Prayer

I should be in bed. Really, it's 10:40, but there's something about avoiding the inevitable...Monday morning. I hate Mondays. The weekends go so fast and the work week drags so slowly. So by posting blog post 2 of 2 for the day, it avoids thinking about tomorrow.

Sundays are filled with this slight dreadful feeling due to the upcoming work week. But my favorite part about Sundays is church. I love that we have found a church home where we are excited to attend. God is definitely moving in that building. One of these days I'm going to throw my hands up during a song. I know, as Randy always kids me, "Look at my little Catholic girl."

We feel truly blessed to be apart of a church that encourages, motivates, and pushes us.

Today in church we focused on prayer. One of the big questions I've always had was, "Why do we need to pray when He knows our every heart's desire?" Throughout the years, I've discovered it's not for God to draw near to us. He's always there. But it's for us to draw closer to Him. I took so many good notes, and my prayer journal will be hearing from me this week.

The big theme around prayer was doubt. Doubt is one of the biggest obstacles to our prayer lives. It is what prevents us from connecting to Him. We doubt God in so many ways. Shamefully, I doubt Him. I doubt His power, His grace, His plan. Doubt is not something that will go away on it's own. Doubt will only leave when we make a conscientious decision to say, "Doubt will not control my life." Trusting in Him is difficult especially for control freaks like myself.

The take home message was...
"In order to be connected to God, you have to walk through the process. That process might be painful, it might be one full of agony. What we endure, makes us stronger."

My prayer for the week is this...

"Lord thank you for your perfect plan for my life. Draw me near to You, so my doubt is stifled. Please help me accept your plan while I endure the process."

"So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours: