 As I was flipping through an old book a few days ago, a paper bookmark fell out and skidded across the floor. I strolled over to its landing place and picked it up. Instantly, I noticed the title of the writing inscribed across the paper placeholder, “Prayer for Local and National Elections.” It was a prayer from Derek Prince Ministries that dated back to October of 1980. While it was written forty-four years ago during the Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter presidential race, it couldn’t have been more timely for us today.
Rather than me try to reach for words, I think God wanted us to find this paper so we can again borrow this prayer as we head into election week 2024:
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 A gracious friend offered me their old desk. It’s a beautiful, white set up complete with a bookcase. Excitedly, I began to pull my Bible study books I had been keeping in our family bookshelf into my own work desk. Next I reached for my old Bibles and devotional books, anything really I knew I’d be pulling from for writing projects in the future. Out of all my nerdy treasures, I stumbled across a devotional book I had read through in college and tumbling out from the worn pages were some old prayer cards. Unable to resist combing back over the over-a-decade-old cries of my heart, I scanned the lists. There were names and specifics for what I was asking God for. There were sins I was struggling with. Tears began to pool up in my eyes as I realized that so much of what I had prayed for then, God had answered. It was wild!
There were requests like to “bless my future husband and family” while I now am married with three beautiful girls. I saw where I asked that God would allow me to “write a book someday for young girls” and to “let my music and writing reach many ears and eyes for the Gospel” while I simultaneously stared at copies of my books, have my next ghostwriting project in the works, and am planning worship sets and packing up my guitar for a women’s retreat this weekend. I don’t tell you this so you think, “Wow, good for you Kaley.” I’m sharing because I am ashamed that I had forgotten. As the years have passed so also has it slipped from my mind that God has fulfilled so much. I am walking everyday present day on the foundations of a past answered prayer. Instead of living in gratitude for that, I have been grumbling to God about my recent anxiety and insomnia flareups. My mind has been consumed with worry instead of praise. Do you ever find yourself in a state of grumbling instead of gratitude too? Aren’t we all prone to forget what the Lord has done? This is probably why the word “remember” is one of the most frequently used words in the Bible. And why there are verses like Ephesians 5:20 that command us to “always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We as humans are naturally bent toward negativity and, if we aren’t intentional about reconfiguring our mind to dwell on the goodness of God, we will find ourselves missing our blessings for our burdens. 1 Samuel 12:14 instructs us to “be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” Here are two quick ways we can shift from grumbling to gratitude…  If You Find Yourself Struggling with Anxiety or Depression Today…
First and foremost, you are not alone. I’ve had several bad nights of sleep and have felt on the verge of a panic attack for over a week now. I can’t put my finger on why, but for years I’ve battled through cycles of this. Even while covering it in prayer, going to counseling, taking medication at times, and doing “all the right things.” So, I want you to know that you are never alone to your very core. There is a God who loves you just are you are. There are churches, communities, and people at arms length who will surround you in your season of struggle and hold you up when you are weak. I sent my husband a text this morning that said, “Sorry I suck.” Because it’s so tempting to buy into the lie that needing help or confessing your struggle with anxiety or depression makes you weak. Here was his reply in case you need this reminder too- “You don’t suck.” You are not a burden. By keeping this inside, you’re not only eating away at your sanity, you’re robbing someone, possibly even an entire community from the opportunity to bless and carry you. "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” -Ephesians 5:13 If this season feels exceptionally dark to you, bring it to the light. It may feel like only a glimmer at first, but the night will give way to morning. Here are some practical ways to start...  Just last week, I watched my college town and the Blue Ridge Mountains that have served as my second home be decimated by Hurricane Helene. Even as I type this, another hurricane, category 4 storm Milton, is just hours away from slamming into Florida’s shoreline and is expected to bring catastrophic devastation. We are a matter of weeks away from one of the most polarizing and (dare I say) exhausting elections in America’s history. Wars are escalating in the Middle East. My heart is pulled in one thousand directions and breaking for a handful of reasons and this doesn’t even include any personal problems, like the new roof and AC unit our house needs or the fact that my eldest daughter has outgrown her pants and needs a winter coat.
You have your own version of this top paragraph don’t you? Together, we are reading the news headlines and scrolling on social media and our souls are shattering. People need help. Maybe even we ourselves need help. We want to pray but this is all so overwhelming. So, where do we start? This isn’t like we’re asking Jesus for a nice car. None of those shiny things have any significance at all right now. These are matters of life or death. This is survival. How do we find words to wrap up our devastating and divisive moment in order to bring it all to the feet of Jesus? What do we say when we don’t know what to pray anymore?  This is not the sharing of my two birth stories but rather, a sharing of God’s redeeming grace in and over all things nonetheless. A sharing of hope, of how the Lord brings beauty from ashes and makes all things new in accordance with His perfect plan.
Before divulging too much more, a disclaimer: There will be some details discussed from my two c-sections that could give rise to heavy emotions, thoughts, and feelings if you are in a delicate place processing your own birth, pregnancy, or postpartum experiences. My heart is for yours! God knows every emotion you are encountering. Nothing surprises Him or catches Him off guard. “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16 As we come to understand with greater clarity what it looks like to hold grief and joy simultaneously, to live in the “already, but not yet”, we can affirm how that reality permeates different arenas of our every day lives. Our birth stories do not define us. But that doesn’t mean the very means in which the Lord chooses to use in refining us do not matter.  Not might. Not maybe. Jesus promised us that we WILL have suffering. This isn't a popular conversation topic because we want to believe that being a Christian will mean our life is easy. God is on our side so everything will be perfect now. Our prayers are heard so, poof! Amazing things are going to happen for us. Here’s the truth because I think you can handle it...  When you speak a blessing, you are declaring favor and goodness over people and reminding someone who their God is to stir faith in them. If faith is stirred through speaking blessings, and faith can change the world, why couldn’t we shift the hearts and perspectives of ourselves and our children by deciding to speak blessings over them each day?
If you need somewhere to start, here are five blessings to speak over your children...  Spring means it’s time to plant things. Fix up the yard. Finally put something in that empty pot in the front yard. I'm an amateur gardener at this point in my life. I have a small space in the yard with a few veggies sprouting up. There's an arch entryway with morning star jasmine trailing up the side. While I still plant things that don't survive and put things in the wrong place in my yard, for the most part I'm finally successful at keeping more things alive than not. But, I had to start somewhere. Years ago, when I planted my first real plant, my grandmother was the first one I called for advice. She's a green thumb if there ever was one and an expert when it comes to spring gardening.   One of the first times I ever heard the Holy Spirit’s voice was in my car.
I had just moved to Fort Mill, SC. I had no friends. I was angry and lonely, trying to figure out what I was doing in life, when I heard a soft whisper on the way home one day. I instantly felt safe and joy rushed over my body. Some of the questions I had been dealing with had just been answered directly and exactly when I needed them. This was the place where my prayer life began 𑁋 my car.  You are a person. I know it’s crazy. But, you are. You are a person with a soul and a calling and a God who loves you so much He appointed you to be in the exact season that you’re in.
We so often forget our humanity. Our microwave, media driven culture makes us think we can be awesome constantly and immediately. We should be robots that crush our goals, speed through to-do lists, get what we want out of life, and look awesome while we do it. However, the reality is that we are indeed human. We need rest. Life is hard and we cannot run from our emotions forever. We wake up with bedhead and bad breath. Where we want a resounding “YES!” God sometimes says “no,” “not right now,” or is even silent. Sometimes life knocks us down and we feel taken out of the fight.... So, what do we do? |
