A Test in Obedience – 31 Days

Head Covering / Prayer Room / Facing Giants

Day 30: FAMILY MINISTRY/RESTORATION

Click here to start at the beginning

I believe I am now called to begin family ministry with my grown children, step children, siblings, parents etc. and share the knowledge I have gained. We all live dispersed through various different communities around the city and country. Therefore, we do not all fellowship together, but attend various churches within our own communities.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this but I do believe that we as family should specifically be ministering to one another, listening to one another’s concerns and praying for one another in a more purposeful manner for unity.

The enemy of our souls targets families and tears them apart creating feuds and rifts that are largely unnecessary, bringing division because there is great spiritual power to be found in united prayerful families. I can only imagine what a difference it would make if everyone in our family began to pray more purposely and effectively to one another.

I explained all of the above to my husband (when he visited) this evening and we both knelt together and interceded for one another, our marriage and for our extended family as never before. I believe our mutual prayer penetrated every obstacle and problem we have been facing and I am confident that from here on out, we will grow in strength. What the enemy attempted to destroy, our Lord only strengthened and is restoring.

Spiritual Lesson:

Prayer is very much a spiritual discipline; one that anyone  from a child to an adult can master, yet few of us truly press in to understand precisely how to pray; however this does not mean that we cannot press in and grow and utilize practical resources to assist us. My prayer life has advanced in leaps and bounds since I discovered this little truth; however, as with all things worthwhile, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the enemy does not stand idly by when we commit to grow in our personal prayer lives, but throws all types of painful and on occasion quite disruptive fiery darts our way.

Physical Lesson:

My prayer life has now changed irrevocably and I aim to set aside a prayer room in my house, where anyone of us within the home can retreat to and pray uninterrupted.

I also intend to rewrite this challenge in a user friendly book in order to be utilized as a guide for anyone else that would like to follow suit.

The head covering, while praying is a definite must as far as I am concerned.

Prayer:

Our Father, Precious Lord, Thank You for the ability to learn, to stretch and to be tested. Although the experience is not always pleasant, the results are always worth the effort, because You know best. Now that we have scratched the surface, please help us to press in ever deeper, practicing the spiritual discipline of prayer and communion with You, until we perfect it..

In Jesus Name we pray…Amen!!!

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte

A Test in Obedience – 31 Days

Head Covering / Prayer Room / Facing Giants

Day 29: RESOURCES

Click here to start at the beginning

Although this challenge started out as a quest to find out whether there is a difference when praying with a head covering versus without one, it turned out to be so much more.  I have purposely prayed since I was nine years old but this prayer experience has enriched my prayer life in ways that I could never have predicted. 

Likewise, the attacks on my personal character, marriage, pets and loved ones were also quite unforeseeable and unexpected.

However, thankfully these attacks only served to press me deeper into this challenge, rather than to deter me. Once I had committed to the challenge, I was determined to see it through no matter what. After all, how long could thirty-one days really be? Now as I reach the end, I am thankful that I did continue and press in.

While pursuing this challenge and pressing into God, I discovered how to pray individually and purposely for each individual person I had placed on my prayer wall (so far only immediate family members and siblings etc.); but I know that I can add friends, acquaintances and anyone I feel encouraged to pray for. Now that I have name cards for every person, I no longer need to fear forgetting to pray for someone and I can easily add anything to my lists as I go.

I believe that as Nehemiah secured the resources he would need in order to be successful in building the wall around Jerusalem, so too does my wall “chart, name cards and notes provide me with the necessary resources. I have learned a valuable lesson in having practice resources at hand.

Last night while I was praying for the individual people on my name cards, laying my hands on their name cards and interceding for them, the Lord showed me that these people, represented different communities dispersed throughout the country. He impressed on me the need to pray for these specific communities in order to widen the blessing and covering around my loved ones and in this manner spiritually bless and intercede for these communities.

I started out with only a yearly devotional which I carry around with me on a daily basis, and record my prayers for my immediate family.  (For many years I have personalized my devotional, with pictures, prayers and notes). Now I have an entire wall, covered with names and scriptures to assist me in my prayers.

Spiritual Lesson:

Prayer is very much a spiritual discipline; however this does not mean that we cannot use practical resources to assist us. My prayer life has advanced in leaps and bounds since I discovered this little truth.

Physical Lesson:

I have decided that in order to press into this new method of praying and interceding for my family, I will need to create a permanent private space in order to be able to close the door and pray uninterrupted, regardless of the activities around the house. Presently, I am on my own and interruption is not an issue, but when I am reconciled to my family, and the normal household rhythms continue, my prayer life will be interrupted, if I don’t plan ahead and create this space.

Resources:

Bible

Pens / Markers

Yearly Devotional

Wall Charts

Name Cards

Head Scarf

(Prayer can be a lot more than a few minutes of whispered blessings and requests)

 – I usually started on my knees but have found myself kneeling, pacing, raising my hands, touching the name cards, and sometimes even pressing my forehead against the wall when pleading with God for breakthrough for someone or something.

Prayer:

Precious Jesus, thank you for all the blessed gifts of abundance bestowed on us by your grace and mercy towards us. Raise us up as prayer warriors, effective and ready at a moment’s notice to intercede and pray.

In Jesus Name we pray…Amen!!!

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte