A Prayer Game Changer

In the midst of praying, a voice murmurs, “Really, now… you actually believe God cares about THIS? And really, now, has God truly forgiven you for THAT?”   My prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling.

One would think I could squelch this voice – being a decades long follower of Jesus.

Lately, however, I’ve discovered a practice that counters this voice with something more Biblical, more akin to God’s real sentiment about his creation (moi).

It’s called Immanuel Journaling from the book, The Joyful Journey .  Strange as it sounds, it involves writing from God’s perspective.

 

You begin by writing the sentence, “I can see you.”    Then you visualize how God might expound on that statement.   “I see you sitting by the window.  I see you with your Bible.  I see you reaching out to me.”

 

Then you write, “I can hear you.”  What follows may be –  “I hear you praying about ___ .  I hear the angst in your spirit.  I hear you sighing.”

 

The statement that follows is perhaps the most poignant.  “I understand how big this is for you.”   God is saying, “I get it.  And it IS hard.”

 

The final sentence is — “There is something I can do about this.”   God not only sees, hears, understands, there is something he can and will do in response.

 

 

As you meditate on these truths, and write interactively with God, you just might experience His peace, His presence, His love.  Problems may not disappear or pain dissipate but you will know that you are not alone on this journey.

This way of praying has helped silence my unreliable inner voice. And to focus on the one voice that really matters.

(Click here for a guide to this prayer game changer!)

 

Last Sunday a friend recommended a song simply called “Shoulders”.  This particular friend is the mother of two boys with special needs and has faced both cancer and heart disease;  yet she radiates joy, authentic joy that’s spent time in trenches.

She knows that God sees, hears, understands, and intervenes on her behalf.

She sits atop God’s shoulders.  The greatest perch of all.