Not Even If I Tried

Okay, I couldn't make this story up if I tried, so here goes. A few weeks ago I challenged the teens of UNINTIMIDATED to ask God to show them for themselves that His hand was in this journey. Two of my girls took up the challenge and asked God to show them something they needed to specifically pray over for Tebow. The next morning, both girls heard/read news about Tebow's new girlfriend. This was cause for some concern as the girl Tebow was dating did not appear to be saved. This was upsetting to the girls, but at least they had something to pray over. I admit, it had me concerned too and quite honestly I speculated a bit in my prayers. I know these girls, and I can almost guarantee you they have been praying for Tebow's wisdom in dating this actress and for God to intervene if she wasn't right for him, in my prayers however, I think I judged a little and assumed some.
     It strikes me as odd that Tebow has had very little success in New York, he has not been the savior of their team as he was Denver, not much chance to talk about his faith. As a matter of fact, he has been given very few opportunities to play and the one game where Sanchez was benched, Tebow was inactive due to broken ribs. Yesterday, Sanchez lost the starting job and Tebow was passed up as starter for third-stringer McElroy.
     Ironically, according to the news, Tebow has been interested in this girl since arriving in New York and began officially dating her just a few weeks ago. It seemed to me that God was letting Tebow know that dating an unsaved person was definitely not in His plan for his life. Now, the Holy Spirit convicted me over that, let me know I wasn't Him and didn't know all the details. This could be a time of testing for Tebow for all I knew. So I did modify my prayers. I did sincerely attempt to keep my speculation and opinion out of my prayers, but my thoughts kept coming back to it, perhaps it was the Holy Spirit guiding my prayer, I don't know. What I do know is that I prayed for God to give Tebow wisdom in dating her, that if she was going to pull his heart and focus away from God, that He would intervene and take her out of Tebow's life.
     Today, there have been numerous articles on Tebow (which now that I think about it, I did ask God to move specifically in Tebow's life today and apparently He did). Just as I was about to log off, I was scrolling through the news feed and a new article had been posted. Now hold on to your seats here cause this is pretty astounding...Tebow broke up with his girlfriend. HE broke up with her, not the other way around.
     I just laughed when I saw the article, could God be any plainer, any more direct in His answer? This is crazy...and awesome...and amazing...and well, I'm out of adjectives, but tell me, just how marvelous is our God? (oh, guess I came up with one more adjective after all)

For Themselves

Last week as I was praying, I realized that so much of what my kids are holding to is my faith and my belief that God is going to answer this request. This is not a bad thing necessarily. For the ones who are new to this, it's probably what they need for now, but for the ones who have been at this for awhile, they need some ownership in this prayer, they need to see God work in this for themselves. I began to pray that God would give at least the original seven a heart and a burden for this request; that they would take up a leadership role in this group. From that prayer, God lead me to challenge the teens to try Him and prove for themselves His hand was in this.
     So I did. I challenged them to ask God to do something specific over the next week to help them see for themselves, directly from God that this was His will. I told them if they weren't sure what to ask, to let God know that and give Him a chance to show what they should be asking for. First thing this morning, one of my girls told me she had been asking God what she should be praying for Tebow and would He please show her. On her way to school she heard a news piece about the girl he is currently dating, one that doesn't appear to be saved. She was excited because God showed her she needed to pray for Tebow's wisdom as he pursued this relationship.  Another girl told me virtually the same story at lunch. She was frustrated because she felt her prayers were becoming repetitious and she wanted to know specifically how she needed to pray. She, too, heard a news story about him on the way to school.
     Both girls were so excited to share and to see for themselves that God not only heard, but so quickly answered their prayer. This is really what this journey has been about, getting them to see and experience the power of prayer, to attempt impossible things that only God can answer and then expect Him to answer. I think tonight, at least two of the fourteen have definitely seen that for themselves, and prayerfully, twelve more will before Friday.

Sometimes, They're More Than Just Rewards

This past week has been AMAZING for UNINTIMIDATED. God has worked so greatly in two very specific areas. One I shared earlier, that God had sent someone, for at least a day, to pray with Tebow over our request. The other came Friday, when 12 kids showed up at 2:45 to pray for UNINTIMIDATED, many of whom I had prayed specifically that God would work in their hearts to bring them in. Our prayer group has doubled the number of teens alone that are now a part of this...fourteen teenagers are now committed to pray on a daily basis for Tim Tebow. I am so excited to see how God will now work, and the change something like this will bring to our high school.
     This working of God did not go unnoticed by Satan. As you can imagine, he went on the attack. Something very minor happened at school on Wednesday, but apparently it was just bad timing, because I cried, rather hard, for the rest of the day. I felt so miserable about it, I almost didn't go to church. A few hours before services began the Holy Spirit asked me if I was going to let Satan win this way, one day after God had so directly answered a prayer. So I went to church and of course it helped, mostly. On the way home, I didn't really want to pray about Tebow or our request, so I determined to just go home and go to bed. The Holy Spirit then asked me if I would really not pray in a week where I was asking God to speak to numerous teens about UNINTIMIDATED. He then reminded me that that very day, two teens had committed and would be joining us on Friday. So I prayed. Thursday as I was driving to school, I stopped at a store and realized my tire was flat...yes ANOTHER tire, that makes three if you're counting...and I am. :) I called a friend to pick me up, got my shopping done and went to school, completely unruffled. Things didn't quite go as planned and my car didn't get fixed, but Safeway was amazing and told me not to worry about having my car towed. I did manage to get it fixed Friday afternoon, after a few snags, for a really decent price, after twelve teens showed up to pray.
     It was really hard to get anxious or upset. God had sent so many blessings into my life this week that they were my focus. When I did get upset, God reminded me of the blessings He had already sent.  Blessings are amazing, and sometimes God send them to us as more than a reward for obedient living. Sometimes, they are reminders and sometimes they are distractors so we stay focused on Him and not on what Satan is trying to do around us.
     I always try to be thankful for the things God does for me, but this week, there's just a bit more gratefulness for what God did because for once in what seems a very long time, Satan didn't win a battle he usually does...and all because God sent the blessings first.

Almost, Nearly...But Not Quite

This has been an exciting week for UNINTIMIDATED. As of tonight, God has brought two more students into the prayer group. The stories of how each of the kids knew this was something God wanted them to do are pretty amazing. God has been so direct in leading them into this and they're so excited to share what God showed them; and they are so amazed at how He made it so clear to them. In their words, "it's so cool how God did that." Yes, it is so very cool how God did that.
     Just a few minutes ago I received a text from one of my girls showing me their Bible verse for the week. It is the passage in Ecclesiastes 5 that deals with making vows and what God expects. She was so excited to show me that verse. I mentioned to her it seemed as if God was speaking to some of the students in her Bible class about joining while reminding others of the commitment they made back in March. She said this verse has reminded her all week to pray. She then sent another message that made my heart rejoice...she's excited about tomorrow...the day UNINTIMIDATED meets to pray together. Teens excited about getting together and praying, yes, God, very cool indeed.
    Then there are two teen boys in my homeroom who, well, I think kind of missed the boat by a few inches. I shared with them on Tuesday about God sending someone to Tebow to pray with him. This apparently motivated two of my students to begin a prayer campaign of their own, a good thing, right? So that morning during devotions, one of them requested that he and his friend get to meet someone. The boy is sometimes difficult to understand, so I thought he meant Tebow. As we bowed our heads to pray, I heard one of his classmates comment on the fact that the 'someone' was his favorite rock band. The next day, the boy again requests prayer, but this time it's an unspoken. I told him I was not going to pray that God allows him to meet someone who isn't saved and lives a life contrary to God, he said okay. Today, he once again requests prayer for an unspoken request. I asked him if it was rock star I was praying for him to meet and he assured me it wasn't. One of his classmates said no, it's now Arnold Schwarzenegger. Really?! I'm not sure how to take that. On the one hand, the boy believes God can do it and is praying for it to be done. He took Matthew 18:19 literally and got his friend to pray with him...that's two agreeing in prayer, but he's praying for things that don't really honor God. I find it humorous, but realize I may need to do a better job explaining why Tebow and how it all came about and what God taught me about that verse. But still, a student taking God at His Word and beginning a prayer campaign all on his own...that we can work with and hopefully direct down a right path.
      So yes, it has been an exciting week of seeing God work in the life of my teen-agers. It's exciting to see that most of them are heading in the right direction and a few are almost, nearly there, but not quite...yet. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

I have truly enjoyed chronicling this amazing journey...GREAT idea, Stephanie. I love to go back, especially to the earlier ones and remind myself of all God has done in this prayer. I also like to remind myself of the lessons learned along the way in hopes that for some at least, I don't have to re-learn them. I love sharing the things God has shown. I love how much my prayer life as evolved as a result of this. I love being able to see the pretty amazing ways God has come through on many of my prayers.
     The blogs I most love re-reading, and writing, are the ones the tell of the utterly amazing things God does in and through this prayer...and I would have to say, this blog ranks up there with some of my favorite moments. Recently, I have begun to pray that each day God creates a specific circumstance in which He burdens Tebow with a desire to meet my kids. I have asked for things like God giving him an unexpected amount of free time during the day and in that time, He work on Tebow's heart over this request. I have asked that in the quiet times during his day, the times he is all alone, that God heavily burden his heart to pray over this. I've never asked God for a sign or indication in any way as confirmation, so I have to trust that God is doing this. Last night, as I was praying, I wasn't sure what to ask God allow to happen to draw Tebow's attention to this request. So, I asked God what to ask for. He then put it in my heart to ask that someone come to Tebow and tell him that they wanted to pray with him, that they felt there was something God wanted Tebow to do. At first, I thought, okay God, is this real? I then asked God if He would be gracious enough to put an article on MSN if and only if this particular prayer was answered today. It then occurred to me that by the time I get up, Tebow is half way through his day (he's five time zones ahead of me, I'm not that lazy :]) and God may have already answered it. So I promised God I wouldn't check my MSN page until 6:45, right before I leave for work. So, promptly at 6:45 I get onto MSN. Now, I do have to admit, I was a little fearful; afraid, maybe an article wouldn't be there. I comforted myself with the idea that God didn't have to answer right then, He could answer at any time during the day.
     I am so glad God is SO gracious and merciful to me because, first thing this morning, as I slowly scrolled down all the headlines, under the sports section, there it was...my Tebow article! Now of course, Satan jumped in with, "it's virtually the same article as yesterday, basically all they did was add a video", and I almost bought it. Then I realized, God would have caused it to be taken down if He hadn't already brought that person to pray with Tebow. As a matter of fact, when I got to school and checked again, the article was gone. Isn't God absolutely amazing?! If ever I needed proof that God hears prayer and will answer even very specific ones, this is it.
    So first, Stephanie heard via several texts, then my homeroom heard and my Algebra II class heard as well and now you too have heard what an amazing and powerful and caring and gracious God we serve. Can't say thank You or praise You enough so as you lift up this prayer, add your praise and thanks to this, because God is working in some pretty direct and spectacular ways.

He Gave Them A Heart

In my devotions I have been reading through Ezra. Many times the Bible mentions that God gave the Persian kings a heart to let the Israelites return from captivity and begin rebuilding the Temple. It also mentions on several occasions that He gave them a heart to provide gold, silver, bronze, oil, wine, etc...for the Israelites as they returned home and began rebuilding the Temple.
     One request I make often of God concerning Tebow is that God lay a heavy burden on his heart to meet my students and that He put a desire in Tebow's heart to answer our request once he is aware of it. I ask God to let meeting Tebow be at no expense to the kids, even if they get to travel to meet him (because, yes, I do pray they get to go to New York to meet him). As I read once again this morning of God putting it in the kings' hearts to allow the captives to return and rebuild, and not only returning and rebuilding, but also giving provisions for it, I realized God can and will not only move in Tebow's heart to meet my kids, but also will provide a way for that to happen at no expense to the kids. After all, these kings were not God's own children and they fulfilled His plan, how much more can God do through one that belongs to Him?
     This request and all that has come about from it has definitely been God's plan. God will always make a way for His plans to be fulfilled. Burdening Tebow's heart and giving him a desire to fulfill the request is something God can and will do. I don't have to be concerned about that, God will give Tebow a heart to meet my kids and a heart to make it happen in whatever way God is planning.



    

"Put Me In Coach"

We've all heard stories of the little guy who wants to play in a game and begs his coach to put him in, assuring his coach that he can play. And often, the story ends with a reluctant coach finally putting that little guy in in the final minutes and winning a game because of it.
    God has been working on me over a situation for many days and tonight I was reminded of those types of stories as I read through II Chronicles 24. The king had commanded the Levites to go throughout the nation and collect money and gifts for repairs on the Temple. The Levites were slow to act because they really didn't think the people would give. They underestimated what the people could do and how willing they would be to do something for God.
     God has been working on me for the past several days about opening UNINTIMIDATED up to our entire high school. I've been hesitant because I don't want them to enter into this lightly. I want them to understand the commitment they are making in becoming a prayer warrior and praying for a chance to meet Tebow. Honestly, I've avoided it too, because I don't see any of them wanting to commit. But that would be me making that decision for them, just as the Levites made the decision for the Israelites. I have no idea who, if any of them, would want to join, but none of them will if I don't give them the chance. I am avoiding this because I don't think they'll join, I am underestimating what they want to do for God.
     When the Levites did finally go and make the collections they were surprised at the amount of gifts and money the people gave. The Bible says the collection boxes overflowed with money and gifts, that there was surplus money to do even more than planned for. I feel this is God telling me to go ahead and open it up and let His power overflow this request. Perhaps more than I think will take up the challenge of becoming a prayer warrior and experience all that we have in their own walks with God. And as God also pointed out that the Levites slowness in acting was the same thing as disobedience, I guess I'll bring this up in my high school classes tomorrow.
     Sometimes, the story of that little guy ends with the coach not putting him in. That coach will never know what kind of difference the little guy could have made because he never gave him a chance. I don't want to be in that position, of not knowing what could have been, of missing out on meeting Tebow because I didn't offer the chance to someone to join in . I will offer them that chance and leave their hearts and their responses up to God and hopefully, I will be as surprised at who joins as the Levites were at the amounts given..

In The Meantime

For me at least, in a prayer journey this big and this long, it is easy to get tunnel vision. By that I mean, I have become obsessed with this prayer again. It consumes my prayer time. This may not seem like a problem to you, but God pointed out to me tonight that it actually is.
     I pray often for God to show me the things He wants me to do so that He can answer this. I also ask Him if there are things I am doing that don't fit His plan to show me those as well. Tonight He pointed out that I am becoming so focused on this prayer that I am neglecting real prayer for the other people and situations in my life. While Tim Tebow certainly needs prayer, he's not the only person I know who needs continuous prayer support. He also reminded me that He expects me to be faithful to all the other things He commanded me to do. I need to be faithful to my Sunday School class, to remember that as a Christian school teacher, I am making an impact for eternity, that my time set aside for soul-winning is fulfilled each week. In other words, I need to keep serving Him while I am waiting for an answer from Him.
     My sister has a basset hound named Molly. Molly occasionally gets very fixated on the kitchen floor. She will sit in the kitchen and with one paw relentlessly dig at the linoleum. She'll then switch paws and do the same thing until someone calls her name or taps her on the head. She gets very focused on what she's doing and forgets what's going on around her. Tonight, God had to tap me on the head and remind me that I have another prayer list and it's being neglected. He also reminded me with that tap that yes, keep praying for an answer, but in the meantime, be sure to keep serving Him as well.

Just When I Need Him

I know I've said this in many posts, and have written many posts about it, but it's always true...God is amazing and good and gracious and caring and...
     Monday I was having difficulty praying. I didn't know what to pray or even how to pray, it was very frustrating. I finally asked God to just show Himself somehow, some way in this prayer and left it at that. The next morning I took my homeroom to drop off their shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. As I climbed into the van, one of my girls very excitedly told me she had a story to tell me on the way. A few weeks ago, I mentioned in a blog that two of my current sophomores were praying over whether or not God would have them join us. This was one of those girls. She told me she had specifically been praying over the weekend for God to show her what He would have her do. I don't remember the verse she mentioned, but God made it very clear to her through that verse He wanted her to become a part of this. She then asked God for confirmation just so she could be sure and God gave her what she asked for and needed. So we have one more person joining us in UNINTIMIDATED as well as praying that my original seven sophomores get to meet Tebow. God definitely showed Himself to still be in this prayer...He brought one more into the fight.
    THEN, last night I asked God what it was I needed to be specifically praying over for Tebow. My prayers were beginning to feel repetitious and unproductive. Today there was an article on MSN about him. It was a rather sad article as several of his teammates ripped into him over being a bad quarterback. Tebow was rather amazing in his response. He mentioned it hurt but he could only control his actions, his attitude and his work ethics not anyone else's.
     It is amazing to me how fast God answered my prayer. Tebow and the Jets organization need a lot of prayer right now and God knew that. God is indeed amazing and good and gracious and caring and...just at the right time, just at the time I need Him.

There Is No Trial and Error with God

This morning I was reading through the last chapters of I Chronicles. In these chapters are all the vast details of David's preparations for Solomon to build the Temple. By the time Solomon took the throne, everything had been gathered, provided for, jobs appointed and plans detailed for how to build the Temple, Solomon just had to do it.
      A great and privileged task had been given to Solomon by God, and through David, God made it possible for Solomon to accomplish it. Solomon didn't have to sit around and speculate on how the job was going to get done. He didn't have to try out different methods of construction. He didn't have to spend mindless hours looking at fabric patterns, colors and textures trying to figure out designs for the Temple. He didn't have to spend endless hours perusing magazines and articles trying to find the right structures and designs for the alter, brazen sea and all their parts. He didn't have to consult with contractors on where to break ground and how best to build the support and frame for the Temple. God had provided it all for Him.
     God will not call us to any task that He doesn't already have the plans for and details already worked out. By the time God is burdening our hearts for a task, He knows exactly what He wants and how He wants it done. He doesn't call us to a task and tell us "Well, I'm not sure exactly how this'll work out, we'll just feel it out as we go." No, God knows where's He's headed. He doesn't take the detours, we do.  God doesn't always reveal to us as clearly as He did to Solomon how He intends to accomplish the task, it would be nice if He did, but often He doesn't. More often it's like Abraham. God says go and we just have to start walking, trusting He'll point us in the right direction.
     I look at the journey God has taken me on since January. I still don't see how God will fulfill this plan, I just know that nothing has been by accident. It's comforting, though, to be reminded that while we may not see how God is going to answer our request, He does. We can take heart that God already has all the details planned out and has provided all the things we need to accomplish this or any task He has called us to
    

For Such A Time As This?

Numerous times in this journey I have asked God what it is He wants to accomplish, why did He ask me to to take this on. Some days, curiosity overwhelms me and I am dieing to know. Other days, it outright annoys and frustrates me that He hasn't revealed it. Other days, when I am struggling to to keep believing, it makes me want to quit. There are many things I have seen happen along the way. I personally, have grown a lot during this and I have seen my kids take some rather big steps in faith, prayer and learning to trust God's timing as well as His promises. Perhaps these all were reasons God said to ask, I don't really know. Perhaps there is one person who will come to know Him as Saviour and this is the only way that will happen, again, I don't know. Or perhaps, God is looking to start a revolution with our teens.
     On Wednesday nights, our youth director has been showing a mini-movie put out by Eric Capaci's ministry. The main character wants to be a revolutionary for God. He wants to start a Christian revolution in his church and home town, do something big for God, make an impact for eternity. Our youth director has followed the movie up with a series challenging the teens to become revolutionaries themselves. To allow God to use them in big ways and not be intimidated by the fact they are teens. Hmmmm....sounds awfully familiar....sounds like something I pray so often for these kids. "God, show them how big you are. Show them you can do something huge through them if they'll just let you. Let them change our school and their youth groups. Show them and others how powerful prayer can be." These are exact words I have prayed hundreds of times in this prayer, and now their Bible teacher and youth director is saying the same thing. Coincidence or the Holy Spirit? I say Holy Spirit.
     I don't know that this is THE reason God challenged me way back in January. I do know, however, He knew back in January that, in October, their Bible teacher, and for a few, their youth director was going to show this movie, that he was going to challenge them to do something big, make an impact for eternity. Perhaps God was just paving the way, giving them a cause to invest in so that when they were challenged, they were ready and willing to step up and become revolutionaries for God. Perhaps God's challenge back then was for such a time as this.

Not In MY Power

From time to time K-Love radio station will ask an artist to host a video devotional series which they post on-line. Their most recent one was from the lead singer of Tenth Avenue North. In his series, he went through the Lord's Prayer. Something he said in one of the devotions really struck me. Now bear with me, what he taught and what God showed me are related. not just in a way you might think.
      In this particular video, he spoke of the phrase dealing with forgiving and being forgiven. He said that often people think they are too bad to be forgiven. He pointed out that for us to say that is to tell God that He is wrong about forgiving us and that there is something we can do to earn forgiveness...which of course, we can't. Forgiveness is about what He's done for us, not what we do for Him.
     God used this idea to talk to me about the impossibility of this prayer. Early on in this journey God had to do some teaching over the idea that He wasn't interested in my perfect obedience to answer this, He was interested in my faith and faithfulness to answer this. Recently, that struggle has been resurrected. There is a sin in my life that I struggle with, one I fall to far more often than I desire. It is a struggle I have brought on myself and Satan has used it to batter me. My fear has become that God will not answer this request because I battle a sin, because my obedience is not perfect. God used the teaching from that video to show me that for me to think I have to have a perfect, sinless life for Him to answer is basically saying God will answer this request because of something I have done and that's not true. How many times have I prayed that God would allow nothing in this prayer to draw attention to me, that only He be glorified in it? If God answered this because I was perfectly obedient, then I would get some of the credit for the answer.  How have I missed this truth?
     God isn't going to answer this prayer because my obedience is perfect, He's going to answer it because HE is. He's going to answer it because He is true to what He promises. Now, that's not to say my actions don't have some bearing on God working, they do. I can not live a life of un-repented sin and expect God to answer. Isaiah says our iniquities have separated us from God and that He can't hear us with unconfessed sin...and that's the key...the sin must be confessed and an effort made to abandon it. God knows our nature, He knows how susceptible to sin we are. That's why, when you look at the conditions for answered prayer, they are all about believing and having faith, not about obeying perfectly. God will answer this, and it won't be because I've lived a life of perfect obedience. He'll answer because I have struggled to keep this sin from my life. He'll answer to show that it is HIS power and not mine that brought about an answer.

God Is Indeed For Us

It astounds me how, when we take one small step in obedience, God rushes to meet us where we're at. Two nights ago I recommitted myself to UNINTIMIDATED and to begin earnestly praying once more that my 'sophomores' meet Tim Tebow. How God has shown Himself is amazing to me. God really is interested, He was just waiting for me to be interested again too.
     Last spring, I had asked a good friend here to join me in praying daily. We were able to do this pretty faithfully until school ended. The summer happened and with the start of school, volleyball happened. Praying together fell by the wayside. As soon as volleyball was over, I asked her if we could begin praying together again. We committed to it, but did not follow through. Within 10-15 minutes of me ending my prayer of recommitment Tuesday, she texted and asked if we could pray together that night. Circumstances prevented her from coming to my apartment and pray, but we did pray at the same time in our own apartments. That was God at work, Him encouraging me immediately upon my steps back to Him.
     Yesterday, I recommitted to this with my students, asking them to consider meeting together once again at least once a week. I told them I was back in full-force and challenged them to recommit if they too had fallen away. This morning, one of the girls told she prayed for this last night. After school, another of the girls and I were able to share with two current sophomores the story behind this journey and UNINITIMIDATED. The two current sophomores asked my student why she committed to praying for Tebow. Not only did she share her reasons, she told them that this commitment had not only changed her prayer life, but drew her closer to God in her devotions. She felt like she understood her Bible better. She told them she slacked off on her commitment during the summer and could tell a difference in her prayer life and devotions, they weren't the same and has struggled more to understand what she was reading. She told them and me she was taking up the commitment once more and had prayed over it last night. This time of sharing led to a time of once again getting to pray with at least one of my kids over this and included two new students who are now praying about whether God would have them join us or not.
     God is indeed for us. These last two days have shown so clearly how much God wants my obedience and how much He wants to answer this request. All I can think to say is thank you, God...and that seems so inadequate, but it'll have to do.

The Vow

"Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay." Eccelesiastes 5:5

Nine months and six days ago God laid it upon my heart to begin praying that my sophomore homeroom class meet Tim Tebow. Out of that burden came a commitment to become a prayer warrior for Tebow. The commitment to pray for a meeting and for Tebow himself was relatively easy when I thought God was going to answer this request before school let out last May. It's not been such an easy commitment since then, in fact it has been an awful battle to just not quit since it often appeared to me that God was no longer interested.
     In many vain efforts, I tried to renew the passion and drive I had last winter and spring to see this done, but I never seemed quite able to sustain a full-on prayer campaign and I grew very frustrated. I couldn't figure out why God wasn't talking anymore or why He didn't really seem interested in answering anymore. Tonight, I laid everything aside and asked God point-blank if He still intended to answer this. His answer was yes. I asked Him then why I was having such trouble keeping up this prayer and why He didn't seem interested anymore. He answered that I was the one who had lost interest. Why should He work to answer something so huge if I really didn't want Him to? He pointed out that I was the one who went back on my vow to see this through to the end. The condition of my promise verse is to pray and ask, then He'll answer. If I'm not asking, He's under no obligation to answer.
     He went on to remind me that I had made a commitment to not only see this prayer through to fruition, but also to be a prayer warrior for Tebow. He brought the above verse from Eccelesiastes to mind. God would have rather I not made the commitment than not followed through. He didn't force this journey on me, I took it on willingly and as such He expects me to honor it. He told me I needed to renew my commitment in full to this journey and to UNINTIMIDATED.
     So that's what I did. I went back to some of the earliest blogs in this journey to remind myself just why I committed to this at all. Let me say, I am so thankful for Stephanie's suggestion to blog this. It was good to be reminded why I took this on. God is capable of doing something amazing in my life and the lives of my kids. Seeing so many of the reasons God had shown me why He wants this has definitely helped renew my commitment...I'd forgotten some of those. These reasons stirred up the passion and desire in me once again to see God work...an answer to a much repeated request. Reading about all the ways God has worked and shown Himself to be in this journey were amazing. It's good to be reminded.
     God has most definitely been in this from the beginning, no doubt. God still has a vested interest in answering this, but He is only interested as much as I am. Tonight, I am recommitting to my prayer and to UNINTIMIDATED...full-on. I will pay the vow I have vowed. If you have committed to pray, and like me have gone back on that commitment in anyway, I challenge you to join me and recommit and let's see how our amazing God is going to make this happen.
   

Geometry...In the Bible?

Today in Geometry class we learned about conditionals and "if-then" statements... "if the Broncos go to the Super Bowl, then we will have a party"...those kinds of statements.
Since school has started I have had a difficult time sincerely keeping this prayer before God. More times than I care to admit, this request has been tossed up to God in the mornings just so I could say I've prayed for it. Tonight was a blessed night in that I got home early, got to get school work and house work done before 7 and had some real, honest time to spend on this prayer...not something I've had much of. I asked God to just reaffirm that He was still going to answer this. He took me back to Matthew 18:19, my promise verse. The verse says IF two of us agree in prayer, THEN He will hear and do it for us. Of course I laughed when I realized conditional statements were indeed in the Bible and I had new-found ammunition for the statement often whined at me, "why do we need to know this? When are we ever going to use this?" Because knowing conditionals is how you'll get God to answer your prayers...that's why!!! :)
Along with learning how to write conditional statements, we learned how to evaluate the truth-value of a conditional. To do this, you have to come up with an example that would make the second part of the statement untrue. If you are able to do this then the conditional is false. Looking at the conditional in my verse, there is no way to make the second statement false, there is no instance that will cause God to not answer when the condition has been met. And that's because we serve a God Who is incapable of being anything other than what He says...He is absolute.
Needing geometry to better understand your Bible...who'd have thought?!

It Came From God, Not An Article

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Hebrews 10:35-35

I have felt in recent weeks that God has been very silent about this prayer and it has made me feel very desperate. This is really a crazy thing to think and way to feel because God has given several indications He's working by posting Tebow articles. The trouble is, I've become dependent on those signs. I've come to think that God only works when those articles appear. It has been several days since one showed up and I'm pretty sure that's where I'm getting the idea that He's no longer listening.
     This creates an even bigger problem because I shouldn't be relying on a sign as evidence of God working, I should be relying on God Himself. The past few days in my prayers I've asked God if He still intends to answer this. I've wondered whether or not it is time to give in and let go. I have a Bible ap on my iTouch and it always opens with a verse of the day. The verse above was yesterday's verse. The verse says not to give up my confident hope in God, it comes with great reward. It encourages us to endure faithful, remain obedient and we will receive God's promises. God gave that verse to me as my own personal encouragement to keep on praying, to keep believing He is going to answer this, to be obedient to Him and the reward, the answer to our prayer, would come. God does keep His promises when we keep our end of the bargain.
     It wasn't an article about Tebow on MSN, but it was definitely God telling me He is still working. What makes this sign even better than a Tebow article is that is came from the Source it should...God and His Word.

Does Jesus Care?

How many times over the course of this journey have simple truths I've been taught over and over in my life been made so vividly real? A lot!!! And this week yet another aspect of God's character was so plainly displayed.
     This week didn't start out so well for me. It also didn't start out so well for two other of my prayer partners. I won't recount this specifics, but Monday night and Tuesday were just heart-breaking days of reaching the limit of what I could take. From talking with my sister, I know Satan was winning more victories with her than she desired and poor Stephanie felt that God no longer cared for her. I poured my heart out to God and pleaded with Him for their to be an end in sight because the battle was overwhelming. And do you know what God did? He sent us another prayer warrior. Someone new to the battle, someone with fresh stamina to take up where we were faltering in the battle. I can not tell you how many times I have pleaded with God to not allow Satan to have the victory in this journey and He made sure that didn't happen. God looked down and saw how much His children needed help, needed someone to step in and help carry the load and sent us that person, and in such an unexpected way. I always post on Face Book "There was one"  when God puts a Tebow article on MSN. I do this to be an encouragement to my kids that God hasn't forgotten and to encourage them to stay faithful to their prayers. I posted one Tuesday. A friend of my sister either read the blogs about my sign from God, or she questioned my sister about the posts. However she found out what the posts mean, she did and commented that since she now knew what those posts meant, she was rooting for us and was joining our prayer team.
     Isn't God amazing?! He sent a fresh warrior into the battle at a time when three of His warriors were hurting and struggling to gain a victory. What a compassionate, loving, knowledgeable God we serve.
     Steph, you said you were going to post the lyrics to "Does Jesus Care" when I texted you, here's your answer:

"Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Saviour cares"

Public and Private

"I'll praise you in this storm, and I will lift my hands, for Your are who You are, no matter where I am, every tear I've cried, You hold in your hand, You've never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm."

Twice this week I have given a devotion with my teen-agers from Psalm 26:12. In this verse David said he would bless the Lord in the congregation. My study Bible made the point that so often we complain publicly and praise God privately and yet David did just the opposite, he took his complaints to God in private and blessed Him in public. I talked with the kids about how we need to really focus on changing our habits too, to keep our praise public and our complaints to ourself or at least talk to God about them.
     God convicted me with this today over the fact that in the last two posts I rather loudly complained about some recent tough times. So tonight, I want to publicly praise Him for what He's done in just the last twenty-four hours. First, someone in my church offered to take care of my flat tire for me...my poor car's broken foot is now fixed. My downstairs' neighbor agreed to meet the Internet tech and let him do what needed to be done while I was at volleyball practice and today, one of my students who works with computers offered his lunch time to get rid of the virus attacking my computer. Both my Internet and computer problems have been solved. God takes care of what Satan breaks. And last, as much as I wanted to feel alone in this onslaught from Satan, I found out in talking with my sister and Stephanie, that they too have noticed increased attacks from Satan lately. Now that may seem a strange praise to you, but at least I know I'm not alone, it's not in my head and God really is moving and working if Satan is going after other people who are praying for this.
     I told God last night that with His help, I could handle whatever Satan brought my way, just so long as the battle ended with us meeting Tebow and that I would handle them better. The lyrics quoted above are a good reminder that no matter how fierce the storm, there is always a reason to praise God and from David I am reminded that my praise needs to be public, it will help pull my attention off my troubles and focus them on the One Who will see me through the storm.

God vs Satan

This is kinda' crazy and kinda' exciting all in one. It seems like God and Satan are going one for one right now...unfortunately, the one for one on Satan's part seems to a concerted effort to ruin everything I own or as in today's case, affect my body.
     If you read the last post, then you know how frustrating things are for me right now. It seems like God allows a Tebow article and something goes wrong, like a flat tire. Then God allows another post and something else goes wrong, like a demon-possessed cell phone. God allows another article and another tire goes flat and today, God allows another article to be posted and I have had a horrific muscle spasm in my side all day.
     Today was an overwhelming day. It ended in tears, many of them. In the midst of them God brought comfort first through His Spirit and then a friend. I sat sat in my classroom, overwhelmed and tearful, His Spirit just kept saying, 'You know why this is happening, stay faithful, I'm here, don't quit.' and then as a friend gave me a ride home, she just let me cry and offered to do anything she could. I love friends who will just let you cry, not tell you to suck it up, and then offer what help they can. God has truly blessed me with the best friends.
     Logic would say to quit praying and all the things going wrong would stop, but that would mean Satan wins. We've been at this too long to let him win. I know I have to trust that God knows what He's doing, He knows how much I can take (which is waaaaay more than I think) and He won't let Satan do anything to me that He doesn't want to happen. Today, seeing yet another Tebow article has given me encouragement to do just that. Isn't God gracious?

Even in Australia...

First a tire goes flat this past summer, and it took two months to get it fixed. Then, the new tire went flat. Flash mobbing ants have taken up permanent residence in my house, random pools of water show up in the middle of my kitchen floor, I am struggling to time-manage my new teaching schedule and volleyball practice and well, life. I have had major spiritual battles with a critical spirit that won't stop. My phone is possessed by a legion of demons, I'm convinced. My laptop may have a virus attacking the Internet. Oh, there are problems with the Internet and they'll be out on Tuesday between 3:30-8:00 pm...I coach from 3-5 pm.  And if all that isn't enough, my other new tire is now going flat.
     When this journey began way back in January, God told me there would be battles up ahead. He told me that this wasn't going to be an easy journey, and I thought I was ready for it. There have been some hard fought battles in this journey and some very valuable lessons learned along the way, but they were nothing compared to the relentlessness of Satan's current onslaught. There have been times in this journey where I have wanted to quit for selfish reasons, namely I wasn't getting my way. However, when that third tire went flat yesterday, I told God I was done, I couldn't take this anymore. Every time I turn around it seems something is going wrong that desperately needs to be taken care of and I have no idea how. The battle with my critical spirit is completely frustrating because I cannot seem to gain any victory over it no matter how much I pray about it. Time management is non-existent and things are going undone that truly need to be done. I do not recall any time in this journey that the battle to maintain my relationship with God and keep this prayer in front of Him has been so difficult.
     When I was telling God for the fifth or sixth time yesterday that I was through, He reminded me of just how far we have come in this journey. He also reminded me of something He had taught me early on...wouldn't it be a shame to make it within a day, an hour, a minute of His answering this and quit. With the frequency of Tebow articles showing up on MSN and Satan's attacks seeming to directly correlate with them, I believe we may be very close to an answer and it would indeed be a  heart-breaking shame to quit with the answer so near. 
    Now, as I read back over the first paragraph, it's actually kind of humorous to read all the things going wrong, kind of reminds me of the children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and yes, some days are like this, even in Australia, but at least I know without a doubt, that God is hearing our prayers and moving to answer them and this has Satan very concerned, thus the attacks. Let's just hope the answer comes in time to spare my apartment, laptop, car and phone. :)

Just Making Sure

Yesterday there was a headline banner about Tebow on my MSN, of course I was excited. However, when I clicked on the banner, it took me to a score page of all the current games being played, the Jets being one of them. I wasn't sure what to make of this. Tebow was in the headline, but it wasn't an article, what was God trying to say?
     I posed the question to my sister, "was this God giving me a token sign?" and her response was, "I think so...maybe?" She was very helpful. I then posed the question to Stephanie who mentioned Gideon asking God for a second sign just to be sure it was really God. She was much more helpful. So I asked God that if this 'article' was from Him, would He please allow another article to be posted before I went to bed that night. Half an hour later, a real article with words and everything about Tebow was on MSN. Right away, Satan said, 'of course there's an article, the game just finished.' There weren't articles about any other game that had finished, Satan was just trying to keep me from believing.
     Almost as if God heard Satan posing the doubt in my mind, much later that day, a third article was posted about Tebow, long after all the games had finished. None of those players made the headline. God was making extra sure I knew He had done something on behalf of this request.
     I must say, God is pretty amazing. He makes sure and doubly sure we hear Him when we ask.

This Is Crazy...But GREAT!!!

Let me first say my sophomores are no longer 'my' sophomores (sigh), they're someone else's juniors and I have to share my time with them in class with other students, it's no longer just 'us.' It's a good thing I like all those others kids as much as I do or I might resent having to share my kids with them!!! On the upside of them not being 'mine', I do get to teach them for three classes this year instead of one and I spend my lunch hour with them as well. When God answers this request, it will be even better because we are spending more time together this year.
     Speaking of God answering this request...if you have read my previous blogs, then you know about my 'token for good' from God. If you haven't, I'll share the token with you here but encourage you to go read my previous blogs to understand, otherwise you may roll your eyes at this and say it's all coincidence. I've asked God to indicate with an article on my MSN page about Tebow anytime He feels it would be appropriate that He is doing something specific to bring about the fulfillment of this request. I made that request just about a month or so ago. Occasionally, an article would appear and it was exciting. Right before the Olympics there were four days in a row with articles about Him and then not any. As we went back to work last week, several days had articles and then school began this past Tuesday and there was an article...then there was one on Wednesday...then there was one on Thursday...and yes, Natalie, if you see this before Monday, there was one today on Friday!!!! Do you see it? The frequency of these articles appearing is increasing. More and more God is indicating that either He has not forgotten or that He's doing something specific to arrange circumstance as they need to be for Him to answer.
     It is SO hard not to speculate. You see, one of my sophomores was gone all summer, God couldn't answer with him away. He came back this past Monday, the day before school started and every day since then, God has given me my token. Something else that makes it difficult, for the first time we can remember, the school where Stephanie's boys attend is starting school after Labor Day...that gives us a 2 week window that God could answer, since one of my consistent requests has been that God allow her and her family to be with us when we meet Tebow.
     This is crazy...and exciting...and GREAT!!!! God is doing something here, He is picking up the pace of whatever He is doing and it could be that very soon we will be praising Him for a long awaited answer to prayer....I'm ready!!!

A Praise for Today

A few weeks ago God really spoke to my heart about my need of a sign as proof of His promises to me. He taught me that, with where I am at in this prayer, I shouldn't still need signs as proof that He would answer this request, His Word should be enough. From that lesson came an understanding that while I shouldn't need a 'token of good' for proof, one for encouragement and knowledge would be okay. Sometimes, we just need those to keep on in seemingly impossible circumstances. This is where my request that whenever He felt it right, He would indicate, through an article on my MSN page about Tebow, that He hadn't forgotten or that He was doing something specific to bring about an answer. I know God doesn't have to give those indications, but He is gracious enough and understanding of our human nature enough that He grants them anyway.
     That really is all this post is about, magnifying God for His kindness. I so often focus on the lessons learned and getting through a difficult time that I forget to praise Him for what He does do. Since I have relinquished my need of proof, God has been more gracious and kind than I deserve in letting me know He is indeed working on this request. It is such a joy each time I see an article about Tebow, because it tells me God wants me to keep praying, He's doing something. The most special blessings come like today's did. I was online, on my MSN page and there was an article about Tebow. Of course I was thrilled because I KNEW God doing something specific today, but the better part of the story is that when I went back to that web page half an hour later, the article was gone...it was like God put it there just for me, to let me know.
     As I've said, God owes me nothing. His Word is enough to stand on and believe in, however, what a loving God He is that He would encourage me to stay faithful by granting a silly request like a Tebow article...and to do it on more than one occasion. What a great and gracious God we serve!!!!

It's Not Nice When God Does That!!!!

God really shouldn't use your prayers for someone else to convict you about your own life...it's not nice.
     I cannot believe the number of times in this journey a truth I have been taught my entire life has come to life so vividly. How many sermons, lessons, devotions have I heard about double standards in my life? Thousands it seems and yet here I found myself last week praying something for Tebow that God used to convict me.
     It's easy to think that Tebow needs to walk a tighter line than most of us because he is such a public figure. It's easy to feel that if he ruins his testimony, he ruins God's also and does damage to the thousands of youth who look up to him; therefore, it is very important he maintain his walk with God very carefully. There is some, if not a lot of truth in those statements. I pray often for him to have God's strength each and every day to walk with Him and to maintain his testimony.
      A few days ago as I was praying this for him, I told God it was so important for Tebow to remain faithful and live righteously because kids were watching him and following his example and wouldn't it be a shame if hundreds of kids fell away from Him because of Tebow's poor example. That's when God got me!!! He pointed out I was setting a double standard for Tebow. I was praying he maintain his testimony because hundreds, if not thousands, of kids were watching him. I was setting Tebow to a very high standard because of his fame. God pointed out to me I stand in front of a classroom of teen-agers every day. I am teaching just over 50 kids this year. I may not be on national television living out my faith, but I am living it out in front of 50 seventh-twelfth graders this year. I am every bit as responsible for the way I conduct my life, my walk and my love for God as Tebow is. I have no business expecting and praying Tebow be circumspect and wise in his actions because of the number of youths he influences if I'm not expecting and praying the same thing for myself.
     As I said, it's not nice when God takes your prayers for someone else and uses them to convict you. If you want to be an effective prayer warrior though, it is sometimes necessary for God to take you off the high horse you put yourself on and get you back to a place where you can be that righteous person whose prayers are effectual and fervent and avail much with God.
   

Trees, Forests and a Yardstick

It's funny, how over a period of time in your devotions, God can bring up the same lesson, principle, truth, etc... over and over again and you see that, you recognize it as God teaching it to you in that moment and still miss the point entirely. Does that make sense? Let me try to explain.
     Last Saturday, I was being a little whiny with God (okay, actually it was a lot whiny) over the path He has led this journey through this summer. It seemed to me that God was slowing down, not teaching as much, not talking as much. I came to this conclusion based on the decrease in blog posts over the summer. If I had nothing to write about, it must be because God wasn't doing His part anymore, right? God didn't think so. Right away He made it very clear to me that these blog posts were never meant to be a spiritual measuring stick; they were meant to be a remembrance of the journey and as a testament of God's working through our prayers for my sophomores.
     He then brought to my attention my daily devotions. When I looked back at my devotional journal over the summer, the majority of my devotions have been on God's faithfulness to His promises. Time and again I read verses that point blank said God has not forgotten His promises, that He will do as He promised. You can't read the stories of the patriarchs and Moses and not learn that while God's timing and ours rarely coincide, God always comes through on His word. These stories are where I spent most of July reading.
     God had spent the summer telling me He hadn't forgotten His promise to me concerning Tebow; He was even gracious enough to let me know He was working. As God brought each verse to me this summer about His faithfulness, I recognized what God was  telling me...He hadn't forgotten. As I read the stories of Abraham I very clearly saw that we needed to be faithful to trust God even when the answer is long in coming. I saw the importance of not taking matters into my own hands as I witnessed Rebekah, then Leah and Rachel push their will on their husbands. As Moses led the children of Israel from Egypt, I understood God's delays often bring spectacular results so wait for them.
     I got these truths as God was teaching them to me, what I didn't see was the whole summer that He spent telling me to hold on, the answer is coming, just stay faithful. It really took me by surprise when I realized, that for all my whining and complaining this summer about God being silent, He wasn't, not at all. God was saying plenty, I was just using the wrong measuring stick to judge by...my words verses His promises.
    "Don't miss the forest for the trees" comes to mind here. The forest, God's repeated admonishments to remain faithful, was there, but I wasn't seeing it because I was focusing too closely on how I thought God should show His teaching, the blogs, and then using that as a wrong yardstick to measure His teaching by.
     It's tempting to hold God to our own standards and our ways of thinking. Really though, God thinks so much better than we do, it's best for us to let Him do it...and ever so slowly, I am learning to do just that.
 
    
   

I Need a Sign, Or Do I?

Today I read about Moses' call to deliver Israel from Egypt, a story I've read and heard most of my life. Moses struggled with insecurity and inadequacy, even after God gave him visible assurance He would be with him. Moses' refusal to believe and need for more assurance angered God. I've not ever really thought about that before, I've always just thought God had grown tired of Moses' excuses. My study Bible offered up this thought on Moses' need for physical signs...signs are God's way of giving hope and assurance to a weak or new faith. As our faith grows and we learn more and more of God's character, we shouldn't need the temporary signs as proof of God's work, His word should be enough. Perhaps God got angry with Moses because, despite everything He'd just shown him, Moses still didn't trust God enough to take Him at His word and asked for Aaron.
     Here lately I have been depending too much on God giving me a sign. I look very carefully every day for an article on Tebow, and most days they aren't there. It's very easy to think on the days there is no article that God did not do anything specific that day, but that isn't true. Every time I pray, I ask God to do something specific in the next 24 hours that brings us closer to an answer. I believe He does, whether or not He chooses to let me know. Why? Because God promises to answers our prayers when they are in accordance with His will. This prayer is in accordance with His will, it's what He wants, why wouldn't He work to bring it about. I need to trust the promise He's given me in His Word on that more than I trust an article.
     Signs are nice, they can be very encouraging and exciting to see and I do think God knows our weakness, He knows we need encouragment from time to time and is gracious enough to grant us those signs. As our faith grows however, we should need them less and less as proof of God's promises; His Word and unchanging character should become enough for that.
     God has told me several times I don't need a sign, I need to trust Him and the power my prayers have with Him. Today He just re-emphasized that my faith isn't growing if I'm still looking for a sign as proof from Him. Isn't it neat how God tells you something in your conversations with Him and then shows you that very principle in His Word?!  

Why Yes, That IS God Answering Your Prayer

Satan is so good at making us doubt and question what we know to be God. Several weeks ago I had asked God for a token of good, an indication that He had not forgotten our prayer and was still working on it. I asked Him for an article about Tebow to appear on my news feed. It did, that very night and was gone the next morning. The night before our big Tebow blitz, I once again asked God for an indication, through a news article, that He had heard our prayers and had once again moved on our behalf. This time God said no, you don't need that token, you have my promise to hear your prayers and answer them when two of you are agreed. I then asked God that whenever He felt I needed the reassurance, or He wanted to remind me He hadn't forgotten to let there be news posts about Tebow. For a few weeks, there were none...and that was okay, God didn't feel I needed them.
     This past week, I've just really felt frustrated in my prayers. There are two major things I am praying for in my life right now, one of them being this request. It just felt pointless, like there was NEVER going to be an answer to either request. Then, Thursday, there was an article on Tebow in my news feed. There was another one on Friday and on Saturday and again today. And here is Satan trying to make me think these are not answers from God. His first tactic was to make me think I'd never asked God for this to be 'our' sign, he caused me to doubt, so I made sure today, I specifically asked God to only let there be articles on Tebow when He wants me to know He's working. Then he began in with the idea that articles from Tebow are no big deal, fall training has begun after all, of course there would be articles about him. Odd thing is, on my news feed at least, there are no other football related articles. There are stories just as big, if not bigger, in the NFL than Tebow, why aren't those in my feed? That's because, yes, God is answering my prayer. He hasn't forgotten my request or me. He is working to bring this about.
     It doesn't do any good to ask God for things if we are going to doubt Him when He answers. Of course Satan is going to cast doubt, he doesn't want us be encouraged to keep praying...he looses when we do. If you have the courage to ask God for something, have the courage to believe He'll answer, because He's promised He will. (Jer. 33:3)

Wait...God DOESN'T Need My Help?!

As a prayer continues over time without an answer, it is very tempting to take matters into your own hands and answer it yourself. I think it is even more tempting to do this when you've been clearly shown by God He is going to grant this thing you've requested.
     I've been reading about the patriarchs these past few weeks. Their stories are quite amazing. Time and again God drew my attention to someone in each of their families who took matters into their own hands because God wasn't moving fast enough. Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham, who had a child with her, heartache and a family feud resulted. Rebekah deceived Isaac into blessing Jacob, a lost son was the result. Rachel gave her handmaid to Jacob to father children by and a bitter rivalry occurred. Difficult things result when we try to answer our own prayers or fulfill God's promises.
     Something else God pointed out to me was the fact that, despite the 'help' and the resulting messes, God still fulfilled His original promise to each family. God will work His plan, but at what cost? What blessings do I rob myself of because I couldn't wait for God to answer?
     Six months seems an eternity to be praying to meet Tebow and it's easy to think that maybe God has forgotten or changed His mind. It's frustrating to have to wait and not see any visible indication that God is working. I, too, could 'help' God out. I could find ways of trying to get Tebow's attention, and I think God would still come through on His promises, but I would always wonder what it was I missed out on, what God was unable to do because I butted in.
     If you have been praying for something over a long period of time, take heart, God hasn't forgotten. He will do as He promised...Isaac was born, Jacob received the blessing and Rachel had two sons...just be careful not to rob yourself of any blessing God has planned because you thought God needed help.
 

Another Way of Knowing

The story of Balaam kept coming to my mind yesterday. God initially told him no, not to curse the Israelites as the king asked him to do. Balaam made a pretense of obeying God by telling the king no. With each increased offer from the king, Balaam went back to God seeking permission to take the wealth and curse Israel. Eventually God told Balaam yes but only because Balaam was going to do it anyway. Balaam went to curse Israel deceiving himself into thinking he had God's okay.
     For several days I have been asking God is there something more we could do or needed to do in order for Him to answer. Tuesday He put this idea into my mind and of course, immediately Satan pounced. I spent some time talking with Stephanie about it, seeking advice and counsel from someone else as Proverbs says to do and we agreed that this could be a good thing and a tremendous opportunity for God to work. And Satan pounced again. Every so often on Wednesday, Satan put the thought into my head that God only said yes because I pestered Him about it and that I was taking matters into my own hands, that I was doing this on my own and God wasn't in it. Thursday was even worse. Then came Friday. My specific set-aside time came and as I began to pray Satan was right there, once again putting doubt into my head.
     I am currently reading in Genesis. Today was the story of Sarah deciding God was not answering fast enough so she gave Hagar to Abraham to have a child by. What Sarah did did not fit into the promise God had given her. God had promised her that she herself and Abraham would have a son. He did not promise her that Abraham and Hagar would have a child. Sarah went against God's plan, it didn't fit in with what God had said. That is what God was trying to show me about our decision to devote today in prayer. When God said to ask, He said to ask Him, not to go through any other channels or means to get Tebow's attention. That's exactly what we did today...ask Him for an opportunity to meet Tebow.
     Had I pleaded with God to make a YouTube Video until He said okay, then I would have been Balaam. If I had asked everybody to write ten letters to the Tebow Foundation every day for the next month, then I would have been Sarah, taking matters into my own hands. What we did do today, however, did fit in with His original plan of asking Him and Him alone to make this meeting happen. It is how He wants this promise to be fulfilled.
     Doing things that fit in with His established plans and promises are another way of knowing and recognizing God's will and hands in a situation. Anything we do that goes against what He's already shown us His will to be will never be the right thing. And what a blessing of assurance God gave me today through Sarah that a day of prayer most decidedly was in accordance with His will and fit His plan of how He wants this to be accomplished.
   

How You Know

God must be gearing up to do something big in our Tebow Prayer Blitz tomorrow. Why? Because Satan is on the attack in a way he hasn't in awhile. He has been relentless in getting me to focus on the wrong things about tomorrow. He constantly is putting into my mind the idea that I am doing this to glorify myself . He keeps putting questions into my head about whether or not this was what God wanted or was it because I asked Him repeatedly what more can we do...and yes I do realize this is God's answer to that question, but Satan makes it feel like God just said yes to get me to quit asking. Satan has once again preyed on my insecurities.
     Not too long ago, God led me to the verses in Isaiah that talk about line upon line, precept upon precept. That was at a time that God seemed to be going back over numerous things He has already taught me in this journey. I mentioned in a blog post one possible reason for that review was because a big battle may be up ahead and God was just preparing me by reminding me. This could be that battle. I have had to make more deliberate choices to believe God today than I have in quite some time...that's how relentless Satan has been.
     When Satan fights us hard, it's because we are following God and he doesn't like it. The harder he fights, the more we are doing what God wants. He wouldn't put up a fight at all if we weren't obeying. He wouldn't put up much of a fight if we were partially obeying. He fights hard, and dirty and relentlessly when we are following in God's steps, when God is about to win a victory.
     For most of us, these thoughts are nothing new, nothing we haven't heard in sermons and devotions before, I realize that. As a matter of fact, I heard them in a sermon myself not too long ago. And I'm glad I did because it was there fresh in my mind for God to use to remind me.
     I don't know what God plans to do tomorrow. I hope and pray it is something big, that He reveals Himself in this prayer in a gigantic way. I sense that He will. That sense comes from two places, the Holy Spirit's guidance and Satan's frenzied attacks...yes, Satan's attacks are sometimes how you know God is about to work in marvelous ways and may He do so tomorrow.

It's There, You Just Have To Look in The Right Place

     I pray often for God to arrange the circumstances surrounding this prayer so that they are as He needs them to be to answer. It is often frustrating to me to be unable to see how God is doing this and I sometimes wonder if He is. Last night I had the blessing of talking to my original prayer partner in this journey and through that conversation, was able to see that God has already been arranging circumstances to fulfill His vision for this request, I was just looking at the end result instead of the journey itself.
     We talked about the beginning and how God called each of us to this prayer. Stephanie mentioned  that she now realized how God had been preparing her to join me when I asked. She doesn't follow college football at all, but Tebow's outspoken faith and a life that backs it up caught her attention. She kept tabs on him through college and into the NFL. She knew who he was and could easily join in on a prayer that would allow my kids to meet a modern day hero of our faith. That was God preparing Steph long before I ever asked her to join with me.
     I believe I have said this in another post but I'll repeat here. I believe that Tebow being on the Broncos was no coincidence. I believe God took him there for this very reason. He played for a team I am a fanatic for. Had he been on another team, I seriously doubt he would have been the topic of discussion the way he was in our devotions, I wouldn't have paid much attention to him, other than he was a strong Christian, had he played for another team. He becomes the starting quarterback the year I have this particular group of kids, ones who want to be used of God. He takes Denver from a 1-4 record into the post season, this year affording me the opportunity to share with my students the impact God has on those around us when we live for Him. Fifteen days after UNINTIMIDATED was begun, he was traded to the Jets. God wanted these kids to become prayer warriors for him and waited until they were before He moved Tebow on. God was definitely arranging circumstances for me to begin this prayer and for UNINTIMIDATED to be started.
     When I pray for us to meet Tebow, I always include Stephanie and her family in that request. As we moved into summer God showed me that in order for that to happen school needed to be out so her children could travel. This was one possible reason He gave me for waiting until summer. As I shared that with Steph last night, she realized that for the first time she could recall school was starting after Labor Day...affording more time than usual for them to travel...is this God arranging circumstances, could be.
     The last thing I'll share happened last night as I prayed. I asked God to do something in the next 24 hours to bring us closer to a fulfillment. I then asked for a possible indication that He was working. I asked Him for knowledge of what it was He did, or at least a 'token for good' that HE was working and mentioned that maybe a news article on MSN would work since there had been none on him in quite awhile. Right before I went to bed, I looked at the news page and there it was, an article about Tebow. Even more convincing that this was God is the fact that the article wasn't on the site this morning. God is indeed working, even today, to arrange the circumstances.
     It's funny how here I've been begging God to do something to bring about an answer and getting frustrated because I couldn't see Him doing it and here all along He's been doing just that. I couldn't see it because I wasn't looking in the right places. When we pray, God does answer but often not the way we thought or expected Him to. Afterall, His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways but He is working and we can see it if we'll just look in the right place.

A Wild Imagination

There's a musical group in Ireland called the Rend Collective. This is a group of Christian musicians and singers who spend time together worshiping God. From this time, they have produced an album. Not too long ago I was listening to an interview with one of the group members and in his response to a song on the CD, he said that God is not safe and that He has a wild imagination. That thought about God's wild imagination has come to mind on more than one occasion and it was certainly on my mind tonight as I prayed.
     Have any of you who have been praying with us ever stopped and considered how utterly impossible this request is, that the way we are going about this absolutely makes no sense? This is something I've known in my head since the beginning and every once in awhile God breaks through to my heart with it. Tonight I really began thinking about it. There is no humanly way possible for this request to be answered. I don't know Tim Tebow, don't know anyone who does. I live no where near New York, he receives thousands of requests a day through his foundation, through media, mail, his Face Book page. He has a website managed by a team to schedule his speaking engagements...he doesn't usually even do that himself. I personally have written two letters on behalf of this request and a few other people have written as well. The Tim Tebow Foundation has not received more than 10 letters, if even that many, on behalf of this request. Seriously, what are the odds of him seeing even one of them?  When God brought me this challenge, He said to ask Him, not to ask the media, not to ask Face Book, YouTube or Twitter in a video campaign and to not undertake a letter-writing campaign so I haven't. Let's face it folks, this is crazy, it's not how one goes about getting the attention of Tim Tebow and yet this is exactly what God said to do. Still doubting God has a wild imagination? Who else would simply say, "Ask Me to meet Tim Tebow and see what I can do."
     There is no way possible for any of us to take any credit for meeting Tim Tebow when it happens and I think that is God's point. The answering of this prayer will not make sense to a lost world, but it should make every kind of sense to a child of God. Luke 1:37 says it best, "For with God, nothing shall be in possible." Not even a wild idea like expecting to meet Tim Tebow simply because we asked God and no one else.

Be Thou My Vision

The whole idea of discussing this request with God rather than demanding things of Him has lead to some interesting discussions in my prayers. It has made me go back and re-examine why it is God said to ask.
      I have become rather curious, almost consumed, with why it is God said to ask. What is it that He wants to accomplish by answering this prayer. There is something big God wants to do, I can sense that as I pray, but what? I have said on several occassions, in both my blogs and to my kids, that there is great spiritual potential here for God to work...if we let Him. In recent days, I have begun to pray for God's vision to be fulfilled. And yes, I have asked Him to share what that vision would be. He keeps leading me to the verse in Ephesians that says, "now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can think or ask..." that leads me to believe God has big plans, plans way beyond what I've been asking Him for. Don't get me wrong, I believe with all my heart that the Holy Spirit led me to ask for many of those things. I believe He wants to leave a memorial of prayer for our school. I believe He wants to become the God of our Bible to each of us, I truly think He wants this as an anchor, proof for these kids to someday hold onto as they face praying in impossible situations. I don't think I've been asking for the wrong things, I just don't think I've grasped His vision for what it is He wants to accomplish in this; and the truth is, I may not be able fully to grasp it, the verse does say He can do so much more than I can even think...
     So I have begun to pray not only to have God's passions and desires for this request, but also to have as much of His vision as He wants me to have. I have begun to pray that He instills in my heart and in those of my kids a deep desire to see God do all that He wants in this request.
     Funny sidenote...not too long ago, I asked God to re-awaken and stir up the excitement I felt for this request back during the school year, to anticipate an answer each day. Here lately when I pray I begin to imagine what God will possibly do, and then I remember that God wants to do so much more than I am asking. I get excited and find myself anticipating an answer just so I can see what all He has planned...God does indeed answer prayer, and often in ways we weren't expecting.

Angry Birds and God's Promises

My classroom 'theme' for next year is going to be Angry Birds, it seems appropriate since I get to be the high school math teacher. Anyway, I have designed a rewards program for my students based on earning different birds. The basis of the reward program is doing homework. Earning each level of bird depends on them faithfully completing homework. Why design a reward system that greatly rewards homework and not tests or quizzes? One, I want them to do their homework, so why not give them an incentive to do it and then reward them when they do? Second, their success in math rests in great part on homework, this is where they practice on their own what I've taught them. It gives both them and me an idea of what they really understand and what needs to be re-taught. If they are unable to do the problems in homework, they will not know how to solve them on quizzes and tests...places where the grades are pivotal to passing the course.
     When you think about it, that's what God's promises of answered prayer to us are...an incentive and reward program. God wants us to pray, so He encourages us to do so by promising us answers when we do as He asks. Prayer is such a vital component to our spiritual lives. God wants us to pray, it's how we'll pass the tests that come our way.  Prayer is where we find out what God wants, it's where our hurts are healed, it's how we tap into God's power, it's where we find courage and strength and it's how He gets things done. If we become successful prayer warriors, we will accomplish great things with God.
     Those days before Matthew 18:19 became God's promise to me were good days of prayer, but let me say that once I had that promise, it became SO much easier and more exciting to pray...I had something to work towards, I had an incentive to keep praying and to guard the prayer, to make doubly sure that the Holy Spirit was directing the prayer. God would answer, if I did my part...just like my students being rewarded for doing their part.
    My students will get pretty cool charts based off the Angry Birds characters to help keep track their progress...do you suppose God has pretty cool Angry Bird charts for us, to help keep track of our progress in our prayers?

Discuss, Not Demand

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us, and if we know that He heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him." I John 5:14-15

As God's silence continues, Satan has been on the warpath. His latest attacks have been on whether or not this request really is God's will...after all, it would seem that if God really did tell me to ask for this He would answer...at least that's what the above verses state. Once again, the study portion of my Bible lent some insights into this verse that have helped me clarify when I am praying in God's will or in my own.
     Our prayers should not be a time of us demanding from God what we want, that would be praying according to our will. Rather, our prayers should be times of discussing with God what He wants done, that would be praying according to His will. This means I tell God what is I would like and let Him have a chance to voice His opinion on the matter. This means I have to give Him a chance to talk, not just throw prayers in His direction and go on my way. If I'll spend the time discussing with God what it is He wants, I am much more likely to know His mind in the matter and to be praying in His will. If I am praying in His will, He'll not only hear those requests, but He'll answer them as well.
     As I look back at the prayers I have offered up, I can definitely see times where I demanded what I wanted and those typically ended in a battle of wills. I think back on the time when Tebow was traded to the Jets. That was a time I definitely was demanding from God what I wanted. I got into a battle of wills with God and nearly quit. When I quit shouting my demands at God long enough to let Him talk back, He showed me Tebow being a Bronco was not what He wanted and that if I was going to demand that then I would run the risk of the kids not meeting him. Discussion was definitely a better route because it put me in line with what He wanted and allowed Him to continue to work on behalf of this request.
     I can see, even now, as I am writing this that I have been demanding Him to either explain why the silence or to end it. God is never obligated to defend His actions to me or give me a reason why He's doing what He's doing, but He might be more willing to share a little if I start discussing this with Him. I just might find out what He wants accomplished in the silence.
     I know that from the beginning, asking God to allow my kids to meet Tebow has been a discussion between us. The day He told me to ask, we had a rather long one. While there have been times since that I have made demands of Him, the actual request to meet Tebow never was. This request has always been what He wanted and, as such, has a promise in the above verses of being fulfilled.

It Only Feels Like Forever

Remember the first day of school your senior year in high school? Remember how excited you were because this was it, your last year of high school? Remember how as each day passed, May seemed to move farther and farther away? It felt like graduation day would never come? Why? Because you still had to go to school every day and work to finish your classes. The promise of a diploma loomed in front of you and you wanted it, but you had to wait until all your work was completed as well as wait for the day set aside for graduation.
     I suppose that's how Abraham must have felt as he waited for Isaac to be born. As each day passed and still no news of a pregnancy had to be trying for Abraham, yet Hebrews commends him for remaining faithful until Isaac's birth. Twenty-some years passed between the promise and the fulfillment, how did Abraham do it? I suspect it was much like how we got through our senior year, one day at a time...focusing on what tasks had to be accomplished that day and getting them done. Many times throughout my senior year, my teachers encouraged us to keep working by reminding us the reward was just ahead if we stayed focused and faithful. I remember on graduation day looking back over my senior year with my diploma in hand and thinking, "wow, that year went by so fast, how did that happen?" I guarantee the days themselves did not feel like they were flying by, but looking back, it seemed like we hardly had to wait at all to get our diplomas.
     Abraham too, had to stay focused each and every day on the tasks God gave. He had to live his life in those twenty-some years. It probably seemed to him that God was taking forever to fulfill his promise, but I bet, on the day he held his newborn son in his hands, those twenty-some years felt like nothing, it only felt like God took forever.
     There are days, many of them, when it feels like God is taking His time...lots of it...to fulfill His promise for me. What I have learned from Abraham in Hebrews 6 is that while the time may feel like it is dragging by, I need to stay focused on what God wants me to accomplish day by day. The promise will be fulfilled, but I have to live and work in the days from now until then. And I know that on the day that my kids meet Tebow, I too, will look back on my journey and realize it only seemed to be taking forever. Really, though, they will be nothing compared to the joy of seeing God fulfill His promise in His way and in His time.

Nothing Deep, Just Something Neat

Countless times in this journey God has taught me about the Holy Spirit and how we tend to overlook Him. I often tell my kids He's like the red-headed step-child of the Trinity...everyone knows God the Father, He's our heavenly Father, the one who loves us. Everyone also knows Jesus, He's God's Son, our Savior, but mention the Holy Spirit and it's 'who is that? does He have anything to do with me?' or in some cases, He's taboo because people get 'filled with the Holy Spirit' and start testifying in tongues and doing a holy dance down the aisles.
     Time and again God has shown just how much the Spirit does for me, especially in this area of prayer. One of the greatest things I have learned about Him is that He is my voice to God. He carries my prayers to the Father, editing them and adding to them the things I don't know or think to add to my requests. Not only is He my voice to my Father, but He is the Father's voice back to me. I cannot even begin to list all the things that God has shown me to pray for in this request, how the Spirit has guided my thinking and desires so that they match God's thinking and desires.
     Last night was one of those times. I love when God does this, it adds a newness and freshness to a long-standing prayer. I so loved what He showed me last night that I stopped in the middle of my prayer and sent a message to Stephanie sharing what it was. It wasn't so much what God showed but that He showed me anything at all. Our pastor says often that God will give you what you need to serve Him and then reward you for doing it...this is kind of like that. God gives me reasons why He should answer this so I can pray them back to Him and if He's the one saying pray this for that reason, He'll answer. I'm so very thankful that God doesn't give us a task and then leave us to figure it out on our own. So many reasons I pray for an answer are things I wouldn't have come up with on my own. So many things I desire to come out of this come from God Himself, I would have never thought those things could happen from an answered prayer. God is amazing...and that's an understatement.
      Oh, would you like to know what new reason He gave me for answering this request? As I was praying for Tebow, I prayed for him to keep close company with the right people. Friends are so important. They influence our way of viewing things, often without us realizing it. He is surrounded by Godless thinking and philosophy by the nature of his job, so I prayed that he would be careful about purposefully exposing himself to that outside of his work. I prayed that God would impress upon him the importance of solid, growing Christian friends and that he would make right choices in friends because my students needed that reinforced in thier lives. I thought about that for a minute. The reason I even thought to pray this for Tebow is because from time to time I read/see in the media that he attends one event or another with one celebrity or another. I then thought, 'okay, so how God  could my kids learn about right choices in friends from their role model if all the media shows him with are unsaved celebrities?" that's when God gave me another argument for an answer. The only way they'll know the impact his Christian friends and mentors have on him is by meeting him, hearing him tell them face to face how very important solid Christian friends are, to hear him talk about, by name, the influence these people have had and do have in his life. They need to meet Tebow so he can reinforce in them something they have been taught by countless spiritual leaders...how neat is that?!

Me...Annoyed

"if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself"   2 Timothy 2:13

   It's seems God has put us in a holding pattern in this journey. I find those to be somewhat aggravating when I travel, flying around in circles right above your destination, waiting for the chance to land. It's aggravating because either you're right there, just out of reach of your destination, waiting for something to happen on the ground so you can land or it happens when you have a short lay-over time to begin with and it is just cutting into the precious moments you need to dash for your next flight, either way, they're aggravating.
     I suspect, we are in a holding pattern because we are close to our destination...meeting Tim Tebow...and something needs to happen here on the ground first. It is very annoying to me to not know what this thing may be and more annoying still, God isn't revealing anything ... nothing  ... nada ...  zip.  At least at other times in this journey when He was silent, He was teaching me something, not this time, which is why I think we're close and just waiting for circumstances to be what He needs them to be.
     While He may not be teaching me something I need to learn, He has been spending a lot of time reminding me of several things He has taught me. The three most prevelant reminders have been first, waiting takes strength. I can not tell you how many times over the past several weeks I have come across Isaiah 40:31..."they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." in one form or another.
     A second reminder has been to continue faithful, don't quit. Two verses this past week in my devotions dealt with continuing in prayer because the answer is coming and then last night our sermon came from Eph. 6:10-18, the idea being to wrestle against quitting and giving Satan a victory.
    The third reminder, and the one that deals with the last phrase of the verse above, is that God is faithful, what He promises He'll do He does. I have read several verses that deal with God being absolute and doing the things He has promised. I read this verse today and it really stuck with me, at least that last phrase did, "He cannot deny Himself." Stop and think about that for a minute, God is incapable of not being Who He says He is. He has to answer this request because He promised in Matthew 18:19 that if we agree in prayer and pray according to His will, He will answer it. We have fulfilled our end of the bargain, I truly believe that. God has to answer this, He's not a liar, (Titus 1:2-"...God, which can not lie...") if He does not answer He would be denying Who He is.
     If that sounds presumptous to you, I apologize, I don't mean for it to be. This truth just really lit up for me today, and in context of what we are praying for, makes me very excited.
     The funny thing is, I haven't really been struggling with doubting Him. Actually, it's been quite the opposite, I have a real peace in my heart that an answer is on the way, that's probably also why I find this particular silence so annoying...answer it already, God, please. Perhaps I find this truth so fascinating because it is comfirmation of what I already know in my heart, God is Who He says He is and He will come through...someday :)
     So, while holding patterns may be annoying, they are necessary to help us arrive at our destination in the safest and best manner possible. I may not like God's silences,  and while I may find them annoying, I know God has a purpose for them...getting us to meet Tebow in the best way possible...His.

What To Pray, What To Pray?

Wednesday nights are prayer time in our church. This is when our prayer bulletin is handed out and in it is the list of missionaries our church supports. Each week, our pastor will read a letter from one and list the needs that particular missionary has. I, however, am not in our regular church service on Wednesdays, I help out in our teen services on another campus. During our school year, a friend of mine will make a copy of the prayer bulletin and put it in my box at the school office. My problem is, she leaves for the summer so now I don't get a prayer bulletin. It has been somewhat annoying to try to pray for our missionaries specifically when I can't remember who they all are and when I don't know what their needs are. I have been lifting them up as a group and offering some prayers up on their behalf, but it feels like I'm not really accomplishing much on their behalf and I feel badly because I know they need my prayers desperately.
     Today I was reading in Colossians. In chapter 1 Paul gives a long list of things he prayed over for the Colossians, a group of people he'd never met and didn't know specifics of their lives to pray about. The study portion in my Bible summed up that prayer into nine things we can pray for people even when we don't have details over which to pray.
     This was such a blessing to me because I finally had something definite to lift up in prayer for our missionaries. As I read through the list, I realized these nine things are things we should pray for each other daily...and of course, it has given me something new to add into my prayers for Tebow, things he too definitely needs in his life.
     I love when God gives you a helping hand when you are struggling to do the right thing and just can't quite figure out how to do it. He makes things so much easier and more joyful and a whole lot less frustrating.

No, I didn't forget to list the nine things...here they are, hope you find them useful in your prayers for Tebow and whoever else you may be praying for:

1.)  for them to understand God's will
2.) for them to gain spiritual wisdom
3.) for them to please and honor God
4.) for them to do kind things for other people
5.) for them to know God better and better
6.) for them to endure in faith
7.) for them to be filled with Christ's joy
8.) for them to be filled with God's strength
9.) for them to remain thankful