Super Jesus Girl

“We must lay before Him what is in us; not what ought to be in us.” 

C.S. Lewis

First things first – Take off the invisible cape that this world mandates. Oh, but that crown, girl, you can keep that on. Your daddy is The King!

Now, let’s get real for just a few minutes. I promise, it won’t be like ripping off a band-aid. 😉 I’ll go first.

I have more failures than I do successes and more wrongs than I do rights. Each night, as I reflect upon my day, scene by scene, my flesh amplifies my failures and my wrongs. The enemy (and Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram) shout them out loud and proud. My cape is off and wrinkled with a few tears, sigh!

C.S. Lewis said it best, “We must lay before Him what is in us; not what ought to be in us.”

With Jesus, we are enough; ladies, we do have a super power! Remember that crown that adorns our beautiful heads? Because we are a daughter of the King, we have full access to El Elyon, The Most High. Super Jesus Girls-that’s what we are!

The power lies within the obedience. Prayer is our two-way conversation between us and God. We talk, He listens. He talks, we listen AND obey. You read that right, we are required to do more than just listen. We are called to obey because the power lies within the obedience.

In a previous post, 3 Reasons to Become a Better Jesus Girl with Prayer, we unfolded three truths:

Prayer is personal.
Prayer is purposeful.
Prayer is a priority.

Prayer is such a powerful tool that is too often underutilized. The enemy whirls in a twist of doubt that tornadoes through our mind, and we take off our cape and hope for the best. Not today.

Today, we are gonna talk about Power Prayer Planning. 

During my daily quiet time, I have always used the ACTS Prayer Method, but I struggle with staying focused. My mind wanders, distractions arise, and as soon as I say, “Amen”, I begin questioning the quality of those prayers I offered up to my Holy Super Hero. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul gives us three “be” statements. Be joyful, always be in prayer and be thankful in ALL circumstances.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Really? That seems like such an impossible task, and I’ll be honest, it challenged me. I truly have a desire to always be joyful, always be in prayer and be thankful in all circumstances. Here comes the obedience part of prayer. The power lies within the obedience.

I created a Weekly Prayer Plan that helps me live out I Thessalonians 5:16-18. Feel free to use it or adapt to fit your own prayer style/needs. You may have another plan that works. If so, please share your method in the comments, so we can glean from each other.

First, I divide my prayer time in three sections: morning, lunch, and evening. On Sunday, I spend time writing specific prayers for those God has entrusted to me and are within my sphere of influence. I also write prayers for my own spiritual weaknesses and needs as well as my marriage, and our family circle. Journals/notebooks are a great way to keep you focused and give God praises for answered prayers.

The Weekly Prayer Plan

Morning: Immediate Family; My personal heart check-up.
This is the time of day when I pray for those God has entrusted to me. (John, JD, Isaac, and MaryAlice.)  It is also the time that I confess and become transparent within my own spirit in my personal walk with the Lord.

Lunch: Extended Family
I choose to spend my lunchtime, eating and praying.  God doesn’t mind if I talk with my mouth full.  My prayers are focused on our parents, siblings, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews as well as cousins.  It’s a wonderful break in my crazy day to pause and allow God to renew my spirit.

Evening
This part of the plan changes each day transitioning between the people/priorities within my life.  Feel free to adapt or change it to meet your personal needs.

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Mission Monday: My prayers are focused on the missions we are involved in our local church and/or community.  I also pray specifically for missionaries we support and mission opportunities for our family to participate in both locally and abroad.

Taco Tuesday: Tuesday revolves around our friends and the members of our Life Group.  When you do life together, you carry on another’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)

Waldo Wednesday: Each of us has a Waldo — people within our lives that are close to us but far from God.  I pray specifically for their hearts, their circumstances, and for God to create divine appointments within their lives to experience the power and freedom only He can give.

Theology Thursday: On Thursdays, I pray for my pastors, their wives, and their families.  I pray specifically for all members of our church staff and those within leadership positions of our church body.

Friday Night Lights: When I think of Fridays, I think of football.  When I think of football, it always includes my “team”.  On Fridays, I pray for my team at my workplace.  My work friends, my bosses, and my administration.

Surrender Saturday: This day is focused on the part of my life that I have surrendered to Jesus — my calling.  If you serve in your local church, pray for growth in that area of ministry.  If you serve in a community organization, pray for spiritual growth within that organization.  Maybe you have taken a leadership position within your workplace.  I would surrender that position to God and ask Him how He wants you to lead in that area.  Ask Him to direct your leadership steps as you walk worthy.

Sabbath Sunday: On Sundays, my morning, lunch, and evening prayers are all centered on praise and thanksgiving.  This is the day I choose to rest my mind, my soul, and my heart in Jesus.  I reflect on my time with the Lord from the past week as well as the prayers He answered.  I also prepare my upcoming week’s prayer lists.  

This is also the day, that allows opportunities for intentional mission opportunities with those you have prayed for Monday-Saturday.

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Prayer is vital to our spiritual growth. This plan has helped keep me focused on keeping that close communication with Jesus. I pray the same specific prayers for seven days. It truly allows me to see God at work within my own life as well as those entrusted to me within my circle of influence.

Remember, the 3 be’s.
Be joyful.
Be in prayer.
Be thankful in all circumstances.

Despite what the world tell us, our super power is not defined by a cape. We are defined by the cross!

Time to Unfold

• • Pray: Spend time seeking God. Plan your prayer time to make it personal, purposeful, and a priority
  • Read God’s Word: Read prayers within the Book of Psalm. Pray the Psalms over your circle of influence.
  • Do: Journal your prayer requests. See how God works! Ask your family how you can pray for them!
  • Repeat. Keep throwing off your cape and continue picking up your cross! There is power in prayer!

Praying with you,