Praying with Scripture

I am curious about the idea of praying with scripture. The children and I have been memorizing our latest memory passage, and just today at lunch we prayed the passage we worked on at breakfast. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 At the same time, we personalized it.

So I decided to google the idea. Not that I have never heard of it, I just have never practiced it. I discovered a fresh perspective. God, in Genesis, states that He spoke creation into existence. Now did He have to do this? Was it necessary for Him to actually speak it? Couldn't He have "thought" it into existence?

I wonder if by praying the scripture aloud and by personalizing appropriately if we are actually speaking His Words into existence in a sort of way that He intended at the moment that He spoke them originally. Perhaps, we are personally affirming His Words, Words that He knew we would some day embrace, and may have fully intended for our benefit, and furthermore while speaking we are allowing Him to speak fresh breath... upon us and our lives. Because, His Word we know is INSPIRED or God-breathed.

Too often I underestimate, take for granted, and stop short of fully embracing that reality. Rather than reading His words into life, I read them as a status post that was written ages ago. Written to only refer to how He worked then, versus affirming His continued, current work and embracing these Words of His as conversations that He wants to engage in with me, today.

I do read them knowing He wants to speak to me but perhaps it is deception to think that He only wants to use them as an objective lesson to point me in the right direction. Far above a lesson He may be actually directing my own circumstances through the living, breathing, and receiving of His Word and these Faith gifts in such a way that when I speak or rather allow Him to speak it through me into life, and into my own life.

As I ponder the faith followers He chose to share with me, it is more than coincidental that each one can represent different stages of our own journey. These faith followers definitely had one thing in common. They intensely sought to know their Creator. No matter how imperfectly they sought Him, they did seek Him.

His Word... a faith gift; waiting to be received, affirmed, embraced, spoken into existence through my commitment to Him and His Word.

As a word-loving creature, I can truly grasp the idea that my Creator relates. I know that when others restate, affirm, and embrace my own thoughts and words there is a sense of well-being.
How moving, stirring, and up-lifting to restate His Words on our behalf so that we might draw closer to Him. And not only for our benefit, but for the mutual response of the Spirit. He finds joy in our drawing toward Him. Hmm! :-)

Habits of the Soul

Pride and Pity
After talking to both children about the habits of our souls, naturally I am convicted. Differently than usual though, because I am actually seeing their habits lived out before me in my own stuff! Ok! I am not starting my own pity party or playing "pity games" which is what we called it when my dd was younger. She is older and she continues to struggle here. I know that they will struggle with sin stuff with or without my modeling. But, this dichotomy that I want to identify has more to do with how to see their stuff differently. I think when I struggle with something personally and have not been wrestling with it then it is tough to coach someone on the same stuff. You know the whole lesson on take the plank out of your own first before helping others with their splinter. Here lie two of my planks.

Here goes... Pity: I am surrounded by laundry! Justification: (The machine is on the blitz. I need to follow-through and finish the ones that are clean.) Pity: Dishes are stacked. Justification: It doesn't take long when you are serving three meals a day for a family of 3-4. And, I even keep my meals simple. The homeschooling lessons are being delivered one by one, Hurray! Hurray! (Do you hear the tune... of the Ants are marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah?)

Agh! I have just come from "coaching" my daughter on indulging in self-pity and here I stand in the midst of my own "Math problems" and I find myself asking "are you going to feel sorry for yourself or are you going to do something about it?"
I have just come from "coaching" my son on justifying every instruction I deliver. And, yet my justifications are enslaving me as well and a voice whispers, "Be still, humble yourself, and know that I am God."

In the midst of my potential "self-pitied moment" with loads of laundry, dishes, lessons, and other life choices I am tempted to feel sorry for myself by crawling under a blanket and snoozing. (I do not have a problem with napping but presently I am physically rested.) And, like dd I stand staring, pouting, "but, I don't know where to start."

In the midst of my attempt to self-justify I find myself sparring (at least internally) over the urge to indulge in my "frustrations" on how I am justified and "entitled." Thus the pride sets in and the quest for self-content is never-ending. And like my ds I find myself confessing through gritted teeth, "But, I don't like to get it wrong."

And, again I hear a voice whisper, "Be still, humble yourself, and know that I am God."

Yes, I am maintaining a sense of sanity. Perhaps because my soul finds peace knowing that He who began a good work, will be faithful to complete it! And, though the daily surrendering of my habits can be painful, or at the least inconvenient I know that He is good! His desire is not even remotely eager to see me slip up. Though my enemies may want to see me flop, He embraces me, He stands me on two feet again so that I might move forward victoriously. I am not deceived. I must not move forward vainly, rather only for His Glory, not mine! On the contrary, He will take all my stuff, my temptation to be pitied, to be proud. And, He will prune faithfully so that I might produce fruit for others to taste. And, in the tasting they, too, will see that He is good.

The light... that I must stop surrender today, specifically... the laundry, the dishes, the lessons, all of the million piece puzzle in my mind, the justifications, and start right where I am and take one step at a time

And, practically speaking... much of that million piece puzzle is of my own making. For He will not give more than I can do, and do well. Furthermore, I must be prepared to stand firm when tempted to give up and then to let go when tempted to covet and want more than what today holds.

In every moment of the day. He is there! Will we join Him?

Standing at the ironing board this morning, I found myself frustrated to say the least because I couldn't get the spray starch to work on a tough-to-iron shirt. Okay, I know this is a further testament of why I could be ironing at another time of the day, especially since I was committed to running with a friend just 30 minutes later. I tried all my "tricks" with the 'spray starch cap' to try and get it to work.

The 30 minutes would have been plenty of time if everything went the way it should. I took a deep breath, continued to send up prayers of mercy, and diverted just long enough to go pour a cup of java for my husband and me.

A moment later I poured water in the dispenser of the iron in order to steam-press. The water spits from the steam-holes and I, timidly, begin to iron at the base of the shirt (the part that will be tucked into the pants) and a bigger issue arises. Brown little spots begin to spew! Just as I feared.

Agh! More prayers are shooting upward like an archer at practice. Again, I deep-breathe, turn down the steam, try the starch again (praying over the can hoping it will work, no success!) Moment of conviction. Hmm!

"I am answering," says the voice I hear in my mind. "Okay!" I respond verbally, wondering 'How,' and then begin to slowly iron from the bottom-up. "In this situation, I am the One giving you an opportunity to demonstrate self-control... (Good thing because my flesh wants to freeze, flee, and fret to my husband that he will have to choose an easier choice.)

"I am also providing you with the logical reasoning skills- by starting from the 'bottom-up.'" (God knows I have had lots of experience with brown steam spots and staining shirts! But it has been awhile.)

"Patience... that deep breathing, diversions, and re-evaluating... all from Me." "But, Lord!" I am tempted to ploy. "Those aren't the only..."

"Remember," He continues "though I care about every detail and may suspend the laws of the universe, and may orchestrate in such a way to answer your cries... It is you who recently asked me to remind you that I am not a Genie in a bottle who only appears in those magical moments when you need deliverance."

"Here, I am My child; answering... through providing the Fruits of My Spirit." Submissively, I find myself respond "Yes, Lord!"

Our exchange took place in only a matter of moments of continual, steady ironing and without removing many of the wrinkles on the shirt. Instinctively, I reach for the can of starch and a spray emerges as if nothing had ever happened. But, I knew differently, "Thank you, Father! Thank you for both! :-)"

I even got a 10 minute breather before my friend arrived.

Our groom awaits!

Are we watching, preparing, and waiting? Our Day is Near!
To Him, time is merely a moment in Eternity. And while 2000 years seems so long to me; the times between Adam and Noah, Noah and Christ, and from Christ until the present are mere moments in History.

Yet, He says He will return. He used the Israelites to record His story in the Old Testament. All of those events proceeded to lead us down the aisle to that point when our groom would step into history. Wow! He stepped into history, the God of the universe, humbly as an infant. And in His mission, He proceeded to the wedding altar. He suffered and surrendered it all in order to redeem His Bride. And, then resurrected by His power, He ascended, but before He did He assured us that He would return.

And, now at the altar He waits with arms extended, with the scars exposed, He waits. His Spirit is our comfort as we walk down this last stretch of the aisle (history.) His Spirit, praise God, can give us the power and the strength to carry out His work while we watch and wait for that day when we can at last take His hand. In the twinkling of an eye, and at the sound of the trumpet; His bride will rise. All of her scars will be healed, no sins to entangle us, and without blemish we will reach that final altar and there we will be glorified.

While I always thought of that part of scripture, the Old Testament; as history, past and done, I am beginning to see the prophecy, foretold by the prophets, that is still yet to be fulfilled in this final season of History.

Though I knew it was there, it is becoming more vividly alive for me. As I re-read the prophecies and see how God fulfilled the Ancient and Messianic prophecies, I am beginning to see how the final pieces that were sequentially placed are waiting to be fulfilled.

Praise God! Our Groom awaits. Are we watching, preparing, and waiting? Our Day is Near!

Forgiveness

As I wrap up the past seven weeks of a small group on Forgiveness by Kay Arthur, I am more aware of how much I owe to Him who has forgiven me. Any temptation I have to hold on to grudges or frustrations because of hurts intended or unintended is my own lack of forgiving others. And, even avoidance, itself, can be a form of unforgiveness.

I am a person who wants to "communicate" and clear the air but I wonder if there are times when we must hold our tongues for the sake of love and time to test my motives. Not everything will be worked out on my timetable, therefore "patiently" I must wait. In the meantime, I must place my motives of wanting to resolve everything on the altar and see how they burn. Will they burn like chaff and with an offensive odor or will they be refined and create a fragrant, pleasing aroma? Only time will tell.

I am also one who seeks to "keep peace" perhaps at the expense of courageously confronting issues. Hmm! Thus boldly I must choose my battles wisely and with those, whom He has given me to maintain relationship with, I can see it more as as dance. Therefore I will step out and dance gracefully or spar boldly whichever the situation calls for and as He leads...

I am also "stubborn" causing me to not let go of the convictions for which I am passionate. Perhaps laying low for awhile in order to clarify who I am will once again test my motives and whether such convictions are truly His or only self-righteous attempts to exalt myself. Recognizing more and more over time how sinful I really am, waivering between hypocrisy, lack of courage, and pride.

And on my own, whoa I would crush from such inadequacies. Thankfully throughout the day, at the end of the day, and at the start of the next I can bow to the One who sustains, guides, and the One who should be glorified. Not myself!