Prayer Alphabet. I have a friend Judi who comments on how great this or that prayer is. She is so in tune to what prayer should sound like, that she gets excited about praising and talking to God. I, at times, feel that my prayer is not hitting the mark, and that it is too routine. Instead of talking with God, I’m sharing a “to do” list of things I would love for Him to take off my plate. But is that really prayer?

Think about it, the disciples even asked Jesus how to pray. I think that’s an incredible testimony to the fact that the people closest to Jesus, feel the need of a remedial class, in praying. Prayer is hard! It’s considered similar to that of learning a different language. It’s foreign or somewhat unattainable. I love to remind myself that it’s just a conversation but in reality, it is entering the throne room of Christ Jesus. When I consider this, I feel terribly inadequate. But God doesn’t look at it that way, and obviously doesn’t feel anything, but love, for my attempts to be in His presence. He just wants my alphabet soup which sometimes sounds just like that, alphabet soup! My words, even your words, as minced as they are, is what’s important. He knows each and every heart, and understands what we are feeling. Even when we are overwhelmed with emotion and pain, and unable to get our point across, God gets us. He desires our innermost mumblings and prayers!

During these past 40 days, I have experienced incredible growth and closeness in my relationship with the Lord. It has been my sweetest of blessings. I’ve felt incredible wondrous love and the deepest connection with the holy and almighty God. And the greatest gift of all has been the fact that it has nothing to do with who I am but who He is! My part has been simple: show up. When we make prayer a priority in our life, incredible things happen. The impossible is suddenly possible!

In closing, I just want to thank you Jesus for being so patient, lovingly showing me how to pray and interpreting my alphabet soup. Every single moment of every single day, you are present! And that’s all I truly need. Your presence.

“Prayer is the difference between the best we can do and the best God can do.” Draw the Circle, Author: Mark Batterson

Holy Ground. When God gives us orders, we should be ready, able and willing to fulfill his request. Granite, He is not going to have you scale the tallest building in a single bound, unless He believes you can do that. But rather knowing you so intimately, He will give you a direction that is within your capabilities, and your special gifting. Some may think of it as works, but when we are in God’s favor, we are doing His will on earth. And that is powerful.

A friend of mine Atsuko, volunteers for Search & Rescue. She was sharing this story of a rescue. A woman had gone on an organized day hike and after walking several miles, was tired and turn around to head back. She somehow lost her footing and fell down a steep embankment. When she finally stopped tumbling, she was severely injured. At this point all she could do was lay near a stream and drink water. She did this for over a week. There were many search teams looking for her, to no avail. One of the last searches, a young boy accompanied his family as they searched for this missing hiker. The boy heard her screams for help. No one else could hear her, yet this boy with perfectly pitched ears, heard her cry. The teams deployed down the mountain and found her, injured and conscious, then prepared her for evacuation. God had a plan for that woman. He placed a young boy on this rescue mission so she would be found! That’s divine and holy ground that he was walking upon. We never know how God will use us, or who He will use!

I’ve heard that story and I’m always intrigued by the fact that God was in charge. He comforted this woman for over a week, gave her fresh water to keep her alive and when the older ears couldn’t hear her screams, he places a child within the rescue team. That is our God. And he cares about each and every one of us.

When Moses was exiled to the desert as a Shepard for close to 40 years after killing the Egyptian, I’m sure he had no idea what God had planned for his life. Yet, God appeared in a burning bush on the far side of the desert. Why would God show up there? Why not a palace or better yet, through the clouds? Yet God reminds us that there is no place that is unreachable for our Lord. No far side of the desert, no deep ravine, no mountain top, no place that He cannot fill. He is everywhere! And He can meet you anywhere.

As I sit inside my humble abode, I wonder what places have I not looked for God? Where is He and where does He want me to go? Right now I’m feeling His presence, sitting next to me on my couch and saying this is a perfect place. Let’s just meet here. Take off your shoes and know you are standing on Holy Ground!

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭

Climb the Watchtower. In Wikipedia, watchtowers purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may observe the surrounding area. In some cases, non-military towers, such as religious towers, may also be used as watchtowers. I love the fact that watchtowers are a mainstay for intercessory. When we climb towers, mountains, and rooftops, we have a clear and unique vantage point. We can see further and may respond quicker to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. By the sheer fact, when we are solely focused on what the Lord is saying, we are moved to do more.

My Watchtower, like many, is in the mountains. There is something splendid and glorious when I reach the top of a peak and looking down on God’s incredible creation, His love overflows inside me! More times than not, my eyes well up with tears of joy and awe struck wonder! Lord, you created this, and I am always incredibly grateful that I have the ability to access these sacred places.

Other times, when I need clarity about a decision or a situation, I walk out my door and head to Folsom Lake. There’s a Water Tower atop the hill which gives me an unobstructed view down the valley and into the City of Sacramento. I can sit there for hours, praising my mighty Lord and hearing him speak over my life. Getting away from the noise and distractions is vital, in our world of constant chatter! There have been many breakthroughs I have experienced from this perch. It is my throne to access the Lord Almighty, and to receive His mercies, blessings and guidance.

So where’s your Watchtower? Do you have a sacred place where you seek the Lords’ counsel? Consider finding a quiet spot, away from all distractions and bring your prayers and petitions to God. He will listen and possibly, you will hear his sweet quiet voice. Stand on the knowledge and truth that Jesus is life-giving and loves when we place him high on the throne!

“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.” Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬

Prayer Contracts. Matthew 18:18 states, “Whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” The word bind means to place a contract on something. When we are in God’s will, we can be guaranteed that His will, will be done.

In 2009, we had a huge economic correction. In America, a recession was inevitable. Prices had gone higher than anyone could afford. And so, homes were lost and property values plummeted. This is when God took over. There was an old dilapidated home built in 1907 that came on the market. It was in total disrepair but God had a vision. While I was hiking up Kearsarge Pass in Inyo County, my husband George called me and said, “we just bought the house!” I was overjoyed and overcome with emotion. How were we so fortunate to be the new owners of this property?

The Lord truly gifted us this bungalow. We put much love, sweat and tears into this place. The original plan was to turn it into a non-profit but that was nixed fairly quick. So I took my time as our Homeless Man Joe, continued to live on the front porch. He was our Security Guard. I would feed him daily and he protected all the equipment and supplies that were left at night, during the remodel. It was God’s perfect protection plan. Nearly one year later, we completed “this old house” and my son and grandson moved in. Over the next ten years, we provided a home for three different single parents. This was God’s plan all along and I just needed to get onboard.

When we go in contract with God, we push our limits and stretch our faith. When we reach for a goal, the process, the growth that we experience, is the goal! It all comes together when we allow the Lord to guide us. So instead of us doing great things, God is doing great things in us! And that is binding, chained together and unable to be shaken!

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬-‭20‬

Senior Partner. Generosity is something that comes up fairly often in church. If we truly trust God in our life, we need to be able to trust Him in our finances as well. But making God our Senior Partner is a concept I’ve never heard of.

More than a half a century ago, Stanley Tam made God his Senior Partner of his plastic corporation. 51 percent partner! Whenever there was money to be made, more than half was dedicated towards others. Then Stanley felt convicted that God should receive it all and that’s when he became a salaried employee. To this day, he has given away $120 million dollars. Speaking at the National Community Church, Stanley shared, “God’s shovel is always bigger than ours which means we cannot outgive God!” The key to unlocking the joy of generosity is accepting the fact that what we keep we actually lose, but what we give away we ultimately get back. Stanley just sends it ahead by giving it away! What Stanley has done will keep multiplying for centuries to come. Think about that.

So what can I do to help setup a legacy of giving? First and foremost is to make absolutely positively sure that my family, my friends, and my neighbors know who is number one in my life. And secondly, that I am generous with all that I have. My time, my resources, my energy, my everything needs to reflect my priorities! I may not have hundreds or thousands of dollars to give away, but what I do have is time. And that is a gift that means just as much. With God as my Senior Partner, we can build a legacy of love. And that’s a joyful song I can sing to the Lord.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭

The Longest Lever. The word lever comes from the Latin word levare, which means “to raise”. Early humans used levers to move heavy stones and as digging sticks. Think of the pyramids in Egypt. They didn’t have cranes back in the day, but they had levers and fulcrums that allowed them to build these masterpieces that are still standing centuries later! The most plausible example of how the pyramids were built is found in Brittanica. “The Egyptians employed a sloping and encircling embankment of brick, earth, and sand, which was increased in height and in length as the pyramid rose; stone blocks were hauled up the ramp by means of sledges, rollers, and levers.” This boggles my mind! I have never seen these works of art but hope and pray I will someday.

When my husband and I bought our home in 1999, the one we are still living in 25 years later, we had a dilemma. How do we move our jacuzzi from the north side of the property to the south? I went to work one morning and thought I’d bring home some of the guys from work and have them help George move the jacuzzi. I’m not sure how heavy it was but if we had enough burly men, it could be done. To my surprise, when I came home, the jacuzzi had been moved. I was scratching my head and asked my husband George, who helped him move that Bohemia of a spa? He said, “The Egyptians!” George had himself a pry bar with a few pieces of wood and proceeded to scoot that jacuzzi with a lever clear across our yard! That was ingenious, if I say so myself. I had no idea such a thing could be done!

One lever, one small piece of equipment can start a build. Just like our prayer life. When we pray daily, we start a relationship. A relationship like no other. Like a parent, or in my case, grandparent, who witnesses the first steps of a child, our God rejoices when we take baby steps in His direction. Each prayer, each time we spend talking to the Lord, exalts Him and takes the focus off ourselves. Bowing our hearts, bending our knee, puts our heart in a position that magnifies God. Levering is our opportunity to reach the Lord, to focus our attention on His mighty name. As Oswald Chambers wrote, “ It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things.” And when we do the ordinary, God will do the extraordinary. All we are asked to do is give our best, and let God do the rest.

“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭

Raise Up a Remnant. I’m going to write something that some may not agree with. At critical moments in history, God raises up a remnant to reestablish His reign and rule. In the case of United States, we have been through a vicious election cycle. There were people on both sides of the fence, and then, we had polar opposites that were sure democracy would collapse if one party was elected over the other. In the end, the people spoke, and God still reigns!

Our God is always in control. And surely He has plans for our great nation. Typically a remnant is a minority, a small group of individuals who have a staying power to make things happen. And occasionally, God places a leader within them who emerges. From my vantage point, I believe that our administration was headed towards destruction. Yes, that’s harsh but this is only my point of view. But anyway you slice it, our country, my country had a revival and felt a need to vote. There were more people who casted their votes than ever. Over 149 million people showed up, and lined up for blocks. Now that’s a revival! A wake-up to our nation to make sure their voice was heard.

So what does this have to do with prayer? A small organized group, Remnants, who are determined to pray as long as possible, to help move a revival. The root of a revival starts with prayer. I believe the people of United States were ready for change. There was prayer happening in church, in homes, in coffee houses and it extended to the Polling Booths. There was a revival like I’ve never experienced, right here in America!

God has promised his people that when we circle in prayer, He will deliver. As paraphrased by Mark Batterson, God delivers as often as the sun rises in the east, and as sure as it sets in the west. If our Father is invited, He shows up. When we bend our knees in prayer, God extends his mighty hand on our behalf. All we need to do is lay the foundation, and most definitely, He will start building something amazing atop. When we intervene, when we pray without ceasing, God intervenes like nothing we can anticipate! And that can start as small as a remnant!

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬

Prayer Covering. I cannot tell you how many times, how many situations nor how many people have covered me in prayer! We are told that if we are going to intercede for others, we best be sure that others are interceding for us. Whenever we go to war, or have an enemy to fight, we should employ an inner circle of prayer warriors to protect us through earnest prayer.

I have countless stories of family and friends praying for my safety, health and wellbeing. But when I entered the mission field, I needed more than ever, a circle of soldiers, that were interceding for me. When I hiked my first long distant trail, my mighty prayer warrior and friend Debbie Carapiet, planned a sendoff for me. She purchased a bandana, circulated it to many Christian friends who sealed it with prayer and their favorite verses. It was, by far, my most precious and most worn, piece of equipment. This bandana opened many conversations with others along the way. I cannot recall the number of encounters I had with complete strangers, asking what was inscribed on my bandana? Reading scripture and praying over countless hikers was a regular ritual. Also, my bandana blessed me tremendously as I read it every morning, just before leaving my tent, and starting my 20-25 mile day. Who would’ve thought such a small piece of fabric could pave a way to deeper conversation?

The other vital component of this, were my friends and family who prayed for me daily. It took a total of 166 days to walk from Mexico to Canada. My statute and physicality is not one of Super Woman! I am an average middle-aged woman, a bit round, with a few extra pounds. But what superpower I had was a committed group of prayer warriors who covered me in prayer daily. They made this possibility, a true reality. And the Lord heard every petition and prayer request for divine appointments to evangelize along the way. When I look back on the five month mission of spreading God’s love to others, I covered 2,650 miles of deserts, mountains, valleys, glaciers, rivers with intense temperatures from rain, sleet and snow to extremely hot, dry days. It always amazes me that I actually completed this journey. It was only by God’s grace and His hedge of protection, that paved my way.

When you are planning to go to war, enter a mission field, intervene in a conflict, or who knows what, it is imperative to have a circle of people that know exactly what to pray for. Be specific regarding your needs, find warriors who are consistent and intense in their prayer, and then get ready for a breakthrough!

“I am now convinced; it is my duty and privilege, and the duty of every other Christian, to pray for as much of the Holy Spirit as came down on the day of Pentecost, and a great deal more … I have only just begun to understand what Jesus meant when He said, “All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”” Written by Father Nash 1831

Get a Testimony. When I hear a testimony, I’m typically in tears! It makes me consider that if God did that for them, why should I not believe that he won’t do the same for me, my family or my friends. When God does what God does, we need to share it with others! It’s a matter of stewardship.

If I take a walk back to my life before Christ, I’m sure many of you would agree that my life has taken on a tremendous change. Transformation is what happens when God is placed first and foremost in your life. The day I accepted Jesus Christ, I was an unwed mother with a six-month old son. I was attending Humboldt State University and honestly, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing with my life. I was a teenager raising a baby!

As God had planned, most likely before I was born, there was a Grange Hall in my small town of Klamath. As I walked inside, a revival was underway. Pentecostals were singing praises, speaking in tongues and sharing the gospel to anyone who had ears to hear it. I had never experienced anything like this in my life. By the end of the evening, they had an alter call. Something came over me, and whatever it might have been, was completely foreign to me. Before I could speak, I started walking to the front of the church. Nothing that I was doing, prior to this day, was glorifying God. And it’s a safe bet that if continued down that track, nothing good would have come from this wayward life of mine. As I approached the alter, half of the congregation surrounded me, placing hands on me and praying over me. It was the most love and acceptance I had felt, in quite sometime.

If I am honest with myself, prior to that Spring day, I had little to no room for Jesus. The obvious hole in my heart could only be filled with the love of the Holy Spirit. I have a saying that I use quite a bit, I just didn’t know what I didn’t know! On that faithful day at the Grange Hall, I met Jesus! And now I understand what that feeling I felt was nothing short of the love of Christ Jesus.

I can tell you that I’ve had many bumps in the road, and it hasn’t been a straight path forward. But the one big takeaway has been that the Lord has never left me or forsaken me. He has been my Father, my friend and my biggest fan, as I have made my way closer to Him. And I guarantee you that He will do the same for you! Get a testimony and share it. I’d love to hear your story.

“Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭

SPELL It Out. If God asked you what you wanted, would you have an answer? Not like a Genie Bottle but something that is within the Will of God. Even when we pray, we really need to be specific about what we want and desire. There is nothing in this world, that is not within the realm of His mighty power and grace. Yet at times, we tend to limit ourselves and more-so God, by our own beliefs or disbeliefs. God is way bigger than anything we can muster up!

This caught me a bit off guard when I first read my devotion today. Is there a family or friend, a specific request that I haven’t spelled out to Jesus? I can think of a few prayers that I am much too vague about. The fact is that when we expound on what our heart is aching for, when we express to God our one and true desire, then He answers us, we can be certain that our prayer was answered by Him. Not by coincidence or happenstance but rather by the one and only, Heavenly Father. Specifying the exact dimensions of a project, a deadline on a book deal, or details of a long-suffering disease, is what He wants us to relinquish, giving Him complete and total trust in our prayer. Knowing that we can confide in our Lord and Savior, is really, our only true hope!

I have so much I need to share with Jesus, and I don’t know what stops me from going there? Imagine that He wants the same things that I desire, that He plans the identical path that I have envisioned, yet I am traveling it alone. What a shame that would be! So today I ask myself what have I been holding back from God? Then, I can sit down with Him and spell it out. I’m sure it will definitely put a smile on Jesus’ face, and melt my heart.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭24‬ ‭