Sorry that I haven't written a blog in a while. I hope to get better at blogging. So what has been happening this month? Well I'm still in Birmingham AL and still with the summer intensive program. This month has been great and I'm still learning a lot. There is so much that I didn’t know before about living and walking with Christ daily. I've always been told that you need to go to church, read your Bible, and pray. That's good and all but I have learned that there is so much more that that! I've learned that I need to daily give my life to Christ (I knew that in the past but this summer I'm learning how to do that on a new fun level), I've been learning about spiritual warfare and intercessory prayer (these are the main two things I have been learning this month though I have learned many other things).
So what do I mean about learning to be like an Anna? Look in Luke 2:36-38 and we can find the story of Anna. Anna was a widow who lived in the temple day and night fasting and praying. She was an intercessor, which is someone who prays for people.
This month I have learned to become an intercessor. I have first learned to do this when praying for the unborn. Now I have learned to do this for my friends and family and events that will change the city for Christ. I have learned that prayers are powerful, that prayers in community and prayers that are consistent have more power. I've not only learned how powerful prayers are, but have seen how powerful and important they are! I have fun praying for my friends and family. I know that they need them, that prayer helps bless them, helps keep them safe.
It's hard for me to describe all this in a short blog, but prayer changes the world! I have learned how important it is not to pray a few minutes a day before a meal, but pray for hours (that being all at once or many time though out the day). Intercessory prayer is knowing and praying God's heart. I love living near the Prayer Furnace, to spend time in the prayer room, to intercede for my squad, for my family, for my friends. I've been praying for my squad to be safe from the attacks of the enemy, financial provision, protection, and healings, just to name a few things . Learning to be an intercessor has taught me that God has given me, and all Christians, authority over the enemy! Knowing that, and diving into prayer has really deepened my faith. There have been times where I've thought "life would be so much easier if I could go back to where I was." Then I would tell myself "I cannot unlearn what I already know. Growing is a part of life, God is teaching me to farther His Glory in me!" I praise God that I have grown these past two months. I don’t want to be the same, it maybe hard at times, but each day gives me a deeper understanding of who God is, and what He has called me to! I'm excited about what is coming next! I know that it will grow me closer to God!
I'm excited about leaning how to be an Anna more and more! Prayer really does make a huge difference. I've seen it in my life and in the lives of others around me. The best part of intercession is when we all pray together as one. Imagine God hearing the prayers of people crying out about one thing, hearing the prayers of the people united as one. How awesome that must be! How that must warm his heart! How he longs to hear our prayers, and not just once but all the time!
I challenge everyone out there to be intercessors! I challenges everyone who reads this to pray more! To pray often! To pray in petition! God loves it when we pray! He wants to hear us, He wants to know what we think, He wants us to pray what is on his heart, He wants us to talk to him.
The director of the Prayer Furnace, has a saying "When man works, man works. When man prays, God works." I want to see God work more!
I was going to post a picture, but i cannot get it to work…I'll figure it out soon though!
