“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yesterday we talked about continually having praise on our lips. In order to have praise on our lips, we must mirror that praise in our hearts. Transformation is an inward process. Even though those around us may hear or see a transformation, it first starts in the unseen. 

In our key verse, we are taught where to pray. We are instructed to go behind closed doors, in the unseen. He also teaches us how to pray through the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 NIV. Below I have created the Lord’s prayer in my own words. What version of the Bible do you read the most? For me, it is the New International Version or The Message. I encourage you to take a moment to read these verses from Matthew in several different versions. Really let the words soak in. Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, Blessed be Your name, Sacred, the Great I Am. Let Your kingdom reign. Transform me in Your image so that I may submit to Your lead and not my own will. You are the Bread of Life, may I rely on Your strength and not my own abilities. Help me to live unoffended and choose to love my offenders, through Your grace. May Your spirit of truth keep me on the narrow path. And when worldly things overtake me, may Your redeeming love deliver me. I acknowledge all the power and glory be Yours for all eternity. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yesterday we talked about prayer being our first line of defense. What better way to put prayer first than to continually praise God. Were you able to make a prayerful declaration? Has it helped change your mindset for this Monday? Mind over matter is using our willpower to overcome. In similar thinking, if we continually offer a sacrifice of praise, we can overcome the mind. I love the image of “the fruit of lips” in our key verse. Like the berries on the tree pictured here by Ray, when rooted in God, we can have His sweet word on our lips.

One of my favorite forms of prayer is called Lectio Divina which is a dialogue with God through scripture. We may not always know what to think, say, or pray but thankfully we can turn to God’s living word to find the words we need. These words are sharper than a two-edged sword that can cut through Satan’s ploys. I have shared with you a prayer using God’s word. I encourage you to use this example to create your own prayer using scriptures.

Father, Thank You for Your living water that quenches my thirst spiritually and never runs dry (John 4:14). Help me stand firm upon Your word so when trials arise I will stand tall (Matthew 7:25). May I live without fear for the future knowing You have redeemed me, You call me by name, I am Yours (Isaiah 43:1). As I hear Your call may I step out in faith into the waves (Matthew 14:29). When I obey Your commands, I experience Your peace like a river, Your holiness crashes over me like the waves (Isaiah 48:18). May I continually offer a sacrifice of praise on my lips (Hebrews 13:15). In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As a follow-up to Deborah’s week on self-examination, I want us to focus on our prayer life this week. I love this quote from Oswald Chambers: “We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense.” How often do you make prayer a last resort? Is prayer your first line of defense? It is easy to make prayer a last resort when the enemy is constantly trying to derail us. Listening to Satan’s lies can be like going through the Inversion Tunnel pictured here by Ray. Thankfully we walk rooted with a God who fearfully and wonderfully made us. He desires a relationship where we devote ourselves to prayer. In our key verse He tells us to be watchful and thankful.

How do we make prayer our first line of defense? I feel as though once we get in the habit of turning to God before turning to our people and things, it will become a daily practice. Author and Pastor Mark Batterson says we can make and break habits in 30 days. I encourage us to start by making a declaration. According to the dictionary, a declaration is a formal or explicit statement or announcement. You can use my example or you can create your own. This doesn’t have to be a public announcement but rather a private conversation between you and God.

My Declaration: I can choose my thoughts! I don’t have to accept Satan’s lies! I have victory in Jesus! Fear is a liar! Christ is in me! I am enough! I praise my God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Claiming victory today in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

Now it’s your turn. Let us join together this week in making prayer our first line of defense.

“The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” John 3‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬

Join me for See You Saturday as I talk about our Invitation from God to be His bride.

You can read the full passage in John 3:22-36.

Let’s pray though Jeremiah 33:11.

Dear God, I am full of joy and gladness at the sound of Your voice. I give thanks to You Lord Almighty, for You are good and Your love is everlasting. I seek to be Your bride. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’” Mark 1‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation from God is to follow Him. As you can see in Ray’s key photo, fishing is a vital food supply to our area. We live along the beautiful coastline of the Low Country. There are many places to fish, shop, and dine for fresh, local fish. Take a moment to assess your faith in action. Are you following Jesus? Are you fishing for men by sharing your faith? What opportunities are you taking?

Sharing our faith with others should be as easy and enjoyable as catching fish. The truth is, sometimes we get paralyzed and can’t find the right words to say. Living out our faith in our actions and reactions can be just as powerful. The photo below is of our son Trevor fishing. He is holding a Red Drum out on Winyah Bay. This is both a passion and a stress reliever for him. The next time you share Your faith, go in confidence and be reminded of the simplicity of fishing. Let’s pray through Deauterotomy 31:8 to courageously guide us in sharing our faith.

Dear God, You are with me always. Thank You for never leaving me or forsaking me. Help me not to be afraid to share my faith. Help me not to get discouraged when sharing and living out my faith looks different than I had planned. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation from God is to come to Him to find rest. Deborah and I are blessed to get some much-needed rest this week over our Spring Break. We’ve also been blessed to spend some time planning for our Water Walkers blog with Ray, our retired partner, and friend. How do you find rest in God? For me, it is my devotion and quiet time. This is one of my favorite promises when life is busy or complicated. Ray’s key photo is a rocky terrain along the water. God doesn’t promise us an easy life but He does offer us rest when life’s path is rocky.

What do you think Matthew means by God’s yoke being easy? Take a moment to read the Message Translation of these verses. God says “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you”. The simplicity of these verses reminds me of making tea cakes. I’ve included the recipe below. Just like God’s word, there are key steps you don’t want to rush through. The simple process of baking by hand, feeling the light and easy yoke as it slips through your fingers is an unforced rhythm. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Show me the areas in my life that I need to recover. I desire to find rest in Your unforced rhythms of grace. Thank You for walking with me through the rocky terrains of life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Tea Cakes Recipe

• 2 sticks butter softened
• 3 cups self-rising flour sifted
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour and powdered milk together and mix in sugar. Crack one egg at a time on a plate. Remove the chalazae which is the strand of membranes that attach the yolk to the shell. In a separate bowl, hand-mix softened butter, eggs, and vanilla together. Then hand-mix this with flour mixture. Dust your fingers with flour so that you can easily pinch a small amount and drop on a sprayed pan or pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes on the top rack.

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’” John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today’s invitation is to come and drink from God’s Living Water. We are blessed with the promise to never thirst again. We all go through seasons where we either feel well-watered or parched. What season are you in today? Are you overflowing with God’s living water? Or are you in need of renewal? Take a moment to look at Ray’s photo above. Now imagine God’s Living Water renewing your spirit.

The picture below is of our daughter, Kendal. This past week she was invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in College. We are so proud of her as this invitation is given based on grades. Aren’t we glad that God’s invitation to drink from the fountain is for everyone! Our Heavenly Father is proud of us too. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have accomplished, we are all invited to come and drink.

I encourage you to listen to the song, “Living Water” by Anne Wilson. Really listen to the words. We aren’t strangers to God, but now His sons and daughters. Let’s pray.

Dear God, Thank You for Your Living Water. I desire to experience a renewal today. I humbly come before You to receive Your cleansing Spirit so that I can overflow Your Living Water to those around me. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.