NEW STUDY ALERT! The Prayer That Changes Everything

So, we have started a new series that is based on the book "The Prayer that Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God" by Stormie Omartain. I am TOTALLY, TOTALLY pumped about this to say the least. This is going to revolutionize our prayer lives from one where we feel impotent or at least inadequate, to clear, focused and energized prayer warriors. There is a worksheet that goes with this study that is fill in the blanks. I have included a link to that PDF below.

I listened to the podcast and discovered that it is hard to tell when I am reading through passages in the book and when it is me talking at certain points. If you don’t have the book yet and you are listening online, it might be a bit confusing, but I will work on making my audio cues more clear. I am just not skilled at making my presentation good for those who can only hear and not see me flipping back and forth between my notes and the book.

Lastly, but certainly not least, despite the fact that I had only 2 ½ pages of notes rather than my usual 8 or 9, this podcast is longer than the others. There was some great discussion and you get to hear more from my bestest lady pals. However, It does seem to take a bit for all of us to get really warmed up. If you are tempted to zone out and give up for the first ½ of it or so, resist and keep listening. Once we get warmed up we start to get more pumped up about the study.

So, yeah! We have several new ladies joining us for this study including Wendy, Kristian, and Anne. Welcome, ladies! We are SUPER stoked to have you!

Also, please be praying for one of our members tomorrow, Cassie Ruredzo. Her family has a seriously big day and they need a touch, or rather a tsunami of the Lord’s spirit to wash over them.

PODCAST - Introduction to "The Prayer That Changes Everything" - CLICK HERE

INTRODUCTION WORKSHEET - Click Here

Pride & Taking Control - CONCLUSION 199 VERSES STUDY

This is potentially our last week with this study. I put it out there that I am willing to do another week on anxiety/worry if anyone is chomping at the bit to see me single this one out, but like I say in the podcast, this is not a heart issue. Anxiety is an issue that manifests from not believing that God is sufficient in some area of your life such as finances, acceptance, redemption etc. Take care of that heart issue, whatever it may be, and watch your anxiety melt away like the snow and ice that held our city captive last week. . . Liberating stuff.

Let me know if you are interested in me singling anxiety/worry out, otherwise we will move on to the next study. I am trying to decide between walking through my favorite book, Corrie Ten Boom’s “The Hiding Place” to focus on a what a life of faith looks like, and Stormie Omartian’s book “The Prayer that Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God”, which would be a look at how to blow open the doors of your prayer life by praying through the Word. Let me know which one sounds more appealing to you, and I will weigh your thoughts heavily into my decision.

It's also time we deal with the issue of the future of the podcasts. Do we keep doing it? Is anyone still interested in going on with us, or was that just something we did for the “Liberation” study? I need to hear from the listeners about their desires for the future.

Lastly I could not find the worship song from the study online to post on the blog, so I won’t have one for this week. It was a song with an unknown name from the group "According to John". Thank you so much, Kristen, for sharing it with us. It was a blessing!!


Pride & Control in Guilt Onion

Pride & Control in Withholding Forgiveness Onion

Pride & Control in Accepting Forgiveness Onion

Pride and Control in Seeking Guidance Onion

Pride & Control in Our Provisions Onion

Pride & Control in Our Search for Acceptance Onion

Week 6 Podcast on Pride and Taking Control- Click Here

God's Sufficiency In Our Need for Acceptance

Here's the "How To's" of making God's acceptance of you so real and sufficient to you that even if the whole world turns its back on you tomorrow, you. Are. Satisfied.

I state in the podcast that I think we will have two more weeks of this study before we move on to the next one. Next week will be on pride and the week after will be our conclusion in which we go back through all of the onions and see how the issues at the heart of our onions drives us to feel like we need to take control of everything in our lives. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the next study and I will mull everything over in my usual fashion. I look forward to hearing from you.

Week 5 Podcast on God Sufficiency in our need for Acceptance- Click Here

Acceptance/Rejection Onion

How He Loves Us - Jesus Culture/Kim Walker

Homeword for Week 5 - Acceptance

Next Monday we are going to do our study on God's sufficiency in our need
for acceptance. This one is huge. HUGE. We all suffer from this onion in
various ways. Here is what you can be working on over the next week and be
prepared to discuss on Monday night. Even if you don't write out your
answers, at least read through the questions and verses and reflect on them.
This is not a test to see if you know how you should answer these questions,
it is a personal assessment of what your life is like now.

1. In what ways do I feel rejected and or ostracized?

2. How much time do I spend each day feeling like I don't fit in or
those around me dislike me or aren't concerned with me?

3. How much of my life is dominated by insecurity?

4. What is my reaction when I feel rejected or ostracized?

5. What am I compelled to do to seek validation and acceptance?

6. Do I believe that God's love and acceptance is enough, even if I am
rejected by those around me? Why or why not?

I am going to include a list of scripture verses to reflect on. Find some of
your own if you like as well. Record (or at least be cognizant of) your
thoughts and feelings, both doubtful and liberating. Try to fill out an
onion. Come prepared to share. Feel free to add to these scriptures and
share.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great
delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you
with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

1 John 3:1
See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be
called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not
know us, because it did not know Him.

EPHESIANS 3:16-21 - I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen
you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and
established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp
how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this
love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all
the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all
we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him
be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for
ever and ever! Amen

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an
everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3).

Isaiah 41:9-10 9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, 'You are my servant';
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I Corinthians 4:8&9: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,
but not destroyed.

Jeremiah 29:11-14: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen
to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your
heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD

Heb. 13:4b-6: because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not
be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"