Enlarge my territory

"Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request" (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV).

We don't know much about Jabez. We know he was an ancestor of Jesus, that his mother obviously had a difficult labor and painful delivery with him. You think you've got troubles? Imagine having a name that means pain or sorrow maker--that's Jabez.

And yet what does he do? He asks God to bless him! That's what Jabez did! He didn't wallow in self-pity over all the teasing he surely received his whole life over his name. He didn't allow his circumstances to defeat him.

Nope. Rather, he was quite bold, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!" Give me a huge assignment Lord -- a lot to be responsible for! I can do it, because it will have your blessing upon it! Bring it on! With you all things are possible.

How about you? Asked God to enlarge your territory lately? I forget all too often about God's power and His grace! Today I'm asking Him to bring it on--to pour down His blessings upon me! Join me!


Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Lord Teach Me To Pray

A.C.T.S. is an acronym for a model of prayer that offers to God our adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. It is often difficult to pray. Perhaps we don't really know how to pray. Sometimes we may not feel we're "qualified" to pray, or we feel we don't have the right to pray for some reason.

Using the ACTS model for prayer, it will be very easy to pray, even if you've never really prayed in the past. ACTS praying doesn't require any great knowledge of or study about prayer, but praying in this way is personal, effective, and powerful.

This method of prayer is ideal even for young children with a limited vocabulary or for those inexperienced at prayer. Seasoned prayers can use it too. There are many references to the various elements of ACTS prayer in the Bible, so we can be assured it is proper and appropriate to follow this model.

In Philippians chapter 4, verse 6, the apostle Paul writes, "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Paul's letter to his student and friend, Timothy, states, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [1 Timothy 2:1]. Learn this method by reading the rest of my article at Associated Content, A.C.T.S. - A Model for Prayer.


Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Burdened? Lay it Down

This morning I installed the code for yet another prayer button Edie at Rich Gifts designed for a beautiful sister in Christ who is in the spiritual battle of her life--for her life. I felt weighed down and overwhelmed--not by the needs of my friend. Not by the effort to rally prayer warriors on my friend's behalf. I felt burdened as if I were personally responsible for the outcome of the prayers. I all too often fall into the trap of praying as if I were the one responsible for the result!

Yes, I felt burdened. Not "put upon" or inconvenienced. Burdened. You see, I spent several minutes in prayer this morning about some things in my life. Then I began to think of all the individuals I know and their need for prayer - some about huge, very specific matters of physical survival; others who must make decisions about their future or their children's future that will be life-changing. Some of them struggle with physical or emotional or spiritual issues. Some just need to feel blanketed in prayer to make it through each day.

All of us need prayer. All day. Every day. As one of those "I can do it" and "I'll take care of that" people, I tend to take on each burden of which I am made aware and carry it with me . . . until the burden becomes so large that I almost collapse under the weight of it.

That's because my burden is only to pray! Yes only. I am responsible to pray. God is in charge of the outcome! Let go, Mary. Let God. Pray in the name of Jesus for God's will -- not mine. Not even the will of those for whom we pray. No . . . we pray in the name of Jesus for the will of God to be established on His earth--in His world.

We are His beloved. Jesus already carried our burdens with him on the road to Golgotha. He hung upon the Cross so that we would know once and for all time that we are not alone, that we can be hopeful, that we are saved!

I believe in the power of prayer! I truly do. Having said that, I also know my own nature. I prayed this morning, both collectively and by name, for all those on my prayer list and for the prayer needs of others I may not be aware of.

Now I have laid that burden at the foot of the Cross. That is how I can best serve those in need of prayer -- pray. Then let go; let God.

~~~~~~~~~~

"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel—each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple- ³⁹ then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men)"(1 Kings 8:37-39 NIV)

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you" (Jeremiah 29:12 NIV)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12 NIV).

*(Photographer: Ake Dahllof and Emma Holmbro, from: Hill of Crosses)

Blessings on your journey,"
Mary

Submit to God and Be At Peace

I've been sharing over at Godly Graffiti about my adventures as an author and writer. One of the joys I have had this week is that my column at Take Root and Write is posted. I am the 2X a month columnist for God's Wonder Woman!

I was also asked to contribute an article to The Writer's Lounge at Christian Women Take Root! That article is also posted and available to read. I strongly urge you to join these two sites - not just because I'm there or have writings there, but because it a group of strong, seeking, questioning, encouraging and empowered, faith-filled women.

You know, God is really blessing me right now. I have been fighting Him for a long, long time! Have you heard about the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land? Oh, how I can relate to them and their backsliding, complaining and generally fighting God! I have been praying for quite a while that God would release me to do His work in the world and I believe He just may have answered my prayer!

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.(Joshua 1:8 NIV)

Besides a few quick counseling sessions with a Christian counselor to help me get my head together, I have done some very specific things to arrive at this place in my life. I have most of all prayed. I mean on my knees praying.

The Prayer of Jabez has long been a hallmark prayer for me and I prayed it throughout most of 2008. God heard me. When He felt I was ready, He answered that prayer on my behalf.

Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10 (NAS)

Since early January I have also been doing lectio divina each morning which I talked about a bit in an earlier post. I use the Lord's Prayer and repeat it over and over again until nothing else is on my mind. If - okay - when idle thoughts, concerns about the day ahead or life in general enter my mind, I keep repeating the Lord's Prayer until there is nothing on my mind except God. Sometimes it takes five minutes. Sometimes it takes much longer:-)

I am still in awe and really almost disbelief that God is using me to minister to His world. I spent so many years not believing in my heart and soul what my head kept telling me: I was worthy and good enough. God views us from a different perspective than the world does - and even than we view ourselves!

Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. (Job 22:21 NIV)

He created us for a purpose and until we begin to fulfill that purpose we will not have peace in our lives. I'm beginning to glimpse God's vision for my life. I will continue to pray continually for Him to renew, refresh, correct or redirect that vision as I move forward.

Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, (Deuteronomy 30:9)

Lectio Divina - Contemplative Prayer

I have studied prayer extensively. As an individual who believes so strongly in the power of prayer, I have sought many ways to pray and have taught courses on The Lord's Prayer and written several articles on prayer.

Lectio Divina is a type of contemplative prayer and I have been practicing this type of prayer for the past couple of weeks using The Lord's Prayer. I pray first thing in the morning while my coffee is brewing. Often I grab my first cup and continue, depending upon how I have progressed up to that point.

I simply repeat the prayer over and over until no other thoughts enter my mind. It may sound easy, but you'd be surprised how random thoughts creep in and distract from the recitation. I don't stop until I make it through several times without distraction.

It's not a mindless repetition, but rather an intentional, focused repetition intended to focus one's mind and heart and soul on a particular word, phrase, or in my case a prayer. Since the Lord's Prayer is meaningful and powerful to me, I have used it as my focus point. I think perhaps this practice in the mornings is why yesterday I felt so connected to God--when I said my heart ached for Him.

I have noticed I am more settled and focused in my life as well--not just in the big picture, but in the day-to-day as well. I have more patience generally and when I feel myself getting overwhelmed or 'agitated' I simply take a breath and take myself back to my morning prayer time.

I extracted the following information directly from the website of the Sisters of St. Clare. This is a group of beautiful prayer warriors whose entire lives are dedicated to prayer. For information about them, and detailed information about lectio divina this is a great site to visit.

Within this rhythm we discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to God, and to accept the embrace that God is continuously extending to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

ONCE WE have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures which speaks to us in a personal way, we must take it in and "ruminate" on it. Through meditation we allow God's word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels.

THE THIRD step in lectio divina is prayer: prayer understood both as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into an embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of those parts of ourselves
that we have not previously believed God wants.

FINALLY, WE simply rest in the presence of the One who has used the Scripture word as a means of inviting us to accept a transforming embrace.