Day 4 - Prayer Journal: Faith

Scripture
"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. " - James 5:15


A couple of days ago, my vehicle was involved in an accident. It was parked in what is considered a safe place. A stranger hit my vehicle and left without so much as a note. When I reached my vehicle I suspected something wasn't right, but I wasn't sure. I suddenly found a note from a pollice officer indicating that I had been involved in a hit and run and should inspect my vehicle for damages immediately. I did just that and found several "cosmetic" bruises. I didn't get excited; I didn't get angry; I didn't panic; I didn't curse - that is what the old me would have done. I did the right thing by reporting it to the proper authorities and filed a report. The police actually informed me that they had an eye witness who had called them and reported it.
What an amazing God? Even when we don't see what is going on behind the scenes, He does and He takes care of us.

Many times we face challenges in life, and we fret or question God, why us? Other times we just lack the faith to trust that in the midst of it all, God will take care of our circumstances no matter what or how far gone things may seem.

Focus

• What makes you sick (physically, emotionally, or spiritually)?
• Are there any sins that you struggle with that hinder your prayers?
• How do you react in a crisis?
• In your prayer journal, confess any shortcomings when it comes to believing God at His word. Ask God to increase your faith in areas pertinent to you. Pray for healing, if not for you, a family member, a friend, perhaps a stranger.

Remember

God sees it all!

Be Blessed!

Day 3 - Prayer Journal: Godly Intentions

Scripture
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven." - Matthew 6:10

There are so many things that I want in life. I don't necessarily mean things, but my goals and dreams wait to be fulfilled. Sometimes I find myself asking God to open doors or provide opportunities for me to achieve my heart's desires. Thank God, He knows what's best for me, and He only permits the things that I need. But there have been times when the Lord allowed me to have my own way; most of these taught me that I am not as smart as I think I am. Many times what I wanted cost me more than I bargained for. So now, I have learned to not demand my own way or to avoid asking God for my whims and wishes.

Focus

• What things do you ask God for that may not be in His plan for you?
• When do you make decisions or act on things before praying about them?
• In your journal, ask God for His will in your life. Write about the areas that challenge you to act without prayer. Seek God for times He answered with His will instead of yours and thank Him.

Remember

Record in your journal your successes and failures since starting the prayer journal challenge. Ask God to strengthen you through this process. Don't forget to write any blessings and answers that God may have already provided.

FYI

Many of you have shared that you have been targeted and attacked by the enemy since starting the prayer journal challenge. The Bible tells us to rejoice and be glad when you are persecuted for God's name sake. The devil is trying to ambush you because he senses that you are serious about your prayer life, and he believes that God will honor your prayer with bountiful blessings. The devil knows the word of God is true! Know that you are not alone. Yesterday and the day before was hard because your adversary wants you to get frustrated and quit. But Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God making intercession for you. You will be victorious because Jesus already declared, "It is finished!"

Please share your words of wisdom in the comments section.

Be Blessed!

Day 2 - Prayer Journal: Push!

Scripture
"Pray without ceasing." -1 Thessalonians 5:17

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you refused to give up or let go? There are some things that pull so strongly on our hearts that we just can't let go. Remember the woman with the issue of blood. (Matthew 9:20) This woman had suffered with the same issue or disease for twelve years. I am sure that this had to be a strain, uncomfortable, and discouraging. Yet, she did not see herself or her situation as hopeless. How do we know? The scripture says that she pushed her way through from the back of the crowd to where Jesus was until she was able to touch the hem of his clothing. Immediately, she was healed. After twelve long years, God answered her prayer in an instant.

Talk about perserverance. Nothing was going to stop her from getting her breakthrough. Twelve years is a long time to believe that God can and will fix your issues. But still she believed, and she acted on her faith. The Bible does not tell us, but I am sure that this woman had been asking God to heal her, to fix her problem, or to move it altogether. Who just lives happily with their issues? I know I don't. Sometimes I am guilty of murmuring and complaining. But instead of throwing up our hands, we must continue in prayer.

Focus :

• What issues have you been struggling with for a while?
• What prayers have you given up on because it seems like God would never answer?
• What things do you keep asking God to move on and refuse to give up?
• Submit them to God in prayer. Write down things that you need God to increase your faith in order to keep believing Him at His word. Find a scripture that speaks to something you have prayed about for a long time to bring the word of God to His remembrance (as He commands us to do).

Remember:

Include any other things that come to mind while you write in your prayer journal. Reflect on yesterday's prayer, if God revealed anything about those prayers to you today, write about that revelation (it could be a conversation, a Bible verse, something on t.v.,) Look for the impossible and the unexpected!

Be Blessed!