Category Archives: Agree with Others in Prayer

December 1, 2015

30 Days of Hopeful: Day 13

By marilynnchadwick

So glad you’re joining us for 30 Days of Hopeful.  We’ve been talking about ways to build our hope–sometimes in short supply these days.  It’s clear from God’s Word that hope is vital to our spiritual life.  Crucial to our mental health.  Humans don’t function well without hope.  I’ve even heard it said that “something to look forward to” is a key factor in those who age well.  Let’s face it.  We all need hope.

It’s a mistake, though, to look at hope as a solo journey.  God made us humans to live together in community.  So if we want to be filled with hope, it helps to find some follow travelers with whom we can “do life.”  Sadly, the down side of what Americans refer to as “rugged individualism” is that we sometimes forfeit the teamwork that could help us keep our hope strong.

We learned earlier that through “endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Let’s take another look at the next verse, which reminds us that God is the one who gives us the “hope-giving” endurance and encouragement:  “May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus” (Romans 15:5 GW).    

Do you see the point here?  God not only gives us endurance, encouragement through His Word, but also the ability to live in harmony together.  And harmony helps keep our hope vibrant and alive.  We see another reason to live in harmony in the next verse:  “So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6).

Simply put, God likes it when we’re like-minded.  And when we live in harmony with one another, it not only fuels our hope, but it also brings Him glory.  And when we glorify God, we can’t help but overflow with hope.  Is there someone in your path today who needs your words of hope-giving encouragement?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Agree with Others in Prayer, hopes and dreams, Praise and Thanksgiving

November 20, 2015

30 Days of Hopeful: Day 2

By marilynnchadwick

What is your “big ask?”  A big ask is the dream your heart most desires.  Your deepest longing.  Sometimes, the only One who knows your big ask is God.  But now and then, God asks us to wait for our big ask to come true.  And sometimes He changes our heart’s desire altogether, or gives us a new dream.  The Bible reminds us that God’s ways are higher than our ways….and often a whole lot messier!

We can help each other stand strong during our times of waiting.  A friend recently referred to me as her prayer coach—but the truth is, we help each other.  We encourage each other during times of weakness.  Holding onto hope, especially when what we see with our natural eyes looks discouraging, can be a hard fight.  It’s my prayer that something you read during our 30 Days of Hopeful will help you stand strong in your battle to believe.

Here are some practical tips I’ve discovered that help me hold onto hope, while waiting for my dream:

1. I meditate on my “watchwords.”  A watchword is simply a verse or two of Scripture that speaks directly to my heart.  It’s my practice  to read a chapter of the Bible each day.  I’ve discovered that the Holy Spirit has a way of illuminating a special watchword that gives the strength I need to keep my faith strong and my hope alive. I like to write the watchword in what I call my Chubby Book, a wire-bound booklet of 3×5 cards.

2. I keep my prayer list beside me while I fold the laundry.  I list the items on the page next to my watchword.  I then pray for each item on my list, sometimes pausing to reflect on the watchword. This practice has made laundry, a chore I used to loathe, into something I actually like.  A miracle in itself!

Chubby Book

 

3. I take my Chubby Book on my jog and pray for those on my list. My neighborhood has some steep hills. While going uphill, I pray for our friends suffering in difficult places. In some small way, this allows me to feel a solidarity with their suffering. Why not pray during your own exercise time? Or turn your daily walk into a “prayer walk.”

It doesn’t matter if we walk, run, or fold clothes. Our minutes matter to God. And minute-by-minute, as we hold onto our hope, our battle may be leading us to an eventual breakthrough in our big ask.  To God be the Glory!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Agree with Others in Prayer, Arm Yourself with Spiritual Strength, Be Specific when You Ask, hopes and dreams, wait training

November 18, 2015

The Secret Mailbox

By marilynnchadwick

Photo-Mailbox

Friendship belongs to those who fear the Lord.  With them He shares His secrets… (Psalm 25:14 TLB)

I love a good secret, don’t you?  Keeping a secret requires that we remain on our guard.  We don’t  want to “spill the beans” in a thoughtless moment. The Bible tells that God has secrets–and shares His secrets with His friends.  Jesus said, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you (John 15:15).  Prayer is kind of like keeping a secret with God.  We take our secret requests to Him and remain alert to His voice–ready to take action as He leads.

When our children were small, I made up a little game called the “Secret Mailbox Club” to help them get a picture of what it means to entrust our secret hopes and dreams into God’s hands.  I reminded them that when I put mail in our family’s mailbox, I put the flag up and walk away.  I don’t pitch a tent and wait anxiously for the mailman.

I encouraged the children to draw a picture of their heart’s desire, a secret hope, a cherished  dream.  We  put these “prayers” into our handmade construction paper mailbox and put the flag up.  “Now, let’s trust God with our secret prayers,” I ‘d tell them. “We can be sure He will send the answers in His way and in His time.”

This little game helped them (and me) grasp the concept of trust, and what it means to “cast our cares on Him…” (1 Peter 5:7).   If we truly trust in the character of our loving, all-powerful God, we can pray and walk away knowing that He knows what’s best for us.  Our hopes and dreams are now safely in His hands.   And we’ll rest secure as we wait for our “mail” to arrive.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Agree with Others in Prayer, Arm Yourself with Spiritual Strength, Be Specific when You Ask, hopes and dreams, wait training

October 29, 2015

30 Days of Thankful: day 27

By marilynnchadwick

In addition to her training as a counselor, my friend Rebecca has unique gifts of wisdom and insight that help her guide others to spiritual health and wholeness. She shares her journey of how giving thanks helped her cope with her own loss.  After reading Rebecca’s words, I believe you’ll feel like you have been blessed with a personal counseling session with her–you may even be changed by her insights.

GUEST BLOG: Rebecca Woodman

Gratitude is a choice, available to anyone. It is a choice that holds the power to change our entire perspective. It is a choice that turns into an attitude and an attitude that can then become a habit. Learning to be thankful and practicing giving thanks can be transformative in taking negative thoughts and finding positive return, ultimately blocking toxic emotions.

Scripture tells us in Psalm 100:4 “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.” Begin your conversations with God, the Creator of the universe, and your conversations with the people who He has placed in your life with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Some of the ways that I help those who come and sit on the couch in my counseling office understand that his/her current struggle does not have to ruin or dictate life is by helping the client understand how to look for the gifts and be grateful, even when life is throwing its fastest curve balls. Encouraging those who are challenged to find the positive to think of one thing each day for which to be thankful. Some questions to get folks started could include:

  1. What is one thing that is going well in life right now for me?
  2. How do I see that my needs are being met?
  3. How can I help someone today? Who would that be?

There is a difference between feeling grateful and being grateful. Feeling grateful is a response to a benefit. Being grateful is a way of life. John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

Research on benefits of gratitude from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology help us to understand that there are psychological, physical and interpersonal benefits to a heart filled with appreciation. Those who understand how to be thankful are found to be more alert, energetic, have higher scores on scales of happiness and optimism, achieve better sleep, have improved immune response, are shown to be more helpful and connected, feeling less lonely and isolated, among many other positive outcomes.

I personally learned after the loss of two sons born stillborn that counting our blessings was one of the only ways to survive the pain. Counting my blessings when at my weakest state helped me to gauge my healing and served as a marker in time – recognizing all that was good, even in those moments when the tears fell so easily. Thanking God, even in the midst of a storm, is really an expression of faith. A thankful heart can bring about faith and faith can move mountains. Author Charles Dickens said it as, “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”

Our Life Group has been memorizing Scripture together weekly and it has been a pretty cool, unifying experience. This particular week, our verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” THIS is God’s will. Even if there were not all of the positive benefits to uttering a simple “thank you” and even if I had not learned in the midst of struggle to look for the hidden blessings, I would still be convicted by Christ’s words that HIS will for my life is a heart of appreciation. I will choose gratitude.

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Agree with Others in Prayer, Arm Yourself with Spiritual Strength, Be Specific when You Ask, Praise and Thanksgiving

October 28, 2015

30 Days of Thankful: Day 26

By marilynnchadwick

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 NKJV).

Giving thanks to God can diffuse even life’s most difficult circumstances. Gratitude has a healing power all its own. I have seen this over and over in our decades of ministry as we have come alongside people during their times of trial. I’ve watched praise and thanksgiving emerge from those walking through the worst of tragedies—clear evidence that God is providing supernatural strength and comfort.

But I’m learning the value of giving thanks all over again while spending much of the last few days in the trauma unit of our local hospital. This time I’m not here as a caregiver, but as a family member.  My younger sister, while battling an illness,  sustained a head injury in a fall and has been fighting for her life. Some of you have walked this journey yourself. There’s lots of watching and waiting and praying at a time like this.

Since we are going through our 30 Days of Thankful, I’ve chosen to begin each difficult morning thanking God for what He is doing and will continue to do in this situation. I’ve also been watching for evidence of His work, jotting down each little sign of hope—however tiny—in my journal.

There have been many. Like the kind custodian who assured me that God was “in control” and then, looking over at my comatose sister, said with conviction, “She’s going to be all right.” Or the beautiful chaplain with a Middle Eastern background whose family had once smuggled Bibles into her closed country. What a special time of prayer we had together. Or the beautiful garden I discovered—a nice spot to have lunch in the bright October sunshine; and the beautiful walking trail just outside the hospital; the friends who dropped by at just the right moment to pray for my sister. The list goes on. We have a long road ahead of us—but today, I have hope. And I am thankful.

Life here on planet Earth is full of these kind of laboratory experiments…opportunities to take God at His Word. It’s not like Jesus didn’t warn us: I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] (John 16:33 AMP).

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Agree with Others in Prayer, Arm Yourself with Spiritual Strength, Be Specific when You Ask, Praise and Thanksgiving, Wake Up and Pray! Be Alert