Being overly organized is something I do quite well. My planner is color-coordinated, my pens, pencils and highlighters are separated on my desk, and I always have to be overly prepared. I am constantly writing to-do lists and planning my days out by the hour. Most people will say that this obsessiveness is a good thing to have, but there are faults to this...and God showed me that this morning.
Being the new prayer leader, I now have a few more responsibilities on my plate. Responsibilities I cannot be more thankful for, but they are responsibilities. And tying that in with my weird organizational skills...I start planning, asap. I start thinking of what's going to happen at Friday Night Prayer - reading and searching for inspiration - and ideas for other outreach opportunities with prayer. I read, I write, I plan. During the "reading" portion of that equation this morning, God showed me the biggest part of the equation that was missing; the part that is the catalyst in making anything at all happen from reading, writing and planning. Praying. Ironic? I'm leading the prayer team and what I've neglected is praying. This just goes to show how absolutely inadequate I am. I am not worthy of doing this, but yet He's going to use me anyway.
"Things can happen when we don’t plan at all but just pray. God expects us to be orderly. He expects us to manage our time, to discipline ourselves, to prepare well-planned programs, but if we could learn to pray first and plan afterward how different would be our homes, our churches, our Christian women’s clubs, our bible studies, whatever we are doing for Christ. God wants us to make ourselves available to Him, and to say before we start to plan, “Lord, tell me what You want me to do, where You want me to go, how You want me to do it.” Then our omnipotent God, with all the abundance of heaven at His disposal, will pour out His power on us. Instead of following our tiny, tiny plans, God wants to open heaven and flood us. It’s exciting."
-What Happens When Women Pray
Planning isn't a bad thing (thank goodness) but God saw I was putting all my hope in the plans and ideas I had to make the prayer meetings reach their fullest potential. What I want more than anything is for the prayer events this semester to reach new depths in people's hearts. I don't want them to attend out of obligation or because it's just something else to do/be involved in. I want desperately for them to experience the humility and power of being on their knees, submitting to God. And that doesn't come from planning and preparing and making sure everything's perfect. It's from getting on MY knees and giving up these plans to God and allow Him to be the center.
Being the new prayer leader, I now have a few more responsibilities on my plate. Responsibilities I cannot be more thankful for, but they are responsibilities. And tying that in with my weird organizational skills...I start planning, asap. I start thinking of what's going to happen at Friday Night Prayer - reading and searching for inspiration - and ideas for other outreach opportunities with prayer. I read, I write, I plan. During the "reading" portion of that equation this morning, God showed me the biggest part of the equation that was missing; the part that is the catalyst in making anything at all happen from reading, writing and planning. Praying. Ironic? I'm leading the prayer team and what I've neglected is praying. This just goes to show how absolutely inadequate I am. I am not worthy of doing this, but yet He's going to use me anyway.
"Things can happen when we don’t plan at all but just pray. God expects us to be orderly. He expects us to manage our time, to discipline ourselves, to prepare well-planned programs, but if we could learn to pray first and plan afterward how different would be our homes, our churches, our Christian women’s clubs, our bible studies, whatever we are doing for Christ. God wants us to make ourselves available to Him, and to say before we start to plan, “Lord, tell me what You want me to do, where You want me to go, how You want me to do it.” Then our omnipotent God, with all the abundance of heaven at His disposal, will pour out His power on us. Instead of following our tiny, tiny plans, God wants to open heaven and flood us. It’s exciting."
-What Happens When Women Pray
Planning isn't a bad thing (thank goodness) but God saw I was putting all my hope in the plans and ideas I had to make the prayer meetings reach their fullest potential. What I want more than anything is for the prayer events this semester to reach new depths in people's hearts. I don't want them to attend out of obligation or because it's just something else to do/be involved in. I want desperately for them to experience the humility and power of being on their knees, submitting to God. And that doesn't come from planning and preparing and making sure everything's perfect. It's from getting on MY knees and giving up these plans to God and allow Him to be the center.
Planning can be powerful, but prayer is necessary.
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