Prayer Time
Monday, Nov. 12, 2007 @ 4:55 AM
Grr...I'm really frustrated this morning. I went to bed early, in order to to get up early and write. I tossed. I turned. I thrashed around. It was very frustrating. Finally, at 4:30, I decide to get up and Danielle is in my bed with her "kghah, kghah, kghah" breathing. I literally want to scream at her and do something very not nice. Rarr. So, I couldn't even do my devotions in my room, becuase if I stayed in there, my blood pressure would begin to rise and my emotions would continue to go haywire. ( "A fool shows annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an offense."
Proverbs 12:16)
God, this has not been a good night.
So, yesterday, I was feeling all stressed and frustrated because I had a literature paper to write that's due today. But, I also felt like I shouldn't really work on Sunday, instead I should honor God by resting. Well, I didn't. I tried to work and got nowhere. And then I got stressed 'cause I got nowhere. In other words, I just shouldn't have worked.
Last night I read part of Isaiah 58, which I've read hundreds of times. Anyways, something stuck out to my like it hadn't before.
Isaiah 58:13-14
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
What really stuck out to me was "then you will find your joy in the Lord..."
I had never made the corrolation before of keeping the Sabbath and delighting in God. But it makes so much sense! Keeping the Sabbath is another way of saying, "God, You're first. You come before work, school, and life. I'm going to honor You by setting aside this day as a day of reverence and honor." And in doing so, God will give an abundance of joy.
It's such an amazing concept. I don't know why it never hit me before. I've felt for quite some time that I really needed to honor You by setting aside Sunday as a day of rest but it's really hard to change habits. For so long, Sunday has been "finish literature papers day." I'm so used to working on Sunday...
And also, I wonder, if I end up doing ski school and Dad gets the mountain job, it seems inevitable that Sunday would become a work day. I don't really know how to avoid that, Lord. I want to honor You in absolutely everything. In the past, I've worked on Sunday before, even after praying about it. My goal is not legalism, but to honor You. I want You to be the One who leads my life in every area.
God, I submit to You in this. Please guide me, Jesus. I want to follow You 100%. Please provide ways for me to not work, help me be disciplined to get work done before hand.
Lord, thank You for Your amazing love. Thank You for Your grace. You are so incredible...You can change my attitude, pour out Your love on me even when I have awful days or mornings, Thank You.
Bless this day. Purify my heart, may I be right before You. Cleanse me from evil, from sin, and from selfishness. Help me give unceasingly and joyfully. Guide me, today, in school, music, family, and everything. May this be a day of honor and glory to You.
Bless Dad. Bless the work of His hands. Make his heart right before you. May his eyes be fixated on You. Lead him, guide him, and show him the way. God, I ask that You would pour out Your Spirit and anointing on him. Refine him. Bless whatever he does. Purify him. May his one desire be to honor You, whatever that means. May he be willing to do anything you ask him to and give up anything You ask him to.
Bless Mom. Give her a soft heart, a tender heart, and a righteous heart. May she be sensitive to Your Spirit, kind, compassionate, loving, and gracious. May she be able to find solitude and rest in You. Run away with her, Lord. Give her a passionate delight for You, a strong perseverance and desire to press in. Pour out Your Spirit on her...giver her a passion for You like she's never before known.
May she and Dad be unified. May their hearts be soft and focused on You. Teach them to love and respect each other and to seek to meet one another's needs before their own. Give them one heart in You. May they find a ministry together and a passion that they can serve in together.
Give them wisdom in raising their family, and one heart! May they be united in every way. Teach them what is right and what You want them to do. Pour Your Spirit on them, Jesus.
Give Mom wisdom in school, perseverance in teaching, and lovingkindness in mothering. May You provide rest and refuge for her. May she draw close to You. May she delight in doing what You've called her to. Make it a joy for her. Make all of this a joy...even the hard stuff. May she find her joy and rest in You. Once again, may she fall passionately in love with You...so much so that nothing else matters.
God, bless this family. Bless our hearts. May we be unified and trust You with our whole hearts. Make us right before You. May we serve others and love others moreso than ourselves. God, it's hard, but it's what You've called us to. Thank You, Jesus, for Your amazing, unending love. Pour out Your joy, love, peace, unity, patience, perseverance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, faith, righteousness, hope, self-control, goodness, and holiness upon us. Make us a people after Your own heart. Make us a family who deeply desires to serve You in every way. May we serve You in every way Jesus. We love You so much. God, bless us! I cry out to You for a blessing! Bless us, JESUS! Pour out Your blessing upon us. Bless us with wisdom, diligence, perseverance, joy, and holiness. Bless us with one heart. Bless us with one Spirit. Thank You, Jesus...mmm...thank You. Thank You for Your amazing love! Thank You!
May my heart be to love and serve You all of my days, wholeheartedly, undivided, willingly...show me what You want me to do, where You want me to go, how much You want me to give...all I have is Yours. Nothing belongs to me. Thank YOU SO MUCH!
I love You.
I can't say that enough.
I love You.
Hallelujah!
Love,
Me :) (Your favorite) ;)