Prayer

Am I the only one who struggles with prayer? Like, I went to church, and the pastor was telling a story about a woman who prays several hours a day. I remember thinking, wow, that's awesome. Wish I could do that. 
And then it hit me... I CAN. And so can you.

My biggest problem was that I would run out of things to say after just 5 minutes. Or I would get so distracted that usually, my conversation went a little something like this... "God, I want to thank you for today. Please, help me to be all that I can be today and to be a blessing to someone around me.               *(looking around)... speaking of someone, I forgot to call so-and-so... I better do that before I forget.*
 
And that would be it. I found myself getting so frustrated when, at the end of the day, I would realize how much I neglected to talk to God. So then I would start praying again, and I would fall asleep after 2 sentences!

Am I the only one?

One of the most fundamental things that a Christian can do is to pray; because, where there is little prayer, there is little power.... Prayer doesn't just change things... It changes me.

Another thing that I struggled with a lot when praying was the feeling of "Who am I?" I mean, I'm just me. But to ask for a miracle? Or for God to do something awesome for me?

God made the sun stand still... But that was for Joshua. I'm not as great as he was.
God sent fire from heaven... But that was for Elijah... I'm certainly not as great as he was.

But then I read in James 5:17, where God says that Elijah was human... Just like me. The difference? He prayed EARNESTLY.

ear-nest (Noun): a serious and intent mental state <a proposal made in earnest>

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There was an elderly man. I'm not sure what his name was, so we'll call him James. He was in his final days of life, so he called a pastor over to see him. This pastor came over, and when he arrived, there was a chair next to James' bed. As the pastor was about to sit down, James said, "I know this is going to sound odd... But, could you not sit there?" The pastor agreed, but thought this to be strange. The visit went very well. They talked for a while about their families and God. And when the pastor got ready to leave, the old man said, "I bet you're wondering why I asked you not to sit in that chair."
The pastor shook his head, and said, "Well, yes, actually. But I respect your wishes, so you don't have to tell me."
James smiled and said, "I always had a hard time praying. I wasn't sure how to talk to God. And someone told me to put a chair next to my bed and imagine Him sitting next to me. So that's what I am doing. I sit here, and I talk to God, and we just have the best time!"
The next week, James passed away. The pastor came by to check on the family. "Thank you for coming to see my father last week." his daughter said. "He told me he really enjoyed his visit with you. But there is one thing that I do not quite understand. And I have asked several people. Maybe you will have an idea. My father has kept a chair next to his bed for quite some time now that he would never let anyone sit in. But this morning, when I found him, he was laying in his bed, leaning over, with his head in the chair."
The pastor only smiled as tears filled his eyes. "Yes. I know very well. Your father passed away in the lap of our Father."


This is such a beautiful story! But I shared it to prove that it's okay to struggle with prayer. In fact, most people do! but it's up to you to find a solution! If you have to, put a chair in front of you, as James did. If you have a hard time finding the words to say, I am going to share something with you that I have found to be very helpful. It is called the A.C.T.S Model.

Adoration: Begin your prayer by taking a few minutes to thank God simply for who He is.
Confession: Is there anything in your life that shouldn't be there? Now is a good time to confess and receive forgiveness. Be specific. God already knows anyways.
Thanksgiving: God does so much for us. Have you thanked Him lately? Take this time to thank Him for all that He has done, all that He is doing, and all that He is going to do!
Supplication: It's perfectly okay to ask God to move in your life! He wants you to! Do you have a need? God already knows, but He's waiting for you to ask Him!

So now that you have the A.C.T.S Model, go talk to God! This is not the only way to pray, but if you are looking for discipline in your prayer life, this is the best way that I have found! So what are you waiting for? Your Heavenly Father is waiting to hear from you!

Life Lessons

Her name is Jane.

I heard her telling another young Ugandan girl that she loved Karen Kingsbury.

I have a whole collection of her books.

On September 8th, I found Jane walking across the church parking lot. I handed her 4 of Karen's books.
Now, if she were an American child, she would probably shrug it off, and maybe add a simple, "Thanks."

But not Jane.

With tears in her eyes, she dropped to her knees, and threw her arms around me. After a few seconds, she put her hands in the air. "He has answered my prayer... I just asked God for books!"

I reached down, and pulled Jane to her feet. That day, she thanked me numerous times, all for something that I had sitting on a shelf for over a year, almost untouched.


She taught me a valuable lesson.

In general, many Americans worship God for what He has given us. We are blessed. These beautiful Ugandans have little to nothing... They worship God simply for who He is.


If one day you woke up, and you had nothing, would you still love God? Think about that for a minute.

If all you owned was a couple pairs of clothes and the shoes on your feet, would you consider yourself blessed?


I have never seen a more beautiful smile than that of a child whose world has been torn apart by complete poverty.


I want to share one more memory I have of these beautiful children.

Maureen is 9 years old. She has changed my life, and taught me lessons that I will forever cling to.

I sat down next to her as she was eating her hotdog. Half eaten, she held it near my face. I shook my head, and told her she should eat it. She pointed at something else on her plate, and again, I told her that she would be hungry later, and she should eat the food for herself.

She looked at me with those big brown eyes, and said, "Have you ever eaten anything from me?" My answer was quick... No.

She pointed to a pile of crackers on her plate. "At least eat a cracker."

So now, I was curious. "Why do you want me to eat your food?"

And her answer left me in tears.

"Because I love you, and I want to give you something."

Maureen had nothing to give. All she had was the food on her plate. Yet, she was willing to give even that away.


What about you? If you had little to give, could you still love enough to offer everything you had to someone else?


Maureen gave me more than a cracker that night. She changed my perception on life.

So I challenge you... Serve God for who He is. Love with complete abandon. And be all God intended you to be.

Unconditional Love

Tonight, I want to tell you a story of  unconditional love.
One of the most beautiful love stories that I have ever read comes from the book of Hosea. And the story unfolds a little something like this:

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. So, Hosea did as God commanded him, and he married Gomer (We can't be sure that Gomer was actually a prostitute when she married Hosea, or if that came later on in the marriage. But he knew that one day, she would be unfaithful to him). He loved Gomer with his whole heart. He wasn't rich, and couldn't give her all of the fancy jewelry or beautiful clothes, but he gave her everything that she needed. He took care of her, and loved her. But Gomer wanted more. She wanted not what Hosea could give her, but rather, what he couldn't give her. She wanted the riches. So, she left. Just like that. She was gone. Could you imagine how Hosea must have felt? His wife... The woman he loved with his whole being.... The woman that God told him to marry... Has left him for another man. I don't know about you, but if I were Hosea, I would have questioned God. Why? Why would a faithful God ask him to marry an unfaithful harlot?
Anyways, back to the story, Gomer became enslaved in prostitution. She was no longer her own, but sold as property. Oh, the shame and regret that Gomer must have felt when she was being "auctioned off" before all of these people. She had a wonderful husband and three children that loved her very much, and she had given it all up for this life, that wasn't even her own anymore. But it's too late for all of that.... Right?

Wrong.

So, in walks her prince charming (Hosea, of course). And he buys her freedom back for 15 pieces of silver, and one and a half homers of barley. He makes her his wife once again. He doesn't call her names, or tell her what a failure she is. Instead, he tells her that she will be faithful to him, and he will be faithful to her. Now that, is unconditional love.

So, why would God tell Hosea to marry her if he knew what was going to happen? Because God wanted Hosea to understand how He felt about His children. But let's take this a little bit farther. God wanted somebody to understand how He feels about YOU. He loves us with this unconditional love that makes absolutely no sense at all! We have committed great whoredom, and departed from the Lord (Hosea 1:2). Every time that we turn away from God, or mess up, or become complacent, we give His love away for the love of the world. We are ALL guilty of it. I am Gomer. You are Gomer. But knowing that we would be unfaithful, God saw that one day, we would need someone to save us, even though we don't deserve it. So He paid the greatest price... He gave His Son. There is no greater love.

So I challenge you. The price has been paid and we no longer have to be slaves to this life of whoredom. Will you accept this love? Or will you allow sin to enslave you? The choice is yours.

"I am married unto you." -Jeremiah 3:14
"Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." -Jeremiah 3:22

I'd Like to Indroduce You To... Me.

I want to take just a moment to be real with you all. I am a firm believer that you have never seen a person as they truly are until you see them at their point of brokenness. When stress is built up, and life just plain hurts.
At this moment, I am broken. I hurt. And I am struggling. But I want all of you to see this side of me. Because when the good times pass, and the lights go down, and everyone is gone, this is who I am. And yet through all of it, through the hard times, through the pain, and everything that's wrong, I still want you to know, that at your darkest point in life, there is One on whom you can depend. And I promise you that He won't let you down. I know this, because on those dark days, like today, He wraps me in His arms.
Now, this is just one bad day. My life is not horrible. I am not depressed. But I know how it feels to be broken. And I have come to this surreal place, where, even when the world is crazy, and I feel like people have let me down, and everything that could go wrong, does, I can't be persuaded to give up. Because even through it all, I feel Him. And I want you to understand that no matter what you go through, He's there. When you smile, He's there. When you cry, He's there. When you feel like giving up, He's there. Even when you turn your back on Him, He's there.
So this is me... This is who I am. My name is Heather. And I am here to admit to you, that I do not live a perfect life. I do not have it all together. And I fail (and fall) almost daily. But despite all of my imperfections, I have a perfect God. And that's ALL that I need.

Trifecta!

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since I have posted anything. I want to share something with you! The reason that Generation_31 exists today, is because of 3 amazing women that God placed in my life this past summer. Each woman taught me something so valuable about myself, and my ministry. Lucy Reyes is one of those women. I have asked her to write something for all of you, and this is what she sent me. I absolutely love what she had to say here, and I know that she spent much time seeking God for what to write. I am so excited to share this with you, so check it out, and let me know what you think! -Heather

 

 

Trifecta!
By: Lucy Reyes

God is not into playing games like 'hide and seek,' 'catch me if you can,' or even 'phone tag' but His principles are similar to sport games that require teamwork, trust, and discipline.

In this case, it's an eternal prize that is up for grabs, where the trophies come in form of jeweled crowns.

He is not your opponent and He is not your adversary. He is your friend and your Coach.

He is on your team and is actively scouting for the new season in your life.

He has pre-appointed and anointed, new talent on your behalf and is drafting the best available, most valuable players that would fight earnestly along your side.

Teammates who can play their hearts out on the next level and are worthy of playing on Sundays! A team that can reach the Promised Land together! Future Hall of Famers for Jesus Christ!

It's going to be a battle of epic proportions and He has hand picked those who are suited up with The Full Armor of God.

The season is a marathon and not a sprint, therefore it calls for runners who can endure the race of Faith till the very end, not halfway, not until the last quarter but in and out of season until the Final Call is made.

He's pitching not only one gem but many gems. Although, he's been quiet so far, when He throws, He throws rainbow jumpers right before the whistle blows!

You must know, I am only the announcer coming to announce The Year of the Lord's Favor.

Gear up, submit your best game plan to Him, and remember that you fight from a standpoint where victory is already won.

Whether playing at home or away, you are predestined for greatness and only love will lead you to the end zone with The Sword in your hand. In Jesus Name.

Follow Your Dreams

I was the little girl in school who had absolutely no idea what she wanted to be, or do when she grew up. Even through high school, my biggest struggle was how I wanted to spend my life. That is a pretty big commitment afterall. A life sentence, so to speak. How could I possibly limit myself to an occupation?

I remember one day in specific when my 5th grade teacher went around the room and asked each of my classmates what they wanted to be when we grew up. I heard some pretty great answers from my friends. Police officers, nurses, lawyers, fire-fighters, the list could go on and on. When the teacher stood in front of me, my answer was quick, and false. "I want to be a teacher." (Okay, so this statement was not at all correct. But hey, it earned me some brownie points.) The truth was, I had no idea what I wanted to be.

It wasn't until the 10th grade that I finally decided that I had to choose. I had a dream, and I needed to give it a voice. I didn't want to be average (Don't get me wrong here, teachers, nurses, police officers, lawyers, and every other occupation out there is very important. God calls everyone to a specific job. But not everyone is capable of those things. I guess that's where I come in).

Truth is, I had always had a dream. A dream that I didn't dare to tell anyone. It's like when a mother tells her child that he can be anything he wants; even the President of the United States. She probably doesn't actually believe her own statement. And those around the child will eventually fill his head with statements such as, "You need to choose something more realistic."or "Well, that's a great dream and all, but you should definitely make sure you have a backup plan for when that one falls through."

You see, I have one of those unrealistic dreams. And it is simply this: I want to change the world. I want to leave this place better than it was when I entered it. Pretty unrealistic dream, huh? Well, I don't know about you, but I would say that people called Martin Luther King Jr. crazy when he told the world about his dream. Or what about the Wright brothers, when they were building their first "flying machine?" How many times had they been ridiculed for their dreams? How many times had someone told them it simply could not be done? These men impacted the world.

　

　

With that being said, I have 12 reasons that you too, should follow your God-given dreams:
1.) If you don't follow your dreams, you'll crush them... And eventually, you'll stop dreaming altogether.
2.) There are few things that are worse than regret. What will you regret tomorrow that you didn’t do today?
3.) Dreamers who took action have created everything around you.
4.) Following your dreams doesn’t always turn out as planned, but hey, it makes for some great memories.
5.) Personal growth happens only when you stretch yourself. If you don’t follow your dreams you’re not stretching.
6.) You want to be remembered. Everybody does. We remember those who follow their dreams.
7.) Your dreams and your actions define who you are. If you do what others tell you to do then you’re letting them define you.
8.) When people who look up to you see you following your dreams it will inspire some of them to follow their dreams as well.
9.) Following your dreams makes you interesting.
10.) You learn a lot from failure. Not everybody will get everything right 100% of the time. Since you will probably fail at times, you’ll learn a lot too.
11.) There are no rules in life so why limit yourself to what everybody else is doing?
12.) You might live to be 100 years old, but tomorrow is never promised. Take a chance.




So, here's to the crazy ones. The misfits

"The people who are crazy enough to believe that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Message to Women: The Power of Your Life

When the history of the world is finally told rightly-- one of the great joys when we reach the Wedding Feast of the Lamb-- it will be as clear as day that women have been essential to every great move of God upon this Earth.

I wanted to say, "nearly every great move," not wanting to over-state a crucial point and recognizing that there are moments when men have led the way. But Stasi chimed in and said, "Those men had mothers, didn't they?!" I was thinking of Moses who seemed to lead the Exodus, but it quickly dawned on me that it was his mother who saved his life as a baby (at the risk of her own life, and the lives of her entire family). It was his sister who stayed with the babe and suggested a nursemaid when Pharaoh's daughter took him for her own (That nurse would be, of course, his mother). Okay. I concede. Women have been essential to every great move of God.

Certainly there are those amazing moments in the Old Testament like the story of Rahab, who secured the Hebrews' successful military launch into the Promised Land. And Esther, who saved her people from genocide and secured the future of Israel... and of the world. It's clear that women supported the ministry of Jesus, financially and emotionally, and women were the ones who stayed with him when nearly all the men hightailed it and ran. As we read the story of the spreading gospel and the birth of the church in the New Testament, we encounter women like Lydia, whose home became the staging point for the evangelism of Thyatira and Philippi; women like Nympha and Apphia, who hosted the emerging church in their homes--again, at great risk to themselves and their loved ones. There is Priscilla, who risked her life to help Paul spread the gospel, and Junias, who was with Paul when he was in prison and whom he called, "outstanding among the apostles" (Romans 16:7).

And of course, the salvation of mankind rested on the courage of a woman, a teenage girl. What if she had said no? What if any of them had said no?

To try and give honor to women in the sweep of history is impossible here. It would be easier to think of any of the great or small turning point's in God's rescue of mankind and try to find one where women were not irreplaceable. From the beginning, Eve was God's gift to the world-- His ezer kenegdo (help mate) for us. History is still unfolding, and your existence on this Earth as a woman is proof that you have an irreplaceable role to play. You are a woman, are you not? An ezer kenegdo to your core. Your lingering disbelief (may it be fading away) that anything important hangs on your life is only evidence of the long assault on your heart by the one who knows who you could be, and fears you.

There is much life saving that needs to be done yet, and someone needs to do it. Not in a pressure filled, You'd better get to it kind of way. Rather, an invitation. Your feminine heart is an invitation by your Creator. To what? To play an irreplaceable role in his Story. Isn't that what your Lover wrote there? Some dream, some desire, something so core to who you are, it almost hurts to think of it. The very longing is such a part of your being it's scary to even give it a voice. You may not know the dream itself yet. But you know the longing to play an irreplaceable part. That is a good beginning.

Ezer is woven into the fabric of your feminine heart. You must live this out. What lives, what destinies are hanging on your yes to God?

Excerpt taken from "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge.