Not Now. Can you remember a time in your life that you prayed to God, and the timing was not quite His timing? Sometimes the Lord may be refining the plan, the situation or possibly, renewing you! There are many reasons why we should pray, get on our knees and truly cry out to God. Interceding for others, praying for breakthroughs, hoping for a door to open or a circumstance to change. I have a laundry list of requests, but God, has a perfect time for all things.

My daughter has been in a futile battle for years. Countless times to the court only for a postponement or a delay. It has been an ongoing struggle for over five years. At times, it seems it’s leaning in her favor and then other times, the rug gets ripped out from under her feet. It is so hard as a Mother to see your child go through this endless process that seems to be non-ending. It could be so much worse such as a physical illness, but at times, I think psychological damages can be just as brutal. Talk about prayer. This has been a cycle of prayer that occurred many times more than I can count. In situations like this, it is easy to forget that I, nor my daughter, are in-charge. But the Almighty Lord, the King of Kings is on the throne and managing this ordeal. Do I get impatient? You betcha, but do I need to keep praying? You know it! There is one thing I have learned in this crazy life and that’s, I am not in control! But I know who is.

So I wait. Waiting is the part of praying, just as praying is a form of waiting. When I think of presents that I have received, or even purchases that I have saved for, the most precious ones are typically the gifts I have waited for. Why should prayer be any different? As the saying goes, Father knows best. But our Heavenly Father knows even better! Instead of trying to circumvent God, and do it ourselves, let God do what He does best!

We can’t make God do anything, but we can let God do something for us. As I was sharing this prayer request with my friends, a wise woman shared this with me. “Is there a chance that the Holy Spirit is still at work?” Maybe, just possibly, His job is not done yet. Come Holy Spirit and fill me up and my family. Then when you Holy Spirit are ready, we will be filled to completion!

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭14‬ ‭

Prayer Fleece. There are many verses that state we should not test the Lord. So I need to tread lightly when I refer to asking God to give us signs. But there are times when He does exactly that.

In 2002, Bayside participated in a church wide Bible study of Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life.” At this point of my life, I was working as a CHP Officer in Auburn. My typical day was traffic enforcement with arrests, accident investigations and public relations, as a part-time gig. But my passion and desire was educating teens and working in the High Schools. I had an opportunity to return to a Public Affairs position but I wasn’t sure if that was exactly what I wanted or what God desired. So as I was driving to work one morning, I had asked the Lord, if you want me to take this position, let me know. Send me a sign that will make it obvious to me. Within a moment, the dome light inside my car flickered on! My dome light had never done that and since that morning, it had never turned on spontaneously again. I started laughing and so it was to be. I interviewed for the Public Affairs Officer position at my local office. Once hired, I organized over one hundred “Every 15 Minutes” educating teens on the ill-effects of drinking and driving.

There are many pathways to doing God’s work. Those years were filled with passion and joy, and countless teens were inspired to make good choices. There were families reunited, relationships mended and I must believe God touched and changed many hearts. I had asked God for a sign, a confirmation that I was doing something that He wanted me to do. And with that, He answered me in a very un-orthodox way! But did He ever answer. Prayer fleece can be used, if it glorifies the Lord. From my limited knowledge, as long as you are taking steps towards the doing or asking, then requesting confirmation can be helpful. Our God is faithful and when we are doing work that glorifies Him, prayer fleece away!

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭

Set your feet. Almost ten years ago, I had this crazy notion that the Lord was asking me to hike with Him. Not like a day hike or a short backpacking trip, but a thru-hike from Mexico to Canada. I had never imagined such a feat, a crazy endeavor including months on the trail, nor had I ever trained for an arduous expedition. I did my research, attended a 3-day PCT Kick-off with plenty of seminars, and started planning my hike with God.

There are moments in our lives when God speaks so clearly that it’s hard to misunderstand His intentions. And other times, I can barely hear His voice. Yet we are commanded to dig deep, be still and quiet, then listen. Time after time, I hear God asking me to prepare myself. To be ready when He calls me to glorify his name. I want more than ever, to be a Soldier for Christ! That can mean different things to many people. Heading out to the war-torn regions of Afghanistan or caring for homelessness in your own backyard. It can even be hiking with God on trails that lead to ones that may be searching for Lord Almighty, in His grandiose creation!

As Mark Batterson said, “There is nothing magical about physically circling something in prayer, but there is something biblical about it.” Jesus walked in the wilderness for 40 days, while the Israelites walked in the desert for 40 years. For many reasons, the Lord led me to the Pacific Crest Trail for five months. He walked with me daily, He identified other hikers that He wanted me to minister to, and I grew spiritually like I have never experienced before. I learned in the rarest ways that I had to solely depend on God and when I did, He showed up in the rarest ways! And it felt as if the Lord had circled me and many others in prayer, prior to my very existence. Set your feet and start circling, whether in your neighborhood, on local city streets, in other states or countries or maybe on a thin strip of dirt along a long dusty trail. It all starts right where you stand!

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭7‬ ‭

Go.Set.Ready. It’s a bit backwards, I thought. But after understanding the premise of God’s calling on our lives, it seems absolutely clear. Instead of getting ready for months, if not years, but never seeing it through, is just a shame! We can come up with more excuses as to why we can’t do this or that. It cost too much, I’m not prepared, it’s too hard or too far, I’m not spiritual enough or I’m just not qualified. If you don’t remember anything else, consider this. “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called!”

Think about Moses. As a child, he had burned his lip and tongue on coals and was “thick of tongue and slow to speak.” This made Moses lean even more on the Lord, which pointed clearly to God’s glory, for what was done through Moses. Moses knew he was inadequate for what the Lord called him to do, but God amazed him by working through him mightily, despite his inadequacies. This is what God does for everyday people. Those who think they are great, will be humbled. But those who humbly obey God even though they may feel inadequate, will be mightily used by the Lord, simply because of their trust in God and their reliance upon HIm.

As a follower of Christ, we are called to take a why not approach in life. Instead of asking God why me, consider asking Him why not? When we follow the Lords’ calling, it can indeed, be a massive step in faith. Leave this state and go there, leave your job then change careers, or walk a group of people into the woods and offer them communion. Whatever God asks you to do, He will prepare you ahead of time. So our job is easy. Just go…

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Memorial Offerings. There is a Memorial at the CHP Academy. It reminds us of all the men and women who have lost their lives while protecting the citizens of the State of California. When I first saw this Memorial, I was reminded that being a Police Officer is a dangerous profession. Yet at the same time, it is a noble and valiant calling! Jesus calls us the Peacemakers, sons and daughters of God.

As I consider memorializing names, the Bible does it best! There are countless chapters and verses that are dedicated to genealogy. Some of us glaze over these names, me included, but I wonder if they were family members that I knew personally, would I be more attentive? I think I would. As I was reading “Draw the Circle” this morning, I read a story of a grandmother who prayed by name, for each of her twelve children, three times a day. What a mission this lady was on! On her death bed, each of her children came into her bedroom where she had previously prayed for them, over 80,000 times! That is one incredible ongoing memorial offering to the Lord. What a wonderful gift that she gave to her family. When she passed, six of her twelve children had committed their lives to Jesus. However, after she died, four other children accepted Jesus Christ, and one was baptized at 92 years old. God never forgot her prayers, even after her death some twenty years later!

I consider the times I have prayed over a family member or a child, or a friend and wondering at what point do I stop? Never! We are to keep praying until our last breath, and isn’t that a sweet sound to our Lords ear. When we continue to pray faithfully, we sow seeds and reap the harvest. Hopefully we will see and experience the fruits of our prayers! But never less, our Lord, and Heavenly Father will remember each and every request and petition, whether we are in heaven or still here on earth.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬

Keep Circling. Imagine what they thought when Joshua told the Israelites to keep marching around the walls of Jericho? Not once, not twice but seven times in seven days. That must have taken such great faith and trust in God. I could only imagine what the inhabitants who lived behind those walls, had to be thinking? They must have been scratching their heads; these Israelis are loosing their minds! But they did, just as the Lord commanded. And on the seventh day, when the trumpets sounded, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Some say it was an earthquake or just good timing, but we all know, it was Gods’ mighty hand reaching down and doing what God does best. Shaking things up!

I think of the many prayers I’ve prayed over and over and over again, circling prayers with permanent black markers. Right after my loving mother Wanda passed, my father grieved inconsolably. My sister Kari left her world in Alaska to take care of Dad. She dropped everything, left behind her family and job, and stayed with our father for more than a year and a half. That was a huge sacrifice and selfless act on her part, but Dad was more important. When it was time for her to return to Alaska, my husband and I asked Dad to move in with us. My father Jerry was not ready for that and decided to live alone, then moved into a Care Facility and another, and finally one more. Those two years, George and I prayed many times, tried our best to get Dad to reconsider, driving back and forth from NorCal to SoCal, but he was adamant about staying put.

Fast-forward to September 2024, I received a call from the Lankford Clan. The time had come to move Dad one last time. He had lost his dear companion Buddy, a Bichon Dog, to the clutches of a coyote, and Dad was shaken to the core. The Lord had prepared our heart as well as my father’s, and when the timing was perfectly orchestrated, Dad moved in with George and I. Our prayers were answered and my earthly father was willing to put his pride aside. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Dad to make this decision, but our sweet Jesus had paved the way.

I never gave up on the idea of Dad living with us, and God didn’t either. He had to march Dad around a few towns to make this possible, and after circling for months on end, Dad came to live with us. I’m grateful for God’s timing, knowing that George and I needed to prepare our hearts too. But now that Dad is home with us, we stopped circling this prayer knowing there are new prayer circles to follow!

“Don’t lose heart. Don’t lose hope. Don’t lose faith. Don’t lose patience.” Sometimes God pushes us to our limits just so we can lean on Him and grow some heart, know greater hope, gain more faith and learn a little patience. Something to ponder.

Do Not Delay. Or as soon as possible. I have prayers like that. Lord, I need this done fast! Time is of the essence! Sometimes it seems that I set timelines on God, but that’s just like trying to stop the flow of a river! As I’ve been told and should know, God has perfect timing, and I just need to be patient.

The older I get, the more I’m convinced that time is going faster. And on the other hand, I realize that my time is limited. I’ve lived longer than the years I have left, on this earth. That is both a blessing but also brings me sorrow as I know that many of my prayers have not been answered. What about this person or that child, their marriage or his addiction, or countless other things that I have prayed for, without a breakthrough. There’s a point that I truly need to believe and trust that Jesus’ plan is much better than mine, And His timing supersedes my expectations. For now, I’ll keep praying and God will keep answering. Delay or not, it is up to His endless and infinite time schedule. And that gives me all the peace that this girl needs right now.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭

Lord, Surprise Me. I love when I am surprised! My husband does this a lot. I’ll go on one of my many long distant hikes and when I come home, he has built something that I never ever imagined. It has become a thing with my friends as they always ask me, what is George building you this time? He changed out our old dilapidated fireplace to a more usable one. He built a gazebo over our bedroom deck with an outdoor fireplace. A Bocce Ball Court with eight different variety’s of grapes, that provide shade it in the hot summer months. But his ultimate project that beats all other builds was our Outdoor Kitchen. That was one crazy big surprise!

The Lord loves to surprise us too. I think of the many blessings that I received from God’s grace. When George and I married, we both were older and had children of our own. I thought it would be a grand idea to have a child of our own. George was adamant that he already had three and with my two, that was plenty. So I accepted the idea that we would not have any more children. But then God surprised us both!

My grandson Sid was born and after years of conflict between his parents, court proceedings and jail time, George and I received Guardianship of our grandson Sid. He was five years old and lived with us for ten years. Sid is the joy of my life, some of the happiest times that I have experienced and still makes me smile just writing this post. I think of what a surprise God had in store for me, and such a joyful feeling to have raised such a wonderful young man.

Surprises are God’s gifts to us. He says that there are many surprises in store and when we ask, He is behind the scenes, working out the fine details. Our part is done the moment we drop to our knees and pray. Every miracle, every blessing, every divine appointment has a genealogy. When we trace back our requests, our Sovereign God has already set it in motion. In my case, He had already planted the seed many years ago. Wow, what an incredibly awesome Lord I serve!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭

Content for Me. That is a double edged sword kind of word. Content can be both a verbal tongue lashing or an all-out physical brawl. When we pray, we hand the battle over to the Lord. Sure, we need to keep fighting, but we also need to pick our battles. There are ones that are ours to fight, and then there are some we just need to relinquish to God. In certain situations it’s best to let go and let God do what He does best. Fight for us!

There’s an incredible documentary called “Monumental.” It is a true account of Christians who were being persecuted for their faith, and the tyranny they were facing from the British Government. With a couple of failed attempts, these Pilgrims finally took sail and landed on the North American Continent. They established a nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all! It was a fight, a contentious battle against an entire parliamentary government and the strongholds they maintained. Do you think this group of Pilgrims were able to do this with their own strength? No possible way! This was God’s fight from the beginning of time, and He was the ultimate MMA Fighter!

Fast-forward 100 years from landing at Cape Cod, the Continental Congress held their first official meeting in Philadelphia September 5, 1774. Their very first act was prayer. Our founding fathers had a full-on prayer meeting that earwitnesses heard blocks away. Eyewitness reported accounts of our bold leaders doubled over in prayer, and General George Washington ending up on his knees. These are the same people that were leading our country! What a blessing to have witnessed this posture of headship to God.

The people who fought for our country were fully aware of the fight they were up against. They wholeheartedly believed that God was bigger, stronger and more committed to winning this battle than ever. And God knew their hearts, as they were following His will. When we are on the side of the Lord, then the Lord is on our side!

“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.” Psalms‬ ‭35‬:‭1‬ ‭

Speak to the Mountain. When we have problems as big as mountains, it can be quite overwhelming. Sometimes it seems that nothing can change. But instead of focusing on the mountain, focus on our God who created the mountains! Our God is a mountain builder, and just as he built them, He can tear them down!

I love the story of David and Goliath. David was a young Shepard who spent his life protecting his father’s sheep. Along with spending night and day in the mountains, he was also chasing after God’s own heart!

After 40 days of fighting, Jesse, David’s father, sent him to visit the front lines and bring back battle news from his brothers. When David arrived, he heard Goliath mocking Israel and his very own God. David was overcome with disgust and persuaded King Saul to let him fight. David carried his sling that he used for years, as a Shepard, to protect his flock from wild animals. David bent down and gathered five smooth stones. As the 9’ tall Goliath laughed at him, David responded that even though you have a sword and spear, I come in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel. David put a rock in his sling and swung one of the rocks at Goliath’s head. The rock sank into the giant’s forehead, and he fell to the ground. David then picked up Goliath’s sword and used it to kill him, cutting off his head.

When the Israeli Army could not overtake the Philistines, one young man named David did. He never looked at the mountain, but focused on his strength from the Lord. We can learn a lot from David, remembering that there are certain battles that we need to drop in the lap of Jesus. No swords, spears, sling or rocks may take out our enemies, but we know who can. Let God Almighty be the problem solver and speak to the mountains that are crushing us!

“The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭37‬ ‭