Today, I am delighted to welcome my wise friend, Mary Geisen, to encourage us as we pray:  Lord, have Your way in me. 

Some days I wake up and wonder how I made it through the last five years. I wonder if it was all a dream, but morning comes, and I find myself on the other side of those five years.

My mind frequently runs through the highlights as I process the loss, grief, season of caregiving, uncertainty in who God is calling me to be as well as the joy that was interspersed.

If God is always present and working in our lives, we don’t need to wait until life crumbles to recognize the strength that carries us through. We can pray, “Lord, have your way in me” even before the first sign of trouble.

Call Upon the Lord.

Five years ago, I retired from teaching after thirty years. I walked out of the classroom for the last time and almost immediately walked into a season of caring for my dad. I was left in a place where nothing looked familiar and I had no idea who I was.

A year later, my dad passed away after fighting hard to come back from a broken hip and pneumonia. I was lost and hanging on tenuously. Grief caught up with me from years past and compounded the loss I was feeling from a job I loved as well as the loss of my dad.

It was during this time that I began to call upon the Lord in joy, grief, hardship, and gratitude. I was desperate, suffering from anxiety, and could only repeat, “God, help me” over and over. I began to pray the words in Psalm 25 during my wilderness season.

Lord, direct me throughout my journey

so I can experience your plans for my life.

Reveal the life-paths that are pleasing to you.

 Escort me along the way; take me by the hand and teach me.

For you are the God of my increasing salvation;

I have wrapped my heart into yours! (vs. 4-5, TPT)

Let’s ask ourselves, “What does it look like for the Lord to direct the path of our lives?”

God saw me as I tried to figure it out on my own. He sees you, too. The blessing is that God is working behind the scenes in both of our lives and patiently waits for us. God is waiting for a simple “yes” to leave our lips as we agree to let the Lord, have His way in our lives.

On one hand, it looks as simple as praying the words from Psalm 25. On the other hand, it takes more than lip service. My “yes” began as my life circumstances changed and continued as I walked through learning who I was all over again. Your “yes” might look similar or something entirely different. It doesn’t end with that one word but works best when surrendering whatever distracts us from God.

When we call upon the Lord, He answers. All it takes is an open heart and a listening mind to hear what God is saying to us.

Lord, have your way.

Lessons from Psalm 25:

My story of uncertainty and loss is ongoing. The good news is that God never stops teaching me. When I leaned in, God leaned in closer. When I thought my tears would never end, God collected each one and assured me there was room for more. In the hard, God showed me the sacredness of letting Him lead the way. I made it to the other side. You will, too.

God wants nothing more for you and me than to direct our journeys through life.

He has written great plans for you and desires to see the fruit of your “yeses.” Sometimes we need to walk through the wilderness to yield greater abundance on the other side.

Let go of what you are holding onto so you can grab the hand of God.

He is ready to teach you and show you the way. Uncertainty in our lives looks like clearing the way for God. Loss and grief grow the foundation of who we are so we can shine God’s love for others.

God will never leave or forsake us.

He is our salvation on the days we say “yes” and on the days when we push back and nothing is going right. The image of wrapping our hearts into God’s heart brings such joy because it is in Him that we find ourselves.

When you pray, “Lord, have your way in me,” you accepted the invitation that God sent to lay it all at His feet.

You took one step closer to making it through your own wilderness. God promises hope and peace in the middle laced with abundance as you grow closer to Him.

Let’s say “yes” to God and know that goodness and faithfulness are waiting on the other side.

Meet Mary:

Mary Geisen is the author of Brave Faith: A 31 Day Devotional Journey. She is a blogger, a speaker, a lover of coffee and deep, soul-filled conversations. Her greatest joys are her roles as a mom, mother-in-love, and Mimi.  As a writer and follower of Jesus, God has led her through wilderness seasons, taught her how to walk in brave faith, and has drawn her into closer relationship with Him. Mary wants to live in a way that others are empowered to walk in brave faith through their own in-between, middle seasons of life. 

Connect with Mary:  Blog — Instagram — Facebook — Twitter — Pinterest

The Advent Narrative

The Life You Didn’t Know You Were Already Living

Advent is rushed. One glance at the calendar clearly displays Advent as a four-week season reaching its climax on Christmas. But what if Advent is not just four weeks long? What if instead, Advent is a lifetime of living?

This book marks the beginning of your chance to choose a life that is lived outward rather than inward—an invitational life where you can prepare your heart to receive the joy and hope that comes with knowing Jesus. A life that will keep you focused on Christ as you clear out what weighs you down to make room for the One who lifts you up.

Coming to Amazon on November 10, 2020!

Visit The Advent Narrative for details. 

The Pray Big Sisterhood

Every morning, I wake up and lift my heart to God in prayer.

I praise Him for His glory and goodness.

I surrender my agenda and expectations to His greater kingdom purposes.

I yield my desires to do His will.

And, then I ask for Him to move a mountain.

I cry out to Him for that mountain to crumble.

I believe that God is bigger than any obstacle or stronghold.

Yet, my mountain remains — immovable and unyielding.

Do you have a mountain?   I bet you do.

Like me, you may be discouraged by the darkness that looms large in your view.

You aren’t alone. If we sat down today in my kitchen and shared our stories, I bet we would see similarities.

Together, we would ask God to move two mountains.

With worshipful hearts, let’s keep crying out to the Lord for those mountains to crumble.

Let’s pray big!

Need inspiration to help you pray Lord  have your way in me? To help you get started, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Join the Wildfire Faith Community and  grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to strengthen your step and breathe fresh wind into your weary spirit.  

 If you are visiting from Mary’s today,

welcome to my little space on the web!

Here you will find fuel for a wildfire faith to help you

• • LOVE DEEP: Fervently extend God’s kindness and grace to pesky people.
  • PRAY BIG: Go down fighting on your knees with fire in your bones.
  • HOPE FULL: Stay tethered to a confident anticipation that keeps your heart ablaze.
  • STAND STRONG: Rest courageously on God’s promises with red-hot resolve.

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Challenge:
Every day this week, start your day with this prayer: Lord, have your way in me.  

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