Tag Archives: prayer

Posted on

How to Change Your Life

The power is in your praise and prayer

When the Covid crisis began last Spring, my husband and I were expecting our first child. Dreams for that glorious day when we would meet our little girl were dashed when we learned of hospital restrictions, airline cancellations, and lockdown procedures. My husband and I were getting a taste of parenthood during a pandemic.

Just over 24 hours after delivering our little one, we were packing up and heading home where there were no visitors waiting, no extra hands to help out, and no hot meals being delivered. Isolated, sleep-deprived, and puzzled by all the unknowns with a newborn, my spirit struggled to call this joy. Streams of postpartum tears were the only expression I had left in me.praise and prayer change your life

About halfway through the book of Acts, we find the apostle Paul in Philippi sharing the good news of Jesus. Paul encountered a slave girl with an evil spirit and he cast the spirit out. This cost the owners of the slave girl some fortune-telling money and they had Paul thrown in jail.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” (Acts‬ ‭16:25-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

When all is stripped away, we still have everything we need to praise and pray.

Paul lost his freedom but he didn’t let a dark place pull him down. When pressed, Paul responded to his trial with praise and prayer; two things that could never be taken away.

In his difficulty, Paul decided to sing. He didn’t dwell on his dire situation, the darkness, or the detour from his mission, but instead placed his thoughts in a position of praise and prayer.

A change of heart

This summer in the middle of isolation, my pastor stood on the stage of our empty sanctuary and begged the Church not to lose hope. He said, “fatigue is the great enemy of faith.” He urged us to grab a notebook and use entire sheets of paper to write out encouraging reminders to hold fast to our faith. He told us to tape them to our refrigerator where we would see them often. Two of those reminders included “sing a little louder” and “fill me Holy Spirit.”how to praise and pray

For seven months my husband and I kept our reminders up. Daily we drew strength from singing praises and praying for the Holy Spirit to fill us up. We praised God for delivering a miracle and we prayed for the eyes to see it. We praised God for providing for our family and prayed for opportunities to share it. We praised God for our spiritual family and prayed for those living without it. Those praises and prayers purified our own hearts.

Praise and prayer are two of the most powerful privileges we possess that no circumstance can take away.

My heart, and my words, changed when I chose to live life from a place of praise despite the question marks looming over my circumstance. My prayers went from “save me, God” to “I trust you, Jesus.”

There is rest in my soul knowing the Lord will not let even the changing of a single dirty diaper go to waste. He is chiseling my character out of the trials of motherhood.

Friend, if you have stumbled into a dark place or are struggling through a difficult season, my hope is that your spirit will be lifted when you think about who Jesus is and how much He has saved you and me from. May you find the strength to lead your days and all the moments in between with praise. I pray you will find the courage to sing a little louder to our Creator, our Savior, our Truth, and Light. God sees you. He knows your situation. And He longs to be gracious to you. May you lean into His love with your prayers and rest in the assurance that He’s got you in the palm of His hands. And may your heart stay ready for the “immediately” or “suddenly” that typically follows close behind.

So where will you start with your praise? Your health? Your home? Our Faithful Father? Our Savior, Jesus?

What are you holding control of that needs to be surrendered in prayer? The choices your children make? The way your spouse expresses love? How a friend, family member, or neighbor responds or doesn’t respond to your request?

Not sure your prayers are making it to heaven? Here’s an article to remind you of the power behind a common man’s prayer: https://trishakeehn.com/the-miracle-in-a-common-mans-prayer/

© 2020 by Trisha Keehn. All rights reserved.

First Published on Empowered Women Faith Club

Posted on

5 Reasons You Should Be Praying Out Loud

And how to get started without being awkward

praying out loud, benefits of praying out loud

Does the thought of praying out loud fill you with anxiety? Even just thinking about it makes your heart beat faster, you start sweating, or you become overwhelmed with fear. You think to yourself, I’m not very good at praying, I don’t know what to say, or my prayers are too short.

Can you relate?

Being uncomfortable praying out loud is really common. But did you know praying out loud, in groups or even with a friend, can exponentially grow your faith? All it takes is some practice and motivation, so here are some reasons why you should pray out loud and how to start.

External declarations can change your internal dialogue. When we pray for things out loud, we change our internal dialogue and posture. Praying things like, “Jesus, You are enough” or “God is greater than my grief” will build your faith and help change the way you view things.

Keeps you awake. Jesus reminds us, “Our spirit might be willing, but our flesh is weak.” If you’re prone to falling asleep during prayer, like Jesus’ disciples did in Mark 14:37-38, praying out loud will help you stay awake. You’re more likely to stay awake through prayer when your brain is listening to what your mouth is saying.

Practice for when you are called upon in public. Like anything, we practice behind the scenes to get better for those moments we’re in public. It’s uncomfortable to be asked to pray for people and not know what words to say. Praying out loud privately helps us get comfortable with the sound of our own voice. Repetition gives us the confidence to approach God in public.

Sets the standard in your house. If we want our household to serve the Lord, we must set an example through our relationship with Jesus. Kids need to hear us praying outside the church walls. The same is true if you live with an unbelieving spouse, parent, or friend.

Encourages each other. Praying in a community of people draws the Lord in and builds our faith. In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells us there is power when we pray in groups, and there’s purpose when we make declarations out loud.

Praying out loud is a bold move in your faith. When you unashamedly confess Jesus as your Savior, the enemy’s grip on your problem loses its power. Praying out loud is an internal decision speaking a bold declaration that Jesus sits on the throne, high above your struggles.

prayer changes things, prayer changes us

So where can you begin?

Start when you’re alone. This may seem awkward at first so try it behind closed doors where no one is listening or when everyone has left the house. You can even do this in the car on your way to work or the grocery store.

Whether this is your first time or you simply hit a rut in your prayer life, all it takes is practice. It gets easier and more comfortable the more you pray out loud.

Here are some cues to kickstart your out-loud prayers:

Use an outline for your prayer. One way to pray follows the A.C.T.S. model:

  • Adoration: Praise God for who He is.
  • Confession: Confess your sins and ask for His forgiveness.
  • Thanksgiving: Thank God for His protection and provision.
  • Supplication (an appeal to God): Make your requests known.

Create a prayer list. It can be immensely helpful to write down what you want to pray about before you get started. Use a journal to keep track of your prayers. To encourage your faith, take it a step further and mark the date your prayer is answered or follow up with an entry about God’s alternate plan.

Read Scripture out loud. David wrote many of the Psalms as prayers, so it’s a good place to start. Here are a few of our favorites: Psalm 30, Psalm 51, Psalm 63, Psalm 91, Psalm 139, and Psalm 145.

Keep it short. We can get caught up in the length of our prayers and struggle to come up with words to fill the silence. There is no rule on how long your prayer should be. There is no benefit to babble. God sees the heart of your prayers. Stretching them out for the sake of filling time is unnecessary.

Pray like you. God created you to communicate in a unique way. Don’t get caught up trying to say the “right” things, using “fancy” Christian terms, or praying like someone else. Prayer is meant to be a personal conversation with God. Like you would have between friends, family, or a mentor. Let go of how you think you should pray and just be you.

Put on worship music. Let the lyrics take the place of your words when you have nothing to say. As you learn the lyrics, begin to sing them out loud as prayers.

Prayer changes things, but it changes us more. Prayer can pivot a problem faster than a phone call to a friend. Praying out loud can transform what we believe and how we act when trouble comes. When you pray out loud, you are declaring victory by faith.

Posted on

Putting Power In Your Prayer

Jesus, that sweet name Jesus. Meet me here. You went to the cross, but you didn’t stay there. You went to the grave, but you didn’t stay there. You come here morning after morning to be with me, here.

Calm the raging storm of concerns holding my mind captive. Whatever this resistance is that has come against me, I am praying it down in the name of Jesus. You said because You live that we live as well. Because You have won, so we already have victory over this battle beating up against us.

So I surrender to Your Word and declare this war that has me wrapped around it’s finger is over! Every thought that is fighting against me must flee at the sound of His name… Jesus. Every challenge has been conquered when Christ rose from that grave. Every battle has been broken by the blood of Jesus spilled out over this land.

I am commanding this be a due season of ‘more’ in my life… more of Jesus… more Peace, more Love, more Joy than I’ve known. I surrender my plans in this moment, Lord, and pray for the wheel of Your promises to begin turning, that they may even come to pass in abundance.

pain, struggle, pray it down, prayerMy ears are open; may they remain sensitive to the Spirit speaking. My feet are in the runner’s block; I am on the mark and ready for Your word, ‘Go’. This fight will not finish me off. I will finish my course with joy!

Romans 16:20 reminds me, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under ‘your’ feet.” Christ, in His mercy, makes victory mind. He crushes Satan not only under His feet, but also under mine! All evil dominion and destruction will come to an end, and everlasting joy and triumph IS, not will be, but IS mine.

I’m letting go of fear and walking forward into the future you have destined for me at birth. I’m not listening to the wind or the birds, but my focus is on Your hand in my life. Tunnel my vision so that I can’t even be distracted by what other people around me are doing.

This valley I’ve been in is only temporary. Psalm 112 says, “when darkness overtakes me, light will come bursting in”. Help me get in agreement with what you’ve said about me, Lord. I’m looking away from the distractions, and the things trying to entangle me in what I have no business being a part of. I’ve got my sight set on Your unshakeable hand, Jesus. My eyes are on the victory and the things you’ve overcome.

I’m drawing a line in the sand today. This struggle that is strangling the life out of me, I pray it down!

Give me wisdom on who needs to be in my life and who needs weeding out. This is a season of Freedom. Open the right doors and close the wrong ones. Give me the strength to make decisions that honor You. Restore my health, Jesus, and this sickness in my mind. Restore joy, peace and favor with a refreshing rain over my spirit.

May this rain of dreams and promises all reflect back to You, on the mercy and grace and goodness of You, Jesus.

As a child of the Most High God, I declare I am a victor and not a victim. I believe Your light is about to burst through the clouds that have been holding me back. I am expecting a breakthrough today, and that my faith will be released today. I am expecting You, today, Jesus.

I believe these words and pray them all in the name of the Almighty, in the name of Love, my Healer and Deliverer, the King of Kings and the Victorious One, Jesus… Amen.

Posted on

Whatever It Takes

That is my prayer

prayer, trishakeehn.com

There is nothing to fear. If He is for me, who can be against me? So please, Jesus, use whatever it takes… to bring me to my knees in humble adoration of You alone. To get my perspective in alignment with Your Will. Take this surrendered heart and have your way. That is my prayer.

Posted on

Perennial Prayers

Your deepest desires are for companionship and a noble purpose. We were woven with love, to give love and we’ve been clothed in armor to carry out a calling.

But are you masking your true passion behind a facade of good looking pursuits? The battle between head and heart is lifelong.

perennialprayersmaxPrime your purposes in perennial prayers in proximity to God’s promises.

God’s promises have no expiration date. He loves nothing more than to keep His promises, as He watches and waits for the moment to be called upon.

What are those promises?

You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways. Job 22:28, AMP

And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken! Isaiah 59:21, NLT

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11, NIV

We doubt God because we doubt ourselves. His capacity to give is far more greater than our capacity to receive. He’s waiting to answer our prayers, keep His promises and perform His word. When we stand on His Word, He stands by His Word. So what are you waiting for?

Posted on

The Lonely Truth

Loneliness is a disease! Did you know ‘lonely’ people have higher cortisol levels and less immunity to infections? Because of this, it is necessary for their bodies to work harder to pump blood. These folks also have increased trouble with self control and are prone to develop the obvious; depression leading to suicide, alcoholism, and difficulty getting deep sleep. And as if that wasn’t enough, they also have faster progression of Alzheimers. Gulp.

Being alone can kill you.

When I feel the weight of being alone, it’s really when I’m not connected with God. When the demands of the day override my dedication to seeking God. I wondered if deep down I was really fearing that God would leave my heart empty for many more days. I confess His goodness with my lips but doubt His faithfulness with disparity. When I am confident in my closeness with Christ, the consciousness of singleness vaporizes. My thoughts become focused on how beautiful and big He is, that my needs for a companion seem so small and somehow fade into the background.

I think it’s interesting that many times in scripture Jesus withdrew to ‘lonely’ places to pray. Why did He go to lonely places on purpose? After all, the enemy prowls around like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). Think about how a lion preys. A lion gets his prey alone. A pride of lion will hunt down game twice it’s size, but singled out, makes for an easy meal. But I imagine Jesus is thinking in the emptiness of a desert place, the worries of the world fade and distractions that once tried to fill this void vanish.

So maybe, just maybe, there is good to be found in being alone after all.

Maybe the lonely truth is that in my abandonment, I find God. And as I soak up the goodness of a Father so deeply in love with me, I realize the pangs of solitary living are satisfied with a robust zeal that revives the beat of my dead heart. I am made whole again, in the constant companionship of Christ, who covers the wounds and fills these longings. My desire begins to weave with His will and my faith strengthens as a single strand becomes the cord.

The seasons shift, but my trust, it still remains.

Oh, my Lord. Some days I think I get what your Word is trying to say, and other days I’m drowning in tears of forgetfulness. I am trying to live in your ways, but my flesh is weak and my spirit fails. Come, like you promised. Fill me with your living Spirit. Just like you said you would. Turn to me and be gracious, God. This loneliness is an affliction to more hearts than my own and so I ask for Your healing touch to revive their souls in this moment. Come with grace and mercy. Come riding on the wind. Come restore your bride, just like you said you would, Jesus. We’re waiting.

Posted on

What Fasting Is Really For

I have a confession to make. I don’t always write my blog posts in the same day or week. Once in a while I will sit behind the keys and pen out several posts at a time, as the Spirit flows through my fingers. And thank God for that because other times, I’ll stare at my screen wondering why a single thought doesn’t come to mind. Tonight, this is my second writing.

The last couple of years I’ve been working on regular fasting. During these prayer times, I began to notice thoughts about God effortlessly pouring out into my journal and blogs. It’s as if God’s thoughts became my thoughts and I transformed into a well seasoned writer, authored by the Spirit transcribing insights from the Heavens. Yet, when I wasn’t fasting, I seemed plagued with ‘writer’s block’. Writing on demand is different; convictions cause content to spill out into stories that move other people.

This all caused me to question the closeness of my relationship with God when I wasn’t fasting. My desire was to hear His ‘still, small voice’ all the time. So I thought if I could fast every Sunday, this would surely clear the queue of distractions and help draw my heart in a little closer. It became very stressful and sadly, I wasn’t retaining any depth from this one day.

I was having lunch with a girlfriend yesterday and mentioned my unfruitful efforts to fast, so that I could hear God’s whispers. I told her I had finally given up my frequent fasts because I felt they were becoming too forced and that perhaps my heart may have been trying to control God’s voice in my life. In this situation, stopping seemed like the best thing for me.

This morning God led me to Isaiah 58. I’m going to paraphrase: The Israelites were being pious, coming into the Temple every day, acting delighted to learn all about God. They pretended to want to be near God by saying ‘We have fasted before you! Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’

Here’s what God said: “I will tell you why! It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves… You humble yourselves by going through the motions…  Do you really think this will please the Lord? This is the kind of fasting I want: Free those wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, remove the chains that bind people, share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”

I-Yi-Yi! Yes, that spoke to me alright! The conviction cut like a double edged sword! I’ve been making this fast about me and my writing instead of allowing the freedom of the Spirit to flow in His timing. Instead of moving in my love for God by loving others, I had been more concerned about His work in me. Whew! Let me just tell you, I have been rolling this chapter over in my mind for several days since then.

I’m very thankful that God doesn’t give up on us, even when we’ve got it all wrong. He continues to feed us His word and draw us back to the heart of worship. What an amazing God, what a faithful Father. I am in awe at His goodness and generous grace that He lavishes upon a heart, even when it leans away from His desires. He lovingly calls out in His Word, pointing us in the direction we’ve been searching for all along. Thank you Lord.

Posted on

I Believe

This morning my family has received grave news about the condition of a dear cousin of mine. Almost a week ago he was in a traumatic motorcycle accident-no helmet. At the scene, paramedics reported posturing which is an indicator of severe brain stem trauma. At the hospital, he was put into a sedated coma as the brain continued to swell. My mama called to tell me the news and all I could do was run home and fall to my face in prayer and tears, petitioning for God’s grace on my cousin’s life. Hours flew by, the night folded, I fasted and faded in and out of praise, prayer, petitions, tears, joy and peace until the following afternoon.

I’ve reached out to every large prayer ministry I can find and shared my cousin’s story. I just believe these petitions in prayer will pull at the heart of God.

A couple days ago, the doctor’s lifted the sedation to wake my cousin up. But this morning, after no sign of life in his body, the neurosurgeon has said my cousin is ‘gone’ and the brain stem is beyond repair. I just want to collapse in a pool of tears as my heart hurts for the sweet times we had even within this last year. God used my cousin Jesse in such a special way at Christmas time, to encourage my aching heart. This cannot be the end.

In the guest room of my house, I play a Christian radio station 24/7. As I sat on the floor wondering what to do next, I heard the station running a donation drive and felt compelled to ‘make life’ in the face of death. So I picked up the phone and asked to make a donation in honor of my cousin–not memory. I told them I wanted to help give life to others who find encouragement and a life with Christ through positive Christian radio, and that even in the wake of those words of death concerning my cousin, I just proclaim life in the name of Jesus through this experience.

As my family is now in the process of making a decision to remove my dear cousin Jesse from ventilator support, I am preparing to fly home to be with them in this difficult time. My heart can’t get there fast enough as one by one I hear their tears of grief over the phone. My heart too breaks so deeply. It’s a very lonely place to be when you’re hundreds of miles away from family during a tragedy. I am in tears but I hold onto to God so tightly. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I believe in the healing power of Christ… still.

Posted on

I Will Praise You In The Storm

Image

There are days when you pray, and then pray even harder for it not to ‘downpour’ in that moment… And no matter how fast you may try to run from it, the storm comes anyway. Sometimes, that’s just the way life is. This was one of those days. So I threw my head back, laughing… and I began to dance under the cool showers. God calms the storm; and other times, He lets the storm rage and calms the soul. Thank you God for even the storms.

“I will praise you in the storm and I will lift my hands, for you are who you are, no matter where I am, and every tear I cry, you hold in your hand, you’ve never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm.” Casting Crowns

Posted on

A Prayer Over Me and You

At a conference in Pennsylvania, Beth Moore prayed this prayer. I am passing it along  as proclamation and prayer over you too. Soak it up sister and let the marvelous Almighty God fill your cup overflowing with His wonder working presence!

“All powerful, All glorious God, Creator and sustainer of Heaven and Earth The One who loves, us, calls us, and graces us He who can do no wrong And for whom NOTHING is impossible

With everything in me this day I intercede for my sister This, Your beloved daughter Set Your love so steadfastly upon her that she feels the beautiful weightiness of it.

Stir up in her an unexplainable hunger for Your Presence and Your Word. Be her prized portion, Lord Jesus.

Awaken anything that has died an unnecessary death in her. Grant her tenderness toward You and compassion toward others. Pluck out by the deepest roots anything in her life that YOU did not plant. Make Yourself noticeable TO her and make Yourself noticeable THROUGH her.

Build her into a REMARKABLE servant That impacts her entire family line. When Your ways are hidden from her, Flood her with the supernatural comfort Of her absolute unhiddenness with You.

Convince her to quit hiding the things that need the most healing. Be her stunning strength in weakness. Lend her rapturous moments of exulting and dancing Even in much tribulation.

Be the best thing that ever happened to her relationships Lord. Give her favor with You and with man. Miraculously birth within her a love for her enemies And after her sacrificial love has come to full bloom, miraculously cause her enemies to be at peace with her.

Right now, Lord, even RIGHT NOW go to the depths of the darkness within her and dispel any hatred buried there. Bring her dramatically into agreement with You Over all her resentment and bitterness And all claims to entitlement Empower her to forsake her unforgiveness and to forsake every grudge and destructive self-comfort.

Fire her up in her a fury of spiritual giftedness and enable her to do what is verifiably impossible for her. Grant her great delight and true humility in serving others Slay every prejudice and fleshly partiality.

Whether or not she is gifted to speak or teach Grant her the supernatural unction to clearly communicate Christ Touch her lips with coals from Your altar And sanctify her to carry the Gospel into her sphere of influence.

Give her eyes to see the invisible and the sacred in the simple. Infuse her with a strong sense of purpose and an undaunted appreciation of adventure.

Make her intolerant of any area of personal bondage and urgent about her freedom. Be her ever-loving Defender and Deliverer.

If she’s in a desert, bloom something stunning and obvious there. If she’s drowning, plant the soles of her feet on the surface of the water. If she’s coldhearted, crack the shell around her heart and set her free to love.

Reveal to her the root of her fears Give her courage to forsake it Then astonish her with a freedom that is not of this world. Jesus, make her living proof. Blow her faith wide open.

In closing, Lord, I speak Your all-glorious Name over her In all the weight and authority it carries. I speak Jesus over her Spirit. I speak Jesus over her heart. I speak Jesus over her mind. I speak Jesus over her physical body.

In obedience to Your Word, I have prayed by faith and my willing sister has received by faith. As You accomplish these divine works according to Your will and to Your purposeful timing, Make her acutely aware that it is YOU.

Cause her to make her boasts in You alone. And cause her with much amazement to behold the miracle within And say, “Who is this You are making me? Who is in this body of mine??”

In Jesus’ wonder-working Name and matchless authority, Amen and So Be It.”