Praying Praying Praying

So, the prayer mission i promised to write about...


I will talk to you about it, if you promise you won't think of me any differently? No, 'lifting Kelly up' or thinking 'i can't do that!' because i believe it was not me who came up with the idea... i believe God put things into place. To Him be the glory. 


Promise?


So, the people in my church family have been heavy on my heart. I wrote about them here when i went into the church for the prayer meeting that no one showed up for. (The prayer meeting i haven't been back to since! My bad!)  


And so, i have been talking to God about it all. What could i do? I don't want to guilt people, but a church without a head isn't very pretty!! 


Throughout the week that it was heavy on my heart, a few different voices spoke to me and their words stood out - things like how the early church prayed together DAILY, the Welsh revival started when a handful of guys got serious about prayer, that it's God who changes things - not us in our own strength, God may ask us to do things we can not do - because then we really know it's in His strength that it happens (which in turn increases our faith) etc


Anyway, long story short, i've committed to God that i would attempt to pray daily at the church building at 6am in the morning. 


Once a week, i was praying with a beautiful friend in the mornings - and so i thought i should be able to do this everyday! With hubbys approval, i now set my alarm for 5:33am and aim to be at the church at 6am each morning for prayer.


I don't know how long this will last. I did originally say 'from meeting to meeting' at first, but i think this is a habit that i would like to continue... 


It's been about 11 mornings so far - and yes i am only human and have slept through the alarm once and turned up late, i also prayed at a friends house once instead (but my friend has now said she will meet me at the church) but this isn't a numbers game. It's a heart game. And God has been refining my heart and blessed me SO much through this.


I remember i was almost 'jealous' of my husband, as he took on a fasting mission at the beginning of the year. He did a Daniel fast for the first 3 weeks of 2012 (lifechurch do this together yearly) and i wanted to as well, but i didn't think i should while i was still breastfeeding. I think your brain does different things when you deprive it of what is the norm, forcing it to do what you want, rather then give into fleshly desires. 


Anyways, I think God has since showed me that i can also do the same thing, while still being able to feed my baby girl, and that is through prayer. By depriving me of the sleep that i usually have instead of praying, my brain is different through the day. Yes, more tired, cranky, short fused - but instead of just writing it off as 'im just tired' - i want to control these emotions and make them submit to me. No one can tell me to be cranky, that is a reaction and what i decide to be. I need to get that under control in order for me to be able to get through even harder things later in life.... 


It is truly amazing just how much better the day is when you are re-aligned with God as your first step of the day. Wow. and He is teaching me things that i didn't know i needed to know! 


1 Corinthians 11: And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 


So what did Christ do? 


Luke 6:12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.


Ok, so i haven't prayed all night yet - phew - but you would imagine Christ would be pretty tired the next day right? Consider it a write off? I know on the days when babies have kept me awake, i've needed extra help to let me sleep the next day. 


But no. On the day Christ did this, He then went on that morning to choose His 12 apostles.
And had huge crowds following Him. (me: *hiding under bedsheets* "leave me aloooone!!!")
And then spoke the beautiful Beatitudes (me: GIVING attitudes! ha ha!)
Then spoke of the future, gave some very hard and truthful messages.... 
then healed the sick 
then raised a person who had died back to life.... wow. 


Yes, i know He is Christ, but He was also human and i would imagine tired. But if He recognised how important prayer is (even though, being God i'm not sure what it is He would of wanted to say to God / himself??) then who am i to ignore it's importance?!?


Well, will keep you updated! Feel free to join me! :-) 


xK