Sorry if that title offended you. It just sounds better than “Intestine Check” or “Inside your stomach check” or “Getting behind your belly-button check.” Okay, so maybe that was a little too far! 😛 I’m sure you know what I mean anyway.
Last week I wrote this post and issued a challenge to myself and to anyone who read it. I also asked you to record your thoughts; record the enemy’s attempts to defeat you; and to also record the victories so we would be able to share some thoughts and compare notes when we revisited it in a week. The week is up and it is time for our “visitin'” (hence the title “gut check”). I’ll go first. I recorded my thoughts in my Moleskine, which is where I keep my daily prayer list. The first part of the week went well but when Thursday hit (Thanksgiving Day) I got the stuffing knocked out of me. 🙂 I chose to focus on a specific element of my life for those days. On Monday, I focused my prayer life on my family. On Tuesday, I focused on fellow pastors. On Wednesday, I spent time praying for my fellow bloggers and friends. Each day I wrote the names down and then had them in front of me as I prayed. The enemy hit me with a wandering mind and the feeling of being overwhelmed as I prayed for each of you. My mind tended to wander but when it didn’t I fought this feeling like “why am I praying for this person? What can my prayer mean?” I know, I know, that is wrong to think that but there it is. Thursday and Friday were a course change for me but on Saturday I got back on track and prayed for the local church I pastor and some specific people who have asked me to pray for them. I really don’t know how many of “my” people read this blog but I truly want them to know how much I love them and pray for God’s move in their lives. Sunday was, well…Sunday…as I prepared for preaching. The enemy stuck his ugly face in that as well in the way of busyness and trying to prepare for being gone the whole day. I piddled around enough until people started coming in and I am ashamed to say I never really got untracked spiritually to pray.
I also tried to give some thought to the ideas given in this post by Scott but think I am going to need to get away and find some uninterrupted time to make it happen. I will say that if you haven’t read it you need to make it a must.
On a scale of 1-10 I would give myself about a 4. I really let down when Thursday came and never really picked it back up. I did learn some things about myself and hopefully will learn from them. Okay, now it is your turn! How did you do with your challenge? Did you stay the course or get side-tracked? What did you learn about the enemy’s tactics? Finally, what do you plan to do with all of this? Will you try to fine tune it or will you continue as is or tell yourself “the challenge is over so I am done?” I would like to hear how it went. Please fill us in if you care to.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one with ups and downs. 🙂
Your post is an encouragement to me. It makes me feel that I’m not alone on this journey. Thanks for your honesty.
And thanks for the link.
Nope you are not alone. Glad this post helped Scott. You are welcome. I look forward to getting that task done. Thanks for coming by.
I missed the challenge apparently, but I definitely know about the roller coaster you’re describing. Since I didn’t do the challenge, I don’t have a lot to say. I did pray for lots of people though. 🙂
Thanks Bill.
Jason: I think it was when you had those visitors to your church fellowship when I published it so I will forgive you for missing it. 🙂 I am more excited though that you still prayed. You were/are prayed for.
Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” I take this to mean that there are groans of our hearts that the Spirit inspires that are sometimes wordless. So prayer is usually talking to God, but there are times when you can’t talk and can still pray, that is, convey a message to God.
Good verse Ike. I suspect there were times during that wandering that the Spirit took my thoughts before the throne. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Bill,
I’m up burning the midnight oil tonight so I thought I would comment on the prayer challenge.
I found out something about my praying by recording my thoughts, and the enemy’s attempts to stop me from praying over the past 7 days.
I get distracted and my thoughts wander too. One day I actually figured out what walls I was going to hang new pictures on downstairs while I was praying!! Imagine!
One day my sister phoned just as I was starting my prayer time. I let the call go to the answering service 🙂 Victory!
I missed praying on day 3 and 7.:( I let the urgent override the needed because of appointments and time deadlines I had to meet. I also stayed up late reading a novel and was tired 🙁 Not a good choice. I did read my Bible and did a devotional today though 🙂
My tongues on Day 1 were forceful and sounded like Japanese. A little different from what I normally might hear and sound like. I pray in English and tongues. I prayed for Ike and Carol, my sister and her husband. for my legal case, I prayed for believers to take ahold of the baton and carry it firmly and willingly and I prayed for Justice.
On day 2 I prayed while I was walking around in my basement. I found myself using body movements with my forceful prayer, emulating a preacher I once saw that was visiting my area from Mexico.
Again I prayed for the saints. For the faithfulness of the saints, for wisdom, knowledge and power for the saints, for believers able to teach,admonish and encourage in the Body of Christ. For believers to come forth who can build up and tear down spiritual and natural strongholds.
I prayed for the man you mentioned in your blog post diagnosed with brain cancer. Prayed for Ike and Carol again.
On day 4 the enemy tried to have me put off my prayer time until later in the day. I managed to get downstairs and pray. My prayer time was less intense, and I felt less connected to God today. Less concentration and effort by me in my prayer time.
Day 5
While I was praying I was thinking about Jesus and him talking about the signs in the earth and sky that indicate the time of his return. Thoughts that we are fast approaching the second coming of Jesus Christ. I was thinking and praying my thoughts about how wonderful it is to be a believer in Jesus Christ and the Father. My prayer time was interrupted by a bathroom break. I forgot to check the time before I started praying. I think that I ended my prayer time early.:( I set a goal for a 30 minute block of time for prayer each day.
Day 6
the time totally dragged! I thought I must have prayed at least 30 minutes. I checked the clock. Only 15 minutes. I was not very focued in my prayer at times. I kept leaving my prayer room and going back to it and stil ended up praying under 30 minutes this day. pathetic!
I did pray in tongues aimed at the wickedness in the world taking place in leadership and those in authority. My mind was wandering also to my situation with my daughter and the grandchildren.
I learned something about praying through this exercise and challenge from you Bill. I am more aware of what is happening in my prayer time and the ways that I am being deterred from praying more focused prayer. I would like to do this challenge again sometime. I think it is good to check how things are going in our prayer time and make some adjustments as we see the need.
Thanks Bill. awesome challenge!!
Glad you took the challenge Linda and learned. Good to see you took notes on your journey.
Thanksgiving day was a killer for me too. I dropped the ball there and was unable to fully recover. I normally get back in the groove when I hunt which I did on Saturday but even that did not boost me back fully into the groove. I too would give myself a 4 in this challenge – disappointing although I am encouraged to know that I can and will improve!
Gotta wonder Jim what it is about those holidays that make it so difficult. wish I knew. 🙂 Your last line is so important. Thanks for the input.
Hi Bill,
Well, I prayed hard & devotedly the first couple of days, I would pray on my way to work, on my way home from work, during dinner preparation & before going to bed,& when waking up. Then Thanksgiving hit & I got out of my devoted prayer time…..I think it must have been the busyness of the 4 days off & letting other things overtake my mind. I am trying to get back on track & of course the enemy has taken advantage of my weakness & is wreaking some havoc in one of the kids relationship situation, getting back on track is kind of hard, I guess just because I am not focused. From reading your blog & everyone else’s comments, it’s encouraging to know it’s not just me who gets sidetracked & lets my mind wander or letting my time get taken up with other things. I will have to take on the attitude of Jim F. and know that I will improve. 🙂
jan: Well as you already know your “syndrome” is like many of us so, no, you are not alone. Like you stated though…follow Jim’s advice and realize you will improve. Thanks for the comment.
I didn’t see the post last week but can tell you that on Thanksgiving day I got into a bad mood as things did not go as well (read organized) as I wanted them to. I HATE chaos and got kinda GRUMPY (only inside, did not reveal how I was feeling). So, it wasn’t such a great day but I am getting better by now:):) BTW, I ahve a BLOG now and would love for you to come visit me from time to time. You can suscribe to get an e-mail when I post. Thanks!!!!!!!!! XO, Pinky
Pinky: Thanks for coming by and commenting. It has been awhile. Amazing isn’t it how things get out of whack and get us turned around? Glad things are better now. I would love to visit your blog but you failed to give me/us your address.
Here it is folks:
http://www.designsbypinky.blogspot.com/
Hey Bill…I’d say I ended up around a 4 like you. Maybe 3. Thanksgiving itself really knocked me back because my sons were here for visitation and I wanted to maximize my time with them. (I only see them two days a month unless it’s “my” holiday.)
I had a weird experience, though. I’ve been praying over direction for my life because God’s been breaking down long-held walls and I just have this ache inside me that God created me for something different than what I’m doing now. (Not that I’m not in this season because God has me here, but a total peace that He has something bigger.) The more I pray passionately, the more I want to just get with Him and find out what it is He wants to do with me. Something beyond the basics of what we’re called to do as believers (if that makes sense.)
So the more I pray, the more I want to pray. That might be why the enemy kept knocking me off track.
Hey Jason: have loved following your trip down the Natchez. Loving the reflections and insights. I think you have hit on something really important: the more you pray, the more you want to and that might be why the enemy kept knocking you off the track. No doubt in my mind. 🙂 Thanks for your honesty here my friend. Sorry to hear about the boys as well. Praying your time with them will be good times. Thanks for the comment.
Hey, you all, it doesn’t matter you didn’t make it on Thanksgiving. I think the case here is that you picked the wrong week/month Bill. God made me once set a week apart for Him and ask three of my friends to pray for me in a way I would be prayed for constantly. It was in a week where was nothing special. Really, you should choose another week. Not before the beginning of the year.
I always pray and I have accepted that there are moments and days in between that it interrupts my prayertime. Your prayers are heard by God anyway. Don’t make it too hard on yourself. I believe God was already happy with what you started.
You are right of course ani that it really doesn’t matter since God knows our hearts. I like your suggestion of asking 3 friends to pray. will also take it under thought to wait until the first of the year. Always good to hear from you! 🙂
Of course! hehehe I mean of course I’m right. Just kidding. I’m not always right but you know that already. On this case I know a little more. The two people God gave me as parents have a prayerministry (I don’t know if you call it that way). They minister for a zillion years. Well, it feels that way. And God has put into my heart to do the same. They have become my teachers also. A lot of miracles and healings happened. I just want to point out we never scream or shout when we pray. We always listen to the Holy Spirit and thank God for everything, bless the people and what God brings into mind. It proves that it’s His name is powerful not our shouting. It proves He is mighty and us. I wanted to share what happened in that week set apart. But it’s a too long story. It’s about the marriage of a friend being restored in one night.
Oops, I needed that “delete key” of Jason’s post. I meant: “It proves He is mighty and NOT us”.
Figured you mean that. 🙂
Whoops… Obviously I missed the challenge because last week was hectic. *sigh* I don’t like hectic weeks…
But then, I guess, that was one of the weapons that the evil one used to bring me down: making me so busy at work and so tired at home that instead of my usual chirpy self, I was instead just a quiet coder in the corner who did not want to do anything.
God, however, with His divine sense of humor and intimate knowledge of us, did get through and lifted up my spirit. One specific time was when the sky, instead of the bland grey became blue. I know it might seem irrelevant for many, but for me – it was a lifesaver. I think I grinned for a couple more hours even after the clouds returned. And today – (i mentioned in my blog post last night that I begged God for 10 minutes of blue sky today) – He did just that!!! On my way to work, I happened to glance up the sky, and there it was – the glorious blue. It lasted all of 15 minutes max, but that was all I needed as a reminder that God still answers my prayers, no matter how silly they might sound.
*hugs* praying for you, brother. thank you – you’re a bigger blessing than you realize.
Thanks Zee for this testimony to God’s faithfulness. I was so happy to hear that your prayer (mentioned on your blog) was answered. So cool! Thanks for your prayers and kind words.