When God calls the Momma back to school, too.

It all began as a prayer that started at the beginning of the summer.  Lord, please show me this summer where you want me to spend my time.  In other words, what is my specific calling over this season of my life?  I had a few ideas in mind of how I thought God would answer, but as usual, He had His own agenda.

Every once in awhile, a scripture will absolutely jump off the pages at me, speaking into the deepest part of my being.  Through these couple of verses, God would start to show me how He wanted me to use my time for His glory. 

"Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you, declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.  See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth.  You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.  You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away.  But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel."

God was telling me I was like a worm...weak, feeble, and easily injured.  But, He was about to make me into a threshing sledge. 

Huh-wah???

The context is all about weak and small Israel and how having God on your side will be sufficient enough to trample over all your enemies.  I am defenseless on my own, but God is my strength and portion and very victory. Clark says of this passage:  "All the strength of the Israelites is in prayer-by which they smite the wicked of this world."

Through this verse and many other things God threw at my way, He was telling me my calling for this season of life is intercessory prayer.  I would be trampling down (threshing) the enemy through the act of prayer.  I even asked a friend for confirmation of my calling (without telling her I thought it was prayer) and she threw this my way:  "What do we ask of God?  We ask for a cupful when He has the entire ocean at His disposal."

I have to tell you I wasn't excited about this at first.  (I know how awful that sounds!) But, I had my own agenda and own ideas of what might bring Him glory.  So, after I surrendered my time and desires, God showed me this quote by Andrew Murray, "In intercession our King upon the throne finds His highest glory; in it we shall find our highest glory too."

I wasn't excited about this new adventure for two other reasons as well.  First, I have always felt like intercessory prayer has been part of my life...so how was this going to be new at all???  And second, I have some wounds of prayers prayed in big-time-faith that went totally awry. Those wounds made me wonder whether I could trust the heart of the Father.

Enter God calling me back to school.

The big boys would be heading back to learn all about biology, algebra, and spelling as I would be going back to learn all about prayer.

Lucky me, my little schoolhouse is all in the confines of my big comfy chair with creamer (I mean, coffee) in hand.

Andrew Murray.  Wow.  Never even heard of the guy until recently.  Super powerhouse of a Godly man.  Born in the late 1800's.  Wrote over 200 books.  Absolutely passionate about prayer and how we are to be confident in it.  God is using this man to teach me so much in my little schoolhouse.

The first thing God is hammering into my spirit is this:  "Becke', you have got to stop praying to Jesus and start praying to me, the Father.  Yes, I am Trinity, and three in one, but you have to get it out of your head that I (your Father) am not safe.  You go only to Jesus because you think He is the only one that understands you.  I am the one that loved you so greatly I sent my Son. My heart towards you is affectionate and tender and spilling over with love, more than you could ever love those four boys. Jesus broke down the walls so you could call me Father, as well.  So do it!  Start talking to me; it breaks my heart when you act like there is still a curtain that separates us."

So, lesson one in the school of prayer is to pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Spirit.

The second thing I am repeating over and over to myself is this:  "EVERYONE THAT ASKS, RECEIVES."  Now, the answer might be no, but you will have an answer.  We must confidently EXPECT an answer to our prayer.

I got so tickled this morning when I saw this played out!  Asher and I took all the bigs to school and then marched ourselves into Chick Fil A for a little morning treat.  Since we don't do this often, I prayed that God might either allow me to be a blessing while in there or allow me to be blessed by someone while in there.  Imagine my delight when we walked in and the first person I saw was one of my best friends from high school and college that I haven't seen in years!  The timing couldn't have been more perfect as we got to enjoy breakfast together and catch up. 

I was asking for a blessing and I totally received one.

Well, here's to a fresh calling and a new classroom.  I can't wait to see what the Teacher has in store!