Episode 24

How do we deal with defeat and discouragement? What is the one ingredient that transforms our prayers and our hearts? Transformation really is possible! Today's episode dives deep into how the worrying, discouraged Mom can pray powerfully and get her joy back.

Show Notes

If we are going to thrive in our second half of life, we have to find energy, our hope, and our life restored.

That has happened for me through prayer. It transforms me. I think I’ve learned at least one vital ingredient to powerful prayer. At least one secret sauce.

Let me tell you a story first. I reconnected with an acquaintance after many years apart. She shared some real difficulties with her kids. Some of the big problems we hope we only hear about in other families. Not ones we ever want to experience in our own.

I felt such a burden for her. One mom’s heart linking in support with another. I gave her a copy of my book, Unceasing, which is based on Philippians 1:3-11. 

Tell story of Philippians 1:3: at a place of total doneness.

• Ready to resign. But there was no one to accept my resignation.

• The Lord put spotlights on this passage and it changed everything. It took a long time, and I have to go back to it again and again. But every time it changes everything.

The first step there is thanksgiving.

• Philippians 1:3- I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

This scripture hit me way before I wrote the book. That scripture stopped me in my tracks. At the time what I was remembering WASN'T WORTHY OF THANKS. But that challenge slowly worked its way into conviction and finally into action.

So the first major point of action in the book is to give thanks for and in everything!

• (Click the picture to the right to purchase the book. This is an affiliate link.)

Back to my friend. We saw each other at the next speech and debate tournament, a month later and she gave me the best story. She’d been stuck on the Thanksgiving chapter for a while. Her stuff was bad. Thanking felt wrong. But when we’re desperate, we try things we might not otherwise.

It was the middle of the night because when we worry we don’t sleep! She started thanking God. Quietly. Slowly. Tentatively. But then it picked up steam. And I’ve found this. Once you start, it will be hard to stop. There she was, in the dark, and after long thanksgiving, she started to laugh. She laughed so long and hard, her husband woke up a little afraid she was losing it.

She was losing it: losing despair, chains of guilt, the weight of sorrow.

• The gift of thanksgiving freed her in a way she hadn’t been in years

We have two verses for this. 

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18- Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

• IN: en

• in, by, with

• a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest

• Ephesians 5:20- giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

• FOR: hyper

• in behalf of, for the sake of 

• a primary preposition; "over", i.e. (with the genitive case) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead,

Prepositions show place. These two words seem to cover just about everything. NOTHING is left out of our thanksgiving. And thanksgiving does more than anything to add power to our prayer.

As I stand here in my late fifties, I can proclaim, the Lord has wasted nothing. No pain or loss wasn’t redeemed. He’s used the worst things.

• I want to live in hope of my FOREVER with Him. 

• I want to proclaim His enoughness to the generation behind me.

• I want to tell younger women how worth it, IT all is.

When I thank God for everything. EVERYTHING. I am well on my way. Not because of me. But because every time I say thank you I’m also saying,

• He’s better than my bad

• He’s capable and powerful enough to deal the worst

• His way is better than mine

• He remains over, under, around, in front, behind, beneath, and ahead of everything.

Thanking Him says, I trust Him. That means I can KEEP going. So if you don’t know where to start with praying, just begin thanking. For everything. For what has happened and what will.

It is the secret sauce to a powerful prayer life.