Some days, I don’t know what to pray. I know God calls His children to pray. I know that prayer means something and has power. But there are days when I sit before the Lord speechless. And it’s then that I’m so comforted by a few really big truths.

4 Truths that Comfort

ONE | Jesus is praying for me (and you).

Scripture teaches that Jesus is sitting beside the Father, waiting for the day of His return. And while He waits, He stays engaged in my life as His follower. He intercedes for me according to the will of God. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25, 1 John 2:1) He prays that I/you would be kept from evil and sanctified by His Spirit. What a gift.
 

TWO | The Spirit is praying for me (and you).

Not only is Jesus interceding, the Spirit of God intercedes for us “with groanings too deep for words…according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27) Which is why Romans 8:28 can be declared! Because the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God, for those who love God, “all things work together for good.” (8:28) That is precious truth!
 

THREE | The Father remains in complete control.

A few years back the sovereignty of God became foundational to my own walk with Him. He graced me with deep faith in His complete control. If not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart His sovereign will, then I can totally trust that, no matter what comes into my life, it has passed through His Father hands. (Matthew 10:29) God isn’t playing catch-up with the enemy’s schemes. (I talk a lot about this in my study Fruitful Affliction.)
 

FOUR | Praying God’s Words are words enough.

I do believe that as God’s child I get to ask for things/situations/circumstances from my Father. I get to approach Him with requests that impact daily happenings. But when I don’t know what to pray for the everyday circumstances, something I can always pray is His Word. “Father, sanctify me according to Your Word.” “Lord, I trust You’re working all of this together for good.” “Father, I count this trial as joy because I know You are kind and in control.”
 

Not License to Lazy.
Rather, Freedom to Praise.

Yes, we’re called to pray. Jesus teaches us how to pray. And prayer changes things. It draws us closer to our Maker and shifts our perspective. It can make the proverbial mountains crumble and call forth the Kingdom of God onto earth. But when the words just won’t come, I’m so comforted to know that I’m not alone. My God is in control. The Son intercedes for me. The indwelling Spirit prays for me according to the will of the Father. And His Word is a gift to guide me straight to the Father’s heart.

Resting in these truths isn’t license to laziness in our prayer lives. Resting in these truths ushers in a freedom to praise. And as we praise Him — delighting in Him and spending time with Him — words will eventually flow again.
 
Fill me, Lord…

What truths comfort you when you struggle to know what to pray?
 

The post 4 Truths that Comfort When I Don’t Know What to Pray appeared first on Lara Howard.

This is no longer available for free. However, click here to read more or to download an electronic copy for only $2.99 — that’s less than the cost of a fancy latte.

Today’s the day! I’m releasing my newest ebook called Life Giver. AND it will be FREE for the month of January to all of my blog subscribers.

{Insert confetti and streamers and lots of “woohoos” here.}

Life Giver is a 4-week Bible study based upon a short blog series I wrote last October. It teaches us how we as Christ-followers can be life givers in our relationships, rather than life suckers. Using the acronym L-I-F-E, this study will walk you through Scripture while discovering practical steps necessary to becoming a life giver. Because in Christ, we’ve been set free to pour life into our relationships, regardless of how messy they may be.

Features:

• 4-week Bible study
• each week organized into a 5-day study plan
• includes discussion questions useful for a small group setting
• includes free printables

 
This is an electronic study. You may want to print it out and use the space provided within the study to answer the questions. Or you may want to save printer ink and just use a journal to answer the questions. Either way, I pray it blesses.

Here’s how you can get your FREE copy!

If you are already subscribed to my blog via email then you will see a link in the footer of today’s email. Click that link and follow the instructions.

If you aren’t yet subscribed to my blog via email, but you want the free study, then you will need to do three quick things.

1. CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog via email.
2. VERIFY YOUR EMAIL address when the verification email comes to your inbox.
3. THEN, WAIT (ever so patiently). When I post my next blog entry (probably tomorrow), you will receive that post in your inbox. The link will be in the footer of that email (and every email from “To Overflowing” for the month of January). Click that link and follow the instructions.

If you aren’t into the whole email-subscription-thing, you can purchase the study for less than the price of your favorite Starbucks. CLICK HERE if you’d rather skip the blog subscription and just purchase your copy today.
 

I’ve really enjoyed writing this study. I’ve prayed and prayed that God would lead as I typed and then that He would use it to bless. Happy Monday, friends.

 
Fill me, Lord…

This isn’t totally related but I really want to talk to you! So being that it’s the first of the year, what goals or desires has God placed in you for 2014?
 

The post my newest ebook :: FREE to subscribers appeared first on Lara Howard.

I talk a lot about locking myself in the laundry room to gain perspective with a quick preachin’ to my soul. Or about how I truly believe that God has forsaken Wal-mart because my children often lose their minds when we enter its doors, and so then I have to preach truth to myself in the middle of the cereal aisle.

All this preachin’ and talking and steering my heart is because I’ve got lots of feelings. And depending on the depth of tragedy or time of the month, I’ve got feelings about those feelings and about your feelings and the Wal-mart checkout lady’s feelings. Lots of feelings.

And God isn’t threatened, surprised, horrified, or shaken by any of them.

It seems like we as Christians feel pressure to put on some cheesy, stoic grin while saying, “God is good!” even when our worlds crumble in our hands like…burnt bacon. Or something. And He is. God truly is good ALL the time.

But He gave us feelings. He designed us to feel. God created us to feel sad when death marks our path. Or happy when we reunite with a long lost friend. Feelings are from Him and He’s tender to our emotion.

But feelings are a thermometer rather than a compass. They tell us what’s going on inside of us. They reveal our response to life situations. But often times, following where they lead can put us on a pretty destructive road.

I might feel like I want to hurt someone who hurts me. It feels right. And justified. But following those feelings could quite possibly land me on the cover of our town’s newspaper, “Lady snaps. People flee for their lives.”

We can’t always follow after or stand upon our feelings because they’re slippery and volatile. They move with the wind. They can change in a millisecond. That’s why we’re much better off when we take our emotions to God rather than violently purging them onto all the people in our paths.

God wants to be our landing place. He wants to be the One we run to with our messy hearts (even in Wal-mart). He waits for us to come to Him over and over and over again with our emotion. And He doesn’t tell us in frustration to “dry it up!” or “get over this already!” He’s tender to our feelings because He understands us better than we understand ourselves.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways…
Psalm 139:1-3

We as Christians are not called to stoicism. We’re called to realism. Life can be stinkin’ hard. And it’s OK to feeeeeel stuff about the hard things. We’re supposed to feel stuff about the hard things of life. But He desires for us to come to Him with all that emotion. He wants us to cry out to Him in all our messiness because He’s the only One who can truly tend to the crevices of our hearts.

He’s the only One who can minister peace to us in the chaos of life or joy in the devastations.

So feel, yes. But take those feelings to Him. If the feelings are off the charts, grab a friend’s hand and ask her to go with you to God’s throne. But regardless of how we get there, He waits to be our place of healing and perspective.

He waits. For me. For you. In love.

 
Fill me, Lord…

Why do you think we as Christians sometimes err on the side of stoicism?
How have you seen “realism” regarding your emotions benefit your intimacy with God?
 

The post for when you can’t fake a smile appeared first on Lara Howard.

One key truth always comes to mind when I think about all God has taught me in these 11 years of “wedded bliss”. That’s called sarcasm. And yes, my husband would think it’s funny. It’s the truth God calls me back to over and over, especially when my husband and I wander around in the not-so-blissful seasons.

Love.

(A sweet gift from a friend who knows me well.)

Love.

Not Jerry McGuire, “You complete me” love. Or Janet Jackson’s, “What have you done for me lately” love. I’m talking real love. God love.

It sounds a little churchy. But it’s the bottom line: by this the world will know we’re Christ’s disciples, if we love others like He loves. (John 13:34-35)

But here’s the thing about this kind of love. We can’t give it out unless we first receive it from our God. This love flows from being secure in the sufficiency of Christ. It’s a love that’s completely beyond us and regardless of the other person. It’s a love that intercedes even if we’ve been hurt and forgives over and over. Just like Jesus.

When my husband and I walked through our darkest places, God gave me a perspective change that still helps me love (anyone) when I’m not feelin’ it. God taught me to look at my husband as my brother in Christ. He challenged me to focus not on what my husband can do for me (like Janet Jackson insisted), but to focus on how I can come alongside him as my brother to encourage and bless. And if I’m not receiving life and love from my God, that would be an impossible mission.

Looking through the lens of brotherhood tears down the walls I’m tempted to put around my heart when things are messy. And life definitely gets messy. Husbands and wives will, at times, frustrate each other. It’s the nature of humans and marriage. But I pray for God’s vision. I pray (again today) that I see souls with His eternal perspective, deeply rooted and securely standing in His love.

 
Fill me, Lord…

What prayer do you often pray when it comes to your marriage?
 

The post one thing I constantly pray for my marriage appeared first on Lara Howard.

It’s been a season where I’ve wondered if anything I’m saying is actually affecting his little spirit. It’s been one of those times where I go into his room after he’s asleep and just pray over him, that I would have wisdom to know how to point him to Jesus. And then last night happened.

Bottom line, he cut himself with a knife. No, I didn’t know he had the knife but he was trying to play hero to his little brother by “fixing” a wooden rocketish thing with a pocket knife. He came into the bathroom with the widest, fearful eyes holding out his index finger to me with blood running down his hand.

I asked what happened and he told me about the knife. I tried not to lecture but reminded him that mommy and daddy’s rules are there to keep him safe. He said he now understood. Then I told him I may need to let the doctor look at it to see if he needed stitches. That’s when he got terrified.

“Stitches! No!” he hollered. Then he tried to push me out of the bathroom so he could close the door. “What are you doing, buddy?!” He paused for a minute and then looked up at me with his eyes all watery, “I need to pray.”

Oh my heart. “OK, go ahead.” So I closed the door and listened to his muffled cry to God. And. Let. Me. Tell. You. My heart broke wide open. My boy, in all his fear, did exactly what I’ve prayed he would learn to do in his life. He went to God.

Go to God.

It’s the thing we all need to do. The one thing that matters. The one thing that will give us strength when we’re weak. The one thing that can empower us to take the next step. The one thing that’s needed.

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. ”
Luke 10:41-42

I don’t tell you that story to pat myself on the back. Believe me. For that one story of his good choice I have 43 more of his childish poor choices. So if we’re really weighing my parenting ability based upon the actions of my kids, I’d be failing. (Which is why I’m a firm believer that we as parents shouldn’t define our success as a parent by what our kids do or don’t do. But that’s another post for another day.)

I tell you that story to encourage us towards that one thing. Wherever life has you or me today, whatever the challenges or fears or uncertainties, there’s one necessary thing: Go to Him. Sit at His feet and let Him pour life into us with His Word.

He’s the only One who can truly lift us out of the pit. He’s the only One who can get into our soul and stir up hope in the valley of despair. He’s the only One who can minister to the deep places of our heart. So close the bathroom door and cry out to Him. Soul-healing awaits.

(And yes, my sweet boy had to have three stitches. A rite of passage he’s now very proud of.)

 
Fill me, Lord…

Where do you go and what do you do to cry out to God?
 

The post this. the one needed thing. appeared first on Lara Howard.

I used to pray things like “CHANGE HIM (or her), Lord! Please! Or I may lose my mind!” But the more I spent time with God gleaning from His Word, the more He changed my heart and my desires. And the more He changed my desires to line up with His desires, the more my prayers transformed.

Instead of praying out of fear or selfishness, I started praying more in line with His will. I started to say things like, “God glorify Yourself through me. If this situation or person never changes, change me and use me to reflect Your love.” Or, “Be glorified in this relationship, in Your time and Your way. I trust You, Lord, with the details of working that out.” And you know what? He always answers those kinds of prayers with a “yes.”

God does promise to give His followers what they ask for. But typically those promises have conditions attached. “Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) The condition? Delight in Him. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) The condition? Abide.

When we seek Him first and foremost — delighting in Him and abiding in His Word — our desires transform. And when our desires transform, our prayers transform. And when we pray according to His will, His response is always “yes!” In His time and in His way, “yes.”

Today the book club is talking about chapter 9 of To Walk or Stay, the chapter on prayer. Click here to head over to Erika Dawson’s blog to read and/or join in on the discussion.

The post prayer that changes things :: “To Walk or Stay” Book Club appeared first on Lara Howard.

I’ve been here a few times before — stepping onto ground I didn’t ask for and never would have chosen. Sometimes it’s been rocky, desolate, near-dangerous ground. Other times it’s just been a little unpredictable and slightly inconvenient to my plans — like now.

But regardless of the degree, I still don’t like the menu. And He typically has to coax me through the front door. And something always smells funny in here.

That’s where I’m at. Heading down a new path I wouldn’t have chosen.

To make a long story somewhat short, I’ve never ever wanted to homeschool. Ever. Did I say “ever”? But as we prayed about what to do next year — as we’ve prayed every year — God has nudged us in that direction. And I must admit it has come with personal nausea, induced by fear.

I could go on and on about the feelings I felt when I withdrew them from school for next year. Or how overwhelmed I can get when I think about that scary “c” word. (“curriculum”) But I’ll spare you the details.

All that to say, God sometimes leads us to do things we don’t necessarily want to do. I mean, I don’t think Jesus wanted to die on a gruesome cross. Not that homeschooling is equivalent to crucifixion. But if we’re seeking Him, there will be times when He leads us to do something that our emotions rise up against.

That’s why I have to remember that feelings are real, but they aren’t always reliable. Feelings fluctuate and move. They’re fluid and fallen. God’s wisdom, on the other hand, is a firm foundation.

My husband and I don’t sense God being harsh. In fact, I believe He would be faithful to draw our kids to Himself even if we kept them in school. But for us, next year, we think it’s a decision of “best.” We think He has certain blessings for our family that we’d miss if we chose to not follow His lead.

So, what to do? Well, if we don’t yet know God’s leading about something, my advice is pretty simple (and somewhat churchy). Keep praying. Keep searching the Scriptures. Keep asking Him for wisdom. But the most important thing: Expect Him to answer!

Expect Him to answer.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6

He promises to give wisdom to those who ask. He promises to guide the feet of His children. Emotions may not agree with the road He points us down, but eventually emotions come around as we follow after Him. I’m banking on that one.

 
Fill me, Lord…

Tell me about a time when God led you down a road you didn’t choose or plan. How did He bless once you followed His lead?
 

 
And for the record: This will not turn into a homeschool blog. And I don’t believe that a person has to homeschool to be a good mom or dad. This is just where God has our family for the coming year. Prayers appreciated.
 

The post for when He leads you down a path you didn’t plan {our new journey} appeared first on Lara Howard.

My first idea is to snag a pair of my husband’s earplugs — the flourescent yellow ones he wears when he mows the lawn. It’s cheap. It’s effective. “I can’t hear you! Come talk to me later!”

But it does seem a little harsh. And I guess I would be running away in avoidance rather than “enjoying the now.”

So I’m certain that God led me to a second option. The one where I embrace the loud and learn to live joyfully in the loud. (Which does include periodic retreats to the laundry room to catch my breath.)

Because it’s what He taught me through our marital valleys. That in Christ, we can experience abundant life regardless of our circumstance. Peace and joy and love can arise even in the middle of a storm. That’s one thing that’s so miraculous about being God’s child.

Experiencing peace in the middle of the loud isn’t easy. It takes diligence and time and faith. And prayer — lots of prayer. But He did promise.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:26-27

So yes, I have sensitive hearing. But He’s reminding me of my inheritance. That I have the Spirit of God Himself residing within me. And regardless of how loud life gets, I can press into Him and stir up His peace even in the middle of life’s chaos.

Ideas for stirring up peace in the middle of the loud:

Dance as a family.
Sing as a family.
Pray — alone in the laundry room or as a family.
Quote promises of God — out-loud!
Whisper.

 
Fill me, Lord…

Is your life loud?
How do you (or could you) press into God even in the middle of the wild?

The post the gift of peace in the middle of life’s loud appeared first on Lara Howard.

I blogged last week about how I’ve wrestled against some distractions lately. After I wrote that post — which was basically like inexpensive personal therapy — I thought more and more about one particular sentence, “God’s always moving and speaking, the real question is whether or not we’re listening.”

Since then I’ve found myself repeating a short prayer in my spirit, “Lord, show me what You’re doing and how I can be a part of it.”

Because there’s nothing like going through today in the current of His movement. There’s nothing like speaking a word of life into someone at the exact right moment because He first whispered it to our spirit. Or praying a mountain down to a crumbled pile because He impressed the bold words on our soul.

God has graciously been answering that prayer, prompting a prayer of intercession or words of encouragement for the people around me. Because He’s always moving and speaking. And by His grace, we can have front-line participation in His plan.

 
Fill me, Lord…

What do you do to stay in line with God’s movement through everyday living?
 

Being that many of us SOTM friends are trying to catch up, I am only adding one verse to the lineup today.
Praying that His Word ministers deep this week.

{Week 37}

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:11

The post the short prayer I’ve been repeating appeared first on Lara Howard.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2-3

I was on a run yesterday after being given the opportunity to show some raw, Jesus love. And do you know what God had the audacity to do in my spirit? He led me to pray for someone who had uninvitedly crushed me. Are you kidding? Pray for her?!

As the words of intercession whispered across my lips, the ability of our God struck me. That He can take a broken, incapable vessel (me!) and transform it into something that (imperfectly) reflects His grace and love. It blew me away. It went against every rational feeling that stirred in my deceptive heart — you know, those feelings of revenge and insult.

And it pointed to Him, the author of love.

Fill me, Lord…

Have you ever momentarily regretted a prayer?

The post be careful what you pray for appeared first on Lara Howard.