Ten Years Ago Today

Ten years ago today, I was an 18 year old college sophomore.

Ten years ago today, I lived in New Jersey.

Ten years ago today, I had the day off.

Ten years ago today, my mother woke me up in a frenzy and turned on my television.

Ten years ago today, I didn't believe it was real.

Ten years ago today, I thought it was a hoax...or a dream....or something other than the horrific reality.

Ten years ago today, my older brother worked next to the world trade center.

Ten years ago today, my mum was in a panic because she couldn't get a hold of my brother.

Ten years ago today, the phone lines were jammed and it was near impossible to get a hold of anyone.

Ten years ago today, God granted me with a sense of peace - I knew my brother was okay.

Ten years ago today, my brother over-slept and didn't go into work.

Ten years ago today, I picked up my best friend and little sister from high school.

Ten years ago today, all the local businesses were shut down.

Ten years ago today, I cried out to my God.

Ten years ago today, I felt His presence.

Ten years ago today, too many people were affected.

Ten years ago today, too many people were hurt.

Ten years ago today, too many people lost their lives.

Ten years ago today, too many people lost loved ones.

Ten years ago today, this country came together.

Ten years ago today, we vowed to never forget.

Today, that wound is still fresh for so many.

Today, that day is still vivid in my mind.

Today, I know that God is still with us.

Today, we remember.

LIWD :: day 56 :: Prayer Divinely Explained

Prayer is the effusion of the heart in the presence of God: "I have poured out my soul before the Lord."  said the mother of Samuel.  (1 Sam. i. 15.)  The prayer of the wise men at the feet of Christ in the stable of Bethlehem, was signified by the incense they offered.

Prayer is a certain warmth of love, melting, dissolving, and sublimating the soul, and causing it to ascend unto God, and, as the soul is melted, odors rise from it; and these sweet exhalation proceed from the consuming fire of love within.

This is illustrated in the Canticles, [Song of Solomon] i. 12, where the spouse says, "While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof."  The table is the centre of the soul; and when God is there, and we know how to dwell near, and abide with Him, the sacred presence gradually dissolves the hardness of the soul, and, as it melts, fragrance issues forth; hence it is, that the Beloved says of his spouse, in seeing her soul melt when he spoke, "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?"   (Cant. [Song of Solomon] v. 6; iii. 6.)

- Madame Guyon

Prayer is the effusion of the heart in the presence of God.

Prayer is much more than just a conversation with God. Prayer is a way of growing closer to the our Creator. Prayer is way of praising our Savior. Prayer is a way of glorifying God. Of letting Him know that He is the center of our universe. That He is the center of our lives, our souls, our hearts.

When we pray, we thank God for all that He has given us. For the air we breathe, the ground we walk upon, the sun shining down on us, the rain that feeds the earth around us, the love of friends and family, the food in our bellys, the jobs that pay our bills, the beds we rest in, the phones we use to communicate with, the computers that occupy our time and simplify our lives, the tvs that entertain us...the list goes on and on.

When we pray, we ask God for forgiveness for all the wrong we do. For the snide remark we made, for the malicious thoughts we have, for the lust we feel, for the little white lie we told, for the gossip we helped to spread, for the anger we felt, for the foul language we muttered...again, the list goes on and on.

When we pray, we ask God to bless us and our loved ones. For financial stability, for health, for contentment, for patience, for peace, for love, for esteem....and once again, the list goes on and on.
When we pray, we acknowledge that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. We acknowledge that He is the Almighty, the Creator of All, that He chooses to be with us, that He is to be revered, that He deserves our praise. When we pray we are bowing down before God and giving Him the respect He deserves.

I hope that when I pray, I am praying selflessly and truly honoring my Lord. How about you?

LIWD :: day 53 :: Maximizing Fellowship With God

As a single, you have a wonderful opportunity to use your time to mazimize your fellowship with God. When you love someone, you give them your heart, the center of your being. God asks for no less. He desires a totally devoted heart (deepest devotion), your soul (what you think and what you feel), and your might (your strength and energy).

Many women today are devoted, all right! They have devoted themselves to developing a love relationship, but not with the Lord. They erroneously seek for love in sensations and promises. the world's version of love is soemthing they want to "fall into." Meanwhile, "true love" escapes them. True loves can only be found in undistracted devotion to Jesus Christ.

To love Him like this, you must know Him intimately... It is a personal, intimate knowledge. Do you have a devotion to God that causes people to marvel at how intimately you know Him? do you know God in a way that causes Him to be an intimate, personal part of your being as you may desire a husband to one day be?

As a single, you have a wonderful opportunity to use your time to maximize your fellowship with God.

Every day, in my morning prayer, I ask God to radiate His light through me. I long to make my heavenly Father proud. I long to rightly represent Jesus in all that I do. As much as I long for these things, I often fail miserably. Lucky for me, our God is a god of second chances...and third, fourth...etc.

So how do we gain this personal, intimate knowledge of God? It's actually quite simple. How do you get to know anyone? You spend time with them. You learn all about them. You tell them all about yourself. You share your hopes, dreams, fears and aspirations. You talk to them. You listen to them. You heed their advice. That's what God wants, no, deserves.

He has done so much for us, from creation to His death on the cross. The least we can do is live for Him.

LIWD :: day 51 :: Distractions in Prayer / Amy Carmichael

Amy Carmichael

Amy Carmichael was born December 16, 1867, in Millisle, Northern Ireland, the oldest of three sisters and four brothers. She was raised in the Presbyterian church.

During her adolescence Amy showed signs of a great poetic gift. In 1885 she had a mystical experience that set the course of her spiritual pursuit.

Amy's passion for missions was ignited in 1887 when she heard China Inland Mission founder Hudson Taylor speak. Five years later, God's words "Go ye" were all the confirmation she needed to set her course for foreign lands. She was rejected by C.I.M. because of her frail health, but in 1893 she served the Japanese mission as a "Keswick missionary," and in 1895 she departed for India. Miss Carmichael soon formed the evangelizing "Woman's Band" and took in her first "refugee."

In 1900 she moved to the infamous Dohnavur where she eventually founded the "Dohnavur Fellowship." In 1903 Amy's Things as They Are was published, launching her career as a prolific writer. In 1916 she founded "Sisters of Common Life," a spiritual support group.

Miss Carmichael was crippled by a fall in 1931; four years later, she became bedridden. She remained thus until her death on January 18, 1951, and was buried at her beloved Dohnavur.

Distractions in Prayer

Sometimes nothing helps so much as to turn from trying to pray, and instead, to read on the knees of the spirit some familiar passage from the Bible, for those words have a power in them to effect that of which they speak. Another sure way into peace is found in a literal obedience to Colossians 3:16. Turn a psalm or a hymn into prayer, read or repeat it aloud, for to speak to oneself deep down in one's heart, using words that one knows and loves, is often a wonderfully quickening thing to do, and nothing more quickly and gently leads one into the place of peace, where prayer is born....

Sometimes we cannot find words...do not be afraid of silence in your prayer time. It may be that you are meant to listen, not to speak. So wait before the Lord. Wait in stillness... And in that stillness, assurace will come to you.... You will know that you are heard; you will know that your Lord ponders the voice of your humble desires; you will hear quiet words spoken to you yourself, perhaps to your grateful surprise and refreshment.

Do not be afraid of silence in your prayer time. It may be that you are meant to listen, not to speak.

I love to sing. I love to sing praises to my Lord and Savior. I never feel as close to God as I do when I'm singing His praises. I often feel overwhelmed with emotion when I'm singing out to Him...eyes closed, arms raised, heart open.

Sometimes I can't find the words to portray what I long to say to God. I know that God knows my heart and that even when I can't formulate the words...He knows...but still, being able to convey the words to God helps to fulfill my hearts desires. So I'll turn on my itunes, put it on shuffle and ask God to read my heart.  More often than not, when I am fully seeking God, a song will come on that perfectly portrays my hearts emotions.

One of my favorites right now is The Stand by Hillsong United. The words are so powerful. I tear up almost everytime I sing these words out to my God and Savior.

So I'll stand
with arms high and heart abandoned
in awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand
my soul, Lord,
to You surrendered
all I am is Yours

What song...or verse...does that for you?

LIWD :: day 48 :: Meditative Reading

There are two ways of introducing a soul into prayer, which should be pursued for some time; the one is meditation, the other is reading accompanied by meditation.

Meditative reading is the choosing some important practical or speculative truth, always preferring the practical, and proceeding thus: whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavoring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance of it, and proceed no farther while any savor or relish remains in the passage: then take up your book again, and proceed as before, seldom reading more than half a page at a time.

It is not quantity that is read, but the manner of reading, that yields us profit.  Those who read fast, reap no more advantage, than a bee would by only skimming over the surface of the flower, instead of waiting to pentrate into it, and extract its sweets.  Much reading is rather for scholastic subjects, than divine truths; to receive profit from spiritual books, we must read as I have described; and I am certain that if that method were pursued, we should become gradually habituated to prayer by our reading, and more fully disposed for its exercise.

- Madame Guyon

It is not quantity that is read, but the manner of reading, that yields us profit.

I am, by nature, a speed reader.  I skim things.  If a novel catches my interest, I can easily finish it in a day or two.  In my speed reading, I do tend to miss out on small details...and sometimes big ones.  I often have to go back and reread to figure out what exactly I missed.

Slow, meditative reading is something I'm working on.  It takes focus.  It takes effort.  I desperately want to jump ahead, but I know I'm getting much more out of it when I take the time to fully read every word and pay attention to even the most minute details.

I am currently reading Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy by Mark Galli.  I've been reading it for just over a month now.  It's a small book, from cover to cover, it's less than 150 pages.  I have found that by meditating slowly through this book, I am really able to connect with God through it.  I am able to really grasp what Mark is speaking of.  I am able to bypass my snap judgement to his words and really hear what he's trying to portray. 

While this book may be light in size, it is definitely not a light subject matter.  The liturgy is a powerful subject.  I have been reading one to pages at a time, allowing a day or two to pass while I reflect on what I've read, and then rereading those pages before going on. 

I've never read a book so slowly before...but I've also never gotten so much out of a book.  I don't necessarily agree with everything Mark writes, but by meditating on it, I'm able to sort through what I feel God is saying to me through these words.

LIWD :: day 47 :: Prayer Partner

Do you have a prayer partner? Or do you only have someone with whom you have regular pity parties? If you do not have a prayer partner, ask the Lord right now for such a gift. A prayer partner can help you pray for others....

...Praying regularly with someone (or a small group) is such a vital part of your service to God. To intercede on behalf of someone else's need is a privilege. When you intercede with a partner, the "duet" of harmony before God can change your world. Matthew 18:19 (NIV) describes this harmonious duet: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for; it will be done for you by My Father in heaven." That little verb agree refers to harmony. Do you have someone with whom you can prayerfully approach God in harmony? Rather than searching for a life-partner, look for a prayer partner. Together you can particiapte in God-given prayer projects. Together you can discover how you can take your concerns for othes and turn them into prayer projects.

When you intercede with a partner, the "duet" of harmony before God can change your world.

I will admit that I do not pray in groups very often. I do pray over every meal with whomever I am dining with...usually the boyfriend. I do call upon friends to pray over things that are heavy on my heart...but we don't necessarily pray together so much as we pray unitedly.

Prayer is a powerful thing. It allows you to unburden your heart. It allows you to grow in your relationship with Christ. It can bring you peace. It can bring you hope. It can bring you understanding. It allows you to clear your heart of any guilt, and any sin, that may be weighing on you. It allows you to start afresh with Christ.

God listens to all prayers. He may not respond in the way you would like, but He always listens and He always responds. Sometimes His response is immediate. Sometimes it may take awhile. Sometimes His response is silence.

Praying with a friend forces you to be honest and realistic. A godly friend isn't going to support you in a prayer that you both know isn't of Gods will. In voicing your burdens to a friend, you can both delve into the issue at hand and seek Gods will. "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18.20)