Prayer Triggers by Worship Pastor, Lori Willey

Philippians 1:3-6 MSG we notice one of Paul’s beginning statements says

“Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer.” 

Did you know that we even need to choose life in our prayers?  So often we make our prayers a dumping ground of complaint and grumbling.  A place where we unload all the dirt and grime of unharnessed thoughts and out of control emotions. 

Think about the good things in life … Let’s say you have a great marriage and it is easy to break open a thankful monologue of how blessed you are that God has shown his grace to you by giving you the spouse of your dreams and you want God to shower them with blessings and beautiful things.  One thankful statement leads to another and the next thing you know you have prayed the most faith filled, God minded prayer over them.  However, suppose you are dealing with a co-worker that is working your last nerve, a boss who takes advantage of your loyalty, friends who have disappointed you, children who have made poor choices, family who aren’t there for you or have hurt you.  Often our grumblings create cursing opportunities.  None of us want to speak over our lives in this way.

Deuteronomy 30:29 NIV says “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” 

When our prayers are molded around a thankful & God centered meditation they will bring about a God centered result!  However, in the same way, if our minds are thankless vats of complaint the only thing we have the ingredients to make are curses on our situations.  

We’ve all heard the saying “stir the pot” .  We usually associate this with negativity but let’s dedicate ourselves to “stirring the pot” of a thankful heart.  Making one batch after another of life prayers that have stewed in a grateful heart.

Meditate on these scriptures.  Each time you feel complaint begin to rise, quote these scriptures and break the chain of death and cursing in your life!

• Psalm 30:11-12 (NAS) Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; That [my] soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.
•  Colossians 4:2 (NAS) Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving 
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NAS) in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

A sneeze, a cough, a sniffle … These sounds brought about a famous line in my home.  When my son was small, I had the great privilege of keeping him home till he was almost four years old.  His heart has always been so sweet and kind and nothing I could say would express it any better than this memory.

My office at one time was in my kitchen.  I would work and he would be in his room at the other end of the house.  Then without fail, if I sneezed, coughed, or sniffled … I would hear him yell from the other end of the house “You okay? I’m okay!”

Truthfully, I don’t know how he heard me.  Every toy, gadget, TV and game he had would be loud and playing all at one time but he always heard.  He always checked.  He was so in tune to me and my needs.  It became almost comical as I was constantly reassuring him that I was just fine and he could resume his life as a preschooler and not a caretaker.

In much the same way, we move through life and wonder at times does God see me? Does He know I don’t feel okay ?  Does He know I feel like I’m drowning? Is He aware that things seem like too much?  And if we stop to listen, we will hear him calling … “You are okay because I am good and I am always with you!”  He’s got it! Whatever it is … He’s got you and your need.  He hears you even when you think it’s impossible.  We serve a great and mighty God who is always waiting to respond to our faith!  Read and meditate on these scriptures.  Let them sink into your spirit and take root so that they are the foundation of your knowledge that God hears you.

 Ps 118:5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.

Is 30:19 He will be very gracious to you at the voice of your cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer you.

Is 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Take today to be still and know that he is God and that He hears you and loves you.

Boo Boos and Band-aids

When I was a little girl we lived in an area that combined apartments, condos, town homes and single family houses.  It was a kid’s dream.  There were always friends to play with and things to do.  My very best friend was named Dava.  We were strong and independent kindergarteners who roamed the neighborhood with adventurous spirit in Mary Jane dress shoes.  I was little in stature but a giant in spirit.

One particular day when the play was over, I began the journey from her townhome manor to my apartment castle where my mother had prepared a feast for my lunch.  Life was good and my journey home would be quick.  I had no idea her brother was lurking around the corner to scare me.  He came after me and my heart skipped a beat. Unfortunately for me, up the steep rolling pavement I was climbing in my Mary Janes, my feet also skipped a step.  Down I went.  The skin from my knee tore and I was in horrible pain.  My story book play day turned to the most horrific tragedy.  Blood was pouring down my leg and as any good princess would do, I went screaming for help!

My mother came running out of our apartment castle and scooped me up.  When her soothing voice had settled my hysterical cry, she began to tell me of the best plan to make it all better.  It was probably a good idea to go to the doctor for stitches, she said.  NOOOOOO!!!!  What was she thinking?  How could she possibly want me to endure such pain and torture?  Wasn’t it bad enough that I was already hurting?  My sad eyes and balloon size tears convinced her against her better judgment.  She stuck me in the bath and so began a summer of irritating, painful play days.

You see I didn’t listen.  I was convinced that more pain couldn’t help my hurt.  I was convinced that doing the hard thing … the scary thing … could not be the right move.  I played for weeks with huge bandages on my knee.  In the heat, they would peel off and my wound would be exposed.  The wound would reopen and I kept going through the agony of it all over again.  I watched while all of my friends swam in the pool and I couldn’t.  I watched while they played in the grass and rolled around, sliding down hills on the magic carpet of a cardboard box, but I could not because it still hurt!

As an adult I still have a scar about an inch long on my left knee.  I and my mother are convinced that it wouldn’t be there if I had just been willing to see the doctor and do the hard thing.

Makes me think that many of us bear scars from days that should have gone totally right but just didn’t end up that way.  In our emotions, we sacrifice what’s best for what will feel better at the moment.  Wisdom gently tells us we must take our wound to the great physician but we insist on ignoring the truth.  Coddling our hurt, we try to bandage it.  We try to take care of it.  Why isn’t it healing?  Why isn’t it getting better?  Why can’t we enjoy life, while we watch others have joy and peace?

Any hurt not subject to the expectation of healing is a force that will scar your faith till healing comes.  Open wounds break open, but faith in our Healer closes even the deepest wound with skill and precision.  His healing leaves us able to remember the adventure without the scar of pain.  I must admit, I remember the pain of that day not only because I was hurt but because I continued to hurt long after healing should have come.  The enemy loves to mock our Faith with memories where we never even gave God a chance to be our physician.

Run home and let God take care of your wounds.  Let Him bring it to a close and live pain free from the past from this day forward.

Psalm 147:3 MSG  He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds.

Psalm 91:9-16

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Someone once asked me to describe my husband in one word.  From deep within me an immediate response came to my mind and words.  HOME – He is my home.  No matter where I am, what I am doing, what my circumstances are, I know everything will be ok because I have made my natural life’s home with him.  He keeps me safe, provides for our family, loves me, watches over me, and gives to me all the time.

In the same way, I have made Christ my HOME.  Everything starts and ends from this habitation.  I love the safety of being under his watchful eye.  I am at peace because His heart is to take care of me.  What a beautiful life.

Today, my thoughts are simple to communicate.  I encourage you that if you have already made Christ your HOME … stay close, enjoy His presence, and praise His name.  In Matthew 21 … Jesus makes his entry into the town and the crowd is crying Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest.  His presence and their praise caused the whole city to ask, Who is this and What is going on?  Shout it loud that … Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!  Let’s be a part of bringing a whole city to ask … Who is this and What is going on?

If you don’t know Him … Invite Him in and make Him your habitation (HOME).  If you have wondered away from this safe place … Come HOME!  You are loved, wanted and always provided for in His presence.

Matthew 21:6-10

 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven! “As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?