Can you believe we only have two weeks left after today? How I have loved spending the summer with you girls. You have blessed and encouraged me each and every week. Thank you for sharing your stories, your struggles, and your hearts. Your comments reveal that the Lord has been busy at work in and through His Word this summer.
Today our topic is PRAYER.
Every day you and I have appointments…salon, dentist, doctor, job-related, church-related, school-related, the list is endless. Have you ever thought of your prayer time with the Lord as an appointment? It is. It is an appointment with Jesus. Every day we should consider it our privilege and honor to spend time alone with Him in prayer.
If I am honest, I don’t always treat my prayer time that way. I hurry through it or I dutifully complete it or I put it off until tomorrow.
As I examine Scripture, I am moved by Jesus’ intimate communion with His Father. I long for that kind of intimacy with my Father. There have been times in my life…times of desperation, when I have experienced that kind of prayer. But I don’t want to be desperate to experience that kind of intimacy with my Father. The good news is, we don’t have to be.
Our Father is waiting to to meet with us, to hear our prayers, to fulfill the longings of our heart. But to receive the fullness of what He has to offer, we must bring the very depths of our souls to Him in prayer. So, for this next week as we study Chapter 10, “Abiding in Christ,” I challenge each of us to pray this prayer EVERY DAY before our feet hit the floor…
Lord, create in me a hunger to pray. Fill me with a desire to sit and soak in Your Presence. Make it the longing of my heart to know the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. I invite You to do mighty works in and through my prayer time with you.
WATCH OUT, GIRLS!!! With this prayer, we are inviting God’s supernatural activity into our lives and into the lives for whom we pray. I trust that He will blow us away!
I can’t say this enough. Scripture makes it very clear that the determining factor for experiencing the abundance of God’s supernatural blessings, His Presence, and His Power in our lives is obedience.
Sitting at the foot of the cross, alone, with our Father in prayer is an act of obedience. Early in our relationship with Christ it is a duty, a duty with which we must comply. Then it is a discipline, a discipline we must learn. Then it is a habit, a habit we must cultivate. Then it is a hunger, a hunger we must satisfy. Finally, it is a desire, a desire that then becomes the longing of our heart.
I am ready to make prayer time with Him my desire. No longer will it be a duty or a discipline or a habit. It will be a hunger, a desire…the longing of my heart. Will you join me this week?
This Week’s Assignment: Read Chapter 10, Abiding in Christ, and complete the questions located in the study guide in the back of the book. If the Lord tugs at your heart with Questions 4 and 5, be intentional with your prayer above. Use it to hear His voice and see Him at work as you commit these areas to Him. If God has laid some of the prayers offered by the women in this study on your heart, give those to Him. Share with us what you hear. See you next Wednesday!
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)
Good morning, Wendy!
Another great chapter. This one really challenged me to spend MORE time in prayer. More time DEVOTED to prayer. Col. 4:2 (your chapter verse) is one the Lord has been bringing up to me for several months. Being DEVOTED to prayer. I think I am doing pretty well with the "being watchful and thankful" part (end of the verse). But I want to be more devoted to prayer.
I pray in my morning quiet time and throughout the day. Earlier this year I began a Family Prayer Journal since I am reading the Bible through in a year (a la Wendy Pope). I record scriptures that I lift up as prayers to God for my precious family. They are a record of my heart-felt prayers for them and me. I love that.
I appreciate what you said about a few times about God's agenda, not ours. He wants to spend time with us, hear from us, speak to us.
Wendy, my jaw dropped when I read a few of your prayers…they are exactly what I pray for my family….
For Jim – that God would give him favor in the eyes of those he works with and for.
For our children – that God would give them wisdom, discernment, discretion and understanding beyond their years.
Wendy, thank you for this encouragement. I am beginning to pray scriptures more and more. So thankful for His truth and life!
Thankful for you…
I don't have the book, but I am on board to do this challenge with you. I need to get back into a more disciplined time with the Lord.
This has been a concern of my heart for months… maybe even years now. So, I spoke with the Lord again this morning about my lack in prayer… or praying. I go throughout my day talking to the Lord, which I know, is a from of prayer and worship, but to sit after my quiet time with Him, I can't close my eyes and pray. My body is conditioned to think if the eyes are closed, it's time to sleep. It's not a good thing. I'm working on that, too. But while speaking with God, I realized that my journaling time, that is my prayer time. It's all of my heart written down on paper. It's my sorrows and joy, the cries of my heart to the One who already knows all and sees all. My prayers, my journaling, it's all between me and God… my prayers for others, although they do enter into the pages, they are spoken aloud. I know though, that I need to do more of that.
I have prayed with my daughter just about every night of her life… but even there, I am not continually lifting up prayers on a daily basis for her without her. I [need] to do that. I desire to do that.
One thing about this chapter that I [loved] was how you brought out the fact that because of Jesus shedding His blood, we can enter into the presence of God at any time, anywhere. A few years ago I was looking into the fact that the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.(which you referenced on page 131… from Matt 27:51) It so amazes me… the fact that God gives us signs to show how He wants a relationship with us… to the lengths that He will go to have us near Him.
He didn't need to rip that veil in two… Christ's body was proof enough, but to go a step further, because that is our God, He gave us another show of His power, another symbol that there is nothing, [nothing] that seperates us from the Holy of Holies. PTL!!!
I know this is long, but I want to share one more thing.;-) I also loved how on page 144, you used Matthew 12:29 to show the strength of God. I had such a mental picture in my mind of satan standing in his house(hell) trying to look big and strong with his followers behind him, but when Christ entered into that place… when He took the keys of hell and death… WOW! And it's not that He stole them from satan because Christ took what was rightfully His!
We are rightfully His. We belong to Him and Him alone and through prayer… we can continue in that fellowship and relationship with Him.
Wendy, thank you so much for this book. I am so sad that it's coming to and end… but the truths that God revealed to me through it, they will last my lifetime.
Thank you Wendy for being so faithful to our Lord! This study has changed my life forever. I am renewed, at peace, stronger prayer warrior,& a step out of comfort zone person now in my walk with Jesus! Thanks for the reminders of what I need to do to stay close with God. Blessing & peace on you & yours! Mary
Hi Wendy,
Your a blessing…You remind me so much of Jesus, you have this calmness,kind, compassionate heart with words. Thank you for doing this study with us. You have helped many. I tried to write what I've experienced through this….but it would't let me.(it was too long). Just wanted you to know I was reading it every Tuesday or Wednesday. Looked forward to it each time. I also enjoy your devotions on Proverbs 31. Wendy Thanks once again.
A sincere God Bless!!
Rhonda
I too have gained so much from participating in this study. This is the one thing I have stuck with all the way through-thats a first in a long time.
I am so sad that this is coming to an end in just a few weeks- my hope and prayer is that we we all leave a stronger person in Him. Hopefully-we will be able to do another study together sometime.
Thanks again Wendy for your willingness to be used by God through this study- it has changed me for the better.
Thank you, again , Wendy for this bible study.I have learned so much about Scripture this summer. God Bless!
Paula
Wendy,
Since beginning this study with all of you, I've been more committed to spend time with the Lord and in His Word. It's not always easy, and I'm not always successful, but there's always the "next time" and I know the Lord is always waiting for me.
Danielle, I loved what you wrote about the veil being torn – when God took it a step further. I'd never thought of it that way before and it so blessed and encouraged me. It's just so like Him to not leave things well enough alone. He goes the extra mile and then some.
I'm going to miss meeting here every week with all of you. I didn't always post a comment, but I was here every week. Thanks, Wendy, for following the Lord's leading and heading up this study. And thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. It's meant a lot to me in my walk with the Lord.
Will meet you all here again next week! Blessings to each of you!
Dale
Hallelujah!! In prayer our Faith reaches out into our future [next second]and brings Our Father's will into our atmosphere and those we are in intercession for. What a powerful thing we can do as we submit our will to being His. Me and Jesus working it out to bring Father's will about.
Great post and you please Father as you spread the gospel for He hears and knows your heart and hears you words as your work ahead bring healing. Lovingly, rilda *U*
I thank God for showing me your blog Wendy. I have stayed with this every week, and I see my walk and prayers becoming stronger every week. I am so blessed to be shareing this study with everyone.
Thank you Wendy for all the wonderful insights in this chapter. Your prayers for your family reminded me of the prayers I would say from Stormie Omartian's books on praying for your husband and children. Thank you for reminding me I can pray these scriptures from my heart, trusting the Holy Spirit to help me.
Thank you so much for this study.
This study has been a blessing. I memorized scripture to pray and was able to experience God's grace on our camping trip beginning August 2. II Timothy 1:7 says, God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, of love, and self-control. I prayed this consistently on our 10 hour drive in our old motor home, and sure enough, when we started to break down en route, God got us right where we needed to be. We spent the night at a lit all-night gas station right across the street from the parts store where my husband was able to replace the broken part the next morning. God made His presence and His love known to throughout our trip, making it a very special vacation. Thank you for the study. I wish it was not coming to an end.
Terri
Oh, Wendy, these precious, precious comments!! I love them! I will miss the online study too, but you have given us a tool that is so aligned with the Word that we need each day! I love the prayer that you encourage us to pray before we get out of bed!(I accidently knocked over my cup of water on the table by my bed this morning while trying to hit the snooze button in the dark!My prayer before getting up didn't happen! I wiped up water instead and gave thanks that my Bible didn't get wet!!)
Y'all have a great weekend!!
Hugs!
Susan
Hey Wendy and other sisters in Christ,
Focused prayer time between me and God has always been the hardest thing for me. I have no problem focusing when i am praying for others but when i try to pray and spend time with God and just sit doing it, i have a hard time, this study and chapter is helping me to get more focused on this important time with God just me and Him alone.
I am still struggling to focus and pray and quiet time when all these distractions are around, Wendy please pray for me for that, also the rest of you ladys if you dont mind, lift me up in prayers, Thank you.
Lisa
Nova Scotia
From Janelle: I really enjoyed this chapter. I've had a whirlwind-week and God is so good and I am so grateful he led me here to this study. Because he has drawn me to learn how to have a deeper relationship with him, I was able to handle the unexpected stresses this week and give them to him. Friday was particularily difficult and I immediately prayed and requested prayer and the remainder of my day, while busy, did not overwhelm me as it could have.
My goal this next week is to make a Prayer Journal for myself and use the guide questions 5 and up to begin my journal. I also think these will help me to focus myself when I take time to be with God.
I just signed up for a change to win this book of yours and decided to come over here and check it out! BOY, was that God ordained to my day today! THANK YOU for speaking life to me this morning! I SOOOOOOOO needed this message from the Lord! I am praying even more now I win the book!
I am sorry I have not been able to do the study with yall! Are yall all together and meet so often?
Blessings in Christ,
Tami
PRAYING JEREMIAH HOME QUICKLY
http://www.tillGodbringsthemhome.blogspot.com
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
"Her name was Kathleen." The first sentence in Chapter 9 always gives me pause and causes so many memories to flood back into my mind. I must admit that I always shed a few tears each time I read Chapter 9. Kathleen was my neighbor and she was just as Wendy described her — she never met a stranger and she always sought to share about her faith. Once she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I prayed more than I had ever prayed before. We all prayed for healing. While our prayers were not answered and it appeared the He may have ignored us, God had other plans for Kathleen and for those of us who were touched by her. She is certainly still missed by those of us who knew her, but the memories I have of times or conversations shared with her will be with me forever. My faith grew stronger during that time. I also learned that I found it so easy to pray for others but I don't often pray for myself. A consistent, daily time for prayer is what I need to strive for and I'm thankful for this chapter as it has given me a more true understanding of prayer.