Today there is a movie that is coming out in theaters everywhere.

But it’s not just any movie.

Nor is it starring just any old actress.

The movie is a movie about prayer.

And the lead role is played by my sister Priscilla.

WarRoom_sisters

Speechless.

Speechless because this doesn’t happen everyday.

A movie about prayer.

My sister in a movie.

But the two of those non-normal things happening and converging on the same day has brought something to my attention. Do those two somewhat normal things happen and converge on the same day in real life?

Does prayer – a normal and familiar practice – converge often with my sister – a normal and familiar-to-me person?

Are my prayers well rounded?

Are they balanced?

Do I pray for the normal?

Am I quick to pray for myself and just a little slow to pray for others – especially those that are familiar to me and those that I see everyday and those whose lives seem to doing fine?

Or do I only pray in crisis?

Do I only pray for the person who is on death’s door or the person who needs a job or the person who is trying again this month once again to go for a positive pregnancy test?

Those things matter and they deserve prayer.

But do I remember to pray for more than my children or my niece who is in a movie but forget to pray for the neighborhood kids? Do I remember to pray for more than my co-worker friend on my job but also the person down the hall that just got promoted or the person downstairs who has been sitting at that desk for the last ten years?

Do I see that everyone, the movie star and the janitor on the movie set, could use my prayers?

Am I open and aware to the promptings of the Holy Spirit so that my heart beats in step with His for those who I see everyday and for whom I would pray?

Am I brave enough to pray for them?

Am I brave enough to tell them that I am praying for them and even bolder to pray with them?

Am I bold?

Do I recognize that Satan is bold as he comes to kill, steal, and destroy and that he works non-stop to disable, discourage, and defeat believers every minute of every day?

Do I realize that if he has a bold strategy to overpower me that I should use my fervent prayers as a bold, strategic weapon to overcome and have the victory available through Christ Jesus?

war-room-2

Am I on guard by reading God’s Word and seeking out His will and His words to pray back to Him.

Am I dressed in the Amor of God that protects me from the fiery darts of the enemy and am I willing to pick up the sword of the Word of God and use it to wield clarity and cutting truth in my life and the life of others?

And then do I pray based on His revealed Word to His beloved.

Am I devoted to others in love?

Am I devoted to prayer?

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Romans 12:10-12

Does the normal in my life – my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, converge with what should also be normal in your prayer closet – my honest and open consistent communication with the God of the universe?

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord,. He brought Me into a spacious place.

If my sister is starring in a movie, am I praying for her?

Sure.

But if my sister is sitting behind the wheel taking her kids to baseball practice, am I praying for her then?

If your husband is on life support, are you praying for him?

Sure.

But if your husband is underneath the car changing the oil, are you prayer for him then?

If the mother of your child’s best friend is going through a divorce, are you praying for her?

Sure.

But if the mother of your child’s best friend has gone shopping – yet again – because you see her in the latest fashions and notice the designer bag on her shoulder… and you maybe even feel a tinge of jealousy – do you pray for her then?

If your good friend is getting married, do you pray for her?

Maybe.

But after the wedding when the pain in your heart pulses louder as you see the newlyweds together and you remember that you still haven’t found the love and connection that you so desire – do you pray for her then? Do you pray for her marriage even as you beg God to give you one of your own?

Does the normal in your life converge with what should also be the normal?

Do I find my way to my knees when I’m burdened by the weight of a pain to heavy to bear standing up tall?

Or do I have a place, a war room, where I go regularly to meet with the Master because conversation with Him is a regular part of my day?

If I am facing a crisis of health, finances, relationship, or my own sanity, am I praying?

Probably.

But if my life is fairly routine and uneventful, if I my bills are paid and vacation plans are in the works, if my kids are healthy and I’m thinking clear, if my car runs well and my job is on auto-pilot, am I praying then?

Does the normal in my life converge with the normal of my lips?

Will I pray?

Will you?

Because there doesn’t have to be a special crisis of some kind to force you or me into our prayer closets and to motivate us go to war for our life and for the lives of others – even when life is normal.

Prayer is normal.

People are normal.

And those two normals should converge on a regular basis.

This is the discipline of prayer.

This is the power of a practice that can infuse your life and the lives of those in your circle of influence with access to God’s supernatural involvement in the everyday. 

Faith and Friends Friday people.

Come on.

And it doesn’t matter if you do it for you or if you do it for others. It doesn’t matter if you do it for crisis or if you do it for the normal.  It does’t matter if you do it for the familiar or if you do it for the strange.

Do it for you.

Do it for others.

Just do it.

Pray.

 Your prayers matter - even the normal ones.

Today is the 26th day of the 28 day Instagram Challenge.

Not perfect. Not always on my knees.  Not always longer than a five minute chat between friends.

But better. Much better.

I have been contemplating whether or not a commitment to pray each and every day has made a difference.

It does.

It has.

So today let’s pray…

Let’s pray for ourselves and for one another.

Feel free to pray about ANYTHING

A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G

But if you need a topic to guide your focus of prayer, think about this word.

Normal.

Think about these questions as you type up your prayer.

What  is the “normal” in your life for which you might not think to pray?

Who do you engage with regularly that you rarely pray for?

Where is your “war room”? What “spot” can you use to regularly meet with God?

Again… feel free to pray about anything that concerns you.  But if the topic of “normal” resonates with you, pray in that direction.

So how exactly does this work do you ask?

 

1) Post YOUR prayer.
First, scroll to the end of the post to find the section for comments.  Keep scrolling to the end of the comments to find the empty box where you can leave your prayer request. Click “Post Comment”.

2) Pray for someone else.
Then, look above you in the comment thread for the person who posted just before of you.  Hit “reply” and pray for them.  That way we make sure that everyone gets covered!

Please don’t feel insecure about your ability to pray for another sister or feel that her request is above your spiritual “pay grade.” Just pray with your heart.  God hears. He works with the words that we have and then He takes care of the rest.

3) Post your pic!
Make sure we can “see” you! Go to Gravatar.com so that others can see your face in the comments! (It’s easy! Just click on the green button labeled “Get your gravatar today” )

4) Pray more
Once you have left your prayer request and prayed for the person above you, if you have a few minutes feel free to reply and pray for any other comment/prayer you see in the thread.

OK friend… here we go.

Let’s pray.

Oh!  And if you need a little more guidance or encouragement in the area of prayer, check out my sister’s new book on prayer, Fervent.

fervent