God gave me an idea, and it's interesting, because I can't pick the moment it came into my mind! I know it's from Him, and here it is:


Prayer is powerful, right? Each week I will PM a person with some questions, and (if they are willing), they will answer them, and I will post them in here. We have prayer days (I will update that list soon), and now I would like us to also focus on one person for a week. Imagine the difference it will make to that person's life when there is 20 people praying consistently for them! Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have against the evil one, so let's use it! There won't be a roster or list that I go thru to pick the person, I trust that God will guide me (as you will see in the first lot of questions in the next post!) God is good, let's not forget that. He does more than listen to our prayers, He answers them!

Also, use that week to encourage the person. PMs, HappyGrams, etc. Let's build one another up.


(I just ask that this thread be kept for the questions/answers, I will start another thread for discussion/comments you would like to make.)

-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
Well, for a start he made Larissa pick me for prayer before I had even got round to putting my requests on the prayer section. I was going to put up a couple of big prayer requests, so the timing was amazing! He was there working even before I asked. I can't think of anything else specific recently, but I'm still so amazed that God has given me so many blessings in my life; a few years ago I couldn't have imagined that things would have worked out for me as they have now.

-What has He taught you?
I think the above was a good lesson that God actually does act and he is there working out our lives for us! It's something that I tend to forget on quite a regular basis and need reminding of a lot. Through many of you on this board, he has also been teaching me the importance of putting him first and living my life in the way that he wants.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
Hmm, patience is always something I struggle with. I would also just like to grow closer to him and live a purer, better life. I tend to rely on my own strength a bit too much, and I know I need to stop doing that.

-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
Well, here goes, the two big prayer requests I mentioned! In no particular order, firstly, I'm facing some major applications in the near future. I don't need to get them in till the autumn, but as I have a little bit of spare time at the moment, I've made a start on working on them now to save too much stress and hurry later. I'm applying for postdoctoral fellowships, and it's unbelievably competitive - literally several hundred applicants for less than 50, sometimes less than 10 or 5, positions. I'm really scared, as I hate to think that I've done 7 years of studying only to tend up stuck in some boring job that I dislike because I can't get the position I want. Please pray that I can frame my applications in the best possible way, that someone somewhere in the country wants to give me a fellowship, and that I stay calm as I probably won't hear till spring next year (yep, they drag it out...!).

Secondly (and again a long-term prayer request really), my man is moving away in the next few weeks and so the rest of our engagement will be long-distance. I do feel a little embarrassed mentioning this on here, as I know others (Song!) have done so much more difficult separations than this will be, but we've always lived in the same city since getting together and it'll certainly be an adjustment. So please pray that we'll both be strong as we get used to living several hours away from each other. The next time we live near each other will be when we're married and we move in together!

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
I think my sister, as she has got major assessments coming up at her college in the next couple of weeks, and I know that she is getting nervous about them. I am trying to persuade her to join, by the way, so maybe after these are out of the way she will be on here!

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
I think I've given enough prayer requests....I don't want to overdo it!

June 21-June 27

-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
The biggest thing that is in my mind right now is just that he's given me a peace about where I am in life right now - that it's exactly where I am supposed to be and I'm doing what I am supposed to be doing.


-What has He taught you?
To just trust in Him and if I keep drawing near to Him, He will show me the next step.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
Respect and patience in dealing with my immediate family - that I would remember that it is important that I serve them.

-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
Actually, it's a blessing, but right at the moment I am not going through any big trials.
(But I know that since I am praying for patience, a trial will come, right? )

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
My cousin Chris. The Holy Spirit is working in his life, trying to draw him to God, and Chris isn't sure whether he really wants to accept the lifeline or not.

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
Well, some of my friends are going through some pretty tough stuff, so if you could pray for them and for me to have wisdom in how to help them, I would really appreciate it!


Thanks, everyone - I love you all!

-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?

Hmm... well we have our little Archie and he is a huge huge blessing! Also I'm discovering how he is useful to me to be a blessing to others - say grandparents & great-grandparents. Its much easier to spend quality time with them now that I have Archie and I'm really glad for it

-What has He taught you?

I'm learning about dying to myself... its a really hard lesson and one I'll be learning all my life, but lately the words 'whatever the cost' seem to be resonating pretty loud here. I hear it loudly but it is very hard to put into practice in my life. Having a child forces one to be less selfish but there is still a loooong way to go! I'm also learning to take advantage of every opportunity, and that following Christ is actually very simple - in theory. Do everything without complaining and arguing. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love the Lord your God with all your heart.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?

Patience and self-control! And serving and giving and gentleness... yeah pretty much the whole lot...

-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?

I get a lot of dreams - some really horrible ones and they annoy me sometimes... particularly when they come true. But thats kinda a side issue... I guess just general day to day getting through to do lists and making time for my family and being able to serve others for Christ...

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?

My mum's parents are not believers. They think they are but they aren't. They are German so when they were 'confirmed' at 14, that meant they became Christians for the rest of their lives. Yeah. Opi (my grandpa) just had a big op and is spending time doing nothing much while he recovers. We have prayed for them for years and years and years. Archie and I pray every day for them... they're 70 now and its so hard to see year after year they refuse to trust God...

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?

Our businesses... we're in the process of starting up a couple home businesses. It seems we're right on the edge now... its ALMOST there. We want to be able to work from home so that we have the time to go out witnessing and develop skills that can be used in future on the mission field somewhere. Please pray that the businesses will get up off the ground really smoothly really soon!

Thanks everyone, its been great sharing with y'all

-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
Obviously, praises never stop for my ministry and how God is blessing it on all fronts. Not just Beggar's Daughter and Alabaster Grace, but youth group and Sunday School class as well. It's been amazing.

-What has He taught you?
To cast all of my cares on Him. All. Not some. Not just the ones I think matter, but everything. Even the 'stupid' stuff.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
Humility

-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
Really pray for our family. Today is my baby sister's 18th birthday, so my mom now officially has four adult children living at home. Tensions can flare. We haven't lived with eachother for 10 years, so this is like having roommates in college. We have to relearn each other and learn to love and to get along.

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
Abby and Andy. Abby is an old roommate of mine. Her husband has been out of work for a while. Abby is supplying the income by working as a pharmacy tech. They are such a sweet couple and life is just hard for them right now. Abby is struggling with some painful health issues, and they are just having such a hard time.

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
I had something the first time I wrote this, but now I can't remember... so ... NOPE!

Thomas


-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?

Gave me a great group of (mostly) young men and women to participate in community theatre with to help take my mind off of my lack of a job for a bit.


-What has He taught you?

Looking back over my bible reading journal from the past week, I see several times where I observed that while I'm doing some godly things part way, I'm not living them as constantly as I should. So you could say, He's been reprimanding me a bit recently.


-What quality would you like God to develop in you?

Patience.


-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?

My lack of a job is really putting a crunch on my finances right now. Fortunately, I only have one bill due in the next couple of weeks. But I still really need a job soon.


-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?

I have a young lady friend at church who is a somewhat similar situation to mine. She just graduated this spring with a degree in nursing and has passed her boards to become an RN. She is also looking for a steady job. Fortunately, she's been able to find some temporary work, but she's looking for something a bit more stable than that.


-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?

Not that I can think of at the moment.

-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
So many things! God has not been holding Himself back when it comes to blessings! My relationship with Josh, restoring my friendships, helping me with my performance at work, and just in general revealing Himself through the most unexpected places!

-What has He taught you?
Trust has been a huge issue lately with everything going on, I think it's a lesson I'll be continuing to grow with for a while. He has begun to show me what His call on my life (being in a support position of some sort) and just that yes, He does have it all under control He's shown me that I am a much stronger person than I ever thought I was and I'm learning to see myself as He sees me. It's incredible.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
I know I need to continue to learn how lean on Him and trust that He really does have the situation under control..that and facing my fears, but I feel like I'm already doing that on a daily basis!


-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
This week will be particularly insane, as it's finals week and I am STILL so behind with school. Pray I will use the time wisely and get caught up so I will pass both of these courses! I still feel like I'm reeling from all the changes that have been happening and while I'm overjoyed because of some of them, it's also very scary because just when I thought life was going to settle down and get back to some sort of normal, it's clearly not! Pray for wisdom when it comes to upcoming life decisions as well as peace about them. Also continue to pray that God will provide financially, as my work hours have been cut down to practically nothing again.

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
My sister and my niece/nephew! Joshua, as he faces some major life decisions. My parents as well, particularly my Mum

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
I think everyone here knows me well enough but just pray for peace and wisdom in the upcoming months as well as the strength to finish my last semester of school. I appreciate you all more than you'll ever know!

Hey folks, I apologize at the outset for the vagueness that I know will ensue...explanations someday! Alyce contacted me and said that God had put me on Larissa's heart lately, so she thought I should fill this out for this week...and that alone has left me praising God for His goodness and good timing. Hallelujah! So anyway...




-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
He has been confirming that I am where I need to be right now (primarily in having come back home for school this year) and has been being so faithful and present as I look at future plans. His nearness in these past few days has just been so amazing and I am so thankful! He seems to have even greater blessings right around the corner, but as one shouldn't count her chickens before they're hatched, I'll wait to share those.

-What has He taught you?
To trust Him and believe Him and to seek His will above all else. There are times in one's life when it is extremely easy to beg God for your will instead of ask God for His will, but He has given me the strength to seek His will and pray for His will to be done (and the awesome thing is that, so far, it looks to line up with my will!). But, through times when I thought it would be my will and times I thought it wouldn't be, He's shown me to trust Him. He's also shown me that if it's not in His will, it doesn't really matter how great it is - "every good and perfect gift is from above", and if you seek a gift that's not from Him, it's not going to be good and perfect.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
I'm copying these questions out of the post for EnglishRose, and my answers keep being so similar to hers...but like she said, patience would be a big one for me. I am in a situation right now where I must simply be patient and it is incredibly hard, so I know that either I'm going to learn this lesson or drive myself crazy in the process.

-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
Well... I am beginning the new college year tomorrow; however, I am not really concerned about that. I'll be talking to some folks on campus today about getting a job, but there's two places that sorta want me (if I understand right from when Dad was talking to them - one is his boss, the other is a related department), and my old boss would take me back in a heartbeat - I just would rather not work foodservice. So, the job, too, doesn't worry me much, but prayers for it wouldn't hurt.

The biggest situation is something I can't share more than vaguely. But, it is for this situation that I need patience, if you could please be praying for that! God has given me a great peace about it all, but I still am a bit impatient... And, for the person that I am waiting on, please pray that this person would have wisdom and a clear sense of God's will. There's a total of three people involved in this situation and it is very desireable that we all three feel God leading in the same way. Is it necessary? No...there is one whose decision we other two must follow. But, if we could all feel the same leading from God, it would make following all that much easier!

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
Yes. It is the third party from up above. I'd just ask that y'all pray that God would give this person great peace that it's all in God's hands. That is the biggest thing. Also for clarity as this person does some important writing that would make me quite nervous, if I was the one writing.

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
Just to praise God greatly for being an awe-inspiring, great, loving, good God, who we know loves to give good gifts to His children. Even when we have an idea of what those gifts should be, and we're not sure whether it'll work out or not...we know that the gifts we receive from Him are the best. That's meant so much to me to know recently!

Lily Among Thorns
(Jennifer)

-What has God done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
Honestly, just that He's kept holding on to me, even amidst all of my doubts.

-What has He taught you?
That He's always with me, always beside me, always there when I need Him. And I'm slowly learning that He has the plan, though it is a struggle for me not to know it right now.


-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
Trust.


-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
Mainly school situations. I have a lot of big tests coming up and I'm getting on the whole plan-for-college-already track and it scares me a lot.


-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
My cousin. She's in a tough situation and hasn't realized how much God loves her. She's really struggling right now and I'm not sure what will happen if she doesn't let God work her life out.


-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
My great-grandmother died. I was never close to her at all, because she had a lot of memory problems and my more distant family has had a lot of arguments over her care, etc, and some things I'm not even sure about. I'm just praying that everything can be resolved, and people can realize the foolishness of some of their actions.

Thanks for praying.

Waltzing Rapunzel

-What God has done in your life lately that we can give thanks about?
Oh, the LORD is good! HE has given me some very special friends and wisdom to teach a Sunday school class! He has really been good to me! He has opened the doors to a chance for profesional singing lessons, which I have wanted and prayed for for SO LONG!

-What has He taught you?
To understand how me and my sister can work together for a better relationship, and to better guard my heart.

-What quality would you like God to develop in you?
Patience. I am struggling with patience a lot. Also that I may have a uncomplaining spirit and not to boss my family around.

-What situations are you facing at the moment that you’d like prayer for?
Life is blessedly going pretty well right now! Thank GOD for that!

-Is there anyone in your life you’d like us to pray for this week?
Please do pray for my father, he is a docter and can't do what he really wants, which is to be a family pracitice docter. Please pray GOD will show him what his will is! And please also pray for my Wicken friend, Lauren. She is sick and I am trying to bring her to CHRIST!

-Anything else you would like to share so we can pray?
Um...Well, I would appreciate prayers for another friend of mine, whom I am hoping to be able to bring to church. Pray I will be guided with that relationship!

Let's keep Ben and Alyce in our prayers this week, and Muffin too

did we stop doing this?

i hope not, cause it was a really good idea

I think I've managed to do them every second week. I've tried to do it every week, but just couldn't do it every week

I can do every other week if you want to, I'd love to help I think its a really good idea.