Flowing Faith |Flowing Faith

May 20, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
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Prayer Is Practical

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Last week our seven year old son said something after the Lord’s Prayer that I have been thinking ever since. It was nothing earth-shattering but profoundly true nonetheless. He said that the Lord’s Prayer was a practical prayer. Indeed! I just had never thought about it that way. Jesus wanted us to pray practical prayers.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what’s best—

    as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty!

    Yes. Yes. Yes.

(Matthew 6:7-13, MSG, emphasis added)

We are to bring our concerns to God. We are to ask for bread, forgiveness and protection. We are to surrender to him and praise him forever. Prayer is to be simple and practical, honest and real. But we need to also trust that prayer is practical. It does make a difference.
We do have a prayer-hearing God. We do have a God who is in charge. Just like Jesus approached his Father we are to approach our God in prayer. Just like Jesus taught us we are to bring our lives to God. Just like Jesus was empowered by his Father we will be strengthen for our journey.
Prayer is practical. If I do not pray, coincidences do not happen. If I do not pray, I am weak. If I do not pray, I am lost. It’s not that God loves me any less if I don’t pray. It’s about my own well-being. If I pray, I am spirit-filled and alive. If I do pray, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If I do pray, I am tuned to the whispers of the Holy Spirit.
Why do we still skip praying? Like in the morning when you’re running behind….why do you find time to make and drink coffee but you are willing to skip your prayer time? Prayer is much more needed than anything else in our schedule.
Make prayer part of your routine. It takes only five minutes to surrender to God, be centered on Christ and become fulfilled with the Holy Spirit. The rest of the day will flow so much smoother. Because prayer is practical.
Thank you, God,

for giving us the gift of prayer.

Enable us to make prayer such an important part of our routines

that we would never go without.

Because we need you.

Teach us to pray

practically and simply.

Show us what it means

that prayer is practical.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Q4U: How does prayer affect your life?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you pray practically and practice prayer as if your life depended on it!

Photo courtesy of Rich Aguilar. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday and counting blessings with Ann Voskamp: #1022 prayer is practical.

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May 17, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
0 comments

The Big Five of the Holy Spirit

What’s the big deal of the Holy Spirit? Why do we need the Holy Ghost? Why should we be excited about the Spirit of God? I’ve collected here my big five reasons why the Holy Spirit is an essential part of spiritual life.

1) The Holy Spirit is a person. For real. The Holy Spirit is not just an abstract thought or impersonal wind. The Holy Spirit is a person who hears, speaks, feels and thinks. The Holy Spirit loves, rejoices, cares, and communicates.

And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will. (Romans 8:27, AMP)

2) We are saved by grace through Jesus Christ but right now we experience God’s presence through the Holy Spirit. He is our helper, our comforter, our strength. He protects, teaches, reminds. He is for us.

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. (John 14:26, AMP)

3) We need the Holy Spirit also for illuminating the Scriptures for us. Without the Holy Spirit we are unable to hear God’s voice through the Bible. Also the Holy Spirit prays with us and for us. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see God around us.

God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God.Who knows a person’s depths except their own spirit that lives in them? In the same way, no one has known the depths of God except God’s Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:10-12, CEB)

4) When we are God’s very own, the Holy Spirit is at work in us. The Holy Spirit is making us more Christ-like. He is also preparing us for God’s service. The Holy Spirit equips us to do God’s work. And it is the Holy Spirit who produces fruit in us in God’s time.

We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:18, CEB)

5) We need the Holy Spirit for spirit-filled life. There is no way we can live according to God’s will without the Holy Spirit. When we need assurance, the Holy Spirit is right alongside us bearing us up. When we need encouragement, the Holy Spirit is there uplifting us. When we need reminders of God’s goodness, the Holy Spirit speaks into our heart.

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. (Romans 8:26, AMP)

All and all, the Holy Spirit makes us alive and keeps us alive. If we don’t get our refill of the Holy Spirit regularly, we are living under the privileges of God’s children. The Holy Spirit is a tremendous gift for us.

When filled with the Holy Spirit, we are able to live out of love.
When we are in the Spirit, we can do anything God asks us to do.
When filled with the Holy Ghost, we are joyful in every circumstance.

The Holy Spirit is the answer to our prayers to experience heaven on earth. In the Holy Spirit we know that God is real. In the Holy Spirit we know that we are saved by grace. In the Holy Spirit we know that Jesus will come back again. In the Holy Spirit we are not walking dead but very much alive. Thank you, God, for the Holy Spirit!

Let us pray with the words of John Baillie:

Holy Spirit of God,
visit now this soul of mine,
and tarry within it until the eventide.
Inspire all my thoughts.
Pervade all my imaginations.
Suggest all my decisions.
Lodge in my soul’s most inward citadel,
and order all my doings.
Be with me in silence and in my speech,
in my haste and in my leisure,
in company and in solitude,
in the freshness of the morning
and the weariness of the evening.
Give me grace at all times
to rejoice in Thy mysterious companionship.
Amen
John Baillie

Q4U: What is the most important thing of the Holy Spirit for you?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you live your live filled with the Holy Spirit!

Image courtesy of Brandon Cole. Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursday, Faith-filled Fridays.

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May 15, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
7 Comments

The Living Word

Today I found a Bible verse that felt brand new to me. I’ve read the Bible and especially the New Testament many times. Still I find something new all the time. It is because the Bible is the Living Word of God which means God speaks through it. When we prayerfully approach the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes to see what needs to be seen, God will speak to us. And this does not mean that God speaks in general but he really speaks to us individually. The Bible tells us so:

Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. (Romans 15:4, MSG)

The Bible is thousands of years old yet it still speaks to us today. Personally. The Holy Spirit reads us as we read the Word of God. And the Holy Spirit guides us as we read it. This is what makes the Bible special. But it only happens when we approach it prayerfully. That’s why some people can’t understand why Christians still cherish it. It is not just a book. It is the Living Word of God.

I don’t understand everything in the Bible. But I do know that the Living God speaks through the Bible. That’s when it feels that my heart expands. That’s when it feels that God is with me. That’s when it feels that everything will be right.

When you have experienced this there is no way you will back off from reading the Bible, believing in God, conversing with God. It does not make sense to the world. But it is the most precious thing to get personal counsel in Scripture. It is the most amazing experience to be steadily loved by God. It is the most uplifting thought to realize God cares and is with you every step of the way.

The Bible is a huge gift. It gives us glimpses of eternity. It gives us an access to hear God’s voice. It tells the salvation story. It equips us to our journey. It keeps us alert to what God’s doing next. And all this is written to us. Not just for the people thousands of years ago but for us today, here and now.

Why don’t we then read it faithfully?
Why don’t we then devour it prayerfully waiting for God to speak?
Why don’t we let the Bible read us and change us inside out?

We all have great excuses. But God doesn’t want excuses. He wants us. He wants us to come to him in prayer and thanksgiving and read his Scripture. The Bible is holy because God speaks through it. If we want to become holy we need to spend time with the Holy One and read the Holy Scriptures. Day by day. Even a few verses will do if we do it prayerfully. And it does make a difference in our lives.

Let the Word of God whisper the words of eternal life into your soul.
Let the Word of God breath hope and more hope into your life.
Let the Word of God spread grace and peace into your heart.

Gracious God,
Thank you for being alive
and wanting us also to be alive in you.
Draw us into your Word.
Teach us how to encounter you
by reading your Word.
Enable us to hear your voice
and don’t let anything hinder us
from abiding in you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you know that the Bible is the Living Word of God?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you devour the Word of God!

Image courtesy of Balazs Toth. Linking up today with Heart & Home, Unite the Bloggersphere, #tellhisstory and

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May 13, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
9 Comments

Strength in Weakness

Where are you? Are you ashamed, addicted, alienated? Or are you trapped, anxious or defeated? Or powerless, hopeless or frustrated? I have good news for you. You don’t have to be stuck in the mud. You can be accepted, valued and loved. You can be healed, strengthened and empowered. You can overcome. Not on your own. But by God’s grace.

The only way of letting go of weaknesses is surrendering them to Jesus. Self-help does not work. Believe me, I have tried. In some ways trying to better myself on my own only make things worse. Jesus is the only way in overcoming our weaknesses. I still have long ways to go but I know where my help comes from.

And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people. (Matthew 4:23, AMP, emphasis added)

God knows we are weak. God knows we need his help. He planned everything from the beginning so we could be helped in our weaknesses through Jesus Christ.

Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly.Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die. (Romans 5: 5-7, AMP, emphasis added)

We are powerless to help ourselves. We would not like to admit it. But when we do…..we will experience grace upon grace. With the words of Joni Eareckson Tada “Deny your weakness, and you will never realize God’s strength in you.” Wouldn’t that be a shame? Experiencing God’s strength is what faith is all about. Why wouldn’t we trust his amazing grace in this too?

But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will. (Romans 8:25-27, AMP, emphasis added)

Okay, you say. What should I do with my weaknesses? First of all, don’t let your weaknesses come between you and God. Instead bring your weaknesses before God. Because he knows you intimately. He knows your weaknesses. He knows you are powerless to help yourself.

Let Jesus bear you up in your weakness.
Let Jesus be Lord of your life.
Let Jesus be your strength.

How? Name your weakness and give it to Jesus. (You can pick a stone and after your prayer you can cast it away) Pray that God will take care of your weakness and help you. Ask Jesus to come to be your strength in your weakness. Say a big Amen and rejoice! And then go and live your life in God’s grace. And whenever you are tempted, pray and let God show you how to overcome.

Lorica is a prayer recited for protection. The Latin word lorica originally meant “armor” or “breastplate.” Here’s a short version of the Lorica of Saint Patrick. Read it prayerfully. God will be your armor today. God is your strength in your weakness.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

….. I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
Amen

Q4U: How do you deal with your weaknesses?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you allow God become your strength in your weaknesses!

Photo courtesy of David Bruggink. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday and counting blessings with Ann Voskamp: #1021 God is our strength in weakness.

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I am hosting this week One Word at a Time Blog Carnival. This week’s word is: Weakness. Although this is a ‘One Word’ carnival, we have a theme for the next few weeks and the theme is “Let Go Of…” So every week we will have a word for the week, but the theme will be letting go of that word. To see all of the upcoming words and their dates, visit peterpollock.com/category/faith/carnival

Below this, you’ll find a little widget called Simply Linked. All the participants in the carnival add their links to the widget and that way we can all find and read everyone’s entries. You’re welcome to join us, the carnival is open to anyone. God bless you!

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May 10, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
2 Comments

Be Fruitful for Christ

I’ve never felt comfortable writing a Mother’s Day post. And even this is mostly an unlikely one. I have a terrific mom (love you!) and I love being a mom. But my heart goes out for anyone who would (have) like(d) to be a mom and isn’t.

I don’t feel comfortable boasting about my blessings. (But we are certainly encouraged to count our blessings). The only thing I want to boast about is God’s grace. And that is the best thing my mom ever shared with me (thank you!). I want to pass on the very same thing not only to my own children but to everyone in the world.

Life is not about blessings.
Life is not about being a mom or not being a mom (or anything else you wanna be).
Life is about grace.
Life is about passing on grace.

Even if our parents love us very much, God loves us most. Nothing compares to God’s love. You can rest assured that you, too, are a gift from God, much cherished and loved by God. He loves you so much that he gave his only Son so you could enjoy his love forever.

God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace!And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Eph. 2: 4-10, CEB, emphasis added)

I am serious about this. God’s grace is the most important and wondrous thing in the whole wide world. God’s grace gives us meaning and purpose for life and beyond. Life is not about blessings. About being this or that, or about lack of something.

Life is about grace.
Life is about passing on grace.

And you have a role in it.
You are to be fruitful for God’s kingdom. And there are many, many ways to be fruitful. Find yours by abiding in Christ. And your life will never be without purpose and meaning.

It’s all about grace.
God’s wild but gentle grace.
Pass it on!

Gracious God,
Bless all the moms this weekend.
But be especially with those whose arms yearn to hold their own babies.
Comfort, strengthen, bless them with your healing grace.
Thank you for all the gifts you’ve given us.
Thank you for life, families, and all the good things.
But, most of all, thank you for your amazing grace!
Thank you for giving meaning and purpose for our lives.
Help us all to realize life is about your amazing grace.
Transform us with your love so we could bear fruit and pass on grace!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Have you found your place in passing on grace?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you share God’s grace with your traveling companions!

Image courtesy of Will Wallace, design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke.This post is refurbished from last year. Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursday, Faith-filled Fridays.

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May 8, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
6 Comments

The Blessings of the Ascension Day

What’s the point of the Ascension Day? (Other than getting a day off in Finland?) Why would we be excited about following the cloud? Why would be excited about Jesus leaving us? Let’s find out.

He [Jesus] told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.” (Acts 1: 7-11, MSG, emphasis added)

The Ascension Day is the day when Jesus was taken up to heaven 40 days after the resurrection. Without the happenings of the Ascension Day the salvation plan of God would not have progressed. Jesus had to go away so he could come back.

Jesus did not leave us defenseless: 10 days later on Pentecost the disciples received the Holy Spirit. Hence we are equipped to wait for Jesus’ second coming as it is promised so many times in the Bible. Actually there are more prophecies of Jesus’ second coming than for his birth!

Just like it took time to prepare everything for Jesus’ first coming, it does take time to get everything ready for his second coming. God is not late. God has not forgotten us. Meanwhile we are called to trust God and prepare ourselves and people around us to be ready for Jesus. The blessings of the Ascension Day are many. Mainly it prepares us to trust God’s plan and wait for the Lord’s timing.

“A little while” is a great phrase that characterizes the art of spiritual waiting of Israel. Here it is used by Isaiah:

Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the wrath is past.
(Isaiah 26:20, NRSV, emphasis added)

Also Jesus used the phrase. “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me” (John 16:16, NRSV, emphasis added).

It is not about chronological time. It’s about God’s promises. And the triumph of God is already guaranteed. Hence we can already rejoice as we wait. We can already live in the post-resurrection wonder. We can already live in eternal hope.

So it does not matter how long this “a little while” will be because the outcome is very sure. In a little while Jesus is coming back to take us to his Father. Let us praise the Lord!

Gracious God,
You salvation plan is so perfect and wonderful.
Give us courage and patience to wait unswervingly.
Give us hope and peace to faithfully prepare for your coming.
Enable us to always live in the post-resurrection joy.
Equip us to serve others as we wait.
Empower us to invite others into your kingdom.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Amen

Q4U: Do you ever get tired of waiting for Jesus?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you press on and joyfully wait for the Lord!

Image courtesy of Jeff Brown. Linking up today with Heart & Home, Unite the Bloggersphere, #tellhisstory and

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May 6, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
12 Comments

Jesus Is the Answer

Life is extremely messy and complicated. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming. How could we live abundantly in the midst of everyday chaos?

The answer is not the most popular in this self-centered world. Yet the answer remains the same and -what’s most important- the answer really works.

Jesus is the answer to the messiness of life.
Jesus is the answer to the chaos of life.
Jesus is the answer for everything.

I was reading John 8 this morning and was stopped by two phrases. In both of them Jesus was speaking.

The first one gives us an explanation why we are ignoring Jesus:

…there is no place in you for my word. (John 8: 37, NRSV, emphasis added)

The second one gives us advice how to navigate through life’s messiness:

If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples. (John 8: 31, NRSV)

If there is no place in us for Jesus, we truly are lost.
If there is no place in us for the word of God, we will ignore God.

What to do then?

If we do make room for God,he will abide in us.
If we do create space in us for Jesus, we are set free.

How do we do that?

By welcoming Jesus into our heart. By reading the Word of God. By listening to God’s voice. By praying and spending time in God’s presence. By dancing, singing, and worshiping God. By trusting God even when nothing seems to happen. By serving others and practicing kindness in all we do.

Jesus calls us to deepen our belied with steadfast Bible reading. When we meditate God’s word day and night, Jesus forms our life. When we bring the pieces of our messy life to Jesus, he can create something remarkable and purposeful of our chaos.

Because Jesus truly is the answer for everything. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And the more I abide in Jesus, the more fully I live. The more Scripture-saturated I am, the more grace-filled life I have.
How about you? Are you ready to live with the mark of the cross on you?

I want my mind to be full of Jesus, not junk.
I want my heart to be full of Jesus, not funk.

I want to continue my life in God’s word.
I want God’s word to continue to form me more Christ-like.

How about you? Ready for Jesus?

Gracious God,
You really do have the words of eternal life.
You really do have the answers for our questions.
We bring all the pieces of our messy lives to you.
Create something beautiful our of messes.
Use us for your glory!
We bring every nook and cranny of our soul to you.
Fill us with Jesus!
Form us into Christ-likeness.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you navigate through life?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you continue in God’s word!

Photo courtesy of Andre Vega. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday and counting blessings with Ann Voskamp: #1019 Jesus is the answer for our questions. #1020 Jesus is the way out of messiness.

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May 3, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
2 Comments

Does Prayer work?

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Or do you think that Jesus promised too much for us? He told his disciples that God will give them whatever they ask in Jesus’ name. And, yet, we don’t get everything we ask, right?

Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 16:23-24, NIV)

How come we don’t get everything we ask for? Why did Jesus promise this if he can’t keep it? Excellent questions. And we need to know the answers before we can fully trust God and pray believingly. Does prayer work?

The message translation gives us already some hints about what Jesus meant: This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! (John 16:23-24, MSG, emphasis added.)

Jesus had spend three years with his disciples and he was preparing them to manage on their own after his resurrection. Jesus wanted them to know that through prayer they could continue to ask him questions in the future. Jesus wanted them to know that through prayer they will continue to have a connection with him. Through prayer we are able to have conversations with God. Through prayer we are interconnected forever more.

But just like Jesus did not give everything to his disciples while he was with them, God won’t give things according to our whims but according to his will. For example, James and John asked if one of them could sit on Jesus’ right and the other on his left in heaven (Mark 10). Jesus did not grant them that. And there are many other stories when the requests of the disciples were not according to his will. Hence Jesus did not give them what they would have wanted. The same goes to our prayer requests.

God the Father is happy to hear our requests but he won’t grant us everything we want. Especially when our requests are about money, success, honor or something else that would harm us. God will give us everything we ask in Jesus’ name that is good for us and according to his will. God is indeed a prayer-hearing God. But he loves us so much that he doesn’t give us what is not good for us.

Prayer works indeed. God is not a Santa Claus and prayer is not wishful thinking. Prayer is our connection to God. We are called to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12, NIV).

Prayer is our most important task. Nothing else compares to it. Because prayer changes things. The more we pray, the more Christ-like we become. The more time we spend in prayer pray, the more alive we are. Because only Jesus has the words of eternal life. Only Jesus can resurrect our lives. We only need to ask.

Gracious God,
Forgive us for neglecting prayer.
We believe, forgive our unbelief.
Draw us into ongoing conversation with you.
Give us joy like a river overflowing its banks.
Give us nothing but your will!
And everything in your will!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How important prayer is for you?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you live in prayer!

Image “Jesus teaches his disciples to pray” courtesy of ochristian.com. Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursday, Faith-filled Fridays.

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May 1, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
6 Comments

Faith Is an Adventure

Faith is a daring adventure. It might not look like it. But that’s because we can’t see everything with our eyes. Like George Eliot has said it “Adventure is not outside man//It is within”. The biggest battles are fought within. The greatest adventures are experienced within.

The hardest battle of all might be to believe that God exists and that he wants amazing things for every one. The enemy will do everything in his power to keep us from receiving the gift of faith. But if we open our heart to God’s word and believe in Jesus, we are real troopers of faith.

It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him. (Hebrews 11:6, CEB)

The battle of faith is an ongoing adventure. It is always a question of trust and surrender. Do I trust and surrender to God today? Do I let Jesus be Lord of every area of my life? Do I let Jesus to carry my burdens or do I still try to it on my own? Do I give my painful past to Jesus or do I keep that section of my life away from God? Do I submit my new relationship/job/vacation plans for God or do I want to take a stay-away-cation from God?

These are huge inner battles we are facing every day. Faith is an adventure first within us. Do we dare to trust God today? Do we dare to say “Thy will be done” to God in every situation? Because we really do not know what God will do, do we? We really don’t know how Jesus is going to resurrect our past, right?

This inner battle goes on until we submit fully to Jesus, until we surrender everything to God. We just need to trust that God exists and wants the best for us also today. When we do this, God can use us for his various purposes in the world. Only after these inner battles we are fit for the kingdom use. But even then we might be called for work that no one ever notices. We might be prayer warriors that upheld the church. Or our calling might be to love others through compassionate service.

Nonetheless faith is always an adventure. The most difficult battles are fought within us: Am I a servant of God also today? Do I dare to approach the throne of God with my battle scars or not? Do I let God use me today or not? If we dare to believe….then we can by faith reach out as God directs us. We can experience everything God has planned for us.

Gracious God,
We come to you today asking that
you heal us and resurrect us in Jesus’ name,
you enable us to believe and trust you,
you help us to surrender everything to you.
you equip and empower for your service.
May only Thy will happen in us, through us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Have you had hard inner battles? How are your faith adventures going?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, on your daring faith adventures!

Image courtesy of Tyler Tarver. Linking up today with Heart & Home, Unite the Bloggersphere, #tellhisstory and

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April 29, 2013
by Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith
7 Comments

How to Let Go of Fear

Fear is one of the most awful things in the world. When we live out of fear, life is not what it’s meant to be. Fear cripples us. Fear steals the joy of living. Fear paralyzes our inner beings. Exactly the opposite what God designed for us.

Every bad decision I’ve ever made can be traced back to fear.
Whenever I’ve made a decision out of fear it has led to a disaster.

Whenever you say yes because you fear that this is your last chance ever and not because you think it is the right thing to do…you act out of fear. Whenever you agree to something because you might never otherwise get married/get a job/find a house, you act out of fear. Whenever we get tired of waiting for God’s plan, we take the matter in our hands and act out of fear.

But any decision made out of fear is not what God had designed for us. Sure, God can use even our bad decisions to create something beautiful out of them. But it does not diminish the fact that fear is Satan’s way to get us out of God’s plan. Like Rick Warren has said “fear is a self imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be.”

What to do then when you are fearful? How to let go of fear?

First of all, remember “the presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident.” (Max Lucado)

Second, we can “move against it with the weapons of faith and love.” (Rick Warren)

Third, “Begin to rejoice in the Lord, and your bones will flourish like an herb, and your cheeks will glow with the bloom of health and freshness. Worry, fear, distrust, care-all are poisonous! Joy is balm and healing, and if you will but rejoice, God will give power.” (A.B. Simpson)

It’s not enough that we hold Christian truths in theory. We need to live them daily. You see, if I am not empowered by the Holy Spirit every morning, there is no way I would stay Christian very long. Because anything in theory only does not hold my interest very long. If Christian faith was just a collection of beautiful life lessons, I’d be the first one to let go of that religion. But Christian faith is much, much more than that. Christian faith is a living companionship with God.

That’s why the only way to not to live out of fear is to live with close connection to God. It means that in order to be hope-filled and fearless I need to abide in God and read his word daily. If we all remembered this, there would be so much less heart-ache. If we are ready to receive, God is happy to lavish us with his gifts: peace, joy, and boldness.

Also, do not stop reading the Word or leave God’s presence until you are fearless and grace-empowered. Sometimes it takes a little more praying and assurance from God to let go of fears than other times. Just know that God is always with you and he will strengthen you. Just don’t run away until you are enveloped with perfect peace.

Don’t fear, because I am with you;
    don’t be afraid, for I am your God.
    I will strengthen you,
    I will surely help you;
    I will hold you
    with my righteous strong hand.
(Isaiah 41:10, CEB)

Letting go of fear takes practice. The more we experience God’s help, the more willing we are to let go of fear in daily basis. But leaning on God is the only way to proceed with boldness. Because life is confusing and messy. But if if we are centered in God’s love, we can – by God’s grace - stop living out of fear and experience the true freedom in Christ.

Gracious God,
We praise you for your constant help and support.
Thank you for always being there for us.
Show us how to let go of our fears and
how to live out of your generous love.
Empower us with your grace to live boldly.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you let go of fear?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you learn to let go of fear and live out of God’s love!

Photo courtesy of Linda Brane, design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday and counting blessings with Ann Voskamp: #1018 We can live fearlessly in Christ.

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I am hosting this week One Word at a Time Blog Carnival. This week’s word is: Fear. Although this is a ‘One Word’ carnival, we have a theme for the next few weeks and the theme is “Let Go Of…” So every week we will have a word for the week, but the theme will be letting go of that word. To see all of the upcoming words and their dates, visit peterpollock.com/category/faith/carnival

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