Live and Pray While You Wait

Waiting....for what?

It seems everyone is always waiting for something. Whether it is for a traffic light to turn green, the coffee maker to finish brewing, the latest Apple product to be released, the leftovers to heat up in your toaster oven (because you do not have a microwave...), or for some man or woman to come into your life and marry you, you're probably waiting.

But no matter what you are waiting for, what are you doing with the time spent waiting??

Whether you are waiting five minutes or fifty years, God doesn't want you to waste your life. You may say to yourself, "It's my life! Why would God care or why should I care about how I live?"

God's Word says in Romans 11:36-12:1, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." 

In explanation, these two verses are saying that God created all things, sustains all things, and all things are His. Therefore, our purpose is for His glory and we are to live for Him.

To further this point, the Bible also says, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This verse is strictly written to Christians who have understood that Christ has died to buy them and have thus committed their lives to Him.

We all have one life, and we were made to glorify God. We shouldn't take the purpose of our lives lightly.

I used to think that I would grow up to be a stay-at-home-mom. That I would finish my two years of Bible college, get married, have kids, and raise those kids to follow Jesus while showing hospitality by opening my home to my neighbours and then serving at church however I could.

That is not my story.

A wise man once told me when I turned 20, "Life begins now." He might have been saying it in jest a little bit but I think I needed to hear those words.

I had just finished Bible college and began to intern at my church while taking classes at the university with the intention of applying for a nursing school program. The encouragement I had obtained from my mentor and my dad along with various other people I respect pushed me to choose a direction for my life and pursue it. Sitting at home and waiting around for a husband was not an option. It still isn't. Who said that life starts when you get married? Or when you get a career? Or when you have kids? God certainly didn't.

We are created to live for His glory from the day we were born until we die. That is our purpose whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. After all, "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use?" (Romans 9:21) "The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble" (Proverbs 16:4). Some of us will be intentionally living for the glory of God while others will live for themselves and God will still be glorified as His Word stands true.

For example:

"Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding."
- Proverbs 10:23
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
- Proverbs 12:15
"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."
- Proverbs 12:25
"Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth."
- Proverbs 12:27
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." 
- Proverbs 13:20
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
- Proverbs 15:1
"Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it."
- Proverbs 15:16

Do you see how each of these statements are true in life?

So while I am waiting, I consider it a great joy and privilege to study the Word of God so I can gain wisdom and learn more and more of what it looks like to fulfill my purpose to live for His glory. For more information about how to not waste your life I would recommend reading the book, "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. Free pdf download available here.

Another important thing to do while waiting is to pray. I read an article today that spoke to singles about how to pray while they are longing for marriage and found it really insightful and inspiring. Read the article here.

I want to conclude this post with lyrics from the song, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller:

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it's not easy, no, but faithfully I will wait
Yes, I will wait

Blind Dates

A good friend and I had a chat about a potential blind date offered to her which caused me to explore my experience with the subject.

I've been on two blind dates in my life and here is what I have to say about them.

The first blind date I went on was set up by a trusted family friend. He told my Dad about the potential suitor and then my Dad passed the information on to me. At first I was ok with the idea as I strategically stalked the guy on facebook and was impressed with what I discovered about him. As the day when we would meet approached I became more and more apprehensive. What if he doesn't like me? What if I don't like him? What if I say or do something embarrassing? What if conversation doesn't flow? What if it's AWKWARD?? My Mom convinced me, perhaps because she wants grandkids someday, to "stop worrying already and take a risk." So, when the day came, I arrived 15 minutes early and sat in my car in the Western Pizza parking lot and tried to tell myself that everything was going to be fine. Instead my stomach was turning and my mind was bombarding me with more anxious inquisitions. Should I order iced tea? No, water is free. What if he orders water too? Would it be weird to order food? What kind of questions should I ask him? What if I talk too much? Oh! That must be him! He was indeed there. I recognized him from the pictures on facebook. Plus he walked into Western Pizza, which was where we were meeting. Guess I should get in there...


It went well! My family friend sat in with us to introduce us and then promptly left us to chat alone. We both ordered water. We both talked a lot and conversation flowed fairly easily. It led us to a second date, then a third, and then we were in a relationship. Not all blind dates end up in relationships though...

The second blind date I went on was set up by a trusted co-worker and friend of mine. She told me that she knew this great guy and thought maybe I would be interested in him. I told her, after a bit of facebook stalking, that I was willing to meet him and so she set up a time and place for all of us to hang out together. There was no anxiety leading up to the date this time. I arrived at the coffee shop 15 minutes early as per usual and my girlfriend showed up shortly afterward and we chatted while waiting for the guy, who showed up on time, unlike us women. That meeting also went really well and led to a second and third date but not into a relationship.

Both blind dates were successful because they served their purpose to determine whether a particular guy was a suitable match for me to best glorify God for the rest of my life with.

I also learned valuable lessons in both of these experiences.

Lesson 1: Take risks! There is no harm in meeting someone new and it is likely that they will be
                 feeling just as anxious and, if not, they probably have an understanding of what it's like to
                 be nervous for a blind date.
Lesson 2: Be gracious! If the other person embarrasses him or herself, don't make fun or judge them.
                 If they laugh it off, laugh with them. If they look ashamed, tell them it's ok and empathize.
Lesson 3: Ask questions! The purpose of a blind date is to get to know the other person to see if there
                 is potential for another date and so on and so forth as I mentioned before...to glorify God.
Lesson 4: Be yourself! The fastest way to get to know someone else genuinely is to be genuine, both
                on and offline.*

I prefer to get to know people the old-fashioned way by naturally developing friendships without the added pressure that a blind date piles on to get to know someone with a potential romantic relationship on the brain, but I'm also not opposed to blind dates because they've challenged me to take risks and be more confident in meeting new people.

*If you're wondering how I facebook stalk people without facebook...I have my sources :)

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You, I fall apart
You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your graces is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus, You're my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

You're my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Just Keep Running!

I finished the GMS Healthy Half 21.1K Run this past Sunday with a record time (for me) of  1:40:36.0. Now how did I do it? Well here is a list of things that contributed to my run:

1. I prayed before, during, and after the race.
2. I pumped some tunes such as "This Is Not A Test" and "Unstoppable" by tobyMac.
3. I had a meeting to be at for 9:55am sharp (the race began at 8:00am).
4. I ate a large breakfast of oatmeal and fruit at 6:00am.
5. I carried with me a 750mL water bottle full of sports beverage.
6. I had my Mom running behind me.
7. I kept a faster woman in my sight at all times.
8. I played two soccer games and worked the day before.
9. I slept 5 1/2 hours the night before.
10. I made sure that I could always run at least 5K in under 30min at any given moment.
11. I trained very inconsistently.
12. I did not stretch.
13. I chugged water the day before until my pee was clear (I was adequately hydrated).
14. I wore Saucony Kinvara 5 running shoes.
15. I ignored any pain and I never stopped running.

Some of the things in my list would not be recommended by myself or anyone else who knows how to prepare for a long run but I will say that the top three things were the most important factors as they provided me with the most motivation to keep running at a decent pace.

Now I am going to turn sharply and address a passage of Scripture that I found relatable to the subject of running:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 

These verses contain examples of how we should live out our faith if we have chosen to follow Jesus. "We receive salvation as a free gift and then the Lord blesses us on top of that with temporal and eternal rewards for faithfully serving Him. What a God!" (Keith Krell) So with the prize of God's approval in our sights, we should train hard through the reading and studying of God's Word and then seek to live it out faithfully as we run the race of our lives. This takes intense and constant discipline and self-control but the prize of one day hearing Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," (Matthew 25:21) is worth every effort of ours to obtain.

Since I did not train very efficiently for the half marathon as my goal was not to obtain a specific prize, I hope that my life race is run well due to a faithful pattern of consistent and deliberate meditation on God's Word as well as much time spent in prayer. I recognize that it is ultimately for the glory of God that I run this race and, if I do well, all the credit is His. :) pressing on!

May we one day say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

When I Struggle to Pray

There are times when I struggle to pray. Sometimes the struggle is approaching a holy God in prayer when I know I have sinned against Him. Other times I struggle with the words to say. Still other times I find myself wondering if I am praying enough or maybe too much. So how am I supposed to deal with these struggles? I know that prayer is important so I want to learn how to do it well.

First of all, I believe that all of the wisdom required to guide me through my struggles with prayer can be found in God's Word so I will draw solely from Scripture as I explore the different aspects.

1. When I am struggling to approach the Lord in prayer.

Be it because I have sinned and feel shame which has led me to think that maybe God won't hear or answer my prayers, sometimes I don't have the motivation to pray.

I know that I am not alone in this struggle as many people have told me over the years that they find it hard to pray at times. It becomes especially hard when I read verses like this:

"The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous." - Proverbs 15:29
"If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." - Proverbs 28:9

So when I am caught in sin, how can I become righteous so that God will hear my prayers? The answer is found in these passages:

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:21-26

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

God justifies and makes me righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. I need to have faith and humble myself before Him and confess my sins to become righteous again. In fact, Jesus calls us to pray so that we might not be tempted and sin and become unrighteous:

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41

My sin should never be a barrier to prayer in my life if I believe that I am forgiven.

2. When I am struggling with the words to say in prayer.

The most obvious tip for what to pray is in Jesus' teaching to his disciples:

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."  - Matthew 6:7-13

I do not have to say a lot. To follow the example of Christ my heart needs to be in the right place. I must align myself with the heart of God and thus desire what He desires so I pray according to His will.

"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." - Mark 11:25

Forgiveness is emphasized and understandably so because, as I already pointed out in the first struggle, I need to be righteous for God to hear my prayer.

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." - James 5:16

As I approach God in His righteousness, I can then follow examples (not all of which are listed here, just some of my personal favourites) of what to pray as found in the Bible so that my heart may truly conincide with His:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13

"that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  - Ephesians 3:16-19

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." - Philippians 1:9-11

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." - Colossians 1:9-12

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." - Revelation 4:11

There are times when I want to pray specifically for others and myself but I do not know what to say because I know not what the will of God is for specific situations. It is then that I find comfort in this verse:

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." - Romans 8:26

3. When I am struggling with the frequency of prayer.

How often should I pray for something? Will God answer me more quickly or in the way that I want if I pray more often? First I must be sure that I am coming to the Lord in prayer with the correct attitude.

"What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?" - Job 21:15

If I am righteous before God and know who He is as revealed in Scripture, I can read the words of King David and find comfort:

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." - Psalm 103:2-5

The book of Psalms is littered with examples of people who were finding life difficult as they prayed but I find that they were desperately persistent in prayer:
 
"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!" - Psalm 4:1

"O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?" - Psalm 80:4

"Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!" - Psalm 143:1

So when I find myself worrying in life, I should pray as I am commanded:

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

When I am assured in my limited knowledge of who God is, I can pray consistently with confidence as I am called to:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 1 Timothy 2:1-4

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." - Colossians 4:2

"pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I do not think that I can pray too much. In fact, I do not think that I can pray enough.

If my trust is in the Lord and I am coming to Him with my heart in the right place, I need not worry about whether or not he will hear me or answer my prayers because I know He will. And so I pray.

The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets

Three in the morning and I'm still awake
so I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I'd say
if we were face to face

I'd tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and
never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know
God's got His hand on you so
don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget but
don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
and I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you I keep on praying
Love will find you where you are

I know cause I've already been there
So please here these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and
never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know
God's got His hand on you so
don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget but
don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

From one simple life to another
I will say
Come find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord and
never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know
God's got His hand on you so
don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget but
don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
Thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

Forgotten God

I just finished reading this book by Francis Chan and it left me in a state of deep repentance. Forgotten God is a book that I would recommend to anyone who has questions about the Holy Spirit and His role in our lives as I believe it contains really good theological explanations that are supported with Scripture throughout its pages. Normally I would litter a post about a book with quotes and insights but this time I'm merely going to record the prayer found at the end because it is really impacting and leaves the reader with a good summary of the book's contents. I wish to pray this prayer from my own heart as I record it below.

Spirit, we know that we have done wrong by You.

Please forgive us for grieving, resisting, and quenching You.

We have resisted You through sin, through our rebellion, and through our hardness of heart.

At times, we have been spiritually blind.

At other times, we knew what You wanted us to do, but we chose to ignore Your promptings.

Yet this is not how we want to live now.

We need You to change us.

Only through You can we truly worship.

Spirit of the Lord, You are the one who brings us to a place where we can worship.

You are the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of life. 

Thank You for the truth, the holiness, and the life You give us.

We need Your wisdom and understanding as we seek to live this life.

Keep us from disbelief, from fear.

We need Your strength to help us do what You are asking us to do and to live how You are asking us to live.

Speak loudly and drown out the other voices calling us to conform to the patterns of this world.

You are the Spirit of self-control and love.

Give us the self-control needed to deny our flesh and follow You.

Give us a love strong enough to motivate courageous action.

Manifest Yourself through us that we may serve and love Your bride, the church, as You do.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.

We don't know exactly what that means and looks like for each of us yet, in the particular places You've called us to inhabit.

But, nonetheless, whatever it means, we ask for Your presence.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.