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