Can you hear me now?

I love Hazelnut coffee. I'm sitting in the Wired Bean (a coffee shop in Lexington) this morning... trying to finish my lesson for Wedensday night, but running into a bad case of writers block. Tomorrow we start a new series for the new semester with the 7-8th graders called "Can you hear me now?". We are looking at prayer and why God has given us the opportunity to communicate with him. Last night I was about to fall asleep while I was reading a book called The Barbarian Way and the writer shared a story of his prayer life. I was completely challenged. I pray a pretty good bit... in fact my prayer life has really grown over the past month or so, but Erwin McManus (the author) challenged my faith. Do I actually believe that God can and will give me the things I pray for??? Not because He desires. I want to pray differently... I am realizing that more and more. I think we don't take God seriously in his offer to pray and ask Him to be deeply involved in our lives and really for us to be involved in God's "life" or His existence. God desires a real, vibrant, alive relationship with each and every one of us. In fact... we exist for relationship with the creator, but many of us have no idea how to foster and grow that relationship. God has made a way for it to happen... prayer. It is our direct connection. So why would I pray like God never gets the memo or doesn't anticipate my turning to Him. After all 1 John 5:14-15 reminds us that prayer works. God hears us and it's as good as ours. Now, even as I write this I know someone may be saying... well I asked God for a new car weeks ago and I haven't seen even a hint of a new ride? That is a misunderstanding of this amazing passage. See... this kind of prayer is one that is in line with God's plans and His purposes. Selfish prayers that benefit only the individual is a sad falling short of prayers intended purpose. BUT, when we pray the things that God desires it is as good as done. That we would all seek God's desires and pray in line with the Kingdom of God. I can't wait to teach 90 students that God has made a way to communicate with them... prayer. Even as I'm typing this... I just got a call from my friend Meghan telling me how God answered her prayer for a lesson on Thursday at FCA. God is pretty cool...

In other news... I leave for Mars Hill Church in Michigan with Wade, Olshine and my dad on Sunday for a church conference called "Isn't She Beautiful?". I am so excited to go and learn and be challenged again. Now I must admit... Rob Bell is my hero and to go see Mars Hill is going to render me weak kneed and shaky, but it promises to be a great week. I'm also so excited to see my dad again. The only thing that is really tough about being here in South Carolina is being so far from my family. Lafayette, IN is no hop, skip and a jump... more like a ticket, plane and fly.
T