set our foot down on the territory in which God has given us.
Today my sister and I visited another church and my prayer before worship was for God to surprise me. I also asked for a move in the spirit with an emphasis on the prophetic.
Well the worship was spirit filled from the start. During Praise and Worship a brother got up and gave a word to the congregation:
"God has a reserve for you. He has an overflow for you and it won't happen in your own strength or in your own motivation. NOT IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH."
I could have gone home right then, but then it got even better. The Pastor then asked people who are in a season of torment to come forward. People who have been struggling with things that have been binding us and holding us back. He said that he was under the authority of the Holy Spirit.
I went forward.
He had us lift our hands as we began to sing and call on the name of Jesus.
He then told us to SET OUR FOOT DOWN. He told us to PHYSICALLY PUT OUR FOOT DOWN AND SAY THAT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We are ready to break the chains in our lives and move forward.
I tell you I was in meltdown city. Luckily I looked over and "randomly" saw a sister I know from work and we hugged and encouraged one another.
It was beyond amazing. God certainly did surprise me today.
Keep Circling
This week Mark encouraged us to keep circling and not give up.
I really need to understand this concept. I pray and then expect things to happen the next day and if it doesn't then I'm frustrated and ready to quit.
One day this week I actually PHYSICALLY circled in my house 7x while reading my prayers out loud! Each time I got more bold as I prayed. It was quite awesome!
I have to confess that when I did that prayer challenge about my husband, I was sure that he would be revealed before the year was out. I just knew that it was going to happen before 2013 was finished. By the time Thanksgiving came and nothing happened, I was ready to quit. When we got to the Christmas season and nothing was on the horizon, I really began to get antsy and restless.
I wondered what more I could do to hurry things along:
Did I need to pray harder?
Did I need to do more devotionals
Do I need to listen to more teachings?
What was holding up the results?
He who began a good work in you...
The Pastor gave an awesome word today. It became clear what my problem is. I am so focused on the results and my outside circumstances changing that I am completely ignoring the work God is doing in my life at this time.
All of this ugly stuff that is coming to the surface: My unbelief, low expectations, bitterness, envy, and resentment is proof of the good work that God is doing in me. This stuff all has to go and be released if I am going to be able to handle my outside circumstances changing.
My prayers are being answered. The things I want to accomplish and how I want to live my life all have to come from what's on the inside of me. My purpose, calling, and desires aren't surface level or superficial, so this work God is doing internally MUST happen.
Being the results oriented person I am, I focus on the end result and bypass and minimize the process. Big mistake. This is where God's work is most evident: in the process.
The other night I looked in my journal to exactly one year ago to where I was in 2013:
- I was praying, doing devotionals, reading the Bible BUT I didn't really believe anything was going to change. I thought I needed to make it all happen.
- I was chasing after Brother Bad News who obviously wasn't interested. This fueled my belief that I'm not good enough and I have to work harder to MAKE him interested in me.
- I was miserable at work and wanting to pursue other opportunities but too scared
- I had given up my ideas of doing a fitness competition.
- I'm praying scary prayers like: God close the doors which should not be opened, Lord surprise me, and not in my own strength BUT by your spirit
- I am no longer chasing after anyone. I figure when God is ready for him to find me, he will. I also have changed my approach. Rather than blazing to the finish line, I'm focused on being a Godly friend first.
- I'm handing in my resignation at work and pursuing those other opportunities
- I've contacted a coach to prepare me for my competition in July
3 weeks down...3 weeks to go
Well I have about 3 weeks left of this challenge and this has just been an amazing time. My prayer is still to ask for wisdom, grace, and strength to STAND firm during this time of transformation. I thank God for this entire process.
Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began ha good work in you iwill bring it to completion at jthe day of Jesus Christ
To God be the Glory
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