Summer sun, holidays and leisure. We are smack in the middle of beach days, poolside parties and BBQ’s. The kids are off school. Set bedtimes and alarm clocks are fading memories, traded for sand-between-the-toes, popsicle-filled adventure.
Summer is a causal existence. It’s tropical, island-style living within the city limits. But, when taken too far, the freedom of summer can usher in a wintery faith.
3 things that should never take a holiday
Time in the Word.
I’m all for a break from daily living, but I’m absolutely against a break from your daily bread. Be flexible. If your summer schedule has changed, your time in the Word can change. The point is to be purposeful. If you don’t plan time to study and meditate on Scripture, it’s unlikely to happen.
Prayer
Box the electronic games and get outside to play real ones. Turn off the television and go for a walk, swim, or bike ride. Yes, unplug, but never unplug from prayer. It’s your lifeline.
There is no holiday from needing the Lord. How can you respond with wisdom, discern the moment, or produce the fruits of the Spirit if you’re not connected to the vine? You can’t. They are Holy Spirit powered.
If prayer takes a holiday, it won’t be long before love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control take a hike along with it.
You need prayer because you need the Lord.
Fellowship
We need each other. We need to sit under biblically sound teaching, be held accountable, and offer and receive encouragement. I need the godly women in my life to show-up because iron sharpens iron. I’m counting on them.
Distractions will arise. Temptations to check-out rather than check-in are huge. So, purposefully focus on what matters—fixing your heart and mind on the things of God and encouraging your brothers and sisters to do the same. They are counting on you to show-up.
It’s never routine with God
Yesterday, a friend reminded me that routines and habits are great, but what the Lord teaches us through His Word, in prayer, and through each other, is never routine.
His Mercies are new every morning, Great is His Faithfulness!
I need not fear, but instead, be encouraged because the Lord is with me. His power is perfect in weakness—and I am weak. I do not create life, heal brokenness, or redeem tragedy, but God can. My inability showcases His great ability. He calls me closer to Him. He refreshes me when I call on Him.
This suffering will produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And that hope does not put me to shame because God has poured his love into my heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is my light and salvation. He is the stronghold of life. My confidence is in Him. I cry out now, and I know that He hears me because He is close to the brokenhearted and He saves those crushed in spirit.
I may be hard pressed on every side, but I am not crushed. I may be perplexed, but I do not despair. I may feel persecuted, but I am not abandoned. I might get struck down, but I will not be destroyed because He is my God. He is with me. He strengthens me and upholds me in His righteous hand.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord – and for that, I praise you, God!
It’s been the kind of week that didn’t allow for writing because it required more praying. What joy is found in praying Scripture and depending on the words of God.
Hear our prayers, O Lord. Give ear to our pleas for mercy. In your faithfulness, answer us. The enemy is pursuing us, distracting us, and trying to crush life to the ground. He is trying to force us to sit in darkness like those long dead. He wants our spirit faint. He wants us to forget Your goodness and be fearful.
But, we remember. We remember what You have done before and know You can do it again. You created us. You have brought us from death to life. We meditate on Your provision and ponder the works of Your hands. We stretch out our hands to You asking, begging for Your mercy on our families, our church, and our lives. Answer us quickly, O Lord. Hide not Your face from us. For Your name’s sake, provide for our needs and teach us to let go of our wants. Go before us. Remain beside us. Be our God in such a powerful way we will know You are with us and, as a result, we will turn toward You in our time of need, trusting in You.
Hear our prayers, O Lord. Let our cry come to You. Do not hide your face from us in the day of distress. Incline Your ear to us and answer us speedily. Nothing is impossible for You. You set the earth on its foundations so it should never be moved. The waters stood above the mountains and at Your rebuke they fled; at the sound of Your thunder they took flight. The mountains rose and the valleys sank down to the place that You appointed for them. You made springs gush forth. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm. O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, You are great in counsel and mighty in deed. Your eyes are open to our deeds. We know we are not worthy to ask anything of You, but because of Christ, we can boldly approach Your throne and plead for grace and mercy. Show Your power and might in marvellous ways.
True to my British roots, I love a good cup of tea. During difficultly I go on autopilot and put the kettle on the stove. I often don’t even want the tea, just the act of making it calms my nerves.
The other thing I do during difficulty is pray through Scripture. It calms me like nothing else can. I insert my name into the Word of God and drink in the warmth of personal message. Sometimes I insert the names of my children or loved ones as I pray verses that speak to my heart.
I not only pray through Scripture, I often write it down. The act of writing it down gathers my scattered thoughts revealing the true condition of my heart.
I love to go back and reread my prayers often shocked at the beauty of God’s Word. Praying through His Word is a beautiful thing.
Below are a handful of paraphrased verses I treasure. Maybe you can share some favorites of yours?
I am afflicted but not crushed, perplexed but not despairing, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed because of the treasure that lives in me (2 Corinthians 4:8).
May I walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May I be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy giving thanks to the Father who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossian 1:9-14).
I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, according to the riches of his glory he may grant my children to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. Being rooted and grounded in love, may they have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that they may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).
God’s grace is sufficient for me; His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
I have nothing to fear, God has redeemed me. He has called me by name, I am His. When I pass through the waters He will be with me, when I go through the rivers they will not overwhelm me, when I walk through the fire I will not be burned. The flames will not consume me. For He is the Lord my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior (Isaiah 43:1-4).
He was wounded for my transgressions; he was crushed for my iniquities. The punishment that bought me peace was laid upon Him. By His wounds I am healed. Like sheep I have gone astray. I have turned to my own way. The Lord has laid on Christ my sins (Isaiah 53:5-6).
Here is a trustworthy statement. If I have died with Him, I will also live with Him. If I endure, I will also reign with Him. If I deny Him, he will also deny me. If I am faithless He is faithful for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2 11-13).
You are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name (Psalm 86:10-11).
