Some Thoughts on Prayer

I recently read the book A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller. Below are some thoughts I had related to prayer coming out of that book:

• It doesn’t matter how messy my prayers are. The book of Psalms is full of prayers filled with doubt, anger, anxiety, fear and confusion. Keep bringing all of what you feel to God.

• We need to ask God for things as a little child asks - with persistence, with faith and without cynicism. 

• Simply crying, “Papa, Papa, Papa!” or “Father, Father, Father!” or “Help Me!” is part of praying continuously. 

• Being in touch with our weakness is a good thing. Desperation is at the heart of the praying life. 

• When God doesn’t answer a prayer, sometimes it’s because He wants to expose something in me. 

• It’s OK (and actually really good!) to have meandering prayers that go from one thing to another, getting distracted and moving back and forth between things. It’s typically the way we talk to most people we know well.

• Writing down prayers is helpful for remembering and also demonstrates importance (like the way we put items in our calendar because we don’t want to forget).

• Journaling helps us in the journey and helps us reflect on what God is doing.

• We need Jesus. We need time to reflect on our lives with the Father everyday. 

Every other Wednesday night at Living Faith we have a chance to practice praying together! Join us from 6:30 - 8pm tonight!

—Charissa Ricketts

Consistent Prayer

The Alliance (our denomination) is in the midst of 40 days of prayer. This week, I’d like to point you to an article about the importance of prayer warriors. It is a reminder to pray not only about urgent needs but also for the consistent growth in the faith of our members. The ministry of prayer is an important one but also one so easily overlooked. Take a look at the article here.

A New Year

As we bring each year to a close, it’s a regular practice for many to look back at the last 12 months to recall all the fun times we had (perhaps we had forgotten about), thank God for the ways He has helped us get through difficult times and reflect on the ways we can improve who we are and how we walk through life. I found this article very helpful in this process. I hope it leads you to invite God into the process of your life, develop spiritual disciplines and good habits and remove unnecessary and wasteful things from your life.

Happy (Almost) New Year!

—Charissa Ricketts

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.

Advent is Just Around the Corner

Advent this year begins on Sunday, December 2, which is just around the corner! Several years ago I realized that every year when Christmas came around, I really wasn’t ready. All the decorations were up, my gifts had been purchased, everything had been wrapped, all the cookies were made and dinner with all the trimmings had been completed, but my HEART was not ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Although I enjoy giving gifts and being around family and friends I love so much, my heart was not in a place to experience Immanuel, God with us!

Advent is a season of anticipation, of holy waiting and active hope. It can be a time for dreaming and creativity. The last several years, I decided to do some things to prepare my heart to be excited about the true meaning of Christmas, and I thought I would share some of the things that have helped me to be ready, as well as some ideas I would like to try this year or in the future.

• Daily readings leading up to Advent are a helpful way to prepare your heart. 

  • John Piper’s Good News of Great Joy and The Dawning of Indestructible Joy can both be downloaded for free.

  • This year I am trying The Expected One by Scott James.

  • Fervr has daily readings aimed at teens as well, which can be followed on Instagram.

• Bible journaling through Advent has been a fun way (for me) of interacting with Scripture. Some options for how to do this are shown here. I have tried Waiting ‘Round the Wreath and enjoyed it very much.

• Here are some ideas for celebrating Advent as a family 

This is obviously not an exhaustive list, but it hopefully gives you a starting place to think of ideas that suit you. I hope these suggestions give you some time to prepare for Advent, and I hope you enjoy the upcoming Season! I would love to hear about any of the ways your family prepares their hearts for Christmas.

—Charissa Ricketts