365 Pocket Morning Prayers | RE:View

"Prayer is a privilege." 
- Dave Veerman, Pocket Prayers

I love the reminder from the introduction of this handy little book. It is a privilege to come to the Lord in prayer, though I admit that sometimes I forget that. Sometimes I roll out of bed without a thought to the fact that I woke up at all.

365 Pocket Morning Prayers is a wonderful collection of prayers and scripture, one for each day of the year--even though they are not marked by date, just day. I like this because it means you can start at any time of the year and read through, no feeling like you've "missed" something. I also enjoy the diversity in topics of the prayers and the fact that there is a topical index at the end.

@createexploreread

The book itself is of great quality and has a soft, leather-like cover that bends smoothly to read any portion of the book with ease. The writing style is personal and yet instructing. One thing I would have like to see done differently would be to put the verse at the top. This is really only for the sake that some of the prayers reference the verse but the verse comes at the end of the prayer. It just didn't make sense to me but it's not hard to remember to read the verse first and then the prayer.

I would recommend this little prayer book for those who are looking for a way to encourage a habit of prayer in their daily routines (um, I suppose we all could use that). It would also make a great gift! The prayers are short as are the passages of scripture, but it can be a great jumping-off point for the rest of your devotional time.

Rating: 4*
Purchase: 365 Pocket Morning Prayers
Book Description
(from Amazon)

Each morning when you arise, take a moment to talk with God about the day ahead. Ask Him to prepare your heart so that you can be ready to face any challenge that comes your way. 365 Pocket Morning Prayers can guide this time of life-changing conversation and help you express your needs and concerns to God. Don’t worry about what the day will bring. Instead, release your troubles and concerns into God’s care by reading and meditating on the prayers featured in 365 Pocket Morning Prayers. Begin your day in joyful anticipation, trusting that God is in control of your life and wants only the best for you.

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I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

Meet Me on the Dance Floor

***I'd like to introduce Jessica Everingham who will be guest posting on Thinking Thoughts today. Enjoy her insight into prayer and true success.***
 

God is far away, my life’s work is for nothing,
and I am all alone.

As a writer struggling to kick-start my career, self-doubt and discouraging thoughts come to visit me on a regular basis. This experience of waiting, along with some other disappointments, is testing my perseverance and faith.

This mental picture of prayer (below) came to me a little over six months ago, while I was at a prayer meeting for a youth outreach event. And it’s been refreshing water to a thirsty little flower:

The walls of my bedroom fall away as I step onto the dance floor. My pajamas have been replaced by the most elegant lace dress you can imagine. Fairy lights twinkle instead of stars. And He’s there. Waiting.

He is always there when I arrive - no matter what time of day or night. Dressed in His tux, hands outstretched, ready for me. Sometimes I’m so amazed that He wants to spend time with me, I fall on my face at the edge of the dance floor. I don’t move till He comes, picks me up and we start to dance. But other times, I fling myself at Him. He always catches me and holds me tight as I sob out my troubles. And then there are days when I just walk up to Him, step into His arms and we start to waltz.

We talk as we glide across the polished floor. I tell Him about my day, my worries, my relationships and my dreams. But the conversation isn’t the most important thing. Don’t get me wrong; I know He’s interested in what I’m saying. He smiles, He empathizes, He cries, and above all, He listens. And I’m definitely interested in what He has to say. But more than anything, I just want to be there. I just want Him to hold me. And He does.

My favorite time is when we’re slowly rocking; my face resting on his shoulder, His arms tight around me. It’s like His love soaks through my dress, my skin, into the core of my being. And it’s then that I remember.

I remember that it doesn’t matter if I’m a writer or not. It doesn’t matter if I’m successful, if I’m financially secure or if I’m popular. I don’t have to be where I expected in life; I don’t need to have everyone’s praise.

I am His. That’s all that counts. And when I remember that, that’s when my worries fade away and I have peace.

My prayer life hasn’t been the same since that day. God meets me on the dance floor all the time. I know that He’s never far away, and I no longer picture my prayers bouncing off the ceiling like ping pong balls. It’s such a relief.

Before the dance floor, I knew in my head that God listened, saw and cared about my life. And I tried to remember that. But it’s this experience of being stretched, hanging in there and meeting with God ‘personally’ on the dance floor, that’s helping me understand that truth in my heart.

On the dance floor I know that I’m talking to a Person, not a ceiling. I see the empathy in His face, feel the squeeze of His loving hug and remember the tremendous power that lies in those arms. The dance floor takes the focus off my problems, because when I’m there I’m confronted with the reality of Him: His endless love; His enormous power; His all-seeing wisdom.

And when I see that, I can’t even remember what I was worried about.

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Jessica Everingham is a journalist, boarding school mistress, youth leader, aspiring author and blogger. She is passionate about writing articles, short stories and novels that peel back our subconscious attitudes and reveal God’s truth. She is busy editing the manuscript of her first novel, Open Your Eyes, and is beginning work on her second book.

Twitter: @JessEveringham
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessicaeveringhamwriting
Subscribe to her blog: www.consumedbyhimblog.wordpress.com
Contact her by email: jessicaeveringhamwriting@gmail.com

Heartbroken but not hopeless

Just a quick post to say that I'm heart broken over the news of what happened in Boston. 

Sometimes the things of this world just drag a person down. I was at a conference this weekend where our topic was joy (recap post coming soon) and I am reminded from my time at the conference that we can have joy through suffering.  It doesn't come immediately. It's not easy. It's also not a feeling (ie: it doesn't mean you always have a smile on your face). It's an understanding that though terrible things happen, we only see things in part and we are asked to trust the Lord in His plans.  This type of steadfast joy is rooted in the hope of Christ.

This doesn't make things "ok". It's not supposed to.  We are meant to mourn.  But - It does mean that there is a plan in all things. I don't mean to say that there is a plan for disaster, but there is a plan to bring healing out of brokenness.  Redemption is possible through Christ.  He is the author and perfecter of our faith (as well as all things). 

I am praying for comfort for the families who have been affected. I am praying for peace for those who were injured and may be facing fear as a result. I am praying for their neighbors to come along side them and to offer help, support, and most of all love.

May Christ be the HOPE in this situation.

unexpected answers

This morning I was reading in 2 Kings 5 where this guy Naaman learns of a profit of God (Elisha) who could heal his leprosy.  Leprosy isn't something you want to continue to have, so he packs up all sorts of fun, expensive things and heads over to the King of Israel.  He asks if he can be healed but the King tears his clothes (he's not having a good day) and cries out thinking that the King of Aram (whom Naaman serves under) is just trying to pick a fight.  Naaman then goes to the household of Elisha (who has heard about all of this and the King's torment) and, rather than talking to him face to face, sends a servant to Naaman who tells him all he must do is wash 7 times in the Jordan and he will be healed. 

Naaman won't have any of that.  He's thinking to himself, "Wash in a river?  Yeah right, like that is going to do any good let alone heal me!"  So he storms away until one of his servants comes up to him and humbly says, "Had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash and be clean'?" (v13).  Naaman listens, washes in the Jordan, and what do you know?  He's healed.  He goes back to Elisha and tries to pay him for the service but Elisha will have none of that.

Ok, simple story right?  Kind of fun, short, simple, easy to understand - right?  Wrong. 

I read this and it hit me that we do the same thing Naaman does all the time!  I think our behavior shows itself in a few different ways though.  One way would be that God gives us an answer to a prayer we had and we think "that can't be it, there has to be more" when really, God is simply giving you the answer.  Maybe it's just something you know, or maybe it's as simple as a passage  you read in the Bible but it gives you the answer and you just need to accept it.

Another way may be that the answer is not only simple, but it's not the answer we were looking for.  I think Naaman went to Elisha with grand ideas of hocous-pocous in his mind - maybe some smoke and lasers or even a little bit of dramatic flair brought on by costumes and intense music.  Instead, Elisha sends his servant to Naaman (a captain of the entire army of the King of Aram) and the servant tells Naaman to wash in the river. 

In our own lives, I think we do just what Naaman did.  We come to God expecting something miraculous (not that God doesn't do miracles) but we walk away disappointed when He's clearly given us the answer.  Just because we didn't see a blinding flash of light or something doesn't mean God wasn't there and working! 

Plus, are we willing to look for the unexpected answers to our prayers?  Or are we just excepting God to answer them in one way and, if it doesn't happen that way, we give up and think His answer is no?  We could be missing out on a completely different route to something we desire just becuase we're so focused on ourselves and our way and we miss God's way.

Just something to think about (for myself included!).