I'm not going to lie. I have been obsessed with the story about the Samaritan woman. You know…the one about the woman at the well?
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I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I can relate to her; thirsty, alone, having a past that’s more tainted than holy.
I mean, this lady, she just seems smart, yet willing; lonely, yet thirsty for the water that never runs dry. (John 4:7-30)
The other women likely rose early, and went together to get their daily portion of water. Yet, this Samaritan was alone, exposed, and likely in danger, as she goes to fill her bucket all by herself. Still, in her isolation, it is there she meets Jesus.

What I love about Jesus is that He didn’t go around Samaria, like so many others were accustomed to doing. He didn’t claim how her people weren’t Jews, weren’t chosen, or somehow weren’t “good enough”. It was as if He knew this Samaritan woman from the beginning; chose, predestined, and seemed to set himself up to be alone with her at this well. It was as if He could foresee the spiritual fruit coming from this one, simple encounter.

And yet in our culture, it can be so easy to go to anyone or anything else, but Jesus, for our filling. We can seek an endless amount of “help”, when The One we need desperately, has already come looking for us.

And I don’t know about you, but I desperately long to know The One willing to break through cultural norms.
The One already taking steps towards me, the One I’ve needed to make me whole from before I could call out my Father’s name.

Still, I wonder if we are going to be Missional Women, we should follow the four lessons the Samaritan women gives us:

• She didn’t follow the crowd.
• She didn’t stay down trotted, but rose up and walked out to get her own water.
• She acknowledged her sins and yet desperately anticipated the Messiah.
• She didn’t care about what people thought but once converted, evangelized her whole city.

When Jesus encountered the woman at the well, He told her everything she had ever done.

As a result, the Samaritan woman soon learns Jesus was the Chosen One, the Son of God, the long waited for Lord of Creation, standing, speaking, reaching to not just anyone, but her.

And…

• When we get that God isn’t just connecting with those in high-backed chairs in church...
• When we understand, we don’t have to be perfect, flawless, or untainted to earn His favor…
• When we know, He loves us, just as we are…

Something inside us radically changes. We become free to throw up our hands and be all He created us to be.
We don’t care about the approval of other people, the sins that has weighed on us. We don’t give time to the ones that have pulled and pushed, or held us back hatefully…

All we care about is being the outlet for His bubbling-over joy…
Telling others of the truth, letting the whole world know how He has set us free, and that we have found the risen Savior.

I don’t know where you are today. Maybe you are hidden in shame, excluded, isolated, lonely, like the Samaritan woman when she was locked in her own sin… But let me tell you, Jesus isn’t sitting waiting for you to be perfect before He accepts you. He is walking your way and He desperately wants to commune with you.
He has chosen this time and a place where He too can fill you with living water. He is waiting to be everything you need.
Won’t you come join Him at His well, just like the Samaritan, through honest conversation? And then, like the woman of Scripture, we can live lives running and telling the world of all the great things He has done.

We can live giving praise, and evangelizing His heart because once we were lost, but now we are not. And, we need never to be thirsty again.

​Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations.  Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios.  Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s.  Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family.  You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda .  Jen is also on facebook.  ​
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If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

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Recently, I've come to the somewhat obvious conclusion that: 

Isn't that so true? It takes work. A dramatic choice. Every day.  

Being in my twenties is great for a lot of reasons. I am free to do what I want with little consideration to schedules because, well, I know if I have the time or not. No husband or kids to consult with. I get to try a lot of things for the first time. If I have the money, I can buy the thing I want.

But one of the best parts of this stage in life is I'm free to take risks that may lead to failure. I am risking my current situation. My money. My time. For this stage of life, I'm not yet a parent nor am I reporting to one daily. Any and all risks that I choose to take will, for the most part, only directly affect me. Freedom! 

I am not a risky person by nature. As a child, there was a rope to swing across the creek behind my house--most kids used that to make the walk to school a little bit shorter. Not me! No way! I was fine walking a little further to safely cross without getting wet. 

However, in the last few months, God has been coaching me into being a risk-taker. Like I said in the begining, following God's Will for your life is a choice. Many times, that choice fronts itself as a risk. Never once has God called me to a seemingly safe and comfortable life. No! He asks us to push boundaries and trust Him. 

Trust. Isn't that the hardest part? Trusting that His Will for your life is really as good as The Bible says it is. Trust that He will come through. Trust that His plan really is the best possible plan. It's hard! 

However, I heard a metaphor from a pastor at Red Rocks Church and I can't stop thinking about it. 

Do you know how much the strongest man in the world can bench press? 
1,150lbs!! 

Want to know something even crazier? His wife! 
She bench presses 405lbs!   (You GO girl!) 

Now, I don't know what their kids bench press, but I would bet that they're not the kids on the playground scared to do the monkey bars. They wouldn't be the ones hiding from the other kids. Why? Because they have mega-mom and mega-dad to back them up. 

So do you, my friend! You have a giant Father backing you up from Heaven. No blog post is going to rob you of your fear, but your big God might. Pray. Ask God to give you courage to follow His Will for your life. It won't happen on accident. 

Have you ever thought the Old Testament doesn't really relate to your life today? Have you ever thought it was a bit boring? Or maybe just stay away from it because you never really got anything out of it? Well, if this is the case I would love to help you find nuggets of wisdom and application from the Old Testament for your life. Here's the first chapter of my devotional on Judges. The devotional takes you verse chunk by verse chunk through the entire book with application to daily life for of all of it. If you get something out of this first chapter, or if the Lord uses it to speak to you or encourage you, you can get your book here.

Enjoy and I hope the Old Testament becomes alive and nourishing to your soul.

Judges 1:1-3
Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So Simeon went with him. (Judges 1:1-3) 

The boundary lines had already been drawn up for each of the tribes to take the land. They just hadn't done it yet. So I love that even though their leader had died, they didn't give up on the mission. And more importantly, they didn't give up on turning to the Lord. 

I find it interesting that they asked who should go up and fight. Because before this time, they all had worked together under one leader. Having worked together to fight, it's interesting that they assumed only one of the tribes should go. God had appointed Moses. Just one guy.  And then God told Moses to appoint Joshua. Again, just one guy. But the Lord never told Joshua to appoint a successor. And what a gift because it allows us to see that God also uses ordinary people who aren’t appointed to be the head honcho. 

So the Lord sends the tribe of Judah, and they ask the Simeonites to go with them. This brings a lot of questions to mind:
* Would you be willing to be the tribe not chosen for this great task?

* How would you react? Would you complain, criticize, or be jealous? Or take the route of self-pity?

* If in the tribe of Simeon, would you be willing to be an accompanist and take joy in helping the chosen tribe? 

* Would you root whole-heartedly from the sidelines, knowing you still had a part to play?

The Lord is the One who knows who is best fit for each task. When I am not chosen or picked, Lord, remind me that You had a hand in it. That You have not overlooked or disregarded me; it's just that You have different plans. Lord, how does this relate to my daily life? 

Have you been overlooked recently? Not appreciated or disregarded? Has someone else received the thing you were hoping for or was asked to do something you were hoping to be asked to do? 

I've been there. Just know the Lord has not overlooked you. He has not disregarded you. He knows exactly what He is doing. So often we have to remind ourselves what's true: If the Lord is for me, who can be against me?

God radically loves you, and He is for you! 

It helps to be proactive and give thanks in all things because it changes our attitudes. But having an attitude of thankfulness (such as thanking God for the other person getting _____) is only something that comes by the strength, perspective, and ability of His Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit—love (which is unselfishly choosing for another’s highest good), joy, peace, patience—are not something we can conjure up. They are born in our hearts as we remain connected to the Lord as a branch does to a vine. As we submit and yield to Him, we give Him freedom to allow His heart and perspective to be lived through us.

Lord, we are desperately dependent on You. We want to have a heart that pleases You and not be selfish, but apart from You, we can do nothing. Please produce in us a heart that is able to be grateful for not being chosen right now. A heart that is willing to do whatever You ask. A heart surrendered to You and willing to be aligned to Yours. Lord, You are pretty incredible, knowing everything and being patient even when we get tired of being overlooked. Your knowledge and patience are so comforting, Lord. Thank You for opening our eyes and showing us that about You!
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​Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 14 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.

If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

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 I love God’s Word. I love how He can teach me things and He speaks directly into my current life situation from words written years and years ago.
 
That being said, I also love when God teaches me things far outside the context of the Bible or Church.
 
God did that the other day.

God can use even Toyota to speak life into your current situation.  
 
The pioneer of how Toyota makes cars today, Taiichi Ohno, concluded that problems were a fact of life. (Which reminds me of John 16:33). And the key to solving any problem is getting to the root of it.
 
Taiichi says that in order to get to the root of any problem you must ask “why?” 5 times. If you do that you will have a better understanding of what is going wrong and how to fix it.

​Jacque is the Missional Women Intern and a college student in Denver, CO who balances her time between trying to go to class and learning about His saving grace and perfect love as much as she can.  She is a twenty something, DIY attempting, Jesus loving, Denver living, small town rooted, Colorado sports fan.  She loves black coffee, long conversations and watching people do what God created them for. You can find her Christian Twenty Somethings blog at Desperately Dependent. ​

When I started middle school, my parents decided to send me to private school.  I’d picked up some less than desirable vocabulary in the hallways of my public school, and they decided to be proactive by sending me to a school that would help combat my rebellious, twelve-year-old potty mouth. 
The school that they chose taught the Bible as a subject. I would be attending one hour of daily instruction on the Holy Scriptures. I wish I could say I was excited about it, but all I could picture was the sweet sixty year old lady who taught Sunday School at my grandmother’s church standing at the front of the room with a flannel graph image of Jesus. I imagined myself struggling to stay awake. 
I did not own a Bible, so we purchased one. I carried it to school, placed it in my new locker, and expected the worst.   
Boy, was I in for a surprise!
I entered into Mr. Kenneth Bender’s Bible class on day one, opened up the pages of the New Testament, and read the Greatest Story Ever Told with my own eyes for the first time. The Word of God was alive in the life of my teacher, and his enthusiasm was contagious. I wanted to have the peace and joy that was readily visible in this man’s life. 
God’s Word transforms. 

• It’s a hammer that breaks up the rocky places of our hearts.
  
  
• Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29, ESV). “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

• It’s a light that shines new life and wisdom into our blinded eyes and deadened souls.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:7-8).

• It’s a megaphone in our ears that speaks truth to our spirit and teaches us how to live. 

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).  “ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17).
Our job is to get the Word out. All around us every day we rub shoulders with people who desperately need salvation. We cannot hoard the Bible. We must share it.
5 Ways to Get the Word Out:

1. Sprinkle Scripture into your correspondence: Write a meaningful verse at the bottom of a card or letter to your loved one for their birthday and other special occasions. Add a verse you love to your e-mail signature.
2. Take back social media: Facebook doesn’t have to be about debating politics or promoting your business. Use social media to share what God is teaching you from His Word. You can write out a verse from your quiet time, share a graphic image with a greater purpose, or even do a Facebook Live Memory Verse challenge where you share why you love a particular verse. 
3. Text for Kingdom purposes: End your text conversation with a little Scriptural encouragement in addition to your favorite emoji.   
4. Pack your sword: Are you heading out for coffee? Do you have a doctor’s appointment? Are you going to take a flight? Anywhere that you will be sitting out in public presents an opportunity for you to be a missionary. Pull out your Bible in that waiting room and start reading. You might just pique someone’s interest who is seeking and has spiritual questions.
5. Wear the Word: Buy a t-shirt that displays a verse that has impacted your life and use fashion for a Missional purpose. 

 
God has promised that His Word will never be spoken in vain – it always accomplishes His kingdom purposes (Isaiah 55:11). His Word will always increase and multiply if we share it (Acts 12:24). How will you get the Word out this week? Let’s purpose to not be silent. Speak life over those who need to wake up to the Truth.

As I was surfing through Spotify, asking God what I should blog about this month, racking my brain for all those “great ideas” I come up with in the shower (Seriously, why is it I have all these great ideas for things in the shower?) when I saw an add for VS lingerie. And I was met with all these thoughts and feelings – like, “It’s porn passed off as advertising!” and “I like my underwear from there” and “I am so frustrated with what people think they can get away with.”


I also thought of all my lovely lingerie I got at my bridal shower. Not going to lie, I like it was so thankful that people got me some when I was getting married. People were encouraging sex in the right context – that’s a great thing! Shouldn’t we encourage young women to look forward the right sex? Part of my issues in sex now have to do with all the negative thoughts I’ve had about how bad it is… outside of marriage. But now being in marriage, it’s a form to honor the Lord. WHAT?! Talk about a mind change!


But what kind of gifts can we give that are morally right and yet sends a good message to this area of their future marriage that is important?


More out of the fact that I live in a small city with few shopping options (lingerie options are either Walmart or the adult store… neither one appealing to shop at), I have developed a great gift that I call “The First Night Bag.”


I LOVE this gift for so many reasons! First, because it’s so practical. Second, because it embarrasses the bride-to-be. I have so many great stories of ladies opening this gift – between them and the older ladies who think I probably should have given the couple pot holders or candles. Third, especially if they have been pure in their relationship past, this is a good and safe opportunity for them to learn good expectations about their first intimate night with their husband from someone they can trust – you!


It makes me think of Titus 2:3-5, “In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God's message will not be slandered.”


Bride-to-be have been bombarded with all sorts of different images, assumptions, thoughts and opinions about sex, marriage and sex in marriage. As older women, we need to encourage these women in truth about sex, marriage and sex in marriage – to help give them realistic and hopeful views over the junk our culture (and sometimes even some junk that well-intending “Christian” culture) is trying to feed them.


Here is what I usually put in my bag:
·      Condoms or VCF
·      Lubricant
·      Flushable wipes
·      Fun panties
·      His/Her energy bars
·      Mouthwash
·      Pregnancy test


Other ideas:
·      Basal thermometer
·      Gatorade
·      Massage oil
·      Tea lights/candles
·      Lotion
·      Set of sheets
·      Chocolates
·      Mints/gum
·      Toothbrushes & toothpaste
·      Prenatal vitamins


I found a shirt once that said, “Practice Makes Perfect” and gave it to a friend of mine at her bridal shower – I wish I could buy those in bulk and put one in each bag I ever give!


These are things you can really find anywhere, and I usually spend around $15 or so. I like to buy something practical household wise to put it in if I can afford it too. One time I bought a plastic pitcher, wrapped all my items in tissue paper and then stuffed the items in the pitcher. My very first one I put in a big plastic Easter egg, hid it at the house that the shower was being held, and had my friend go find it! (Okay, the egg was not a practical household item, but it was fun!) A great idea is to buy a travel bathroom bag to put all that in there so they can travel with it on their honeymoon.


You can totally get creative with this too! Like think of different verses to go with each item, write down the practical advice with each item, give date ideas – really this can only get more fun the more time you get with it! Overall, this has been a successful gift that is a good way to encourage a healthy sex life in marriage.


What have been some great bridal shower gifts that you have either received or seen given?
 
Dear Lord Jesus, We live in such a depraved world. Sometimes it feels like we have to dig to find the original good in what you have created. I pray for women entering into marriage to have a good, healthy excitement for this new part of life they get to enjoy and fight through with their husbands. I pray that they will have good expectations and ask their awkward questions to reliable women. Thank you for sex! In Your Name I pray…

Leah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband. ​

I must confess that right now I have a huge pile of laundry to conquer and a sink full of dishes. The charge to go into the world and make disciples seems beyond my capability. I can’t make time to wash my hair most weeks. How am I supposed to fulfill the Great Commission when I can’t even get to the grocery store to make dinner for my family? 
I am just an ordinary woman. The call to reach the lost seems like an extraordinary challenge.  
How can I have a missionary heart in the midst of my daily life? Reading through the Bible, I’ve found inspiration from the lives of 5 ordinary women who made an extraordinary difference.    
 
5 Ordinary Ways to Live on Mission for our Extraordinary God: 

1. She can pray: Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” I might not ever walk on a stage to share the Gospel. I may never travel to Africa or start a non-profit in Jesus’ name, but I can pray for God to soften hearts in my family. I can present the names of my neighbors to the One who transforms lives. Like a modern-day Esther, I am appointed to pray and fast and walk through whatever doors God may open for me to speak the Truth in love. 
   
2. She can help: God loves to surprise us. If we are in tune with Him, He will present opportunities for us to meet needs and point people toward redemption.  Just look at the servant girl in II Kings 5. Naaman needed healing, and she knew a healer. “Let me tell you about Elisha,” she said. Naaman was “all ears.” Right now, someone in your circle of influence needs help. If you respond, you might just help them find healing from their sin as well as help in a time of need. 
3. She can encourage and support: Be a good friend who invests in others. Choose to be fully present, listen, and share your story like Priscilla in the New Testament. The church actually met in her home, and she partnered with her husband to encourage Paul, Apollos, and whoever God brought into her path.  
4. She can invite others in: Do you know how to bake a cake? Can you make a pot of coffee? Maybe God wants you to use the gift of hospitality to share the Good News. Lydia did. In Acts 16, we see her inviting people to her home as a springboard to inviting them to Christ. 
   
5. She can serve: In Acts 9, Paul introduces us to Dorcas, an ordinary woman whose heart beat with compassion for the needy. Like Dorcas, we are called to love the least of these. We don’t need a seminary degree or a huge bank account to accomplish this mission. All we have to do is show up and be willing to get our hands dirty in the name of Jesus. We are called to be His hands and feet in this broken world.  

​You can choose to be a world changer right now. Pray, help, encourage, invite others in, and serve. Ordinary acts of obedience can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of others.  

Different states, different denominations; women doing different kinds of ministry all gathered together in one place, that was this year’s Missional Women Conference.

My daughter and I had the privilege of flying to Denver for the 2016 Missional Women Conference. We met so many beautiful ladies; women flying in from Buffalo, pregnant moms, post college students, those in ministry to young people, leading in Young Life, and older women seasoned in their faith.

So many imparted wisdom during private conversations, classroom break-out sessions, from the stage, and while encircled around those small, intimate tables where vulnerable hearts lay honest, transparent, and abandoned to one another.

We gathered in a warehouse type-setting that was retro and elegant, new and old, updated and seasoned….just like those of us women united there.

The feel was casual, and inviting, welcoming and engaging, humble, while providing intimate time with God leading to personal revelations.

Here is a list of my own personal takeaways from the 2016 Missional Women Conference:

1. Women on mission become vitalized when surrounded by other missional women.
2. We don’t know it all. The uniting of women reveals to us a fuller picture of God, church, ministry etc.
3. Young women are the future: Invest in them.
4. We can’t let what we know stop with us. Share it.
5. The Word is our only source of life. Read it.
6. Be intentional about pursuing God’s plan for our lives. (Waiting to step out is too often an excuse for our own apathy, doubts, fears, or lack of faith)
7. We reflect what we gaze upon. Gaze upon Jesus. (Laura Krokos)
8. A spirit of social relativism and apathy can overtakes us and we often don’t even realize it until we are surrounded by people living fearless, bold and counter-culture lives.
9. God created us for more.
10. Family is the foundation of our ministries, but not always the end of the story.
11. Christian women leaders are a gift. Pray for them.
12. Don’t get lost in time-wasters/petty things that have no fruit. Life is short.
13. Our husband’s don’t define who we are.
14. Our children don’t define who we are.
15. Our work, social status, position in the church, influence in society, good works etc. Don’t define who we are. God does.
16. Love surpasses religion.
17. We can and must be set free from self-preservation.
18. If we care about the comments of other people, we can’t be a missionary.
19. The command is “Go”, yet 99% of people stay.
20. Kill the giants in your mind.
21. Prayer is the real work of ministry, the service is the just the gathering of fruit.
22. Simply say “yes” to God each time He asks something of you, and you WILL fulfill your calling.
23. We are “aliens” in this world.
24. He has called us to put justice on display for a dying world to see. (Laura Krokos)
25. Forgiveness changes us. Forgive often and forgive everyone.
26. Don’t hold people to a level of perfection God doesn’t hold us to. (Laura Krokos)
27. He never, ever withholds love from us.
28. When we are not motivated to give or live missionally, it’s an indication that we are not seeing God as He is. (Laura Krokos)
29. Excuses hinder the mission.
30. Obedience is the remedy to fear. (Mariah McCleary)
31. Show up and He will do the rest. (Mariah McCleary)
32. The gospel sells itself. We don’t need to market it.
33. Ask ourselves, “What are we living for?” And, “Does it have eternal value?”
34. Live, focus on, and invest in those things that have eternal value.
35. Don’t be ashamed of the gospel.
36. Take initiative.
37. Go! Pursue someone for the sake of the gospel.
38. He will move about in your world at the pace that we let Him. (Mariah McCleary)
39. We must be rooted deep, practicing a faith that caters to more than “felt needs”. (Melissa Demming)
40. One of the most radical prayers you can pray is, “I will go where you want me to go, say what you want me to say, and do what you want me to do.” (Mariah McCleary)

If you were at the Missional Women Conference in 2016, you can come this year! The retreat is April 27-29 but is limited to only 50 women. Find all the details at MissionalWomenRetreat.com 

Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations.  Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios.  Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s.  Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family.  You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda .  Jen is also on facebook.  ​

If you google ‘prayer’ there are 292,000,000 results. 292 Million! in 0.39 seconds!


Truly, our world has much to say about prayer. The Christian world has written many of the books on prayer. An amazon search for ‘Christian prayer’ list 50,631results.


The ruth is we can read and read and read, but we won’t learn to pray until we actually…pray.


I have been listening to Tim’s Keller’s book on prayer while I walk. It has many great truths. However, I realized that most of it is re-iterating what I already know about prayer. And how do I know these things? Because I learned them as a child, literally, at my father’s knee.


I was an eight year-old girl at our regular Wednesday evening prayer meeting when I first felt the nudge inside of me to pray publicly. So far, I had just listened to other pray-ers. And as I prayed I imitated what they, especially my father, had prayed. I am sure to an outsider it may have felt astounding or out-of-place or even comical.


But to the Lord, and my father, it was anything but that.


I may have needed to ‘grow into’ my prayers. But, the truth is, as I began to pray with others and to pray publicly, I was exercising the discipline of prayer. And through all of the ups and downs, the searching questions, the trials and the darkness, prayer has never left or disappointed me.


I want to show you why this is true. I also want to humbly offer to teach you how to pray.


In my next few posts, I will share the principles that have been most important in my own experience of prayer. It is admittedly a tiny offering considering all that is out there on the matter. But, I hope, too it is an honest and heartfelt expression of the life-changing reality of prayer.


How to Begin:

1. We Come Simply, Truly, Fully. When we pray, we take all that we are, our mess, our sin, our weakness, our doubt, our fear, our shame, our monumental insecurities and pair it with the faith we have. Though it be a mustard seed, this is all we need. We hold nothing back of our frail flesh. There is no facade before a holy God. And, in this way, we come simply, truly, fully to prayer.

2. We Come Keeping First Things First. Much of what is wrong with prayer is that we often don’t begin with what is most important. We come in moments of need with our requests. We come, too, confessing our guilt. But, we often forget to come adoring God for who He is. This is a discipline of the heart which transforms our prayer life.

3. And So We Come. When we know how to come to God and how to begin praying, it is only left to do just this. Take 5 minutes right now to adore God. Begin with ‘Praise You Lord, You are…’ And name everything He is: loving, faithful, good, compassionate. Use passages like Lamentations 3:21-25 or Psalms 103. When we come as we are to a holy God through the blood of Christ, we are changed. As we adore Him for who He is and glory in the power of His redemption, none of our petitions seem the same. When we come and adore Him, we become full of Him to such a degree that our will surrenders to His. At the same time, our faith increases as we behold our God. Thus, we find ourselves boldly interceding with great faith.


I want to remind you, I am still very much in process. But one thing that has been helpful, is to learn to check my heart. If I find I have been throwing up petitions throughout the day, I stop every other prayer and simply focus on adoration. For some, a disciplined time each day to praise God as the beginning of that day’s prayers will work best. 


Regardless, as we keep our prayer lives in order, we will see God move in powerful ways.

​I think we’ve all heard this phrase before:

​But is this really true? Do I have to sit around and wait for God to call me to something magnificent before I can begin to practice anything? Before He can grow me?
 
Let’s look at an example:

Jesus definitely went on to teach and equip these men further—there is no doubt about that! But weren’t they already a little equipped before they began? Wasn’t that part of God’s plan? Hadn’t they learned patience, perseverance, and how to ride the roller coaster of fishing? Most certainly!  They were already equipped and then they were called—and then equipped further.
 
For so long, I used that phrase as a cop out. A way to say, “I’ll wait for God to equip me before I am obedient to His word.” Once God calls me to be a skilled evangelist, I’ll start practicing.
 
Or, I confused myself by thinking, “I’m already skilled at writing, what is God going to make me do?”  If I am already equipped in this one area, and He doesn’t call equipped—is He going to call me to music? That didn’t sound fun or effective for His Kingdom…
 
While I just admitted how I have used that phrase, I think this quote can give courage when we are scared to actually walk out God’s call for our life.  It reminds us that God’s got our back. That he will give us wisdom when we need it. And He will; after all, all wisdom is God’s wisdom.
 
If you’re repeating the quote in this way, the give me courage way, then keep repeating it to yourself! God does got your back. He will support you. And it is safe to walk out God’s call for your life.
 
But, if you identified with either of the ways that I have used that quote to keep myself from stepping out in faith—remind yourself what you know to be true about God. That’s what helped me.
 
-You don’t have to be perfect at something in order for God to use you. God’s perfection can work in you.
 
-God does further equip the already equipped. Before and after the call.
 
-God wants you to trust Him. He has the best plan for your life. ​

If you're interested in learning more about your talents and how God wants to use them to grow His kingdom, I highly recommend stopping by the Missional Women Store. Grab a copy of a workbook created by our host, Laura Krokos, called "Discovering God's Call For Your Life."  

The topics I had to work through in that book is why I'll be trusting God with going into full-time ministry. I couldn't recommend it enough.