Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
Psalm 25:4-5 NAS
As a parent and a former schoolteacher, this time of year has always seemed more like the beginning of a new year when schedules shift and there are new beginnings not just in school but at church in business and other areas of life. Another summer flashes by and in a deliberate effort to start on the right path I want to encourage you to take an afternoon, a day, weekend or longer for a “Review, Renew. Reset Retreat” with God. If you have never done anything like this it may seem strange or uncomfortable at first, but I am sure you have paused to remember a great memory, lesson, or moment. I know at one time or another you have made a decision, set some goals, dreamed, made a commitment to stop doing something and thought about doing something totally new. This retreat is like that only it is with God, filled with prayer and a desire to fulfill His purpose for your life. This us a great way to stay on or get on the path where He leads you to and through the life He has prepared for you.
I am not saying all of your questions will be answered in a day or that you will walk away with a full 1, 5, and 10-year plan with every detailed scheduled and a strategy to avoid every trial and tear. It will renew you as you remember and rely on God’s promises throughout His Word to lead and light your path, and with Him, you will not lack.
As I encourage you, I am in a time of reset. I am asking God to search me and to show me where I am not being fully obedient, to show me where His light is not shining, and situations where I am not believing and behaving according to His Word, will and ways. I confess my sin, the times I didn’t trust Him, I complained or judged instead of prayed. I repent for the times I was impatient, when I did not seek Him first and ran off on my own path and power and then find myself thanking Him for bringing me back on course and more. The Spirit will prompt you in this personal time of confessing and cleansing.
This time of asking the Spirit to search us is often intermingled with praise and exalt Him for who He is, the unchanging I Am. Praise will also have a way of revealing where you need to repent. When Jesus got into Peter’s boat, Peter was immediately convicted of the darkness in himself just being in the Light of Christ’s presence. We need to fill the space the Spirit sweeps clear from sin with the Word and wonder of God and not leave it vacant for the enemy’s return. You may have been taught to pray in a certain order, but I believe the heart engaged in prayer is more important than the order we pray the parts of prayer. Take your time, pause often to listen and be still. As you praise Him, profess and ponder each attribute as they come to mind.
Let His attributes remind you of His faithfulness, the lessons you have learned, and even times of daily or miraculous provision that leads us to prayers of thankfulness. These are easy to intermingle as His actions always flow from His attribute, who He is eternally establishes what He does. Therefore, we can always know what He does comes from His perfection and love even when we do not understand or agree in the moment or even this side of heaven. Pause to talk with God about any area where you struggle and need peace that surpasses understanding, a hurt that needs His healing, or forgiveness you need to give or receive.
When your time in praise, confession and thankfulness has you emptied of yourself and filled with the awe, authority and affection of God begin a time of asking. Ask Him to reveal His purpose, the answer to a decision or guide you in the opportunities of this next year. Pour out your thoughts and desires pausing to see if a Scripture comes to mind or a previous lesson or experience that might give insight or wisdom. I ask for specific direction, courage, and strength, for rest and restoration, for wisdom in decisions, goals that will bring Him glory and Kingdom fruitfulness. These are specific and real, not general and overarching. Express gratitude, dependency and trust in Him for all He has called you to for His glory. Ask for knowledge to set goals; mile markers of life’s mission that enable us to know where to say, “yes,” when to say, “no” and where He wants us to wait and grow. In the places where He shows us what we should “reap” we can then know what and where we need to sow and express trust, obedience and thanks Him for His promises to light the way.
Even though this is a personal prayer retreat with God about your life we still take time to pray for others since their lives intersect and affect our own. Praying God’s Word directs our prayers to His will as we ask Him to bless, protect, convict them of sin, draw them to Him, etc. so that they are in a loving relationship with Him. In that posture we must release our will, expectations and desires and submit to His. In those moments we get a small taste of what free will really is and how our awesome God still loves and pursues us and others even as they rebel or reject Him.
In these times we take to review, renew and reset life, God gives us perspective, power and perseverance as we pray.
Heavenly Father, You are the Author of our days and the designer of our purpose. You are our Lord, Creator, Redeemer, the Way, truth and Life. We seek You to show us the way we should go; Your priorities we should pursue, the plans we should make, new things we should try and anything that is not of You that must end. All we have, all we are is because of You and we give You thanks for our lives. We don’t want to waste it or wander aimlessly. We won’t worry if we are walking where You lead knowing we will not lack. We want our lives to worship You in all we do with an eternal perspective, a higher calling, and so we ask You to teach us Your path and lead us in truth. In the wonderful name of Jesus we pray, Amen!
Serving Him with gladness,
Kathy Branzell
President