when it came to training my investors for the new church year i felt led to do one thing – make prayer more of a priority than policies. so this year i challenged each of my investors to fast and pray in the week leading up to the start of their new classes. i also asked some dear friends and co-workers to write devotionals for a “pausing to pray” booklet to serve as a prayer guide for the week. this blog series is a peek inside that devotional booklet and it begins with my note to the leaders. may it encourage you as you serve and pour into others that faithfully serve in kidmin. (a big thanks to the authors for allowing me to post their devotionals.)

a note from danielle

i am a doer.  i like to live life in play, fast forward, and occasionally in rewind. something about the constant movement makes me feel as if i have more control or at the very least am helping a situation. 

pausing seems like a foreign concept at times.  how can being still help? won’t i loose some control? there is just too much to be done to pause.  

after a recent time in committed prayer and fasting i saw that those thoughts are sadly a peek into my prayer life.  i would often rather try to “do” for God instead of sit and converse with the Creator of the universe.  i all too often like to lay out my plans before releasing control to Him. ouch!

so that is why before the start of a new church year, i feel led to challenge us all to just hit pause.  before we make “plans” for a class, continue with what we have always done, and fast forward through another year, let’s sit at His feet.  let’s spend some sweet time in praise of the One who deserves more than we could lavish upon Him.  let’s hunker down in confession and get rid of the things holding us back.  let’s begin a new year with the attitude of thankfulness and let our gratitude be our filter for the days ahead.  then, let us commit to making prayer a priority by lifting the names of those we teach and lead and allowing God room to work and mightily move in all our lives.

it is when i pause, i am hit afresh with who i am and reminded of the greatness of the One i serve.  the following prayer always brings me face to face with that truth.  may it be a blessing, a challenge, and an encouragement in your pray days ahead.  why don’t we begin each day of prayer with these words and allow God to do a sweet work in our sinful hearts? glory!

“Merciful Savior,

I am so slow to learn,

So prone to forget

So weak to climb;

I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights;

I am pained by my graceless heart,

My prayerless days,

My poverty of love,

My sloth in the heavenly race,

My sullied conscience,

My wasted hours,

My unspent opportunities,

I am blind while light shines around me:

Take the scales from my eyes,

Grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief.

For the glory of Your name.

Amen.”

Puritan Prayers “Valley of Vision”