Thank you for blessing us this week with your thoughts on Chapter 10 and your stories. It brings such joy to my week to see God at work in your lives. We have ONE week left together. I am really going to miss meeting you here each week. Thank you for your faithfulness on this journey.
Don’t forget to share with me what God did through your prayer time this past week. Did you experience Him at work in your prayers?
Max Lucado writes a powerful story that I share in this chapter:
Max Lucado tells a wonderful story about an elderly woman who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century. Because she was a wealthy yet frugal woman, the townspeople were surprised when she decided to be among the first in the town to put electricity in her home.
Several weeks after its installation, a meter reader appeared at her door. He asked her how her electricity was working. She assured him that it was working quite well. He then asked her to explain to him why, if her electricity was working, that her meter showed scarcely any usage.
“Certainly,” she answered, “Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles, and then I turn them off.” Hidden Joy, Chapter 10, p. 153.
She had tapped into the power but did not use it. Her house was connected but remained unaltered by the incredible power available to her!!
Friends, I wrote this chapter because that is how I lived for years and years after knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I had surrendered my life to Christ. I knew Jesus lived in my heart. I knew the Word. I prayed. My heart was connected, but it was not altered by His Presence.
Is that where you are today? Do you want to move from that place to a place of incredible power? Tapping into that power…the power of the Living God that resides within every child of God, requires ABIDING IN CHRIST.
We hear those words all the time. But what do they really mean? Abiding in Christ means connecting with and passionately pursuing Jesus Christ in your life.
What words describe your relationship with Christ? The words Scripture uses are longing, yearning, hungering, and thirsting. When we hunger, yearn, and thirst for something, we want it above anything else. I am a Texas girl, and when I have a craving for sweet tea, it is all I want! I can hardly focus sometimes until I have tea in hand in the Chick-fil-A drive through. In that moment I desire it above all else.
What is the one thing you desire in this world above all else? Happiness? Peace? Wisdom? Joy? Rest? Healing? Hope? Long Life?
Sweet friends, do you know that ALL of these gifts are found in one person…that person is Jesus Christ. If you have Christ, happiness, peace, wisdom, joy, rest, healing, hope and long life are already yours.
You will never receive the fullness of these gifts without pursuing Christ above all else. I desired physical and emotional healing and God graciously gave me both. As wonderful as they were, they were not enough. ONLY GOD IS ENOUGH. HE IS OUR ALL IN ALL – THE STRENGTH OF OUR HEARTS AND OUR PORTION FOREVER.
As you abide in Christ, He gives you the capacity to appropriate His Truth and make it relevant to your life. You learn to hear His voice and sense His leading. When you need deep insight from His Word, He provides. When you need an added measure of understanding, He provides. When you need direction, He provides. When you need hope, He provides. When you need answers, He provides. God gives His Spirit without measure. Hidden Joy, p. 154.
In fact, Ephesians 3:20 says, He
is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
The more you abide in Him, the more He continually pours Himself into you!!! I invite you to begin abiding today! For the next 30 days, commit to spend a few minutes (or more) with God each day. If you already have quiet time with the Lord, lengthen it or go deeper in it. Before you begin, pray and ask God to reveal Himself . Look for Him to be at work. Ask Him to make His work evident in your life. Wait expectantly!! Journal your experiences. I would love for you to share what God does over the next month.
This week’s assignment: Read Chapter 11, A New Song, and complete the questions in the study guide located in the back of the book.
Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story 
All Things Wise and Wonderful: Applying God's Wisdom in Everyday Life (E-Book)
As I prayed this morning the Spirit led me to these scriptures. God is so good. He answered my prayers with His Word!
Blessing & Peace Mary
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:6
"Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am Your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10.
"do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
Wendy, I am excited and challenged by your words here. Thank you. Going deeper. I know He is beckoning my heart.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for encouraging us beyond the status quo.
Love and hugs,
Sharon
Wendy Thank you so much for every thing that you have shared in each chapter. Thank you for the scriptures that you gave in the back where your questions are. I must confess I'm finding out that I must abide in Christ in order to live. I know that God has a purpose and plan for my life. and it's not about me but it's all about God and his will for our lives. Looking foward to reading the next chapter
Wendy,
Again, thank you for this amazing blog! I do not even have the book but your study is so speaking to my heart in BIG ways that I NEED so much at this time in my life!
Blessings,
Tami
PRAYING JEREMIAH HOME QUICKLY
http://www.tillGodbringsthemhome.blogspot.com
Good morning, sweet friend! The boys are off to school, and I am off to the back porch to spend some time with God! Love the challenge here! I am taking it and can't wait to see how God reveals Himself to me today. Have a great day and enjoy a large glass of sweet tea!!
Hugs,
Susan
For the pass few days I have been worrying about something, and losing some sleep. Then this morning as I was praying, God reminded me of my life verse I wrote down last week. I will trust in the Lord with all my heart. How can you worry and trust in the same sentence? It is a battle everyday to take back what we give to him, and trust him. Thank you for this study, for it would of took longer to turn it back over to him a month ago. The more I spend time with him, the more he is speaking to my heart.
Since before the SSpeaks conference, God had begun doing a work in my heart. Then while there, He really showed me some things about myself and my life. After the conference and now, it's like I can barely hold on to all that He's revealing to me. Some of the things I don't want to hear… some are hard to understand. But, I know it's not about understanding–it's about trusting. Trusting that He knows what is best for me. Trusting that because His word said it, it [does] apply to me.
I am looking forward to this challenge. May God's voice be heard throughout all the chambers of our hearts and may we discern what He is speaking to us.
About chapter ten, I just want to say thank you! On page 152-153, you quoted 1 Cor. 2:9-12. I've heard so many people quote v9, but stop there. We will never know [all] the mysteries of God until the day the Perfect comes, but He has given us Someone to whom we can tap into what He wants us to see. And He longs to share alot of those things with us. PTL!
This chapter for me was about thirsting for Him, longing for Him, wanting more of Him. Letting His Word dwell in my heart filled me with that river of life giving water, it satisfied more than the things of the world that I spend so much time on in my life, it quieted my soul. I never understood what abiding in Christ meant until you so beautifully explained it. Surrender, trust, resting in, just spending time, sharing my heart, taking time to listen…these are all sweet sweet parts of it but most of all it is just experiencing His Presence, not by feelings but by the fact/ the truth of His Word, His Promises. His Word is so much more alive, active and powerful in my life now. Thank you Wendy for obeying God and allowing Him to use you to help so many of us.
This time here has been such a blessing! I shall miss it.
From Janelle:
My breath prayer has been Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God…"
I consistently struggle to make time with God and sometimes even when I make the time, I struggle to focus my heart on things from Him. This also relates to me in learning to abide in him.
I have started a prayer journal and I am growing.
Finding rest in Him I have asked for His help, and recently he has been providing many opportunities to practice! I hope I learn it quickly.
Hugbear said… (just realized I posted this earlier today on last week's blog)
Wendy and Sisters,
I just have to write today since it has constantly been on my heart.
Reading your book and doing the study this summer has been life transforming – I will never be the same. God is working His love into me in ways I have never seen before. It is by the word of our testimony that we overcome the enemy, and boy Wendy, your book has sent him fleeing with tail between legs. I believe that I would have just glanced through your book and not taken the time to think, meditate, go over questions etc. if not for this group. It is your prayers and the fellowship of believers together with the Holy Spirit that makes it alive and transforming. It is your kind and gracious words of truth that speak LIFE! Thank you Wendy, for speaking truth, transparent truth. So many ways He is working on me, melting away hardness, sending His light into places I have never seen before, but with His gentle, unfailing love. I could go on for days, so I will only say this: Thank you precious sister in Christ. I want to give this book to the entire world. There is such hope in it to bring all the hurting people healing, in The name of Jesus. Please, do this as a sudy again in the future. And advertise it on Oprah
AUGUST 20, 2009 3:24 PM
Girls,
I am so moved and touched by how Hidden Joy has touched your lives. If you could only know the prayers I prayed while writing, you would see your words are DIRECT answers to those prayers. It brings tears to my eyes to see how SPECIFICALLY God has answered my prayers. I wish I could sit with each of you, look into your sweet faces, hear your stories, and hug you!! You have touched my life in a way I will NEVER EVER FORGET. Thank you for investing your heart and your time in this book.
In His Love,
Wendy
Hi everyone,
I am blogging today on Chapter 9 and 10 as I was being a Martha last week trying to get my school room ready as we start school on Mon. Aug. 24.
I struggle so much with the question mentioned in Chapter 9…"Why pray if God knew what He already had determined to do?" What are all of your thoughts on this? I had never thought about the curtain ripped in two when Jesus died on the cross. That really affected me. Asking for God's will and not my own is very hard! I need to surrender to God's agenda and not my own! God does give just enough, never more, but only what I need at the time. Sometimes I feel I listen and listen in prayer, but I do not hear. I do have a lot of desperation prayers. I am starting to pray the Scriptures. In answer to question 3, I currently pray breath prayers. One of my frequent breath prayers is also my life verse of Is. 26:3-4. I struggle with journaling (a Martha thing) and yet I so desire to do it. Question 7 – a place in my life in which I feel hopeless or feel that things will never change is my marriage(since the death of my son in 2000)
I love the chapter of John 15. Right now I am a clinging branch desparely hanging on. I love how you worded the tree and Jesus. I like how you stated that God will not waste any part of my life story, even that which seems hopeless or horrific. He will use it for His purpose and glory. God has so blessed me with the gift of teaching children. I loved looking up all the verses in question 1. Reading about Moses and Jeremiah opened insights. In question 4, I feel I am not responding in obedience to journaling and Wednesday night prayer meetings.
I become so much more in tune with God this summer and respond to situations with a breath prayer and song.
Joyce
I have not commented since the beginning of this study but God is doing so much in my life. I have been doing another study simultaneously with this study and the topics in each have complimented each other that I am getting a double dose of what God wants for me. There are sometimes I feel I am making great forward progress and then bam! I am going backwards. I know that in those backward moments God is still doing something to 'complete' me. Thank you Wendy for your story, Mine is not the same but everyone goes through the same trials and fears coming away from any life changing experience. God Bless you.
Wendy,
I too have been touched and have come out of this study more thirsty for God's Presence and word in my life, and I am grateful for your book, the exercises and your blog posts have all been truly inspiring and helpful in finding ways to spend time in the word and how to apply the word and God's presence to every area of my life. I am truly blessed to have come in contact with you (even if not in person) and Feel I have made a new friend/sister in christ who before the start of this study I didnt know. I am sad to know that we only have 1 week left however it has been a pleasure and a wondeful journey…So I say once again THANK YOU WENDY!!! for your words, and taking the time out to truly encourage us and reveal yourself openly. GOD BLESS!
Jessica
Once I hit the end I could not stop! I could only read with a pen in hand to write and underline. I love the Breath Prayer and plan to share it with a group of other moms. I have already passed the book on to my friend. Guess she was tired of hearing all that I was learning and wanted to take the journey herself! Thank YOU!!!