Prayer Experiment

What would happen if you focused your prayers on one thing or one person for one month or one year?

Four years ago that is exactly what I did. It would have been useless for me to confront my best friend.  The only person that could change his heart was God. So, when God called me to pray, I prayed.

The problem with this type of prayer experiment is you never know when you are going to see the results. That is a big problem, especially today. Everything we do is drive-thru ready. Unfortunately, God is not on our time schedule. His ways and plans are greater, so expect a delay, detour, or a complete re-route to your prayers. Just keep praying.

In His Time and In His Way, that is the motto to my prayer life.

That was true for my prayer experiment. I prayed small but steady for a whole year.  God took my constant, unceasing, prayers and totally turned them into something I did not recognize. After one year not only did God change him, He changed me too! God revealed to him deep desires that had been hidden away and in turn answered deep desires of my own that I had tossed off as unreachable. It was a win-win all around. I wasn't even praying for myself. God looked deep within my prayers and saw a hidden motivation. He saw that what I wanted for my best friend I also wanted for myself.  Now I was given new life too!

A year flew by. Before I even realized what was happening, it had already started. Hearts were changing, life styles were being altered, and big decisions were being made. Our hearts and prayer life were beating with God. His desires became our desires. Life changed for us both. Now I look at that prayer time as a blip in the course of our lives. It seems forever ago considering all that we have been through. You see, my prayer experiment was my husband.

Now, you are very familiar with our story. There is no need to go into any detail about how God changed our lives. I think it is pretty obvious, don't you?

 It is very simple to pray. There were times that my prayers bored me but that is not the point. Boring prayers are just as important as exciting prayers.  I was not praying for Patrick's miraculous healing from a life threatening disease. I was not begging God to save our marriage. I just wanted God to remove the obstacle that was hindering him from serving God completely. My prayers were very boring. We are now leading anything but a boring life. So, God took the boring and made it extraordinary. Why? Because He could.

So, for Who or What are you praying?

Are you thinking about being a ______? Do you want to give more to the ________ offering at church than your paycheck says is possible? Do you long to ______? Do you want God to use you mightily in _______?  Do you want to go on the __________ missions trip with you church and serve cross-culturally ? Do you or someone you love need healing from ________? Then you had better start praying, don't you think? Voicing a potential prayer is not the same thing as praying. Don't be afraid to let God have your prayers: The deep prayers that are hanging around in the recesses of your heart just longing to find their way to the throne. Humble yourself, get down on your knees, and pray circles around them! Don't limit God. His "yes" means "yes" and His "no" means "no". In either answer He is glorified. In either answer your faith and relationship with God grow exponentially.

Let me give you one word of caution before you begin. Throw CAUTION right out the window! Let God fully have your prayers. Let Go and Let God! I am a living example that God will bless those prayers beyond anything that you could ever think or imagine.

So, what are you waiting for?

I am praying for you,
Kellee
Psalm 55:1

Fearing God Will Send You To Guam

Happy Wednesday!


The title of this post  was taken from a calendar devotional by Jon Acuff.  He is the founder of stuffchristianslike.net. During God's transformation of our hearts and home to Africa, Jon brought us great joy in the journey. We hope that you enjoy this post as much as we did. We love you and thank God for each and every reader. Our prayer is that you might take a glance at our crazy life and see how least likely saints can be used for the extraordinary. Just. The. Way. We. Are.

             


 March 21, 2012
                              My biggest fear is hearing God say, in James Earl Jones' voice, "Jon, I want you to go to a country you've never heard of and teach Calculus and Bible stories. I have spoken." I'd have no problem with the Bible stories, but math is my sworn enemy. Would He make me do that? Probably not. Remember when Jesus approached some fishermen-strong and weathered, with callused hands-and said, "Come, I will make you accountants of men." Okay, he doesn't say that. He says, "Come, I will make you fishers of men." He speaks their language. He appeals to who they are at the core. That is what I think God loves to do. He loves to take your past experience and radically make it your new experience using skills you already have.


Radically New and Loving It!
Kellee

Prayers for Mara

Romans 10:17- So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Please join us in praying for the languages in the Mara region that are waiting for God's Word in their heart language.

Ikizu-Sizaki
Ikoma-Nataisenye
Jita
Kabwa
Kuria
Kwaya
Ngoreme
Suba-Simbiti
Zanaki
Zinza

These languages represent people. These people need to learn to read, write, and understand God's Words. These people need Jesus. He loves them and so do we.

Until Everyone Has Heard,
Kellee