Continue in Prayer...

That is my motto for 2013: "Continue in Prayer." 

No matter what this year brings, good, bad, or indifferent, I will continue in prayer. One devotional I started this year is from Charles Spurgeon. It is an iPhone app that has a morning and evening reading for each day. I am a big fan! I read some from it last year & I always get a lot out of the short readings. Yesterday he wrote about prayer and through that I realized that is what I am focusing on during my fast & throughout this new year. Spending more intimate time with God in prayer. When I am fasting I LOVE to have a scripture that reflects what I am focusing on, this time it is:

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful & thankful."

Here is the Charles Spurgeon Devo:

Continue in prayer.

Colossians 4:2

It is interesting to remark how large a portion of Sacred Writ is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord; and just as we are about to close the volume, the Amen of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob-there a Daniel who prayed three times a day-and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in his Word, he intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If he has said much about prayer, it is because he knows we have much need of it. So deep are our necessities, that until we are in heaven we must not cease to pray. Dost thou want nothing? Then, I fear thou dost not know thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of God? Then, may the Lord's mercy show thee thy misery! A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour of a Christian. If thou be a child of God, thou wilt seek thy Father's face, and live in thy Father's love. Pray that this year thou mayst be holy, humble, zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and enter oftener into the banqueting-house of his love. Pray that thou mayst be an example and a blessing unto others, and that thou mayst live more to the glory of thy Master. The motto for this year must be, Continue in prayer.

My Journal..

I am not usually one to be sentimental... I'm not the Mom who keeps everything Presley makes at school, usually, it doesn't even make it to the fridge (gasp, I know). But for some reason, when I've filled up a writing journal, I just can't seem to part with it! It's hard enough to put it in the closet.. I definitely don't think I could throw it away..
This morning I made the transition to a new journal, my previous one was full of writings, thoughts, quotes, prayers, and scriptures that meant a lot to me over the last 6 months. Wow, has it been a full 6 months!! It's funny looking back because I can see so many ups and downs, tears and victories, lots of asking "Why?" and then I can see God's fingerprints through it all! I can see how He was leading us and teaching me all entire way. I can also see how much more I have to grow and learn! I am so thankful that His Love endures forever and that He won't give up on me :) Because trust me, I'd give up on me sometimes! My heart is so full as I reflect on everything that God has done in my life and in so many other lives within 6 short months!! I see prayers that I wrote as a COMPLETE long shot, God answer!! Like our family not only coming to church, but seeking Him & MORE family coming now, until we have an entire row of our family that we 6 months ago NEVER would have imagined be sitting with us. I see changes in my amazing Husband and how He is leading our family in ways far beyond what I prayed for! It's just incredible to look back over all the ways He has provided when we didn't know what we were going to go and to see Him leading us when we didn't even realize He was there!

One of the key themes that I noticed as I was looking back over the pages and pages of my heart on paper was Proverbs 4:23 "Guard your heart above all else; for it determines the course of your life." 
Then this morning I read Proverbs 15:15 "A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song." I always giggle at God because He knows me so well, He knows that when He needs to get a point across to me, He has to send it to me in MULTIPLE ways and several times :)
So this morning as I am praying, reading, and writing in my new fresh journal, I am going to take some time to evaluate my heart and truly focus it on Him! I have came a LONGGG way in the last 6 months with getting rid of the excess to make more room for Him, His calling, and His Kingdom, but there is still excess to remove in our lives and it starts in our hearts!! I am so excited to have a new journal to fill with all that He still has in store and all that I have to learn!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1