Eyes on God

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.

Oswald Chambers

Dear BraveHearts,

Quotes like the one above can land a little over simplistic or even trite on my heart. Something quietly, yet a bit aloofly, rises in me that says, "Easy for you to say." That is often the expression I use when I am in or being pulled toward the smaller story. The smaller story, by the way, is the one we find ourselves in when we are at the center of things. And, oh, there is a gravitational pull to that center. We have often said...

If you are in the center of the story, you are living in way to small a story.

Yet, I find it way too easy to be sucked into the smaller story. The enemy of our hearts and the false self (flesh) creature we contend with both seem to be at work, wielding their various ways to have me turn from a life of depending and trusting God to the futility of depending and trusting me.

Oswald Chambers, a huge influence on Christianity through his wife’s organization and the contribution of his notes into the timeless devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, was a man who knew suffering, betrayal, war, heart ache, AND the nearness of God. Chambers will forever be among the sages who have found and shared the beauty, mystery, and glory of the ancient path—the path of walking intimately with God. I find Chambers is constantly inviting and often challenging me to trust God through the circumstances, joys, and difficulties of my life.

Over the next several weeks, for our Monday Intercession Connection (BraveHearts I-Team), I want to walk through a series on The Daily Prayer. I want to share a piece from one of the sages in my life and a portion from this 12 paragraph prayer. Almost 15 years ago this Daily Prayer found Robin and me and it has been a regular part of our lives and practice. Thanks to John Eldredge and our allies and friends at Ransomed Heart who introduced us to a very significant way to pray—we are able to engage in the daily opportunity to put our eyes on God and step into the Kingdom, well.

You can step into The Daily Prayer on our website

Let’s Pray…

Dear God, Holy Trinity, we worship you, we love you, and we give our whole hearts to you again this day. We take our place in your Kingdom and we bring your Kingdom over every aspect of our lives: heart, mind, body, and soul. We honor you as our sovereign and we give you the place in our hearts and in our lives that you deserve. Thank you for bringing us to Life, for being our Life, and for leading us and training us up in your Life.

Father, we confess that we are far too easily pulled into the smaller story. We can allow circumstances and difficulties to pull our gaze from you and to distract us from your Love and from your Life. Father, we pray for strength and an awakened heart for the times the enemy is attempting to lure us away with fear and anxiety. We pray for eyes to see and ears to hear the distractions and lies.

Jesus, thank you for coming for us, for ransoming us, and for inviting us into the Larger Story. You are our Life and we proclaim the glory of your Kingdom over our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. Thank you for ransoming us and for making us holy as we walk and learn how to become holy. Thank you for making us alive and for showing us what it is like to walk in intimacy with the Father.

Holy Spirit, teach, guide, and train us in the Kingdom ways. Empower us to pray, Holy Spirit, and guide us through the difficulties and challenges we face. Reveal, Holy Spirit, the moments we are being assaulted or subtly attacked by the enemy. Train us in how to use our Shields of Faith and Swords of the Spirit that we might wield these weapons in all truth against the lies, distractions, and accusations of the enemy.

Father, we pray your provision and protection for Zoweh, the team, and all the Zoweh allies living, offering, and sharing the Larger Gospel. We pray for The Heart of a Warrior EXPEDITION groups, the men meeting and exploring together who they are to you and the role you have for them to play as masculine hearts in a glorious story. Equip and bless your men and women for the advancing of your Kingdom. Bless the ministry with both provision and resourcing for the mission ahead. We pray blessing and abundance over the Zoweh ministry and the whole Zoweh team as they trust you for financial allies and partners.

Jesus, thank you for all the good you are up to in our lives. We pray we would know both our Belovedness in your Kingdom and the ways of your Kingdom.

Thank you, thank you for inviting and empowering us for Life. We praise your name, the name above all names, Jesus Christ, our Savior, Shepherd and King.

Amen and AMEN!