Lakes Church Prayer Room--a life-changing experience!

It was a joy and a blessing to introduce out two precious grandsons to our new Lakes Church Prayer Room. We are so pleased with the many ways our new Lakes Church Prayer Room is being utilized by our church members, as well as those in our community who come in to pray. Lakes Church Senior Pastor Dr. Aaron D. Burgner was inspired to create this prayer room after visiting the Jerusalem Prayer Center in Israel. 

.

Imagine walking into the Garden of Gethsemane and experiencing an intense, focused time of prayer. There are interactive prayer stations for Praise, Confession, and Intercession. You are welcome to visit this special place!

.

Lakes Church recently hosted the Florida Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting for three days. It was amazing how many pastors and their wives, and children, came through and interacted with each of the prayer stations. Here are some of the many stories we have experienced in our new Prayer Room. 

.

There is such an intimate atmosphere as individuals begin their prayer time praising the Lord by watching the Lakes Church video, “He Is” which proclaims over 300 Names of God from Genesis to Revelation. Tears flow as individuals sit quietly with the Lord, focusing on Who He Is and how grateful they are for all the Lord has done in their lives.

.

A Spanish-speaking family came in to pray as a family. They spoke very little English. We have the Spanish translation of the Prayer Room guides available for them. As they were leaving the final time, the wife came up to me, and in very broken English, with tears running down her face, she lifted her hands to the ceiling, and said, “God….is….here!” I hugged her and said, “Yes, He Is!”

.

We partner in ministry with a non-profit organization, Lighthouse Ministries, which provides housing and support for women and men coming off the street, out of prostitution, and drug addiction. Their leader who counsels the women in the residential treatment center brought 20 of the women to our prayer room right after it opened on a Thursday morning. They spent over an hour in the prayer room. She wrote Pastor Aaron a note afterwards and said, “The women went into the prayer room fussing, and fighting, bickering and angry. After an hour in the prayer room, they were hugging each other, arm-in-arm, weeping as they left. They asked, “Can we come here again?” and Pastor Aaron told her they could come as often as they would like. They are coming now on a monthly basis.

.

Recently, I took my two  grandsons in our new prayer room for the first time. I was showing them around each of the stations. When we came to the Confession station where you write your sins on the paper that dissolves in the bowls of water, I began to explain how it worked, and I was about to give them some examples of sins they could write on the paper. Suddenly, my youngest grandson exclaimed, “You mean like DISOBEYING?” I said, “Yes, that’s a good example.” Then my oldest grandson chimed in and said, “You mean like LYING?” I agreed that was another good example. They quickly began to write the sins they have been convicted of on the little slip of paper. It was so heart-warming to see how the Holy Spirit had brought their personal sins to the surface so quickly, and they were anxious to confess them and see them forgiven, just like the paper dissolving in the water. They also enjoyed the Artistic Expression station, where they expressed their prayers through drawing with colored pencils.

.

People really enjoy writing the names of their unsaved loved ones or unreached people groups on the rocks in the Intercession station of the prayer room. I noticed on one of the bags of rocks, it had stamped on the bag: “Dorado River Rock, Made in India.” I couldn’t help but wonder if the individuals gathering those rocks in India, to be used in our prayer room, could somehow, through the work of the Holy Spirit, know that they are being prayed for, as many of the unreached people groups we have on our Intercession for the Nations cards are from India.

.

The interactive Praise, Confession, and Intercession hands-on activities:

.

Cleansing From Sin

1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Take a strip of paper from the basket. Write out the sin that the Holy Spirit has brought to your mind.

• Place the paper in the bowl of water and stir with the sticks provided.

Watch it disappear and reflect on how He washes our sins completely away and thank Him for being a God of forgiveness.

.

Intercession for the Nations

Commit to Pray for a People Group—By the world map is a basket of Prayer Cards showing unreached people groups throughout the world.

.

• Pray that the Holy Spirit would move through these unreached people groups, drawing more and more to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

• As you look through these Prayer Cards, ask the Holy Spirit to lay one of these groups on your heart.

• Take the Prayer Card with you as a reminder to pray for those who have not heard that Jesus is their Savior. Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)

.

Artistic Expression 

Our God is a God of incredible beauty and astounding creativity. Express your prayers, thoughts, and petitions to the Lord through drawings, poetry, or other works of art. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2)

• Take a few minutes and allow God to inspire you as you express your prayer through art, using simple colored pencils and paper that are provided.

.

Pray for Hearts to Soften 

A new heart born of love can only come from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Intercede for your unredeemed loved ones, and those of the world.

As you cry out to the Father on their behalf, write that person’s name or people group on one of the stones that are provided, and place the stone in the basket that is provided.

.

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

.

Testimony from Jan Hunter, one of our long-time church members and prayer warriors: "I love the prayer room at Lakes Church. I was recently struggling with anger. I would pray for forgiveness then take it back. Humanly, I kind of wanted to hang on to it. One Wednesday night, I went into the prayer room. It is so serene, peaceful, and filled with presence of Holy Spirit. As I prayed for forgiveness then take it back. Humanly, I kind of wanted to hang on to it. As I prayed for forgiveness once again, I thought, "I want my heart to be like this room--peaceful, filled with the Holy Spirit." As I pleaded with God once again it was like a burden was lifted from my shoulders. I knew I had found forgiveness and peace. All anger was gone! Is the prayer room magic? No, but what a joyful place to sit before our God. As an added blessing that evening, I went to Pastor Aaron’s Bible study class on the Sermon on the Mount after this, and Pastor Aaron spoke on letting anger go, and forgiving others. God’s timing is so perfect!"

.

You are welcome to join us in our new Prayer Room—It’s truly a life-changing experience!

worry about nothing, pray about everything

artwork by Tamara Peterson

Tamara Peterson’s beautiful work of art inspired me as I listened to Brian Johnson's Have It All... My heart was drawn to a word study of the word, prayer, from Philippians 4:6…

Amplified: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Lightfoot: Entertain no anxious cares, but throw them all upon God. By your prayer and your supplication make your every want known to him.

NLT: Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Phillips: Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer.

Weymouth: Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God.

Wuest: Stop perpetually worrying about even one thing, but in everything by prayer whose essence is that of worship and devotion and by supplication which is a cry for your personal needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for the things asked for be made known in the presence of God.

Young's Literal: For nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

Prayer in Greek is the word, proseuche from pros which means toward or immediately before and  euchomai which means to pray or vow. Proseuche is the more general word for prayer and is used only of prayer to God. The prefix pros would convey the sense of being immediately before Him and hence the ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship.  The basic idea is to bring something, and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests. In early Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be accepted. Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing brought to God was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God for His presence.

The Apostle Paul is saying believers are to present worries in prayer, going to God with a sense of conscious dependence upon Him, like the psalmist in Psalm 84...Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage…They go from strength to strength…Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty.

Greek scholar Kenneth S. Wuest explains, “By prayer whose essence is that of worship and devotion,” the idea is setting one's focus on God and exhibiting a worshipful attitude. The first priority when we find ourselves worrying, should be to get alone with God and express our love, and adoration to Him, focusing on His glorious and majestic attributes such as His unchangeable character, His sovereign control, and His omnipotence. Then God is seen as Jehovah, the great "I Am"..."I Am anything and everything you will ever need!" Too often we rush into His presence, blurting out our supplications and requests, instead of approaching His throne of grace with the sense of wonder and reverential fear pictured by the use of the noun proseuche. So the first thing Paul instructs the saints at Philippi to do is focus on God. We are to worry about nothing because we can pray about everything.”

Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon succinctly summed up Paul's words saying that we should have...”No care but all prayer. No anxiety but much joyful communion with God.” Spurgeon goes on to exhort us...”Carry your desires to the Lord of your life, the guardian of your soul. Go to Him with two portions of prayer and one of fragrant praise. Do not pray doubtfully but thankfully. Consider that you have your petitions, and, therefore, thank God for His grace.”

Pastor Ray Stedman writes, "In everything by prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." I love that word "everything." That means there is nothing too small to bring to him. Someone asked, "Is it all right to bring small things before the Lord? Is he concerned about the small things in our lives?" The answer is: is there anything that looks big to God? Everything is small to him, so take everything to him in prayer. Prayer is the expression of our dependence upon His promises. It isn't necessarily on your knees, or in the closet, but it can be just that quiet, arrow prayer of the heart, in continual recognition that you need to lean back upon His grace and strength. In everything constantly relating to that indwelling life of God the Son in you. Whenever problems develop, lean back again in prayer to the one who is able and competent within you through His indwelling life. Thanksgiving is that forward look of faith that thanks God for the answer before you see it. Knowing His character, you know something will be done. There are things for which we can immediately ask, and know that we will receive. His grace, his strength, insight, wisdom, patience, love and compassion. And as we lean back upon him in that inner dependence of faith which is prayer, we can also begin to give thanks that the answer has come, and in our thanksgiving we discover the experience of it as well."

Pastor Stedman continues: "As in everything we let our requests be made known to God, the result is peace. The peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Just the other day a new Christian, a business man, was telling me of the peace that he is enjoying in resting upon the competency of Christ within to handle his problems. He said that the one thing an American business man fears more than anything else is a call from the Internal Revenue Department. He said the other day the phone rang, the secretary picked it up and said, "It's the Internal Revenue Department. What will I tell them?" He said his immediate reaction was what he once would have said: "Tell them anything-tell them I'm not here, I'm out of town." Then he remembered Christ within, and that he was there to meet the problems of life through him. He said his second reaction was well, what an interesting time this will be to see how he solves this problem. I don't know what they will ask me about, but it will be interesting to find out. So he took the phone, and when he did he found it was a friend playing a joke on him. He said if he hadn't taken the phone he would have been all week dodging up alleys and hiding behind cars, afraid someone would put a subpoena on him. Ah, but you see that rest upon the One who is adequate brings peace. Sometimes it is a peace that grips you in the midst of the most distressing circumstances, and you ask, “How can you explain it?” The answer is, you can't. It's a peace that passes understanding. I don't understand it. I've experienced it many times. There is something about it that undergirds, sustains, and strengthens, and the heart is quiet and peaceful even in the midst of the pressures, demands, and harassments of life. It comes from committing our way unto Him."

HOLY SPIRIT, here is my worry. Here is my need. I give them to you, and ask you to calm my anxious heart and quiet my racing thoughts. Center them on Jesus Christ and on His power and sufficiency today. Set my heart ablaze for the pilgrimage You have for me. Because of Jesus Christ’s finished work on the Cross, taking all my sin, all my pain, all my worry, it is by His stripes that I am healed—physically, emotionally, and relationally. I belong to You, I know that Your peace will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, in Whose powerful name I pray, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Philippians 4:6 … pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

Look In—as you meditate on Philippians 4:6 … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

Look Out—as you meditate on Philippians 4:6… pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

Recent Posts…

the river of the Holy Spirit…

Philippians 3:10…that I may know Him

Romans 12:1-2…flawless…transformed by the Spirit

Romans 12:18-21…overcome by a Good, Good Father

Weekly LinkUps…

a calm assurance

The song Be Still My Soul on Amy Grant’s Legacy album played on “repeat” while my Mom was in palliative care prior to her homegoing. It begins with a melancholy guitar solo called Fields of Plenty, and culminates with a voice-over poem by Amy. My heart was so captured by it I wrote every word in the Bible I had with me. Even listening to it now brings back the flood of warm feelings of peace I experienced during those days, knowing that Jesus was with me in my Mom's room, gently carrying her home . . .

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;

bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

leave to thy God to order and provide;

in every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend

through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

to guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

all now mysterious will be bright at last.

Delight yourselves in the Lord, yes, and find your joy in Him.
Be known for your gentleness and never forget the nearness of our God.
Don’t worry, whatever is going to come, just tell God every detail,
and the peace of God that no one understands will come to you.
No, don’t worry, just tell Him every detail and His peace will come to you.


These beautiful words draw my heart to one of my favorite Scriptures:

Philippians 4:6-7
Amplified: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Barclay: Do not worry about anything; but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all human thought, will stand sentinel over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Lightfoot: Entertain no anxious cares, but throw them all upon God. By your prayer and your supplication make your every want known to him. If you do this, then the peace of God, far more effective than any forethought or contrivance of man, will keep watch over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

NLT: Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Phillips: Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.

Weymouth: Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God. And then the peace of God, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in union with Christ Jesus.

Wuest: Stop perpetually worrying about even one thing, but in everything by prayer whose essence is that of worship and devotion and by supplication which is a cry for your personal needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for the things asked for be made known in the presence of God, and the peace of God which surpasses all power of comprehension shall mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Young's Literal: for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, that is surpassing all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

The Message: Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

TLB: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

ESV: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He’s doing.

Peace is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He’s doing. It is not related to our environment or circumstances. Peace is a gift, something Jesus gives. Through thankful, fervent prayer—articulating our burdens to Jesus—we exchange anxiety for peace. We seize His promises and assurances. The peace of God is powerfully vigilant, for it literally guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We can imagine this peace as a fortress encircling us. It protects our mental, emotional, and spiritual health; our stability; our steadfastness; our confidence in God. As we pray, we experience His peace, the walls grow taller and stronger, protecting us more and more. Peace guards our hearts, we live behind the safe protection of our fortress of peace. No matter what, ruling our hearts is the calm assurance that Jesus knows what He’s doing.

Heavenly Father, God of peace, teach me the path of peace. Teach me to pray with thanksgiving, to submit my requests and needs to You—and to leave them there. Forgive me for trying to carry my burdens on my own. You don’t want me to live in the clutches of anxiety; You want me to live freely, guarded by Your peace. Please flood and guard my heart with peace. Remind me, Father, that peace is not the absence of problems in my life but the calm assurance that You know what You’re doing. You have never failed me, and You will never leave me or forsake me—my confidence is in You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, amen.

Look Up—meditate on Philippians 4:6-7… pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

Look In—as you meditate on Philippians 4:6-7  … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

Look Out—as you meditate on Philippians 4:6-7 …pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

* If you liked this post, you’ll love this book – Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ

location, location, location...



Ask any real estate agent to list the three most important things to consider when buying a home, and you’ll likely hear: “location, location, location.” That phrase has been in use at least since 1926, according to The New York Times.

However, I had a different experience with the phrase, “location, location, location.” The year was 1996. My husband, Jack, our daughter, Tracy, and I had just participated in a low-impact family ropes course. It included a series of challenges that we had to solve together as a team. There were several times that I personally didn’t see how we would solve the problem. But we worked together and we tried out different ideas until we completed the task. One of us always had an idea that worked. We learned we could relax and trust that we could figure it out together.

As the challenges came to a close, the facilitator had us gather in a circle, and asked if we wanted the final debriefing questions to be spiritual. We said, “Yes!” That’s when he asked the location, location, location question...

On a scale of one to five, with five being as close to God as you could be, where are you?

I don’t remember what anyone else in my family said, but I will never forget what I said, “I’m a one.” It was an epiphany for me, which Webster’s defines as, “a sudden realization, a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence.”

I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior as a ten-year old child during a revival. My fingers formed a heart as I sat on the front pew after filling out the decision card. I had been enrolled in our church’s cradle roll nursery at four months of age after my parents adopted me from the Salvation Army hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. I grew in my knowledge of Jesus through Sunday School and missions organizations, memorizing many of His wonderful words of life. And yet, here I was, a busy wife and working mother feeling like a “one.” How did I get here? Jesus had not moved, but I felt far away from Him. Later that week, I heard this heart-felt song by Larnelle Harris, “I Miss My Time with You,” as the lyrics say,

…I miss My time with you, those moments together, I need to be with you each day and it hurts Me when you say you're too busy… 

I knew in my heart that prayer, time in God’s Word, and worship with my fellow believers were the choices I needed to make to move from a “one” to a “five.” I began to pray this prayer as part of my quiet time each day...

Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. I bow at Your Cross, and I experience anew Your forgiveness, redemption, mercy, and grace, as I sense Your blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns pressed into Your brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, I get up from my knees wearing Your Robe of righteousness as I face the day ahead, welcoming Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.  

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.—Philippians 2:12-14

How about you? How would you answer the location, location, location question, “On a scale of one to five, with five being as close to God as you could be, where are you?”

Please feel free to leave your comments in the space below, I’d love to hear from you!

Linking up today with Holley Gerth’s Coffee for Your Heart as an encourager!

connecting the dots to a blessing...

Have you ever had the experience of saying, “Yes!” to something our Lord Jesus Christ has placed on your heart, and then having the veil lifted just a little to see how God used your willingness to say, “Yes!” to connect-the-dots to a blessing?

Linking up with Holley Gerth’s Coffee for Your Heart Encouragement Challenge to share one of my very encouraging connect-the-dots experiences…

The missionary from Burkina Faso, West Africa, Jay Shafto, had a table display set up at a small mission fair in my hometown. After speaking with him for a few minutes about his family’s need for a teacher for their three young children, I agreed to leave my name and contact information and take their photo prayer card and lift them up in prayer every day. Beginning in November, 1999, I faithfully began to pray for them daily. One day in January, 2000, I received a phone call from Jay’s wife, Kathy Shafto. The minute she identified herself, I shrieked, “I prayed for you and your family this morning!” She thanked me for praying for their family, and she asked if I would be willing to make copies and distribute a flyer that she had created with a job description for the teacher they needed and their contact information. I was more than willing to do such a small thing. I made 50 copies of the flyer and distributed them at my local church and continued to pray for them every day.

A few months later, I received another phone call from Kathy Shafto, in which she excitedly told me that God had used me as “His willing vessel” to connect them with Elsie McCall, a dear 64 year-old single woman who attended my church. Elsie had picked up one of the flyers I had copied and distributed at our church. She generously responded to the call to Burkina Faso, West Africa, as one of the first people to serve with the International Mission Board’s Masters Program which gives people who are 50 years and above the opportunity to work alongside career missionaries for a two-to-three year term.

During her time over eight years on the field, Elsie generously homeschooled the Shafto’s three children, Madelyn, Robby, and James. Through her teaching, Elsie was able to free up Kathy Shafto to minister along with her husband, Jay, through women’s and literacy ministries among the Bissa people of Burkina Faso. The Shaftos refer to Elsie as an answer to prayer, and so do I. “The neat thing is that it was a whole God thing,” Kathy Shafto said. “I felt God was calling me to be involved in full-time ministry. So, the only way I was going to do that was if I had a teacher. Without Elsie, I would not be able to do that."

I am still in awe at how God answered my prayers for a teacher for the Shafto family.


It gives me hope in my prayer life today, even when something seems impossible or very unlikely, I’ll say to myself, “Nothing is impossible for our God—remember how He used your prayers and willingness to copy and distribute the flyers, to connect a sweet missionary family to the teacher for whom they were praying.” The generosity of these missionaries and memory of the effective power of prayer has strengthened my faith and my belief that trusting God means looking beyond what I can see to what God sees. God already saw Elsie as the answer to the Shafto’s prayer, and He used my prayers and willingness to copy and distribute the flyers as His way to connect-the-dots to get Elsie to Burkina Faso. What an awesome God we serve!



How about you? Have you ever had the experience of saying, “Yes!” to something our Lord Jesus Christ has placed on your heart, and then having the veil lifted just a little to see how God used your willingness to say, “Yes!” to connect-the-dots to a blessing?

Please feel free to share your comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

Comfort Measures Only

Mom and Beth--October 4, 2008

My mother had been admitted to the palliative care unit at our local hospital. Her physician said, “I have written the orders for Comfort Measures Only, your mother will not be suffering, I have walked in your shoes with my own mother, this is the loving choice.” This began the closing of the final chapter of my mother’s life following a three-year decline mentally and physically due to dementia. It was also the closing of a chapter in my own life, as part of the “sandwich” generation—caring for an elderly relative while raising my own children. Our youngest child was graduating from high school and moving from our home to attend college. During this same season of change, we also lost our two dogs to cancer within eight months of each other.

My mother moved in with us following my father’s death and lived with us for 17 years. For many years, it was a blessing to all of us. She was there for our daughter after school or when I had to work late. When our son was born, she was a great help, and it was a joy for our children to have their only grandmother living with our family. As osteoporosis fractures in Mom’s spine began to cause her more and more unbearable pain, and pain management medications became stronger, dementia began to take over her mind.

            Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible became my daily prayer throughout this season of change. “My determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly.” God has answered that prayer. I am progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with my Lord through this season of change. God met me at the point of my need, answering my prayer through giving me a heart to set my alarm for 5 a.m. each morning so that I would have quiet time with Him and His word each morning before I faced the day. Each morning I awake and before my feet hit the floor, I begin asking Him to speak to me through His word. After putting on a pot of coffee, and settling down at my kitchen table, I open His word, and listen for His still small voice to minister to me. I have journaled these changes over the years, and how a specific Scripture would be just what I would need for that day, that moment in time.

I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than anything else, to love God more. I began to pray, “Lord, I want to delight in you!” God is so inconceivably good. He’s not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask him.  My daily prayer continues to this day, “Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. Lord, each morning, give me a heart that seeks Your forgiveness for past sins, and welcomes Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.”

            As my mother’s mental and physical health began to decline three years ago, God answered my prayer in helping us to find the funding for a wonderful assisted living facility nearby that provided her with the care and security she needed. I was able to go there daily to see her, interact with her caregivers and help with her care. Mom would often ask me to pray with her, and it was such a comfort to both of us as we would come before the throne of grace together, seeking the loving arms of our Great Shepherd. He walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death as she lingered for several days in the palliative care unit at our local hospital before Mom stepped out of time and into eternity with our Lord. Mom’s last year on earth was also our son’s last year in high school. One of the last things Mom was able to articulate was that our son would be able to go to the college that he wanted to attend. God answered that prayer by helping us to put together the financial aid needed. God has met me right at the point of my need, even in this season of an “empty nest” by allowing me to see our son successfully in college.

Our sweet little "Cookie"

            God is into the details of our lives, as He has answered my prayer to know Him more deeply and more intimately, He has met my needs moment-by-moment—even to the point of leading us to a little beagle-mix puppy who had been rescued from abandonment just days after we returned from taking our son to college. Our little beagle, “Cookie,” has filled our empty arms with love and joy. What comfort, what compassion, meeting us right at the point of our need! Even though this has been a season of great change, great loss, I can truly say, my determined purpose is still that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly every day.  
(c) 2011 beth willis miller
_______________________________________________________________________________
What are your thoughts about this post?
      In what ways have you experienced an "empty nest" or "sandwich generation" season?
            How have you been encouraged or inspired during a difficult time in your life?

   

Delight Yourself in the Lord

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 37:4…“Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I discovered a great acrostic memory tool for the word, “delight,” which describes how I have come to apply this verse to my life:

Daily

Everything

Laid

Into

God’s

Hands

Totally

            I have found over the years that many times my prayers center on what I want the Lord to do: I intercede for people who are critically ill battling disease. There’s a great need in a missionary family in Burkina Faso, West Africa, so I petition daily for God’s help on their behalf. On the home front, I may pray for my children to do better in school, a friend’s job situation or marriage to improve, relief from stress, or many other desires. All of these are valid requests, which if answered in the way I hope, would delight me. But I have learned that this verse calls me to a different prayer focus: to stop and center my heart on the Lord and make him my delight.

            According to Psalm 37:4, if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts. To delight means to take great pleasure or to find joy and satisfaction in something. Though it’s impossible for us to find our greatest pleasure and delight in God through our own strength, our Heavenly Father has provided a way: his Spirit graciously reveals Jesus to us and causes us to fall more and more in love with him. Then we find great delight in him and in his presence.

            My daily prayer, the desire of my heart, has become, “Lord, I want to delight in you! Center my heart in knowing you more and loving you more day by day. Help me to discover that there is fullness of joy in your presence and to take great delight in my relationship with you. May my heart desire you above everything else.”

            It’s been ten years since I first began to pray this prayer in March 2000 after returning from a trip to Israel in which I walked beside the Sea of Galilee and on the Mount of Olives, to all the historical sites in Jerusalem, Capernaum, and Bethlehem. During this time in my study of the Scriptures, I came to a place in my life where I wanted, more than anything else, to love God more. I began to pray, “Lord, I want to delight in you!” God is so inconceivably good. He’s not looking for perfection. He already saw it in Christ. He’s looking for affection. That’s why every lasting change will invariably be a change of heart. He’ll even supply the heart, if we’ll ask him.

            My daily prayer continues to this day, “Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. Lord, each morning, give me a heart that seeks Your forgiveness for past sins, and welcomes Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.”

            I discovered another great acrostic memory tool for the word, “praise,” which I have applied as a prayer format during my quiet time each morning:

Praise

Repentance

Acknowledgement

Intercession

Supplication

Equipping

            PRAISE:  I begin my prayer time with praise. I repeat to God a few of the attributes the Scripture records for him. I sometimes repeat to Him the words to a hymn or worship chorus.  Philippians 4:6 says, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” I incorporate thanksgiving into every aspect of my prayer time. As I praise Him, I thank Him for choosing to reveal Himself to me.

            REPENTANCE:  After I have spent several minutes in praise and worship, I enter a time of confession and repentance. I confess sins of the thought life such as wrong motives, negativism, a critical spirit, or even right words with a wrong heart. As I repent, I thank Him for His faithfulness to forgive my sins. 

            ACKNOWLEDGMENT:  Having praised Him and been purified by Him, I am ready to submit to God’s authority. I acknowledge His right to rule and reign in my life every day. Then willingly and deliberately I submit myself to His Lordship—one day at a time. I deliberately surrender to His Lordship with my heart.  I acknowledge Him as Lord and thank Him for being so trustworthy with His authority.

            INTERCESSION: I ask God to burden my heart with specific people He wants me to intercede for each day. As I intercede for others, I thank Him for being my Great High Priest and adding power to my petitions.

            SUPPLICATION:  I enter into a time of prayer for myself. God has called each of us to love Him, serve Him, and live holy lives. I can only know Him intimately when I bring Him my innermost thoughts, fears, hurts, gains, losses, and desires. I ask Him to give me a heart to love Him more and to fill any empty places in my heart with the safety of His love. In supplication for myself, I thank Him for knowing me intimately and desiring that I know Him.

            EQUIPPING:  I conclude my prayer time by asking Him to equip me in every way for a victorious day. I ask Him to give me eyes that “see” Him and ears sensitized to “hear” Him. I ask Him to give me a heart to respond when He opens a door of opportunity, and to empower me to witness as He leads. As I ask for equipping, I thank Him for never calling on me to do anything He will not readily equip me to accomplish.

            I experience the promise and the truth of Psalm 37:4 every day—that if I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me the desire of my heart. Though it’s impossible for me to find my greatest pleasure and delight in God through my own strength, my Heavenly Father has provided a way—his Spirit graciously reveals Jesus to me morning after morning and all day long, causing me to fall more and more in love with Him through the Scriptures and my prayer time. One day at a time, God is giving me the desire of my heart—to delight in Him every day.

Personal Application--In what ways might you find more ways to "delight yourself in the Lord"?

(c) 2010 beth willis miller

what a year of change

jack, beth, mom, tracy, zac, jason, eddie--10-4-08

            What a year this has been. My mother, Frances Mae Carson Willis, at age 82, went home to be with Jesus on April 30, after a three-year decline mentally and physically due to dementia. Our youngest child, Jason Willis Miller, graduated from high school on June 6 and left our home on September 10 for college. We also lost our two dogs to cancer within eight months of each other this year.
Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible has become my daily prayer throughout this season of change. “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, recognizing, perceiving, and understanding the wonders of His person more clearly and more strongly.” God has answered that prayer. I am progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through this season of change.

            My mother moved in with me, my husband, Jack, and our daughter, Tracy, following my father’s death in 1989. My parents had no life insurance, no investments, no savings, and my mother had never worked outside the home. For many years, it was a blessing to all of us. She was there for Tracy after school or when we had to work late. When our son, Jason, was born in 1991, she was a great help, and it was a joy for our children to have their only grandmother living with our family. As osteoporosis fractures in Mom’s spine began to cause her more and more unbearable pain, and pain management medications became stronger, dementia began to take over her mind.

            God met me at the point of my need, answering my prayer through giving me a heart to set my alarm for 5 a.m. each morning so that I would have quiet time with Him and His word each morning before I faced the day. Each morning as I awake and before my feet hit the floor, I begin asking Him to speak to me through His word. After putting on a pot of coffee, and settling down at my kitchen table, I open His word, and listen for His still small voice to minister to me. I have written a journal during these various seasons of change over the years, and how a specific Scripture would be just what I would need for that day, that moment in time.

            As my mother’s mental and physical health began to decline three years ago, God answered my prayer by helping us to find the funding for a wonderful assisted living facility nearby that provided her with the care and security she needed. I was able to go there daily to see her, interact with her caregivers, and help with her care. Mom would often ask me to pray with her, and it was such a comfort to both of us as we would come before the throne of grace together, seeking the loving arms of our Great Shepherd. He walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death as she lingered for several days in the palliative care unit at our local hospital before Mom stepped out of time and into eternity with Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

jason at college

            Mom’s last year on earth was also our son Jason’s last year in high school. One of the last things Mom was able to articulate prior to her homegoing was that she prayed that Jason would be able to go to the college that he wanted to attend. God has answered that prayer by helping us to put together the financial aid needed for him to attend college. God has met me right at the point of my need, even in this season of an “empty nest.”

            God is into the details of our lives, as He has answered my prayer to know Him more deeply and more intimately, He has met my needs moment-by-moment. Even to the point of leading us to a little beagle-mix puppy who had been rescued from abandonment just days after we returned from taking Jason to college. Our little beagle, “Cookie,” has filled our empty arms with love and joy. How kind, what compassion, to meet us right at the point of our need! Even though this has been a season of great change, great loss, I can truly say, my determined purpose is still that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, recognizing, perceiving, and understanding the true wonders of His person more clearly and more strongly every day.  

our sweet little "Cookie"

(c) 2011 beth willis miller