How I Learned To Pray Without Ceasing (AKA Best Way To Get Over a Breakup)
Hey friends! How are you doing? It feels like forever since we’ve spoken and I miss you a lot.
I think most of you know, but maybe some of you don’t, that The Yay Project is basically sharing in real time. The Instagram captions come out of that day’s quiet time 98% of the time. It’s a similar story for this podcast. Each week, I go before God and ask him what he wants to do. So it’s all been an experiment of sorts, of learning to discern God’s voice and walking in faith.
A year and a half ago, I wasn’t doing this. I would read my bible, I would pray, I would go to church and be in community, but whenever I heard from God … I’d often believe but then forget. And if it wasn’t something I wanted to hear, I’d pretty quickly doubt! Honestly I believe I just didn’t know any better. It hadn’t yet clicked that the Bible is literally God’s word and that it was my privilege to know it and be able to do what he said. And that when Jesus says in John 10:27 that his sheep hear his voice, that means he speaks and we can hear him. That God speaking is so precious and I was to take him seriously.
Doing this has changed my life … but then wouldn’t you know it, sometimes God checks up on me and gives me little tests. Like Jenni so you say you know you’re to discern my voice and walk in faith … are you doing it? Are you still doing it?
You know what I mean right?
Pop quizzes from God! We all get ‘em.
I pray we’re always thankful for them though knowing that God checks on us, disciplines us, corrects us, guides us back to the right path again because he loves us.
So my most recent test. Over the past few weeks, God opened up a door that took me by surprise. In retrospect, it shouldn’t have because God had already spoken to me about it. I’d also been praying about it for a while, but kind of vaguely because I didn’t see a clear plan for it happening. It was a big picture, one day kind of thing. Until, like dominoes, things moved and what seemed like a one day thing became a right now thing.
And guys, I wasn’t prepared.
There was so much to do I still prayed and cried out to God but I found myself resorting to old habits like isolating so I could lazer focus on nothing else until this thing was completed. I even started watching Netflix makeover shows to chill out. But of course I quickly realized that none of it made me feel less stressed or happy. And after a few days, I fully surrendered and repented. Said sorry to God for thinking relying on myself and Netflix would be the right solutions. I realized afresh that God was answering prayers, doing things - and it was my privilege to seek him, be strengthened by him, be able to ask for wisdom and favour, and be a part of his plan.
So I did and the whole thing turned out better than I could have imagined. Truly an Ephesians 3:20 “God does immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine” testimony that I hope I will share more fully one day. Truly mercy and grace given my mess up. I celebrated and praised God hard but it also got me thinking.
Why did I stumble? How can I do better next time?
More in this week’s episode of @yaypodcast “How I Learned To Pray Without Ceasing (AKA the Best Way To Get Over a Breakup).” ❤️
