Day 33 Prayer Covering

“Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other.” Exodus 17:12

As posted on Day 17 Do Not Delay, if we are going to intercede for others, we need to be sure that others are interceding for us. We need a prayer covering.

Mark Batterson says, “Intercession is spiritual warfare. It’s not for the faint and feeble. By definition, praying hard is hard. There will be times when our hearts are breaking because of a prayer burden. There will be seasons when the labor pains become intense because the Holy Spirit is birthing something new in us. And there will be times when we feel the enemy launching a frontal assault on our family or business or church. That’s when we need to stay on our knees and pray through.

“In Exodus 17, we find a blow-by-blow description of an ancient battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites. As long as Moses was lifting up his arms, the Israelites were gaining ground. But when Moses grew tired and lowered his arms, the Israelites lost ground. That’s when Aaron and Hur stood alongside Moses and lifted up his arms until sunset.

“Spiritual battles are fought the same way. The victory is won with knees bent in prayer and hands raised in worship to God. The enemy cannot be defeated any other way. No victory has ever been won apart from prayer and praise.”

There will be times and seasons in our lives when we no longer have the ability, strength, will, words or faith to pray ourselves. These are the times and seasons when we need a prayer partner or prayer circle to hold up our arms, just like Aaron and Hur did for Moses.

Moses most likely made the headlines the day after the Israelites defeated the Amalekites. But in the grand scheme of God’s story, we must look for the footnote behind every headline. The footnote is prayer. And the true kingdom heroes are the Aarons and the Hurs.

Batterson states, “Prayer is the pen that writes history. Don’t worry about making headlines; focus on the footnotes. And if you focus on the footnotes, God will write the headlines.

If you intercede for others, make sure others are interceding for you. -Mark Batterson

Who is your Aaron and your Hur?

Prayerfully, Paige

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Day 27 Double Circle

Have you ever fasted for something? Perhaps fasting during Lent is something you traditionally do each year. But fasting doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be reserved only for the Lenten season.

Mark Batterson encourages us, in Draw the Circle, “There are times when circling something in prayer isn’t enough. We need to double-circle it with prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21 tells us that certain miracles only happen in response to prayer and fasting. And fasting will take us further into the presence of God than praying. We still need patience and endurance, but fasting has a way of fast-tracking our prayer life like a hyperbolic chamber that speeds healing or a hyperlink that gets us someplace with one click. Fasting is hyperprayer.”

There are lots of different types of fasts: a Daniel fast consisting of fruits and vegetables, a fast lasting from sunrise to sundown, a complete food fast done over a short period of time, or a media fast like TV or Facebook. Whatever type of fast we choose, we need to establish a timeframe and an objective. For example, we can fast for deliverance from the yoke of bondage, discernment in an important decision, God’s favor, dedication to God (a new year, new job, new business, or financial, relational, or emotional breakthrough), or simply to seek God’s heart.

Fasting provides willpower; a way to crave God more than you crave whatever you are fasting. Fasting breaks down our pride, our bondages, and our will. It helps break bad habits and build good habits. It is the way we break down our spiritual calluses and regain sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

Batterson says, “I’m more and more convinced that the answer to every prayer is more of the Holy Spirit. Need more power? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit. Need more wisdom? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit. Need more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit.

“We need to be filled with more of the Holy Spirit, but we have to empty ourselves first. And one of the best ways to empty ourselves is through fasting. If you double-circle things with prayer and fasting, don’t be surprised if you receive a double-blessing!

If you want to break the sin habit, you’ve got to establish a prayer habit. -Mark Batterson

Is there something you’ve been praying for that you need to start fasting for?

Prayerfully, Paige

Day 26 Game with Minutes

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

If you are a book reader and haven’t read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, put it on your reading list as it’s a great one! So great that each time I am reminded of it, I pull my copy out and read it again!

Mark Batterson reminds us of Brother Lawrence in today’s devotion: “On January 30, 1930, Frank Laubach began a prayer experiment he called ‘the game with minutes.’ He was dissatisfied with his lack of intimacy with God and decided to do something about it. One of the inspirations for Laubach’s experiment was Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century monk whose singular purpose in life was to live in the presence of God. For Brother Lawrence, this didn’t mean retreating from the routine of life; it meant redeeming every routine and turning it into prayer. For decades, Brother Lawrence worked in the kitchen of his Carmelite Monastery, washing dishes and preparing meals, but he turned his chores into prayers. After many years of practicing the presence of God, prayer became a way of life. In the words of Brother Lawrence, ‘The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.’

Laubach launched an experiment to see if he could have contact with God at every waking moment. He began to pray for everyone he encountered which turned his routine life into a daily adventure.

Batterson encourages us to “pray for the people you are meeting with, prior to walking into the meeting. Ask God for favor, discernment, and grace. Then when you leave, pray blessing on them. A prayer of blessings isn’t just something for pastors to pronounce over congregations at the end of services. It’s your right and responsibility to pronounce blessings over everyone in your life – from your children to your colleagues to your customers, and everyone in between.

“The key to praying without ceasing is to turn everything into prayer. It usually starts with big things like problems and dreams. Then it graduates to little things like chores and routines. And eventually, your entire life becomes a continuous prayer. Every thought. Every action. Every moment.”

Can you imagine only talking to your spouse or child once a week? Sometimes once a week is all the time we give God. And if that’s true then there is no way we can have an intimate relationship with Him.

“God is only a prayer away. The shortest distance between you and Him is the distance between your knees and the floor. But you don’t have to hit your knees or bow your head or fold your hands to be heard. Prayer isn’t something we do with our eyes closed; prayer is something we do with our eyes wide open. Prayer isn’t a sentence that begins with ‘Dear Jesus’ and ends with ‘Amen.’ In fact, the best prayers don’t even involve words at all. The best prayer is a well-lived life, day in and day out.”

Like Laubach, try turning your prayer life into a game. Try a new prayer posture (kneeling, walking, palms up, or eyes open), praying at different times of the day, creating a prayer list or starting a prayer journal. If you want to see a difference in your life, do something different.

Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. -Mark Batterson

What new prayer posture, prayer time or place to pray will you try today?

Prayerfully, Paige

Day 2 Established By God

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Today I was reminded of a prayer you may have often prayed as a kid or now hear prayed at your dinner table each night. You know the one – “God is great. God is good…” Do you find that your family, like mine, has gotten into such a routine of saying that prayer so often that you/we have forgotten how great and good our God really is? Past experiences have proven to me how great and good God is!

As Batterson states in his book, Draw the Circle, “The truth is that we already trust God for the big things; now we need to trust Him for the little things, like healing our cancer, getting us out of debt, helping us conceive, or helping us find a soul mate. I’m certainly not suggesting that any of these situations are small. The are giant mountains to us. But prayer can turn them into molehills!

“God wants us to get where God wants us to go more than we want to get where God wants us to go. And He is awfully good at getting us there. Our job is to hear his voice. His job is to establish our steps. And if we do our job, God will do His!”

God is great not because nothing is too big for him; God is also great because nothing is too small. -Mark Batterson

I pray you will take everything to him in prayer, hear Him during this time, and grow to recognize His voice more easily (And may we all have more passion in prayer at the dinner table!)

Prayerfully, Paige

Day 33 Prayer Covering

“Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other.” Exodus 17:12

As posted on Day 17 Do Not Delay, if we are going to intercede for others, we need to be sure that others are interceding for us. We need a prayer covering.

Mark Batterson says, “Intercession is spiritual warfare. It’s not for the faint and feeble. By definition, praying hard is hard. There will be times when our hearts are breaking because of a prayer burden. There will be seasons when the labor pains become intense because the Holy Spirit is birthing something new in us. And there will be times when we feel the enemy launching a frontal assault on our family or business or church. That’s when we need to stay on our knees and pray through.

“In Exodus 17, we find a blow-by-blow description of an ancient battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites. As long as Moses was lifting up his arms, the Israelites were gaining ground. But when Moses grew tired and lowered his arms, the Israelites lost ground. That’s when Aaron and Hur stood alongside Moses and lifted up his arms until sunset.

“Spiritual battles are fought the same way. The victory is won with knees bent in prayer and hands raised in worship to God. The enemy cannot be defeated any other way. No victory has ever been won apart from prayer and praise.”

There will be times and seasons in our lives when we no longer have the ability, strength, will, words or faith to pray ourselves. These are the times and seasons when we need a prayer partner or prayer circle to hold up our arms, just like Aaron and Hur did for Moses.

Moses most likely made the headlines the day after the Israelites defeated the Amalekites. But in the grand scheme of God’s story, we must look for the footnote behind every headline. The footnote is prayer. And the true kingdom heroes are the Aarons and the Hurs.

Batterson states, “Prayer is the pen that writes history. Don’t worry about making headlines; focus on the footnotes. And if you focus on the footnotes, God will write the headlines.

If you intercede for others, make sure others are interceding for you. -Mark Batterson

Who is your Aaron and your Hur?

Prayerfully, Paige

Day 27 Double Circle

Have you ever fasted for something? Perhaps fasting during Lent is something you traditionally do each year. But fasting doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be reserved only for the Lenten season.

Mark Batterson encourages us, in Draw the Circle, “There are times when circling something in prayer isn’t enough. We need to double-circle it with prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21 tells us that certain miracles only happen in response to prayer and fasting. And fasting will take us further into the presence of God than praying. We still need patience and endurance, but fasting has a way of fast-tracking our prayer life like a hyperbolic chamber that speeds healing or a hyperlink that gets us someplace with one click. Fasting is hyperprayer.”

There are lots of different types of fasts: a Daniel fast consisting of fruits and vegetables, a fast lasting from sunrise to sundown, a complete food fast done over a short period of time, or a media fast like TV or Facebook. Whatever type of fast we choose, we need to establish a timeframe and an objective. For example, we can fast for deliverance from the yoke of bondage, discernment in an important decision, God’s favor, dedication to God (a new year, new job, new business, or financial, relational, or emotional breakthrough), or simply to seek God’s heart.

Fasting provides willpower; a way to crave God more than you crave whatever you are fasting. Fasting breaks down our pride, our bondages, and our will. It helps break bad habits and build good habits. It is the way we break down our spiritual calluses and regain sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

Batterson says, “I’m more and more convinced that the answer to every prayer is more of the Holy Spirit. Need more power? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit. Need more wisdom? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit. Need more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Then you need more of the Holy Spirit.

“We need to be filled with more of the Holy Spirit, but we have to empty ourselves first. And one of the best ways to empty ourselves is through fasting. If you double-circle things with prayer and fasting, don’t be surprised if you receive a double-blessing!

If you want to break the sin habit, you’ve got to establish a prayer habit. -Mark Batterson

Is there something you’ve been praying for that you need to start fasting for?

Prayerfully, Paige

Day 26 Game with Minutes

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

If you are a book reader and haven’t read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, put it on your reading list as it’s a great one! So great that each time I am reminded of it, I pull my copy out and read it again!

Mark Batterson reminds us of Brother Lawrence in today’s devotion: “On January 30, 1930, Frank Laubach began a prayer experiment he called ‘the game with minutes.’ He was dissatisfied with his lack of intimacy with God and decided to do something about it. One of the inspirations for Laubach’s experiment was Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century monk whose singular purpose in life was to live in the presence of God. For Brother Lawrence, this didn’t mean retreating from the routine of life; it meant redeeming every routine and turning it into prayer. For decades, Brother Lawrence worked in the kitchen of his Carmelite Monastery, washing dishes and preparing meals, but he turned his chores into prayers. After many years of practicing the presence of God, prayer became a way of life. In the words of Brother Lawrence, ‘The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.’

Laubach launched an experiment to see if he could have contact with God at every waking moment. He began to pray for everyone he encountered which turned his routine life into a daily adventure.

Batterson encourages us to “pray for the people you are meeting with, prior to walking into the meeting. Ask God for favor, discernment, and grace. Then when you leave, pray blessing on them. A prayer of blessings isn’t just something for pastors to pronounce over congregations at the end of services. It’s your right and responsibility to pronounce blessings over everyone in your life – from your children to your colleagues to your customers, and everyone in between.

“The key to praying without ceasing is to turn everything into prayer. It usually starts with big things like problems and dreams. Then it graduates to little things like chores and routines. And eventually, your entire life becomes a continuous prayer. Every thought. Every action. Every moment.”

Can you imagine only talking to your spouse or child once a week? Sometimes once a week is all the time we give God. And if that’s true then there is no way we can have an intimate relationship with Him.

“God is only a prayer away. The shortest distance between you and Him is the distance between your knees and the floor. But you don’t have to hit your knees or bow your head or fold your hands to be heard. Prayer isn’t something we do with our eyes closed; prayer is something we do with our eyes wide open. Prayer isn’t a sentence that begins with ‘Dear Jesus’ and ends with ‘Amen.’ In fact, the best prayers don’t even involve words at all. The best prayer is a well-lived life, day in and day out.”

Like Laubach, try turning your prayer life into a game. Try a new prayer posture (kneeling, walking, palms up, or eyes open), praying at different times of the day, creating a prayer list or starting a prayer journal. If you want to see a difference in your life, do something different.

Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. -Mark Batterson

What new prayer posture, prayer time or place to pray will you try today?

Prayerfully, Paige