Category / Prayer

by tracymauro

What God REALLY wants from your prayer life may surprise you!

We may have been taught to pray pretty and powerful sounding prayers.

But God’s admonitions to Job’s piously praying friends demonstrates that God can handle – and is even pleased by – our raw and honest prayers and wrestlings with Him.

“After GOD had finished addressing Job, he turned to Eliphaz the Temanite and said, ‘I’ve had it with you and your two friends. I’m fed up! You haven’t been honest either with me or about me—not the way my friend Job has. So here’s what you must do. Take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my friend Job. Sacrifice a burnt offering on your own behalf. My friend Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer. He will ask me not to treat you as you deserve for talking nonsense about me, and for not being honest with me, as he has.’” – Job 42:7-8 MSG (The Message Bible Paraphrase)

by tracymauro

When I Pray to Build My House of Cards….

Connection with my Maker is a greater treasure than requests checked off my prayer list.

While I busily tell God how He should fix things, He patiently whispers to my soul, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Whose kingdom am I trying the build anyway? Mine or His? Maybe it’s not always such a bad thing when our card houses crumble so we have to move into the dwelling place of our King.

by tracymauro

My #Instaprayer Project…. Join me??

Today I started posting on Instagram a short prayer to go along with the Scripture focus on my heart for the day. Feel free to join me in applying God’s Word and praying it back to our Good, Good Father. Here’s today’s post:Today’s #instaprayer is inspired by James 2:1-4. “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

by tracymauro

Abiding Prayer: The Peace & Power of Praying IN Him – Not Just TO Him

(Breakout Session from #ConquerConference2016)

 I was so blessed to participate in #ConquerConference2016 and spend an afternoon with some beautiful women as we learned together how to better hear the voice of our #GoodGoodFather through #AbidingPrayer. And the beautiful church we were in recorded our breakout session – so you are more than welcome to join us through the power of technology.

(The information below was included on the handout mentioned in the conference video).

Thank you for joining me in this journey of learning to pray and live from a position of “pre-paid” connection with the only source of Truth and LIFE rather than from a position of constant seeking and chasing for blessings and answers from God.

Key verse:

Key Verse: “If _________________ abides in me, and my words abide in _________________, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for _____________.” –John 15:7 

(Write your name in the blank instead of “You”)

Abiding Challenge:

  • Meditate daily on Key Passage, John 15:1-11. 
  • Also, dig deep into the whole “root system” of God’s word by finding other passages referencing the same or similar concept of abiding, staying, or uniting with God. 
  • Commit the passages that touch you most deeply to memory. Write personalized confessions based on these passages and speak them out.

Key Concept:

  • Checking where you are praying from is just as important as how you pray. Visualize your position in Him (whatever reminder picture He puts on your heart that helps you see yourself as a much loved daughter who has always had her Father’s ear).
  • Don’t be afraid of imagination and visualization in your Prayers. God is the author of these concepts – not the new age movement. Consistency combined with a passionate listening style of prayer that incorporates all of the senses God gave you will change prayer from a task that may or may not produce results to a lifestyle of powerful connection with your Creator.

Recommended Reading:

  • Abide In Christ: A 31-Day Devotional for Fellowship with Jesus – Andrew Murray
  • The Practice of the Presence of God – Brother Lawrence
  • God Is Closer than You Think – John Ortberg
  • Fervent – Priscilla Shirer
  • Hosting the Presence – Bill Johnson
  • Seeing is Believing: Experiencing Jesus through Imaginative Prayer – Greg A Boyd
  • 10 Confessions for Living – Ilya Golden 
by tracymauro

“Spirit Break Out – Tear Our Walls Down”

This Sunday at Amazing Church, we are going to sing these words loudly as a prayer over our communities, our families, ourselves.

If you’re in North Texas, please feel free to gather with us in person:

AmazingChurch.com
300 Ridge Road
Mckinney, TX 75070

But, around the world, please gather with us in spirit by singing out the powerful prayer:

“Spirit Break Out – Tear Our Walls Down”

by tracymauro

Being Strategic in the Face of Fear

other side of fear

One of my favorite reads lately is the book Fervent by Priscilla Shirer.  And, because I’m currently sitting in the middle of some pretty major career transition mixed with quite a few unknowns, the chapter on fear is really speaking to me.   And, if the enemy of your soul is trying to throw some fear your way to in order to keep you from your calling, why don’t you join me in weaving the scriptures suggested below into your own prayers.  Fear doesn’t stand a chance in the light of God’s truth.  Here’s how she closes the chapter titled: “Your Fears: Confronting Your Worries and Claiming Your Calling”:

“Remember these worries of yours? They’re not just stray thoughts; they’re deliberate strategies. Strategies to derail you from your destiny and calling. And the way to fight them is with a deliberate prayer strategy of your own.” – Priscilla Shirer

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me?” – Psalm 56:3-4

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – 2 Tim. 1:7

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ But I protested, ‘Oh no, Lord, God! Look, I don’t know how to speak  since I am only a youth.’ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Do not say, I am only a youth, for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to deliver you.'” – Jeremiah 1:4-6

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” – John 14:27

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity – to give you a future and a hope.'” – Jeremiah 29:11

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go. I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” – Proverbs 32:8

“I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you.” – Luke 21:15

“My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them. And they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” – John 10:27-29

“Therefore brethren, since we have confidence to enter the Holy Place by the Blood of Jesus – by a new and Living Way which He inaugurated for us -let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.  For He who promised is faithful.” – Heb. 10:19-20, 23