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The Prayer You Can’t Afford Not to Pray

by | 51 comments

ws week 2

Leif and I began a little practice that transformed our marriage and our relationship with God.

After years of following Jesus, participating in Bible studies, attending our local church, studying Scripture, we found ourselves burnt out on both ends. Every spiritual discipline we tried became something to check off our to-dos, nothing that transformed our hearts. Our prayers felt flat. We skipped church on Sundays more than I’d like to admit. Giving wasn’t a priority. Our spiritual lives lacked depth and vibrancy.

We longed for God.

And so we practiced something that some may consider downright silly.

But I double-dog dare you to try it.

We prayed for wonder.

“God, astound us with your wonder. We want to know you as wonderful.”

We asked God to reveal himself on his terms not our own. Then, we chose to live with divine expectation—the posture of living wide awake to the work God wants to do in, around, and through us.

And though you may be tempted to think that we began praying for wonder in a time in life that was marked by sunshine, rainbow, and puppies (well, Hershey doesn’t count), the prayer emerged out of a dark and difficult season.

And that prayer for wonder? You’ll be quickly reminded not to get too comfortable—because God longs to astonish us. This is a prayer that pulls us away from rote religion, that awakens us to the reality of God in our lives.

Maybe you are experiencing a season of spiritual dullness. Your relationships are suffering. You barely want to attend church. Your prayers fall flat. The Bible feels distant. You long for a relationship with God that is vibrant and alive.

I double-dog dare you to pray for wonder and to begin to live with a sense of divine expectation.

Divine expectation demands that we live alert for God to crash into our lives and transform us forever.

photo-1460400355256-e87506dcec4fWe dove into this concept of divine expectation this week during the online Summer Bible Study at MargaretFeinberg.com. (It’s not too late to join us! Learn how to jump in and get a free adult coloring book, here).

How do you nurture a sense of divine expectation in your life?

Recognize every moment as an opportunity for wonder.

God longs to meet you today—exactly where you are. In the midst of the carpool lane, in the waiting room, on your tear-stained pillow, at your desk, on your walk to the bus stop.

One of the most frequent ways God astounds me with his wonder is through creation. On days where I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list, spending quiet time with God falls low on my priority list.

Maybe that’s the same for you, too.

I carve out at least five minutes each day to get outside—take a walk around my block, hike on the trails near my house, head to the local park—because spending time in God’s creation reminds me just how small my problems really are and that God longs to astound me with his wonders.

Today, I’m challenging you to get outside.

Drink in the wonder of creation. Visit a nearby park. Walk along a sidewalk and admire the trees you see—even if there’s only one per block. If you live near the sea, hop in your car and make the drive to drink in the vistas.

Depending on where you live:

Climb a mountain.

Walk through a cornfield.

Explore the desert.

Take a dip.

Skip a rock.

Take the stairs or the elevator to the highest floor and look outside.

Catch a snowflake.

Drink from a clean and cool mountain stream.

Splash in a lake, ocean, or mud puddle.

Feel the bark of a tree.

Smell the air.

Admire the clouds in the sky.

Wait for a shooting star.

When you pray for wonder, expect to be kept on your toes. This is an invitation to stay alert, remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives, and ground ourselves in Scripture.

Share your thoughts in the comments below:

What prevents you from living with divine expectation that God wants to do awesome work in, through, and around you?

What is one wonder of God you encountered today? Share a photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram of that wonder using the hashtag: #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK so we can see and savor the wonders of God together.

Join us back at MargaretFeinberg.com on Monday, June 13th as we begin Week 2: The Wonder of God’s Presence during the online Summer Bible Study.

51 Comments

  1. Robyn Dadig
    Robyn Dadig on June 8, 2016 at 3:59 pm

    I loaned a favorite hardback book to a friend I do not see often. Many months later, when I saw her and asked about it, she barely remembered getting it,then thought she loaned it to someone else. I really didn’t want to ask again or bother her about it, and I didn’t want to buy another copy. Today I walked into my favorite Christian bookstore, and there was a box of books next to the front window. The same book I loaned – hardback – was sticking out of a shopping bag on top. After getting the birthday cards I came there for, I asked my cashier about the books in the box. “Donated,” she replied, and “waiting to be priced and sold as a used books.” I told her about my missing book, and she reached over, grabbed the book, handed it to me, and gave me a hug. “Enjoy!”, she said. I’ve been smiling at my WONDERSTRUCK moment since then.

  2. Candice Poindexter
    Candice Poindexter on June 9, 2016 at 3:44 pm

    Today on a drive into the nearby mountains, I admired the summer attire of the trees covering the mountainsides underneath a clear, Carolina blue sky. Thankful to God for giving me such a beautiful world to reside in!

  3. Margaret
    Margaret on June 30, 2016 at 4:11 pm

    WOW! I love that little God wink, Robyn. Enjoy your book 🙂

  4. Margaret
    Margaret on June 30, 2016 at 4:12 pm

    Sounds breathtaking, Candice. I loved growing up in North Carolina.

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