What Prayer And Boot Camp Have In Common

Boot camp is where I meet with other women at an unthinkable hour in the morning.  We pay too much money to some guy called a “trainer” who tortures us each week with new equipment and drills.  Last week I almost passed out. 

Since I’ve been blogging about prayer this month, I got to thinking.  Prayer is a lot like boot camp.


Don’t let anyone tell you that prayer isn’t hard work.  And don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s going to be easy – that you’re going to feel “spiritual” or even motivated to set aside regular time to pray.

It doesn’t work that way. 

Like boot camp, prayer tends to be inconvenient.  Would you rather sleep in or hit the snooze button at 5:00 a.m.?  Would you rather talk on your cell phone on your commute to work or maintain discipline in silence?  Would you rather eat a hearty lunch or go hungry to pray?

It’s not easy.  And it’s not supposed to be either.

When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, his tears were like drops of blood.  Which means he must have been praying pretty hard.  And when he asked his disciples to keep watch and pray, he kept finding them asleep!  See – they wanted to hit the snooze button too!

Some of you are moaning right now.  Prayer is hard work, thanks for that.  Brilliant. Now you really have me motivated.


Wait.  Before you give up, there’s good news.  God doesn’t expect us to do it alone.  He gives us the best trainer possible– the Holy Spirit!  And he also gives us some equipment and friends along the way.

Do you think I would attend boot camp at a horrible hour, but for the other women who are expecting me to be there?  Of course not.  This is one of the reasons I suggest a partner or a Prayer Maven to hold us accountable.  I also like to pull out a variety of tools and “equipment.”  In this season of life, I’m often brain dead when I pray, so I use a prayer list, journal, or even a script.  (For parents, I highly recommend The Power of A Praying Parent.)
 
Would I submit myself to the pain of boot camp unless I thought it would produce results?  Of course not.  When the woman next to me is yelling, “bikinis at 40!” I remember it’s all for a reason. 

So too with prayer.

We need to keep the end goal in mind.  The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.  That’s a promise from our Trainer.  Which means prayer actually works. 
  
Do you find that prayer is hard work?  What kind of equipment do you use?   And how do you focus on the task without losing sight of the goal?

Say No To Cell Phones And Yes To Prayer!

Mobile phones are sucking the life right out of us.  Present company included.  (Yeah, I’m an addict.)

From distracted drivers to texting during family meals and business meetings, we’re zoned out and checked out way too often.

Amber Binkertation is putting her mobile phone in the trunk whenever she drives this week!

Heather Sunseri was rightfully annoyed when iPhone cameras recently dominated a wedding ceremony.

I was recently stunned by texting during a funeral.

We don’t even try to hide it.   And we need help.  We need an intervention.  Which is why – for this week – I’m going to say “no” to my cell phone and yes to prayer.

No, I’m not getting rid of my mobile phone.  I legitimately need it for my job and family.  But I don’t need to be talking while I’m driving.  I don’t need to be walking around airports with my earpiece.  And I don’t need to be texting during breakfast.  (Note to self:  I am really annoying when I walk around with my earpiece.)

Here’s where prayer fits in.  I’m going to take all that unnecessary “phone time” this week and pray instead.  Which means I’ll have a few extra hours of prayer in my schedule.

Care to join me?

How To Make Time For a Prayer Partner!

“As much as I would love to pray with a partner, I need to be realistic.  I don’t have enough time to pray by myself.  How the heck am I going to arrange getting together with someone else?"

Excuses, excuses.  Yes, I’ve heard them all.  I’ve used them all myself.

By now, you should be convinced you need a Prayer Maven.  And even if you don’t have a Maven in mind, you know that God will use two or three who are gathered together.

So, your heart is saying you need a prayer partner, but your head is saying you don’t have time.

My answer?

1)  We need to be creative; and
2)  It’s going to be inconvenient for someone.

We need to be creative.

I used to think I needed a special prayer room and an uninterrupted hour in my day to pray with someone else.

Note to self:  It will never happen!

Being creative means looking at our schedules and finding a few holes.  Getting up early.  Staying up late.  Praying on the treadmill; in the coffee shop; on the sidelines at the soccer game.

Now, if we are going to pray with partners, it should be at a regular time and place.  My Prayer Maven and I meet every Wednesday morning, by telephone, during my morning commute.  It’s usually only 30-45 minutes.  And it works!

It’s going to be inconvenient for someone.

Did I mention that my Prayer Maven gets up at 5:00 a.m. to pray with me?  She’s on West Coast time, and, yes, she’d rather be sleeping.  But instead she makes the sacrifice. (This is why I highly recommend praying with a Maven.  Notice that she is the one who is inconvenienced in this relationship!)

The bottom line is that prayer is hard work – something we’ll talk more about next week.  But it’s worth it. 

How will you make time for a prayer partner? 

Are you praying for that Prayer Maven?

Does Prayer Work At Work?

Do you forget to pray at work?  I have to admit, I often doubt that God cares about conference calls and billable hours.  Sometimes, I think prayer doesn’t even matter in the office.  Right?

Wrong.

Ok, I’ll have to admit. I usually pray at work when I am really desperate.  Like when someone is driving me crazy and I think I’m going to jump off a cliff.  Like when I know I can’t meet a deadline unless time freezes.  Like when my skirt rips on the way to court. 

Can anyone relate?

A couple of years ago, I decided to ask God. Do you really care about this situation at the office, God, because I don’t feel like you do?  And I don’t see a way around it.  But I’m going to trust and pray.  By the way, I’m only giving you 30 days.  I can’t take it any longer than that!

Here’s what happened.  I committed not to complain and instead PRAY for 30 days about a difficult situation at work.

At first, I wasn’t sure I could do it.  I love to complain.  I love to be the martyr.  And if I prayed about it, maybe God would ask me to change.  I wasn’t sure I could live with that.

But when you’re really desperate, you sometimes get over yourself.

The result? 

In less than 30 days, I received an unexpected, unsolicited apology note from a colleague who had really hurt me.  God provided something I would have never asked for or even imagined.  God blew me away.  And I was just asking him to help me survive.

God, why don’t I ask you to intervene at work more often?

Are you struggling at work?  Try the 30-day prayer challenge.  And PLEASE let me know what happens, ok?

Why You Need A Prayer Maven

Are you in a prayer rut? Maybe you don’t have the time. You lack motivation. You have no energy.

But you really want to pray.  Right?  You really need to pray.

In addition to a kick in the pants and a healthy dose of the Holy Spirit, may I make suggestion?  You might just need a prayer partner.  Heck, you don’t just need a prayer partner.  You need a Prayer Maven!

You may not be familiar with this term, so I’ll do my best to explain.  A Maven is an expert in a particular field who seeks to pass knowledge on to others.  (For a great discussion of Mavens generally, check out Kristen Lamb’s Blog here.) 

Now, back to a Prayer Maven. Naturally, a Prayer Maven is an expert on prayer.  She’s passionate about prayer. She prays, and she just doesn’t go through the motions. She believes in prayer.  But she doesn’t stop there.  She seeks to pass this knowledge on to other people.  She doesn’t want to keep the joy of prayer to herself.


I am blessed to know a couple of Prayer Mavens, including my own dear mother.  But for purposes of this post (and the related posts that will follow), I’m going to tell you about my sister.  My sister Amy is a textbook Maven.


How do you spot a Maven?

Here are a few clues.  When Amy finds a bargain, she doesn’t keep it to herself.  She calls everyone she knows. In fact, she’ll even buy you the last pair of shoes that are on sale, just in case you want them. (She’ll gladly take them back later; she genuinely doesn’t want you to miss out.)  Amy does the same thing when it comes to food and health choices.  Once she found some luney holistic doctor and she sent me every article he ever wrote, completely unsolicited.  She’s always looking out for your best interest.

Get the point?

Ok, now translate the above to a Prayer Maven.  Amy is crazy about prayer.  Which means she doesn’t just want to pray for you, she wants to pray with you.  She’s not one of those prayer partners who gets together just to talk about herself or vent or complain.  She’s going to limit the fluff talk and help you focus on prayer.  Which makes the perfect recipe for a prayer partner.  And since God promises that where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them, you’re in business!

Do you know a Prayer Maven?  Maybe it’s time to ask God to put one in your life!


And don’t worry, you don’t need a Prayer Maven to get started.  God will honor the prayers of a regular Joe or Jane when we come together in faith.

[We’ll keep talking about prayer partners later this month.]

Too Busy To Pray? I’m Not Buying It!

“I just can’t find time to pray.  I’m just too busy!”

Does this sound familiar?

Well, I’m not buying it!

Don’t get me wrong, I understand we’re all busy.  We’re overworked, undervalued, and downright exhausted.  Our kids are running us around from band practice to soccer fields. We’re already getting up too early. Staying up too late.

And if you’re like me, you’ve given God every excuse in the book. 

I need the extra sleep.

I’ll pray more when my schedule changes.

I'll do it tomorrow.

I’m too tired.

You already know what I’m thinking God, why do I have to tell you?

I pray when I tuck my kids in at night.  Doesn’t that “count”?

Fortunately, God isn’t keeping score.  Which frankly makes me want to pray all the more.  But that’s not the only reason I want to pray.  You see, I’m convinced that the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Which is why this month, I want to talk about prayer.  And I don’t just want to talk about it, I want to do something about it.  Better yet, I want you to join me. 

I’m tired of the same old excuses.  Aren’t you?

So, what’s your excuse when it comes to prayer?  Are you too busy?  Too tired?  Or maybe you just need a fresh start?

[Join me next Monday when I talk about the power of a Prayer Maven!]

Why Moms Need Second Chances

We were sitting at the dinner table when my husband asked me, “You read to Anna’s class today, right?”

I almost choked on my meatball.  I had completely forgotten to show up and read to the second graders.  And I had let Anna down.

Anna hadn’t mentioned it when I got home from work.  She hadn’t even acted like anything was bothering her.  She just looked up from her pasta and replied, “Well, my teacher wondered if you were coming.  I told her I didn’t know.”

Frankly, I didn’t have a good excuse.  I wasn’t out of town.  I didn’t have a client emergency.  It was even on my calendar.  Worse yet, Doug had reminded me about it the day before.   I can still hear him, “Don’t forget to show up Suz!”

I had simply forgot.

Before I could apologize, my 10-year-old, Nick, interrupted.  “Mom, not to be critical, but you never volunteer in my class anymore.  It seems like you’re always going to Anna’s class.”

“Nick, remember, I didn’t even show up to Anna’s class today!  Look guys, I’m doing my best.  You know how busy I am, and I’m really sorry.”

Anna didn’t yell at me.  She didn’t whine or complain.  She simply finished her dinner and said, “It’s ok Mom.”  

Later that night, I was putting Anna to bed, waiting for her to finish her usual prayers for world poverty, injustice, and the forgiveness of sins for all people.  Right after she prayed for Haiti and Japan, she slipped in a new line that caught me off guard. 

“And dear God, please help my teacher to give Mom a second chance.”

I couldn’t say “Amen” fast enough.

Does God Care About Trick-or-Treat?

Does God care about Trick-or-Treat?

I happen to think he does.

No, this isn’t a post about whether Halloween is evil or whether God approves of Trick-or-Treat (I’ll save that for next year).

This post is about prayer.

I told my kids about a month ago that I would be gone for Trick-or-Treat.

“I’m so sorry guys, but Mom will be out of town for work.  I’ll try to plan around it next year.  Dad will take you around, and you’ll still have fun.”

They weren’t happy. (About this same time Nick announced that he was never going to be a lawyer – that he’d rather be a “stay-at-home dad, like Dad.”)

So Anna started to pray.  Every night, at bedtime, she would finish, “And please God, we pray that Mom will be at Trick-or-Treat.”

Talk about a guilt trip. 

I almost told her to stop praying about it.  The meeting had been scheduled for months.  It would never be cancelled.  Besides, there are more important things to be praying about.

Then, it happened.  For reasons completely outside of my control, my schedule changed.  And I found myself home for Trick-or-Treat last night.

I think I had more fun than the kids.  Our whole street lit up, and the evening turned into a block party.  We stayed up too late and ate too much candy. 

But my favorite thing about Trick-or-Treat wasn’t the neighbors, the fun, or the candy.

It was answered prayer.  

Who says God doesn't care about Trick-or-Treat?

Cookies For Kids

Before bed, my 4-year-old Abby prays, “Dear God, help all the kids in the world to have food, water, and cookies.”

Her older sister, Anna, interrupts her.

“Abby, you can’t pray for cookies.  All the kids in the world don’t have toothbrushes.  They’re going to get cavities!”

Abby is quick to respond.

“Dear God, I pray that all the kids in the world would have toothbrushes.”

I try not to laugh.  I can almost see God smiling.

Have you ever been reluctant to ask God for something big, just because you think he can’t provide something little?

I think about this for awhile after I put Abby to bed.

Sometimes, I assume God won’t answer my prayers.  So I don’t even ask.  Or I ask for something that I know is within reach.  I make sure my prayers are “logical.”

But then I wonder, is faith really supposed to be logical?  Are we limiting God by settling for crumbs when he really wants to give us cookies?

So I picture all the children of the world eating cookies.  And it’s beautiful. 

You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.  Matt 17:20 (NLT)

Do You Pray For Your Readers?

Those of us who write find ourselves praying for more readers.  After all, if you’re going to take the time to say something, you want lots of people to read it.  Right?

But is that really what we should be praying for?

The other night, I couldn’t sleep.  I was restless, but I wasn’t upset or worried about anything.  So I prayed, ok God, this is usually when you are trying to tell me something.  So what is it?

Then, in the midst of my fog, I heard God speak to my heart.

“Do you pray for your readers?”

Wow.  A light bulb went off.  I had been missing out on a golden opportunity – praying for the people who are reading this right here and right now.  Sure, more readers are great.  But what about the people who God has already put in my life? 

Sometimes, we're so busy thinking about what's next -- looking miles and miles down the road -- that God plops a stop sign right in front of us.  I'm known to drive a little too fast, so I'm thankful He goes out of his way to put the brakes on and get my attention.

If you’re reading this, please know that I’m praying for you.  I promise.  God told me to do it!

The next time you can’t sleep, ask God what He might be saying.  He might be trying to slow you down.  And you just might hear something.

Happy Monday!

Should Bedtime Prayers Be Serious?

My favorite time of day is bedtime prayers.  I love to spend time with my kids, talk about our days, and hear their thoughts and concerns.

The only problem?

We can’t seem to get serious.  And it’s getting worse.

On a school night, we try to head to bed by 8:30 p.m.  I always start with Anna and Abby, since they usually sleep together.  We read a few books, and by about 8:50 p.m. it’s time to say prayers.

I start off praying and try to be spiritual.  But Abby is known to interrupt me.

“Dear God, I pray that Anna’s breath won’t smell.”

My girls start laughing hysterically.  Nick hears them, and he comes in to join us.  I yell at everyone and say,

“We’re talking to God.  This is important!  Let’s get serious!”

Abby gets defensive and exclaims, “It’s Anna’s fault.  She was touching my armpits!”

They start laughing hysterically again.  Nick is laughing so hard that I think he’s going to pee his pants, and I think to myself, When am I ever going to get these kids to sleep!


Usually, when I’m almost ready to give up, I can count on Anna to wrap us up with some substance.
 
“God, please heal Grandpap.  Help Haiti and Chile to feel better.  Help everyone in the world to find food and water and all the children to find moms and dads.  And wash away the sin from our hearts.”

At least someone has been paying attention.
 
Some nights, I feel like just letting them laugh.  I wonder if God enjoys their laughter.  Does He expect them to be serious when they pray?  Should I?