Proverbs Challenge

With the encouragement of my face book friend and fellow blogger, Sherri Murphy I am once again doing the Proverbs challenge. There are 31 days in January and 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. The goal is simple, read one chapter a day. It is easy to remember your place in your reading, you just follow the date. I have to confess my bible reading has been very lacking lately and like before, now that I have purposed to pick it up and read it every day it has become "addictive" again.

Actually this leads me to a small prayer request that I need to share. We all have times in our lives when we are closer to God than other times. Peaks and valleys, everyone has them. There have been times when my relationship with God has been so intimate and powerful. My prayers seemed stronger, I was in tuned to everything around me....walking "in the spirit". Not sure how to describe it exactly, but felt like I picked up on little things God was trying to tell me or show me. Because of ridicule or doubt from others, sometimes I would doubt myself.

Now, like many other times before, I have a strong desire to get back to that place...with one reservation. Every time I make my way back to God I am faced with a trial. I know, it's an attack from the enemy to keep me where I am. I went through this back in the spring. I felt a real calling from God on my life. One day I was so excited and ready for whatever it was he had for me. I went to chapel at Katelyn's school that morning and was encouraged, I prayed and confessed things in my life that were not godly, and surrendered myself to whatever it was God wanted from me. That very night we had the biggest "blow up" in our house that we had ever had. It was basically an argument over something small that led to everyone yelling, my son left the house and I was driving around town at almost 10 o'clock at night to find him. I decided that if growing close God meant that every time I tried I would have to face a battle that I would be content with a so-so relationship with Him. I have since repented of that, knowing it isn't the right attitude to have, and certainly not obedient to the word.

So to all of you believers and prayer warriors out there I have one request. Please help me pray against an attack again. I know we all face trials, the scripture says to "count it joy" when we have trials and temptations. I am not there yet. I already have challenges in my everyday life, I am not asking to be exempt from that, I just don't know if I am up for a major battle. I am going to cling to the word that reminds me that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". It would make me feel better knowing I have people I care about on my side, helping me fight the "powers and principalities" that will come up against me. Thanks ahead of time, I already know there are some of you I can count on. If you like, leave a comment and let me know what it is I can pray for you about. There really is strength in numbers.
Be encouraged in the Lord and have a great weekend!