| Know that when you pray, God hears more than you say, answers more than you ask, and gives more than you imagine in His time and in His way. - Chrystal Evans Hurst, The 28-Day Prayer Journey   The 28-Day Prayer Journey: Ask Learning to Request with Confidence by Chrystal Evans Hurst, The 28-Day Prayer Journey  Editor's Note: Have you heard the news? The 28-Day Prayer Journey is our next community OBS starting in the new year and we couldn't be more excited! This study is for anyone who may be struggling with distraction, doubt, or just wanting to awaken their prayer life in 2021! It's one of the richest studies I've ever experienced dedicated to the topic of prayer — I know you'll love it! Here's a sneak peek excerpt from the book, and don't forget to sign up to join us starting January 18th! We want you with us! ~ Laurie McClure
Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. - Jesus to the disciples, in John 16:24
MORNING MEDITATION
Today we are bravely praying big and bold prayers to God!
What would you ask God to do in your life, or in the life of another, if you believed He would do it? What would you ask God for if you weren't afraid to take a chance on the impossible? Often I find that we pray safe prayers because we don't want to be disappointed if God doesn't answer. If we're single and would like to be married, we may fear asking God for the desires of our hearts because we fear God might not answer.
If we're suffering from an illness or an injury or a disease, we fail to come before God boldly because we reason, "Who am I to be healed when others continue to suffer?" If we want to see the salvation of a loved one — a child, a sibling, a parent — we may stop asking God to grab hold of our loved one because we can't imagine how God could possibly answer our prayer.
Jesus chided several people for having little faith. Check it out for yourself: Matthew 6:30; Matthew 8:26; Matthew 14:31; Matthew 16:8; Matthew 17:20.
Don't miss out on the purposes and plans that God has for you because you don't exercise faith and ask Him to intervene in your everyday life. But don't fail to experience His intervention because you are too busy praying outside of His will either.
Don't know what to pray? Need guidance on how to direct your prayers? Here are some simple thoughts to get you going:
1. Read God's Word to know His heart.
2. Train yourself to do what His Word tells you to do.
3. Seek to think and act in ways that honor God and bring Him glory.
4. Pray — talk to God often — and believe that He hears.
Okay, friend. Take a deep breath. Now, what would you dare to ask, for yourself or someone else, if you actually believed God would answer?
Pick the one thing — the thing you don't ask for because you don't think you deserve it, the thing that, in a million years, you don't believe you can have, the thing you're afraid you won't ever receive. And pray for that. You are worth it.
Don't just pray about what's logical and possible. Pray hard about the impossible. God will show you that nothing, nothing, nothing is impossible with Him. Ever. Period. End of story.
PRAYER PROMPT
Dear God, I ask that You would ____________ . Help me to believe. Help my unbelief.
Write each of your bold requests in your journal.
[The book includes daily journaling pages].
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AFTERNOON REFLECTION
To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working. ~ Louie Giglio, pastor
I know what many of you were thinking after this morning's prayer prompt. "But I have been asking God to move in a particular way, and He hasn't answered yet! It's been forever!"
My friend, I speak to you as I speak to myself. That thought is real and it can be frustrating, but that's not the most important thing. The important thing is whether you choose, as you wait, to still trust Him, love Him, believe in Him, wait for Him, serve Him, honor Him, and glorify Him every day that you get to live on this earth.
Will you be bold enough to ask and fearless enough to wait and to keep asking, if necessary? At the end of the day, our desires should never eclipse our determination to grow more in love with the Man who gave His life for us. If you get tired of waiting, remember this: He is always your answer. Any other desire you have should only point you back to Him. So pray boldly and without fear, but enjoy the waiting room, because it simply gives you more time to focus on your relationship with Him.
We are in the second half of the day. The Word says that in this world you will have trouble (John 16:33). I bet at this time of day, someone is finding that to be true! But we also see that David, a man after God's own heart, didn't just have trouble, he took his difficulties to the Lord in prayer.
I took my troubles to the Lord; – Psalm 120:1 NLT
Take a moment to tell God about your day. Do you know someone else who's having a hard time? Talk to God about them too. God has been watching. He's omniscient, remember? But He doesn't want simply to know about your day or the day of someone you care about. He wants to be involved in your day as you share your highs and lows with Him. He wants you to intervene in the life of another because you took the time to care in prayer. So pause right now and have a little chat with Him.
PRAYER PROMPT
Dear God, can we talk? Today/this week/this month/this year has been really hard for me or my family or friend because _______ .
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EVENING INSPIRATION
Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?
We talk about what's wrong, what we want, or what we wish we could change. But the question is do we pray about it as much as we talk about it? We will call up a friend in a second, share our two cents' worth on Facebook, or even talk to ourselves under our breath! But do we have the habit of taking everything to God in prayer? Today, and for the remainder of this week, make a concerted effort to talk to God more than you talk to others about what concerns you. Be challenged to spend more time in His Word than you do on social media. Be determined to rehearse externally and internally only what God says about a matter (instead of how you feel about it). And watch Him change how you see your life and how you see the world.
As you near the end of the day, lay down the things you hold so tightly that they hurt you. If you struggle to make requests of God and then leave them there, that's okay. Your ability to release your concerns is a function of the depth of your relationship with Him. Until then, write down your concerns that threaten to morph into worry. Keep writing them down until they no longer tie your head and your heart into knots.
Lay down tonight, knowing that you have done your part to make your request known. Now trust God to do His. And when you offer your prayers to God in the quiet place, where it's only the two of you, don't be afraid to pray those big bold prayers.
Excerpted with permission from The 28-Day Prayer Journey by Chrystal Evans Hurst, copyright Chrystal Evans Hurst.
Your Turn What are you praying for? Come on, think big! Ask big! I am! Come share with us what and who is on your list. AND, join us for the Online Bible Study starting January 18th. It's going to revolutionize our prayer lives! ~ Laurie
Awaken Your Prayer Life in 2021 Are you ready? This could be the most important thing you do in the New Year!
Join our next OBS... The 28-Day Prayer Journey with Chrystal Evans Hurst 
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