Notice the Stream

... of countless ways in which
Our Creator constantly romances us.

A Multi-Passionate Motherhood Moment

Abba,

I lift Your name above all else this morning. You are the bright eternal sun, blazing gloriously even when we can’t see You because clouds of worry block Your light or the entire planet of our being has turned away from You. Yet You created us to continuously turn back toward You in cycles, even when our heart is tilted and bent towards turning and turning and turning forever. You are so much greater than any human cycle, even the ones lasting thousands and thousands of years. You are constant, ancient, and always. Your love is stronger than any other force in existence, and nothing can stop it. Despite the intensity and enormity of Your power and Your scope, You’re still fervently interested in the details of my life, and the state of my heart.

I confess that I’m still entertaining confusion about what to do with my life. Every time I wake up from wallowing in failure and futility and determine to scrape myself together and diligently work hard toward success, the contradictory religious voices rear up, accusing me of selfish ambition, lecturing me about focusing only on You and not worrying about “worldly success.” I’m still not clear on it all, and I don’t want to move forward on anything that would pull me away from you or my family duties or be a distraction. Yet I know You can’t have meant for me to stay in poverty on purpose.

Thank You that You will–in Your perfect timing–blast through all this nonsense for me. Thank You for sending Pastor Ed, a willing mentor who gives out his cell phone number and returns messages as quickly as he can. Thank You for Hope Hollywood  and that whole family there. Thank You that You will show us how to fit ourselves in there and serve as much as possible. Thank You that Ian is already feeling drawn towards serving and cooking for the soup kitchen there. Thank You for my outrageously amazing children and that our marriage has bounced back through steady and serious prayer.

Abba, please send me a clear message about what the highest & best for me is at this point. There will be plenty of time for me to pursue all kinds of other things once the kids are grown, so I don’t want to waste these precious years on getting things out of order, but I also don’t want to put off any success that we could be enjoying together now. I would so love to be able to travel with the kids while they’re still young, and to just have a more open and flowing attitude and way of being. Help me to trust You more and to know that I can’t get in your way, or (if I can get in your way and stop you from blessing us) please show me how to get out of Your way!! 🙂 I love You, Abba. Thank You for everything, especially for prayer.

In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!

Prayer for Taking the Ground of the Day

Abba,

I give my entire day to You, binding all that I am to all that You are–heart, body, mind and spirit–for Your perfect will to be done today in my life.

I loose from myself all accumulated baggage from the past–old resentments, negative reactions and memories, defense mechanisms and attitudes that have become strongholds in my life. Whatever is loosed in Heaven I choose to loose on earth.

Taking a spiritual shower as I take a natural one (Hebrew 10:22), I ask You to make the water holy (John 5:7) and to bless the water for cleansing and healing.

I ask that You would baptize me anew in the fire and light of Your Holy Spirit inside and out (Matthew 3:11).

As I dress for the day, I put on the garment of praise (think of at least 3 things you can honestly praise God for, and genuinely thank Him from your heart).

Over this, I also put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6):

The Helmet of (Your) Salvation
The Breastplate of (Your) Righteousness
The Belt of (Your) Truth
The Shoes of (Your) Peace
The Sword of the Spirit
The Shield of Faith

And I ask You, Holy Spirit, to bring it up to Your standards of battle worthiness.

I bring myself into complete alignment with You, Lord. I command my body, mind, emotions, will and spirit to come under the authority of the Holy Spirit, that I may be a delight to You, Heavenly Father.

I determine that I will be on the lookout for loveliness all around me this day and talk to You often about Your creation, in praise and worship.

I choose life in its fullest dimension.

Glory in it!

Amen

(Though I have moved the order around a bit and changed a few words, I did not write this prayer, nor do I know who did. It is another of the prayers given to us by our sweet angel Hrachik, whom we met during our miracle at the birth certificate office. For the full story, click here.)