See You At The Pole

2 Chronicles 7:14 -
"And if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

The above was the theme verse for this year's "See You at the Pole".

This morning before the school bells rang, student from all over were gathering at their flag poles to pray together.
I had the privilege to attend a couple schools and witness first hand the event and I have been thinking about it all day.

Some people may ask "so what? What's the big deal?", but I'm here to tell you it is a huge deal! (Especially for the kids and teen imvolved.)

Nobody likes to be uncomfortable and nobody likes to be looked at weird, and I know that a big step for these.

I'm sure they got some remarks from friends and probably lots of questions like:
What were you doing?
And
Why were you doing that?
But I can also only imagine the doors it opened for sharing the gospel.

I know standing out and being diffent is hard (especially on public school campuses), and I can't put in words how proud I am of the students who took a stand... completely unashamed!

The bible says in 2 Timothy 1:8 "...do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord...", and again in Matthew 10:32-33, "Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven."

That is exactly what the students did.

They were not ashamed and they did not deny the Lord!

As the "Week of Prayer" continues (and even after the week ends), my prayer is that those involved will continue to speak out, pray, and be lights in their school halls because that is what we as Christians are called to do. 

Matthew 5:16 "...let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

And adults, that isn't just for your children. You need to be leading by example. Your work places are just as much a field to be planted and harvested as schools are!

Continue fighting. Continue sharing.  Continue praying. 

We aren't finished until the Lord returns or we are called home!

Live...Laugh...Love

Until Next Time, Racheal <3

Too Fearful to be Faithful

Does it ever feel like God is answering prayers for everyone and their brother (and sister and mom and dad and cousin and nephew and uncle and grandparents....), but not you?

Like your prayers are bouncing off of some supernatural ceiling and falling unheard right back in your lap?
Quite frankly,  that's where I've been stuck for a while now.

I hear countless stories of people I know having miraculous encounters with God, and I'm just over here saying with my mouth "wow! That's amazing!" While asking in the back of my mind "why can't that be me?"

I've seen God save people. I've seen God open doors for people. I've seen God give signs to people who need them.
But where is mine?
Ive actually had others pray for me, because they must "have a better connection"

I know I can't be the only Christian out there thay struggles with this. Can I?

Feeling utterly defeated and ready to give up, I had my spiritual eyes opened today.

After 2 amazing messages at church, and one heart to heart chat with a good christian friend of mine,  I got an answer.

Fear and doubt.

That's right.
God isn't sitting up in heaven trying to pick on me or be mean. Thats not the type of person He is.
He is just waiting for me to have the faith when I ask. He wants me to be sure that I am ready to accept whatever the answer may be.
Some times we let fear and doubt  run through our veins and we end up saying a prayer because it what we are supposed to do, and we have no faith that it will happen because honestly we don't want it to.

As I type this one verse that I have memorized keeps running through my head. 

It is James 1:6-7

            But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Pretty clear if you ask me. Ask in faith. No doubt. No fear.

Saying you have faith is easy, But demonstrating that faith by your action can be difficult.

You just have to take a leap into the unknown and trust that God knows best and believe that He won't give you more than you are capable of.

Or as my friend put it... step out the boat. (A reference to Peter walking on the water and the reason for my choice of clip art)

I wish I could give yall some theological gold nugget of wisdom and some very sspecific instruction on proper prayer, but I can't. I'm still learning.

But I do fully understand now that fear has no place in a faithful prayer.

So now in the best way I know how, infront of everyone reading this, I pray that God shows Himself to me in such a mighty way that there is no denying it is Him.

I pray for wisdom, direction, and vision.

I ask this with no fear and with no doubts, because I have faith that He knows what's best.

With Him on my side I can do all things (Philippians 4:13), because if He is for me who can be against me? (Romans 8:31).

The only thing to do know is prepare, because the winds about to start blowing!

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3