Potty Prayers

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. — Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

As I sat down this morning, I had a wonderful prayer time. There are several things Howard has asked me to pray for and several things on my prayer list. God really blessed me and brought to mind several people who I also prayed for. I say this not at all to boast but to illustrate a point.

When I sat down to write this devotional, the phone rang twice. The dogs wanted to go outside. The dogs wanted to come back in. I remembered that I had started a load of laundry and needed to do another. I had to go to the bathroom.

I had a great calm inside me during my prayer time. I had great visions for what I was going to write and accomplish today. The devil knew it and he hated it. He started throwing all kinds of distractions in my path and thinks “let’s see if that’ll stop her from writing about God.” You may think the minor distractions I mentioned are just that minor, but we have battles going on all the time in our spirit.

I heard a pastor explain it this way one time. We each have 2 fighting dogs inside of us – one good, the other evil. The one we feed will be the one that grows bigger and defeats the other. Don’t feed the evil dog. Keep reading the Bible. Keep reading devotionals. Praying. Anytime. Anywhere. The devil’s really gonna hate that.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You’ve given me good food to feed the good dog inside me. Help me to constantly make the right choice in feeding my spirit Godly food. Help me to resist the evil food that comes my way. Help me to get done the things You’d have me to get done in the time frame You want them done in.

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. — Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

My husband Howard has started a family project of memorizing scripture. This is the scripture he’s picked for us to work on this week. My daughter was tired from the activities of the day, but Howard sat down with her just to get her familiar with the verse. He could tell she was getting frustrated – trying to learn the whole thing at one time – and he kept trying to tell her it’s ok, just learn the first little part. They worked on it for a little while and then Howard said let’s talk about what the verse means. He told her that God has plans for her.

She replied, “God has plans for me? Why? I’m worthless. I just sit around and play video games all the time.”

Ouch. There are many times I have felt totally and utterly worthless. But to hear my 7-year-old daughter say she feels worthless? That made me feel so sad. I’m praying she’ll understand the balance between being a sinner (and not worthy of God’s grace on our own) and having faith that God does have plans for her – big plans to give her hope and a future. I’m praying God will show me how to help her not feel worthless too.

Prayer: Lord, I am thankful for the lessons You continue to teach me each and every day. Thank You for the little reminders of Your plans for us. Help me to not feel worthless. Help me to understand I am worth something in Your eyes. If I were the only one that needed saving, Jesus would still have hung on the cross for just my sins. Help me to share Your love and encourage others in my family so they don’t ever feel worthless.

My most precious husband pointed out that there is a different scripture reference that fits with this story better. Thanks honey! [Edited: 9:16 PM 3/5/2007]

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. — Romans 7:18-19 (NIV)

One month ago we brought home a little puppy named Fletcher. He enjoys going outside and eating wood, rocks and grass. I know the grass is ok for him, but the rocks have got to be bad. No matter how many times I drag him inside to his food, he still goes back and eats rocks.

I have a friend who has been asking me a lot about sin. Sin is a difficult subject many try to avoid talking about. I am so blessed she feels comfortable enough to ask me questions. When Fletcher goes and does his own thing — ignoring me — he’s disobeying me. Sin is disobedience to God. God knows what’s good for me and what’s bad for me. Often times though I am just like Fletcher — going back out and eating rocks when there’s delicious food waiting for me inside. I have gotten pretty frustrated at times with Fletcher and I’m hoping he’ll grow out of it. I thank God He doesn’t get frustrated with me like I do Fletcher. He just keeps telling me not to eat the rocks. When I start listening, I’ll realize the good stuff’s waiting for me inside.

Prayer: Lord, please take the desire to eat rocks away from me. Give me instead a desire for solid food. Help me to learn more about you and what you want me to do. Help me to recognize the good stuff you have waiting for me. Thank you for not giving up on me and for not getting frustrated.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. — Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)

About 3.5 years ago I was going through many struggles. My life had gotten outta whack. One day I was talking with the Children’s Pastor at my church (and great friend) just going on and on about how I had to go do this and had to go do that. I was looking for direction because I was overwhelmed, stressed and freaking out. He walked out and came back with this little booklet called “Open Windows.” Some of you may be familiar with these little books. They come out every so often and they have little devotions in them to read everyday.

I looked down at the book and thought “yeah, right! This is not going to help me! It’s going to take a lot more than this little book. I need to be reading my Bible at least an hour every morning; spend another hour in prayer; be at church every time the door is open…” He could see the look on my face but I didn’t say what I was thinking. He asked me if I would commit to reading one devotion a day and said he would be checking in with me to see if I had done it. Even though I didn’t think it would solve anything, I committed to reading one devotion a day.

Moms of young children will appreciate this part — I put the book in the bathroom. The one thing I know that I will do every day is go to the bathroom. It’s literally the only peace and quiet I get sometimes — but at least it would give me time to read that one devotion.

He checked in with me every time he saw me — “have you been reading 1 devotional?” Yes, I would tell him, although I didn’t see that it was doing any good! It took about 3 weeks and I began to notice a change in me. Suddenly, one devotion wasn’t enough — I had to read more! There were days when I would read ahead 3-4 devotions just because I could not get enough of God’s Word!

It’s from this experience that I got the name “Potty Prayers.” I know it sounds weird, funny and probably not very respectful to God. But one of the most awesome things about God is His Word will not return empty. His Word will accomplish His purpose for sending it to us. So no matter where you read it – as long as you read a little bit each day – you will be blessed.

My Prayer: Lord, I don’t know how you are going to use my ramblings here, but I pray that you will bless everyone who reads this. If that’s just one person, it is so totally worth it. Thank you for giving me the courage to start writing this and for giving me the words to write.