Remarkable Faith: Prayer!

Yippee! This week I'm participating in Mary's Remarkable Faith series at Giving Up On Perfect. (This is the second to last week! Oh, no!) This week is on one of the best topics ever: prayer!

I love to pray. Seriously. I tell people I'm praying for them all the time, and I really do. I'm like a little prayer queen or something.

It makes me feel connected to God. And I know that He answers EVERY prayer we pray, whether that be with a yes or no. I'm still working on this one though: “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words." I hope He wasn't serious about that! No, my prayers are really long, but they aren't just empty words. I mean something.


Anyway, if I had to pick something/someone that I pray for the deepest, that's a piece of cake: Reece's Rainbow. For those of you who aren't regular readers here, Reece's Rainbow is the International Down Syndrome Orphan Ministry. I'm totally in love with all the children listed through Reece's Rainbow, just waiting to find their forever families.


I pray night and day, so hard for these little cuties. Let me tell ya, when you log on to check their page and you see the words, "My Family Found Me" written under their description, it's seriously as if you yourself are adopting them. It's the best feeling in the whole world!


If you want to see just a little bit of how crazy I get about these things, please please read these posts (in order!): 


NO WAY!


TRYING TO CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT!


TAYLAH HAS A FAMILY!


Here's an excerpt in case you don't feel like it: 


Miracles Happen!


I'm so excited and thankful I can't even think. Max has a family!!!!!!!!!!
He was on my mind for a while, but I only just posted about him last Saturday! I it wasn't me that helped him though... I mean, no one even reads this blog! However, I was praying so hard for him. Anything is possible with the power of prayer.
I don't know any details, but I will try to find them out soon. All I know is that I logged onto Reece's Rainbow, looked up Max, and low and behold I saw that his family has found him. 
i am over the moon. I can't believe that this happened so quickly! I knew he would touch some wonderful parents hearts the way he touched mine... I had faith. 
I'm in awe at what the power God has. It really is miraculous.  
Of course, Max is still pretty far from home and his family will need all the financial help they can get. I'm praying that he will get some big donations. 
I had no idea what I would have to do to get Max a family, but I was willing. I had no resources, no real way to do anything. No power. But God had the power. 
I'll be advocating for Max until the day he gets home. There is no doubt about that. God is so good. Just when he knows you need it, He gives you a sign. 
"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." - Matthew 24:42
Apparently, I do know now. That day, was today.
Thank you, God!!!

So yes, I'm very passionate about the cause (to say the least). Well, in celebration of their 5 year Anniversary, Reece's Rainbow has a new 5/5/5 Warrior Project. They picked out every single 5 year old orphan in the system, with Down Syndrome or other Special Needs and make them eligible to have a 5/5/5 Warrior. 5/5/5 Warriors are supposed to help find their child a family, and also try to raise $5,000 by the end of the year.

I was shocked by the site of how many orphans has $0 in their grant funds. I found Nasira, and she tugged at my heart. What a sweetie! Nasira has CP (Cerebral Palsy) and she is 5 this June. 

I'm her warrior now. I will pray my heart out for her, and ask for God to grace this little girl with His presence! I'm honored to be praying for such an adorable girl, and I know God will hear what I have to say.He'll get her through this, but it's all up to Him.

So there you have it. I simply LOVE to pray, and especially for those that are in need (in my case, they are usually in need of Mommy's and Daddy's, but you know, I'll pray for anyone who needs it. Don't we all?)

"Pray without ceasing," - 1 Thessalonians 5:17


Blessings!

It's NOT nothing!

Last Weekend, I was watching an episode of one of my favorite shows: 7th Heaven.

Eric {Main character and Minister} was talking with this woman whose ex-husband was harassing her. He wouldn't leave her alone and so Eric booked a room at a hotel for her.

She was so distressed over the situation. She didn't know what to do or where to go next. She told Eric,

"The past few days I've done nothing but pray."

And he replied with,

"Well that's NOT nothing."

Seriously. Who knew t.v. shows could have such profound moments?

I thought this was so important. That lady was as lost as could be. She did not know where to turn to, what her next step would be, NOTHING. All she knew was that God was there.

So she prayed.

Some people think that there is no purpose to prayer... but there is!!! God is always listening and He ALWAYS answers. Even if it isn't in the way we wanted or expected.

We have to trust that God will work everything out just the way we it should be. He doesn't make mistakes.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

When we are lost and have no idea which way to turn, we should pray. We are not in control; that's God.

 "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." - Psalms 145:18

Just know... prayer IS something. It is fruitful. Whether it be on your favorite show or in your real life, see the power of prayer! I'm always saying that. :)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Philippians 4:6

"Pray without ceasing," - 1 Thessalonians 5:7

God can move mountains. And if we ask Him, He will!

Right now I'm praying for Ethiopian adoption. It's been cut by 90% since yesterday. This means that there are 3,500 parents out there who won't be able to get their babies home!

This sweet lady posted it all on BlogFrog, and I left this huge reply for her. I am praying. Because even though only 500 adoptions are going to happen now, that doesn't mean she and her husband can't get their child.

You can check it out here . Keep praying!

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” - Matthew 21:22

Blessings!

Verses with a Purpose

Happy March Everyone! It seems so surreal that we are already 1/6 of the way through this crazy year. Today, I thought we would prioritize. What are you wanting to accomplish in the 5/6 of a year we have left? In what ways are you wanting to grow closer to God? What is most important to you and closest to your heart?

Over at Undeserving Grace on Sunday, Tara posted something wonderful  that I just had to try. Five verses. If you could pick only 5 Bible verses to pray each day, what would they be? It’s really not as easy as it seems! Picking just 5 out of probably millions of verses in the Bible must be impossible, right? Just about, but I did it!

Here are the five true gems of verses, in no particular order, that I would pick:

1. “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
2. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. – 1 John 5:14
3. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30
4. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not your own understanding. – Proverbs 3:5

I feel like I left out so many! These 5 really stand out to me though. I also love Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed, but be transformed…

My goal is to meditate on these verses daily and make them my purpose.

I’d love to hear what your five verses are! Please let me know, because we all know I can’t just stick to my own 5!

Blessings!

2 hours and 42 minutes... with God?



A few months ago I was listening to one of Joyce Meyer's Enjoying Everyday Life podcasts. (I was listening to them every night for a short while... that didn't last.) Anyway, I head something that really sparked my interest.

Most of us would have NO PROBLEM watching a 2 hour and 42 minute movie (this was just the random time she used in the podcast). We would enjoy it. We could spend 3 hours on a computer or watch t.v easily and without complaint.

What about spending approximately 3 hours praying and worshiping God, though?

Most of us would complain, saying, "UGH. I can't do that! I don't have the TIME!" Well, you had time to watch the movie, didn't you?

That's the thing i love about Joyce Meyer. She keeps you thinking. Her podcast is not boring. She definitely makes you think in a way you never would have otherwise.

Fact: The average minister spends only 4 minutes a day in prayer. She's talking real prayer... we all know ministers stand up in front of the congregation and give sermons, but how much personal time do they truly dedicate to God?

Obviously, Joyce Meyer isn't saying you need to pray for 3 hours a day. There really isn't enough time in a day for THAT. It just a realization. How much time do you truly give to God everyday? 

I think that was my favorite podcast ever. I don't remember it all, but I'm going to try to find it.

Evaluate yourself: do you spend enough time in prayer? Do you give it all up to Him?

Something to think about.

God Bless,

Sydney

P.S: Eat the cookie... Buy the shoes by Joyce Meyer (pictured above) is a really good book. I highly recommend it. Giving yourself permission to lighten up... isn't that what we all want?