I have recently completed reading "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson in my church's small group that meets weekly. When I first found out that together we would be reading a book on prayer, I was a little over it to be honest.
In college, I was a Prayer Group leader on my hall for over 2 years in which I lead, discipled, and prayed specifically for a small group of girls. I've always had a passion for prayer and praying with and for people. So I got this. I know prayer. I don't need to read another book on prayer. I've got it covered…. so I thought.
The past few months I noticed I'd really been slacking in my prayer life and my commitment to spending some quality time with the Lord through prayer. So when we started this book, though at first it seemed pretty dense, I knew I was going to be a little rusty at starting this whole prayer thing again.
Though despite all my "Christiany knowledge and expertise" on the subject, that book really humbled me, rejuvenated, and opened my eyes to prayer in a new way in which I'm so thankful.
The author gives personal example after example and challenges his readers to pray bold requests to God. If we're always praying little half hearted, lack of faith prayers, that doesn't give God the opportunity to REALLY show His followers what He's got… what He can do. After all, we serve a God that is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine!
As the Lord was working on my heart during this weekly study, the Spirit laid the incredibly crazy and bold dream on my heart to pray to Spend $0 on my World Race gear.
While the group and myself each week shared our audacious dreams and prayers with each other so we could "pray circles" around them, I kept this God given dream to myself because it would just sound too crazy and I couldn't imagine how God would ever provide all these things for me without me spending a penny.
Yet, I decided to take a leap of faith, trust Him, and just pray.
Fast forward a few weeks.
I humbled myself before the Lord to take on a new challenge in praying: The Daniel Fast. Not only would I now be kneeling before the Lord 3x a day to pray, but I would also be like the persistent widow in Luke 18.
Two specific requests were on my heart: Salvation and restoration of marriage for a family member, and the World Race (gear, people, vision, mission).
While I decided originally to go with a 10 day fast (simply and selfishly because I couldn't image going any longer), once day 10 came I knew I wasn't done and the Lord wanted me to go longer.
Getting impatient after not seeing any sort of miracle, results, or breakthrough in 10 days, I became discouraged. I pleaded with God. I needed a break though. A miracle. Psalm 77 was my lament.
Then on day 12 it came.
A good friend from college that I kept up with every now and then called me up. The first words out of his mouth were words of encouragement and support in my Race… I didn't even know he was keeping up with all my posts and info I'd been sending out!
After a bit of small talk he then told me that the other reason he called was to tell me that the Lord laid on his heart to supply for me a backpack for my trip.
A BACKPACK!!!!
The one piece of gear that I had been stressing over and spending hours and hours researching, trying to figure out how I'd get the right one "completely and miraculous for free".
I was speechless as I started to cry and hardly heard any of the kind words he said to me that followed.
All I can say is that the Lord gave me the breakthrough I needed. He confirmed in me that this is still what He wants me to do. The dream He laid on my heart was indeed for Him. He is the same God that has provided for all my needs in the past and will continue to provide for all my needs for this trip.
Nothing is impossible with God.
