If you don’t have a prayer partner, I highly recommend it. If your prayer partner doubles as your friend, it’s even better. You know – A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyway. That kind of a friend. Kim Boonstra is that friend to me and I am that friend to her. Every day we text each other and ask, “How can I pray for you today?” Sometimes our requests are pretty insignificant, but other times we need to bring out the truth of Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think…”
Recently we’ve had a few of those days. I’m sure you have too. Yesterday I sent up an SOS to my prayer partner. “I need to get my head around this project and it’s not coming together as easily as I hoped. In fact – today when you pray I hope you’re working on your house and have a hammer in your hand. Every time you pound, pray for me.” Of course I was kidding – sort of. She texted back, “Sorry. I have no hammers in my hand today. I’m cleaning at the church. Would a vacuum head work?” Of course I thought that would make amazing prayer language and asked her to pray that the cobwebs would be erased from my brain so I could think.
I used to think writing came easy to people whose articles I find online and books I read. Millions of articles are available with a simple click. Surely those authors can sit in front of a blank screen and fill it up with eloquent words and effortlessly spill their thoughts. In the past months, I’ve found that assumption to be entirely without substance. Writing and editing is just tough – but if that’s what you love to do, it’s like tough love and you write because it’s worth it. Uh-huh .I guess you could call it bordering on insanity.
I took out my Bible, my study guide, and prayer notebook and spent time with God praying for people I care about. I prayed for Kim and then gave my day to God. You know, giving my day to God doesn’t release me from the responsibility of acting. That would be sweet, wouldn’t it? I mean if we could just tell God to take our day, and then go off and do whatever we want to do that’s fun, but not productive. “Here’s my list, God. I’ll check back with you at the end of the day.” It isn’t like that and it wasn’t like that for me yesterday. I put my doubts aside, got to work, head in the game, focused and making progress.
About an hour later Kim texted me. “I was in the closet at church looking for something. I have no idea how it happened but a hammer fell off a shelf and landed right beside me.” If ever there was assurance from God that I was tracking with his will for me, it was in that moment. The enemy of my soul works overtime, scheming to make me uncertain of the call of God. He sends people to infiltrate my thoughts with doubt and steal my joy. The enemy of your soul will do the same thing. I’m telling you right now – kick him to the curb. This morning I read in 1 Thessalonians 3 “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father.”
What are you doing today? What’s on your list? Ask God for a hammer. He will give it to you.
Because of Grace we Press On
I love, love, love your prayer language! I have been exploring and going deeper into prayer lately. God is showing me how to embody and live prayer. What an encouragement this post is! I am so glad God literally showed you guys the hammer! Totally Awesome is our God! Have a blessed day!
That’s what I thought too, Jennifer. It just seemed like God saying I told you if I bring you to it, I’ll bring you through it. It’s so not easy, the work I do, and the schedule I try to manage – but I am here an am doing my best to juggle – just like everyone else on the planet. I pray alot!
🙂
“He sends people to infiltrate my thoughts with doubt and steal my joy.”
Oh, Jane, I feel that way so often, even here so removed from the noise and bustle of the populated world.
But I LOVED that your friend called you about the hammer appearing! How wonderful is that?!
I have often wished that I could attend and be part of a church community, these last years most especially. I would welcome and love to be part of a prayer partnership.
I feel that this yearning inside of me is also meant to teach me things… so that I can too share them with others… so we’ll see.
I hope today is filled with JOY for you!
If you ever want to do a bible study together I would love that. I missed ours last night but I’m going to buy the audio of it online. If you ever want to do that, I will find us a free resource. All we would need is the Internet and you and me and our Bibles. Think about it and let me know if you want to do that. We could study the same thing but only have to have a chat when we could work out a time. But even more important and less structured is prayer partners. We can do that every single day and it takes 5 minutes to type a message.