Who I am in Christ is all that matters. Who I’ve been doesn’t matter much, nor does who you think I am.
Oftentimes we find it hard to step into who we are in Christ because of what is mentioned above.
Who we’ve been can potentially have a death grip on our lives without us even knowing or acknowledging it. “Letting go of what lies behind…” can be one of the hardest things for some to do. All that was known, all that was seen and all that was experienced may be a hard thing to let go of. But, imagine trying to walk into everything God has for you while still holding onto everything He doesn’t have for you. You’d never be able to grab ahold of it. And it’s not because you don’t want to, it’s because you’re holding onto what He doesn’t want you to.
God’s plan through our identity is perfect. But do we trust Him enough to believe it?
Who someone else thinks you are is not more important than who God says you or or who God knows you are.
We oftentimes work our way up to an image stamped in approval by others, all the while abandoning the image we were created in. God had a plan from the beginning of time for your life and He hasn’t changed His mind about it, or you.
Believe Him when He shows you who you are and trust that His plan is geared towards your God.
You are…
wonderfully complex
Psalm 139:14
God’s masterpiece
Ephesians 2:10
created in God’s own image
Genesis 1:27
Phillipians 3:13-14
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
So last night I read a page from a Fancy Nancy story and it made me think about a prayer 🙏🏽 I prayed.
Before I tell this story I want to let you know that it is the job of believers to pray for people (in general) as well as to pray for one another (other believers)
James 5:16 NLT
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Matthew 5:44 NLT
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Ephesians 6:18 NLT
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
True Story:
(Don’t judge me! 😆)
Stupid vs. Blind
I was upset with the actions of an individual and prayed that God would remove the spirit of stupid from them because the things they were doing were just that, STUPID! I had no other words regarding praying🧎♀️for them and could only pray these words about the situation. It sounds soo hilarious 🤣 to me now but I was so serious when I prayed these words. In my eyes 👀 I couldn’t see how the person could actually think that what they were doing was sensible, they just couldn’t.
When I pray sincerely and whole heartedly for an individual following the prayer God will always either give me peace in my heart about this individual or speak words/confessions of faith over their life to my heart that I then repeat as a declaration for them.
When I prayed this particular prayer God didn’t do this.
I left the situation alone for a while and one day while walking to the bus stop 🚏 with Eli, God put in my heart the words that I needed to pray for the person. He said that they are blind in this area, they don’t have experience, an example nor do they seek my instructions on how this is supposed to go. My heart was immediately softened towards that person and I was able to pray compassionately (even with tears)and sincerely for them regarding this. The peace of God came over my heart proceeding this prayer.
You see, these words in this story remind me of my prayer and it reminds me of so much more.
When you think about it Fancy Nancy didn’t like jellyfish because she had been stung by one before. She didn’t think to consider all of the things they did not have (a heart, eyes, bones, ears etc) as to why they would sting her. The jellyfish stung Fancy Nancy as a way to defend itself. When she realized that jellyfish just don’t know any better she was able to be more open to liking/accepting them.
The same concept goes for us. We as humans would quicker help a blind person than someone that we think is just irresponsible or unwise in an area. The reason behind this is pretty simple, we have more grace for the person that is blind than the one who is just, smh 🤦🏽♀️🙄. Isn’t this true? We don’t consider all the factors that may play a role in an individuals thinking (like their upbringing, history/past, level of maturity etc.). We’d rather completely ignore them than pray for them because they are just, 🤦🏽♀️🙄😤🤯! …👀
But God wants us to have compassion and give grace to everyone, including those that just don’t know any better!
Jesus is our go-to person when we want to refer to someone’s example on how we should respond regarding any topic.
Here’s how he responded during the time of his crucifixion (While under trial He was sentenced to a death by crucifixion which were both credited to the demands of a crowd):
Luke 23:26-34
The Crucifixion
As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
Here Are A Few Things to Note:
Some of our prayers may not be answered by God because of our heart posture towards the situation or person involved.
Prayers 🙏🏽 should be prayed with sincerity and compassion for others.
The truth is that we are all blind in one area or another, and we are all in need of prayer in order to change these areas.
2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
So this is another one of those questions that I believe all children will ask at some point in their life.
What is Prayer and how do I explain it to my child?
I would start with this simple but true statement.
“Prayer is simply the way we communicate with God”
Prayer is the way we access God. There are some details that I would personally make know to my little one when explaining prayer to them.
1. Prayers Should Come From Your Heart – There are no specific words that have to be said in order for your prayer to mean something to God. Prayer is a conversation between you and God. The most genuine prayer is between just you and God. Genuine means sincere or truly what something is supposed to be; authentic and real. God wants our prayers to truly be ours and for us to come to Him privately. Matthew 6:6 NLT says But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
2. Praying God’s Word is An Effective Way To Pray – God’s Word is God’s will! When Jesus spoke on how we should pray He included these words in His sample prayer in Matthew 6 “…May your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s Word is His will, He has given us His Word as a guide and when our prayers are based on the Word of God we can be assured that those prayers are in fact God’s will. This is why it is very important for parents as well as our little ones to learn God’s Word.
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
1 John 5:14
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
3. Jesus Modeled Prayer For Us In –Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” It is my belief that this prayer is a model of what the heart of our prayer should look like. The intentions of these words are essential, of great importance, and should be the center of our personal prayers. This prayer is also something that can lead us back to the heart of God if we ever get sidetracked regarding the purpose of prayer.
4. Prayer Is Not A Substitute For Work And God Is Not A Genie – Prayer is not something that can replace the steps we have to take in order to accomplish what we are looking to accomplish. Prayer can strengthen us for the things we must do and help lead us to wisdom, but our prayers are not a substitute for the work we have to do. Jesus is a perfect example of this. He came to this earth for a purpose and that purpose wasn’t completely ideal for Him to experience but it had to be done. Jesus prayed to God asking for this “cup”, which symbolized what Jesus had to do to pass Him by but Jesus had to drink from it. In order for most things to be accomplished or done in our life, some action is required on our part. God cannot grant our prayers if the action that has to be done on our part is not completed. Read Matthew 26:36-56 NLT for more of the story I am referring to.
5. The Reason We Pray “In Jesus’ Name, Amen” – The Bible teaches us that no one can get to God the Father except through Jesus.
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
When we pray we are praying to God our Father. Because Jesus is the gateway to God the Father we ask and pray our prayers in His name. Jesus goes on to say in John 14:13-14 “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
I also want to mention that Jesus’ name holds weight with God. Because of how Jesus lived on this earth God has not only elevated him to the place of highest honor but He has also given Jesus the name that is above every name.
Philippians 2:8-11 NLT
he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
6. Prayer Is A Necessity And Not An Option In The Life Of Every Christian – Jesus is the ultimate example of Christian Living. Not only is He the example of what Christians should be like but He is also the example of what God is like. It is noted in the Bible that Jesus, being our example goes off to pray numerous times. Luke 5:16 NLT says “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” There is also a parable (a story that is used to teach a lesson) that Jesus told to His disciples in Luke 18 and the purpose of this parable was to show that they should always pray and never give up.
7. Prayer Keeps You Close To God – Just think about the people you communicate with daily or even hourly. How much closer are you to someone you are always talking to, always with and always sharing things with than someone you never see and never talk to? There is a big difference, which makes perfect sense. The same thing goes for God. If prayer is the way we talk to Him than the more we pray and communicate with Him, the closer we get to Him. The Bible says in James 4:8 NLT “Come close to God, and God will come close to you…”
Here are some of my favorite simple books including prayer, for kids!
Prayers for Little Hearts by Carolyn Larsen
When I Pray for You Matthew Paul Turner Illustrated by Kimberly Barnes
What Happens When I Talk to God – The Power of Prayer for Boys and Girls Stormiest Omartian Artwork by Shari Warren
Note: The various details and scriptural references are for parents use in order to better explain the topic of PRAYER.
TrulyArielleA 