Wednesday 3/6 Day 1
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth.”
I chose this scripture for day 1 to lay a foundation of perspective; to establish a posture of humility. Consider who you have committed to meet with! This prayer challenge is a divine appointment with the all powerful, all knowing, all loving Lord God Almighty.
Commit the first phrase to memory. Tuck it into your heart and carry it with you this day and every day to come. Be still and know that I am God. Repeat it. Each time you do accentuate a different word pair in the phrase. Also insert your name because this is His word just for you. (See my example)
BE STILL, Debbie, and know that I am God.
Be still and KNOW Debbie, that I am God.
Be still and know that I am GOD, Debbie.
Think about the bold word(s) in light of your circle. Write down your thoughts. As personal as God is to YOU, He will also be exalted among the nations and exalted in the earth. Is your view of God BIG enough?
Dear God, I praise you for this truth. I confess that too often I rush into action before I rest on this truth. Thank you for your personal interest in me. Please help me to remember that you are God and nothing is impossible for you. Amen.
To dig deeper, A Defining Year is a blog article focused on this scripture.
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Thursday 3/7, Day 2
Psalm 23:1 “A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Today I encourage you to pray this promise to God as you think about your circle. The Bible is LOADED with promises. And if you’re ever emotionally in a place where you’re not “feeling” it, praying the Lord’s promises back to Him is a sure fire way to call in the troops, the Holy Spirit.
I’ve heard from many of you with questions about how to pray the scriptures. I thought sharing a personal example may help you as we go forward. I chose a very familiar scripture Psalm 23:1 to walk you through an example of how to pray a scripture promise back to God.
Here is my journal entry… Lord, I woke up to reminders that my day is not my own, my life is not my own. I didn’t choose this, and yet, here I am. Ian is broken. His walk is labored, his judgement poor and his memory worse. But he thinks he doesn’t need support. I hate letting him fall on his sword, but that is where we are. I feel overwhelmed. I love Ian, but at the same time, he makes me not like him. There is no end in sight… but then when I open your word, I see the exit ramp, The Lord is MY shepherd, I lack nothing.
Thank you for being my shepherd. I feel inclined to wander, and easy prey to the wolves. I trust you to shepherd me. To lead me. To protect me. To care for me. To watch over me. I’m out of other options. Sorry if that sounds as if you’re my last resort. But I need for you to be MY Shepherd.
You also promise that I lack nothing. My first reaction is to Say What?! But I lack wisdom and insight and stamina and hope. And then I realize I’m relying on me. I remember now. You provide the bus fare when I’m about to board the bus, not before. I see how you’re teaching me to trust your sufficiency, your provision.
I love you Jesus, My Shepherd. You are right. I lack nothing. Thank you for your promise. Please help me to stand on that truth today and everyday. Amen.
This method is not magic. But it takes the pressure off. I give up responsibility and place it squarely on God’s sovereign shoulders. I carry on much lighter, expecting Him to deliver on His promises. And He does. Every time. Give it a try.
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Friday 3/8, Day 3
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Prayer is not a monologue. Prayer is a dialogue. Have you heard from God about your circle? Jeremiah 1:4 says…“the word of the Lord came to me.” God communicates with us through the scriptures. But also, in my experience like Jeremiah, His word comes to me.
If you struggle to hear His still small voice, make sure you have no unconfessed sin. Sin hardens our heart because we close ourself off from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Sin creates relational distance. Without giving it much thought we hide. When we hide, our prayers are powerless.
Psalm 51:10 is a prayer written by David after he sinned with Bathsheba. Create in me…. I love that. David is praying to His creator to CREATE a pure heart. (Some versions say clean heart.) Think about the word create. Ian creates a painting. He starts from scratch. David is asking God to start from scratch. Sin makes a mess of things. But God creates something new and our steadfast spirit is renewed.
As you pray Psalm 51:10, ask God to clear the lines of communication. Perhaps he will reveal some unfinished business. Ask for his forgiveness today. It is that simple. And when you do, take confidence that He not only forgives, He forgets. Clean slate. Do-over.
The instant you do, your prayers are POWERFUL. Listen for His voice.
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Saturday 3/9, Day 4
Ephesians 3:16-1916 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Before going any further it is crucial to eradicate any notion that God doesn’t love you. It simply is NOT true. Some have shared with me how difficult it is to believe that God loves them because He allowed X to happen. Others have shared that they can’t possibly be forgiven. And still others are trying to earn His love.
Those are all lies, lies from the pit of hell. If satan can get you to question God’s love for you, he has silenced you. It’s as if you’re a gifted concert pianist who has chosen to wrap his hands completely in duck tape and then you pray to God asking for His help before tonight’s concert.
God’s love for you is so foundational that if you struggle to embrace Ephesians 3:16-19 –STOP. RIGHT. THERE. Seriously, how can you trust a God who is fickle with His love for you. How can you believe His word? How can you have faith in a God who doesn’t love you because you’re frail, you’re sinful, you’re human?
In other words without accepting His unconditional love for you, your prayers are ineffective and this Christian life is nothing more than a farce. In fact the scripture I chose suggests you need His power to even comprehend the extent of His love for you. Let me caution you… this has NOTHING to do with how you FEEL. It is completely human to struggle with God’s audacious love. It doesn’t make logical sense. Wrap your brain around this… if you were the only human on the planet, God would still have sacrificed His son Jesus. That is how much He loves you, personally. If you’re still struggling and you want more reinforcement here are a few suggestions.
- 1. Pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to invade your heart and remind you THIS day how much God loves you, NO MATTER WHAT. And then believe what you just prayed WILL happen.
- 2. Google this… “scriptures about how much God loves me” Read every one out loud and insert your name where you can.
- 3. Review my valentines day blog article, You have always been mine, Jesus The Bible is God’s love letter to you and to me.
- 4. Take a small piece of duck tape and tape in on your wrist, so you’ll see it often. Every time you see it, be reminded that His love surpasses knowledge.
Dear Jesus, It takes my breath away to consider how much you love me. I confess that I sometimes take it for granted especially when circumstances don’t make sense. Thank you for your relentless lovingkindness. Please help me to believe this truth and not to lean on my fickle feelings.
- 1. Pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to invade your heart and remind you THIS day how much God loves you, NO MATTER WHAT. And then believe what you just prayed WILL happen.
- 2. Google this… “scriptures about how much God loves me” Read every one out loud and insert your name where you can.
- 3. Review my valentines day blog article, You have always been mine, Jesus The Bible is God’s love letter to you and to me.
- 4. Take a small piece of duck tape and tape in on your wrist, so you’ll see it often. Every time you see it, be reminded that His love surpasses knowledge.
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Sunday 3/10, Day 5
Proverbs 16:8“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” NIV
“We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.” MSG”
A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.” AMP
As Mark Batterson teaches in his book about the prayer circle… the whole point behind prayer is not to come to God with your agenda. Instead come into God’s presence to learn His agenda for you. The subtle shift is a game changer. As you think about today’s scripture in light of your “circle” listen for God’s direction. Until your agenda aligns with His, you’ll be frustrated. Thy will be done.
And know, that the plans of God are only revealed in the presence of God. Seek FIRST His kingdom. As you commit to pray daily to Him, you’re in the right place.
For more inspiration, my blog article Grace from the Chairlift highlights this scripture.
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Debbie
I must have missed exactly what “my circle” is
Could you clarify it for me?
Thanks
You aren’t the only one. The Circle is based upon Mark Batterson’s book Draw the Circle, The Forty Day Prayer Challenge.
Batterson recommends that your first step is to pray about what God wants you to pray about. Generally, it is that thing… that consumes your thoughts. (a problem, concern, relationship, loved one, decision, health challenge) Once you identify that thing… draw a circle around it. It becomes your focus of intentional prayer for forty days.
There is nothing magical about physically circling something in prayer, but there is something biblical about it. The Israelites circled the city of Jericho until the wall came down. Drawing a circle around something is simply a metaphor for praying until God answers, maybe even beyond our forty days. I hope that helps.