Sacred Prayer

 

Lately I have found myself awakened through my nights, restless… unable to sleep. Part of it revolves around our daughter’s chronic illness and the night watches that accompany this pilgrimage to wholeness. But that is not all of it. My soul is crying out needing to be met in that quiet time of waiting. Expectancy hovers close in the dawn of the morning and I find that the words ‘waiting for the sunrise’ is more than just a cliché; it is a full-fledged truth.

Have you ever found yourself seeking the sacred in your midnight hour? Seeking and looking for the only One who can meet your desperate need?

Much of this nighttime vigil spent in prayer is bathed with unintelligible yearning, syllables blended with tears in what may easily sound like begging… though it’s not. It is a searching, it is a seeking, it is a looking for the sacred in the midst of the midnight watch. It is an interceding that words and thoughts can’t convey.  It is a resting place where tears imitate the passion translating the words our hearts can’t fully form.

Sacred prayers are born in the passionate pursuit of righteous communion with the Father.

Psalm 102 mimics the pattern my sleepless nights seem to follow, driving me to my  knees as the call to pray becomes a lifeline; a breath upon the dry bones that are scattered beyond me.

These dry bones are a vision of a parched spirit, one with structure but no life.  When Ezekiel spoke over the dry bones (Ezekiel 37), the Word of God says he prophesied to the wind, asking it to blow life into the valley and bring  power to resurrect the lost.

There are days when the patterns of our living replicate the scattering of dried promises left in chaos. We need a strong wind of power to sweep up and fill the reservoirs of hope that will arm us for the battles ahead.

Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones represents the hopelessness we feel in our journey, yet also revealing through an oracle of salvation the message of God’s power to deliver us.  Telling us the GOOD news,  the gospel truth that God can reach us in our exile,  highlights the echoes of grace that the Word of God always demonstrates.  And friends, this grace thing… He points to it… All. The. Time.

Weakness allows us to give in to hope, not hopelessness, which leads to blessing and life.

In our weaknesses, our bones feel like they are trembling, shaking, and rattling. This is exactly the point where we can give up and give in to HOPE, not hopelessness. It is that simple. What do we have to lose in choosing hope? What do we have to lose in choosing God? Nothing, we have nothing left to lose at the point where we are spent in sorry sighing and fading strength.  We have everything to gain by going to the throne of grace with boldness and expectation.(Heb. 4:16)

Psalm 31 points the hopeless in the direction of the rescuer as it reveals that His sovereign grace is enough for every moment.   Our time, it says, is in His hands. Do you believe that? Do you really believe that? Or do you think that your life is your own?

If we put our trust fully in HIM, yet fail to believe that He is purposely working out good for us, then we are a contradiction to truth. He doesn’t expect us to get it all right away. He knows our limitations, because He knows we are finite. Our finite thinking fails to comprehend the extent of eternal infinity which He alone defines. He asks us to trust that we can rest in Him, predisposed to receive the blessing that He has prepared in advance for us to receive.

He can do no less, this God of goodness and grace. His nature is to bless, not to curse. His nature is to unite and commune with us, His chosen and beloved.  The more we see this, the more we can come to the place where surrender no longer looks like a sacrifice, but an investment.  Psalm 31 reminds us that His goodness, which belongs to those who fear Him and revere His name is great and that we are encouraged to be strong, take courage… wait, hope and expect the Lord.

{When you are praying in the dark hour of the trial what do you expect, friend?}

Follow me here to some sacred promises that are seeds of hope for you.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.

He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not be faint.  – Isaiah 40:28-31

 

The midnight moments point to fully expectant hope.

Friends, the weary moments are the ones where I can find myself slipping into the hole of hopelessness, fully missing the path that faith points towards. Though my flesh may bear the mark of grief, my soul can soar like the eagle up above the storm; riding on the waves the updraft wind creates, pushing me closer and closer to the Sun.

This midnight moment is the deliverance which reflects the resurrection power that Ezekiel prophesied. The blowing wind is like cleansing waves splashing over us. As we relinquish the hold on our plans, we can finally  willingly accept His abundant will.

Praying earnestly, seeking the solace that His Word declares is ours… the peace that passes all understanding of Philippians 4 becomes our reward.  Finally, I can see a ray of hope in this moment. I realize His will is exactly what I need.

Unless I first begin to seek His will in my midnight hours, my tomorrows may never be fully filled with the windfall of promise it was meant to hold.

Are you ready for the fullness of going fully in to the Will of God? Are you ready to meet the hope that comes from being sold out for His glory?

I would love to walk deeper with you. I’d love to go all the way to the ledge and jump with abandon into His heart of hope.  Will you join me in the journey?Please let me know how I can pray for you this week. You can email me at dawnboyer@journeysingrace.com.

 

Praying that today that the Son of righteousness would rise in your midnight hour as you wait, hope, and expect His deliverance.  May the breath of life from the Spirit wind of Truth blow over you and resurrect life within your heart. May His grace infuse every step with power to soar high above the storms you are facing today.

 

May the fullness of His grace bless you on the journey!

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-ANNOUNCING- The ALL IN Ministry Launch November 1st, 2014

Something awesome is coming on the 1st of November.  A powerful ministry is launching on Saturday for the purpose of going ALL IN,  ALL dependent upon God. Loving God fully, heart, soul, and mind, purposing to love others as a result. I have the privilege of joining with passionate hearts seeking to dive deep into the fullness of God. I am so excited to share it withyou.  The ALL IN Ministry is going to bless you abundantly.  You can find it online at Going All In  and  find ALL In on FB.

Stop on over, sign up for emails and information, get on the list, and join the FB page to get updates.  I am ready to Go ALL In and I hope to see you there. #ALLIN

 

 

 

Linking up this week with passionate hearts seeking the sacred moments:

SDG Gathering, Make a Difference Mondays, Playdates with God, Unite, #TellHisStory, CoffeeforYourHeart, Word Filled Wednesday, Winsome Wednesday, What you Wish Wednesday,  Thought Provoking Thursdays, Thoughtful Thursdays,Fellowship Fridays, Missional Women, Essential Things Devotions, Faith and Fellowship Blog Hop, Counting My Blessings, Fellowship Friday, Missional Call,  Saturday Soiree, Give Me Grace, Still Saturday,  Recommendation Saturday, The Weekend Brew