Posted by: Christie Mannin
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be good to write about some things that have been placed on my heart.
This past year has brought about many things to be thankful for. As Tim and I began to pray about what the Lord was calling us to in this new season of ministry, I remember saying that “whatever it was that the Lord would call us to would either be the biggest sacrifice we’ve ever made OR that it would be so big that we couldn’t even fathom it”. Sadly, the human mind cannot conceive the great BLESSINGS and MIRACLES that He desires to bestow on us.
As we desired to live into our full calling, we knew the only way for us to be shown the next step was to PRAY. We did begin to pray. We have prayed more in the past several months than we’ve ever prayed in our lives. We’ve changed our habits by giving up precious time that was once spent watching another episode of American Idol or The Office. We’ve spent time praying in the car, in bed, in the shower, on our knees in front of the sofa, with our friends and family, with our kids at dinner and bed time, and walking down 23rd Street, circling the areas, people, and buildings that we feel the Lord has placed on our hearts. We’ve written prayers, said prayers out loud, whispered prayers, and sung prayers. We’ve cried over prayers and laughed over prayers. We’ve prayed bigger, bolder prayers than we’ve ever prayed. We have prayed believing for miracles to be done.
In our faithfulness to pray and in patience, never giving up even when the earthly answer is no, the Lord has begun to answer those prayers. He is showing us and teaching us that he desires both: for us to be called to a life of greater sacrifice, while also blessing us with greater things than we’ve ever known. There is a song that I love written by one of my favorite artists that speaks to this idea:
I was made for more than this world could offer me.
My heart to hold true mystery.
My voice was made to fall on holy ears.
My life to collide with majesty.
Out from the ordinary. Into extraordinary.
This is a heart-cry, from my life. To say I love You, God, I
love You.
So take me deeper, oh. I can hear You calling. Inviting me in.
Into the glorious.
I was made me for rest, in a world that’s striving.
To lie down in the fields of green.
To set my feet upon this holy ground.
To build my life on the things unseen.
Out from the ordinary. Into extraordinary. You’re calling me.
The Lord is good. He loves us and desires to move in our lives in a mighty way. He wants us to live a life of complete surrender and in return, bless us beyond measure in ways that our minds cannot imagine. Often now when I pray, the only thing that comes to my lips is that “IT IS ALL FOR YOUR GLORY, LORD”. I want to bless HIM with the work of my life. To return to him what he as so freely given me.
Thank you Jesus for hearing our prayers and for blessing us in greater ways than we could ever imagine. I will continue to open my hands and let go of things that I have so tightly held on to so that you can use them ALL FOR YOUR GLORY.
I challenge you today, to begin to learn how to create space in your own life for prayer. He will guide your steps and show you how to trust him more each day so that you can live into the glorious life that he desires for you to live.