If you’re reading this & you haven’t blogged from the first two weeks, go do that first! Also, don’t forget to participate in the discussion on last week’s questions. You need to comment on at least 2 teammates posts.
It’s been great reading your responses so far. Make sure to take your time and fully answer the questions. There aren’t many this week, so take a little longer with your answers. And don’t forget to write your requests, thoughts, dreams, and about your experiences in your prayer journals!
It’s interesting to me that Mark writes that “To pray is to be vulnerable.” It means that even in the very act of prayer, we’re having to face some of our fears. Prayer gives us the choice to trust God. Can you think of a time in your life when you’ve had a hard time trusting God (maybe even now!)?
Fear is something everyone struggles with. Some people hide it more than others and people have different fears, but we all have them. Fears change some, too, as we get older. Some things you’re afraid of now, you won’t be later, but other fears may replace them. God’s presence of peace and hope in the midst of fear is one of my favorite parts of faith. It’s so helpful to know that someone much bigger than you is present with you in every situation.
What’s something that stuck with you from this week’s reading or that has left you thinking?
Tell us about one of your prayer experiences. How was it helpful? What did you learn?
i realy lik this chapter and i luv the story that mark told about david rescueing the boy from the water. one thing that stuck with me this week was that God is always there and if i ever need someone to talk to or share my fears with then i can always talk to God. well this week i read in my bedroom at night (which is the most quite part of the day at our house) and it was realy nice to just be alone with God and spend some time with him.
Go Paige.!! Ahhaa I really enjoyed the story also. And I agree with you about the night being the quietest time in the house.! I’ve started reading at night too and it’s been working out very well.! Tell me how it works out as well for you.!! (;
On the little boy in the water subject why wasn’t there a life guard there and why did it take so long for everyone or just Ben to react why would people just stand there???????????????
I think people just standing there is horrible. But I guess when it comes to times like that people don’t know what to do. There really in shock. I’m not saying that’s right to not do anything, but that’s just how people are.
I thought when David rescued the boy, I thought that was a very brave and daring move and action instead of standing there like everyone else. I agree Paige, I love that part, too!
The thing that stuck with me is the story about boy. It’s so true to real life when someone needs help we don’t do anything. Fear is a powerful thing. Oh and I prayed that i would have more time to pray (does that sense). One more thing I put my first video put on youtube here it is well it not a link but all u have do is copy and paste on thing type www. on so here it is I thought you guys would like to see ok here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cFM16NiVG4 (Tip for the video just skip to 2:43).
Wow crazy and hard to understand video there but awesome anyway
Thank you.
What stuck out to me is how the little boy held on to the man for his life. It made me think how people who are afraid will cling to anything trying to find security, so we need to be carefull that we cling to God when we are afriand rather than looking for security elsewhere. I read the passage from Isaiah and filled in my name. It reminded me not to worry about some of the things(or all of the things) I worry about. What is important is that I know and obey God. He is taking care of the rest.
I totally agree and yes a could see you saying that so yea and uh yea
yeah like i sometimes worry about all the wrong things and i need to think calm down and trust in God.
No matter how hard I try I don’t think I will ever be strong enough to a hold onto a boy to save his life. Reading this really oprened my eyes in a way to attempt to be that strong for others other than myself. This week I challenged myself to do this and I honestly think it went okay. As well as Paige I have stared reading at night and so far it’s working out pretty good.! (;
Sometimes it is hard to look out for other people before yourself, so I am glad that you took the challenge to do that for a week Katrina…I’m also glad to hear that it went well. I would be interested to hear if you continued and how the next week went!
I can think of a couple times throughout my life when I felt like I was having a hard time trusting God. Most of them were when decisions were made for me or when I was going through a tough situation and I just was not sure why it was happening. Those are the times that it is hard to trust that God is there and listening. But it’s also in those times that I look back and realize that God was the most real in my life and the times that I grew the most.
This week, what stuck out to me the most was the quote from Henri Nouwen on page 48. He is talking about receiving more love and becoming less fearful then he says “You will speak more simply, more directly, and more freely about what is important to you, without fear of other people’s reactions. You will also use fewer words.” I think sometimes, without me knowing it, this is a slight fear of mine. I do not always want people to read what I write or I even catching myself not speaking up in front of certain people because I am afraid they will judge me. So this quote was challenging for me, but in a good way.
The prayer experience helped me to see more of God’s love. Each chapter I have read has been encouraging to me but this chapter as I prayed and just listened for God to speak to me I felt even more encouraged.
I think that is very true. I’ve been noticing that I sometimes, tell people that I will do things because I’m afraid I’m not meeting their expectations, when God didn’t really want me to commit to that.
I thought this week’s chapter had some amazing scripture and some great examples about what it is to fear. I think the part that really got to me was when Mark talked about how often our prayers are filled with “Help ME” or “Have mercy on ME” that we forget to stop talking and just listen to God.
During my devotion time, I focused on the words in Luke 23:46, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Saying those words over and over while taking deep breaths was a great way to relax and allow God to speak. I think trusting God with our fears can be one of the most difficult things to do, but when we are able to give them all to Him, we are able to see far more than just the things that hold us back.
Something that stuck with me from this weeks reading is this line in one of the meditations “God alone is sufficient.” I think sometimes we don’t think that God is “good enough” like we need more andd this lines shows that, that is not true.
MY favorite activity was “Listening to God’s love for you” I think that it really personalize it and made me feel special to think GOd was saying that to me.
Olivia…
I think you are so right when you say somtimes we don’t think that God is good enough and we need more. And doesn’t it seem funny to say that? Don’t you think it would be an obvious thing to say that God alone is enough? But so many times I think that we continue searching for something when in reality all we need is to turn to God…
One thing that stuck out to me this week is the story of when his sisters husband saved the boy from drounding.
This chapter made me think. What if I was that little boy in the water, would I be scared, what have you been scared of in your life?
I am scared of a couple things, but how can I face my fears? With God help,(and your friends and family) it’s easy, just trust.
Yes, that’s right I think too that if you put yorself in that person’s place it will help you with your trusting in God. When your consumed in fear, don’t think God doesn’t care or that he isn’t there because he cares and he’s there!
I can’t really think of a time I had a hard time trusting God. Actually something that caught my eye was praying is being vulnerable. Its really a funny way to put it because when you pray to God your mostly asking or thanking Him for something.I don’t really see it as being vulnerable I guess you could call it being truthful.
well i really liked the story that mark shared at the beginning of the story, it made me realize that it takes a LOT to go and save a boys life, or anyones life at that. that kinda stuck out to me.
I didnt do the prayer because i kinda forgot and im not going to make excuses so if anyone can help me id really apreciate it:0)
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I don’t know if you can make excuses up for God
ok spelling this time
Something that stuck to me was just how much we really need to trust God in our times of fear. And that he really does care about what w feel. It may not always feel like it, but then doing the thing when you put a cross on your hand really reminded me throughout the week. Actually I still have it on. In my prayer experiences, the verses just really helped. Especially the saying “Into your hands i commit my spirit”. Write before I started my praying I did a drawing on it and what it meant to me. I learned that God really is there, whether we can see him or not, we need to believe it.
I think the thing that stuck out was the “in your hands i commit your spirit” because i tried it by drawing a cross on my hand and why in school i was repeting it and i could feel a littel peace.
What really stuck with me in this chapter was that Mark said “Prayer is an act of trust.” When praying, you just have faithand trust that God is really there. You might not be able to see him but he’s there with you and he’s helping you deal with your problems and fears, just like the fear the boy had in this chapter. Always keep your faith because although you might not be able to see God, he’s always there with you. I drew a cross on my hands and prayed the words, “Into your hands I commit my spirit”. It helped me relax and know that God is with me. Although you might not see or sometimes hear God, know that he’s always there with you and comforting you.