MaxLifers Blog Spot / About | My MaxLIFE 10:10

MaxLifers Blog Spot

Prayer Journey 2024

Do you find it is hard to pray?

For 2024, my 2 words are peace and prayer. To help me along the way, I am reading "Beginning a Prayer Life" by Paul E. Miller and using a prayer journal. The journal is a pre-made one with a scripture and short devotion with a space to write a prayer.

For today, I wanted to share a quote from Miller's book. "When we slow down to pray, we are immediately confronted with how unspiritual we are, with how difficult it is to concentrate on God. We don't know how bad we are until we try to be good. Nothing exposes our selfishness and spiritual powerlessness like prayer."

Ponder today on ways you are selfish or ways you feel powerless in life? Ask God what He wants you to pray concerning those things.

Day 2

Sorry I haven't posted since Monday. Going back to work and school (Jon) took alot lol. Any way to check yall up:

Miller says come to God in prayer like a child:

1. A child asks for everything

2. Children say what's on their minds

3. No matter how trivial the request bring it to God

Matt. 7:7, 9-11 If we give good gifts to our children...how much more will God give us good gifts when we ask (my paraphrase)

Miller says we need to "believe like a child" He says children "Instinctively, they trust" (ie Crystal's input unless they have been abused, then trust issues will be their especially if abused by their parents or guardians) But under normal circumstances, children are trusting. Miller writes that "If you learn to pray, you learn to dream again... you enter a world where all things are possible..." ....Adults become "cynical" due to life's circumstances and stop hoping and dreaming.

Miller implores us to dream again, ask for what we are dreaming for...trust that Jesus can answer our prayers...

In RA Torrey's "How to Pray" we continue the lists of reasons why we should pray:

5. Prayer is the most important part of Jesus' current ministry in Heaven ....the lives to make intercession for the saints. To have fellowship with Jesus in His present work, we must pray" we must give ourselves to earnest, constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer" "...we shall shut ourselves up in the secret place alone with God for nothing but prayer."

6.Prayer is the means that God has appointed for our receiving mercy, and obtaining grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:16M"Mercy is what we need, grace is what we must have, or all our life and effort will end in complete failure. Prayer is the way to get them."

Let us increase prayer to participate in Jesus' current work and let us pray so that we will receive mercy and grace!

Is this from Trauma?

30 Jun 2023 19:19

Are you experiencing the effects of trauma without realizing it? Some effects of trauma can be uncontrollable thoughts, anxiety, and a lower tolerance for stress. Recently, my current husband, Brian, had to undergo a GI surgery. My first husband, Marc, died from colon cancer at 51 years-old. My mind started filling with fear thoughts (What if they find cancer? Brian is the same age Marc was when died... what if something happens during surgery, etc) You get the picture... uncontrolled thoughts...catastrophizing thoughts (picturing negative options). I was doing this instead of standing in faith for Brian's healing and positive outcome from surgery. Why? Because of the trauma that 3 1/2 years of cancer treatments, surgeries and fear had created in my "brain" and in my emotions.