Prayer Run, Week #3

God is funny. Just when I think I have Him all figured out, He changes things up again. (At least he is keeping me on my toes!)

If you are just joining us, I have been taking prayer requests and running one mile per request, praying for the duration of said mile. I just completed Week #3, which really poured over into like Week #4.5. (Catch up on my previous prayer runs #1 and #2.

This time, I took requests and didn’t receive as many on Facebook. I thought that maybe it was the opportunity to take things a bit slower fitness-wise that week.

Until I checked Instagram.

Holy Macaroni and Cheese, friends! So. Many. Requests. (Hence why it spilled over into an extra week and a half).

This prayer walk run totaled 39 miles, mostly from complete strangers! Awesome. (And a little exhausting, but mostly awesome)

Prayer Walk Note: I write initials (for confidentiality sake) of prayer requestees on my left arm so I don’t have to carry a piece of paper or constantly be looking at my phone. However, I’m left handed, so when writing with my right hand, so please forgive the sketchy penmanship.

Friends, if you have a prayer request, please send it to me via email via sharita@7daystime.com or submit it here. You can also leave your request in the comments below or send me a personal message on Facebook. 

Praying for God’s glory,

 

 

“And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” ~1 John 5:15

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Prayer Walk, Week #2

Well, my friends… All I have to say about this new Prayer Run/Walk Project is that you all are determined to keep me moving toward my fitness goals!

You might recall that God recently nudged me to start doing Prayer Run/Walks every other week. Basically, I send out the call for prayer requests, you submit them, and I dedicate one mile per person to praying.

Week #2 once again delivered the volume AND quality of requests. I prayed for 21 total miles, which broke down into one 4-miler, four 5ks, and one 10k.

Prayer Walk Note: I write initials (for confidentiality sake) of prayer requestees on my left arm so I don’t have to carry a piece of paper or constantly be looking at my phone. However, I’m left handed, so when writing with my right hand, so please forgive the sketchy penmanship.

One thing I have already discovered about these prayer walk/runs… I love them. It is such a cool experience to pray for you, even if we have never met in real life. Also, it makes the miles fly by (especially since I don’t use music, podcasts, etc on prayer miles– just praying). AND it has already deepened my prayer life, since I do not naturally have the gift of praying as a first line of defense in need or crisis (I DO pray, but it isn’t a natural thing… but it is becoming more naturally as I practice it!)

Oh, and it’s unbelievably encouraging to hear the fruit God is producing from these requests… I love hearing how God is at work in your lives and it makes me want to run more and more for His glory!

Friends, if you have a prayer request, please send it to me via email via sharita@7daystime.com or submit it here. You can also leave your request in the comments below or send me a personal message on Facebook. 

I will be going on these Prayer walk/runs every other week and it would be an absolute privilege to pray for you. Every mile is for God’s glory!

 

 

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” ~2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

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Prayer Walk, Week #1

I’m not gonna lie. (Well, obviously, I wouldn’t lie to you. Because I like you. And I’ve heard lying is a no-no with Jesus).

Anywho. I’m not gonna lie, I am often on the lookout for ways to make life more efficient and work smarter instead of harder.

I always love it when God gets right down in there with me and inspires a pretty cool thought.

A couple weeks ago, I was having what I will call a “twitchy” Saturday. For the last several years, I’ve tried to make working out a priority, not only because it’s good for my body whose life motto seems to be “STORE FAT, MAKE BABIES” (it didn’t get the memo that particular ship has sailed), but also because those feel-good-endorphins greatly reduce my heifer-like attitude factor.

(Last I checked, nobody likes hanging out with a heifer. And without those endorphins to work out my stress, that can be like a thing).

That particular “twitchy” Saturday, my workout had not yet happened. (I try to exercise earlier in the day, again to manage all things heifer-ish). But circumstances just didn’t allow it. So I finally got to run, er, lovingly depart from my familia for my workout late in the afternoon.

I wasn’t in the mood to run, so I parked at the parade field and walked. I had felt that God was stirring something up but wasn’t sure what that looked like.

By the time my three miles concluded, He had given me the answer: Go on a prayer walk (which has eventually led to recharging 7DT blog).

So, I put the call out to you lovely 7 Days Time fans and followers on Facebook. My original no-plan-plan was to go on a long walk/run, no more than 10 miles, with each request equaling one mile.

Surely with the wonky Facebook algorithms and the small number of people who see my posts, I wouldn’t get more than 10 prayer requests in just a couple of days, right?

Yeah. You hear that? That’s Jesus laughing as He watches the replay of the latest episode of Sharita’s submission to Jesus Funniest Videos.

In just a couple of days, I got 24 prayer requests. TWENTY-FOUR. Many of those requests were from complete strangers which honestly is pretty cool. But TWENTY-FOUR.

Even though I love Jesus very much, I didn’t actually want to MEET Him on the day of my long walk/run. So I split it up into four 5Ks and a half-marathon. And lived to tell about it.

Here’s how it broke down… (Note: I write initials of prayer requestees on my left arm so I don’t have to carry a piece of paper or constantly be looking at my phone. However, I’m left handed, so when writing with my right hand = please forgive the sketchy penmanship).

Friends, if you have a prayer request, please send it to me via email via sharita@7daystime.com or submit it here. You can also leave your request in the comments below or send me a personal message on Facebook. 

I will be going on these Prayer walk/runs every other week and it would be an absolute privilege to pray for you. Every mile is for God’s glory!

 

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” ~Acts 20:24

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The Prayer Closet

If you have ever lived with someone else, you know what it is to share space.

Growing up, perhaps it was a sibling. (Mom! She is on MY SIDE of the car! Her toys are in MY part of the room! She is breathing MY air!) 

During our young-ish adult years, perhaps it was a roommate. And perhaps said roommate was such a space invader that a duct tape line had to be placed on the carpet and any stray items that crossed the line were fair game for the trash can. #AskMeHowIKnow

Then maybe it was marriage. Lord in heaven– why does my beloved ALWAYS lay his wet towel out to dry on my half of the bed?

Now? Kids. Space to myself has reached a new level of precious. No longer is taking a bath solo any time of day an option. It is a strategically calculated action of relaxation. And don’t even get me started on actually going to the bathroom alone.

So yeah. A place for legit space can be a high commodity in this world of all things family– especially as we follow Jesus.  [Read more…]

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Do Not Call List

You might have noticed that in this current season,  Wednesdays are my days to work toward some super-awesome God-sized dreams. So here is a blast from the past straight from the archives. Enjoy, dear friends… and thanks for the grace. 

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Beep, beep.

“Oh, hang on, just a second, I’ve got another call coming in… It’s a number I don’t recognize, I better take this.”

I am thankful that we live in a era of caller ID. However, it is completely against my army wife heart to ever ignore calls from “unknown numbers” or a random call from someone other than in my phonebook… especially when my beloved and I are separated by duty. I never know what time of day he might call, on what line and what the number looks might look like. [Read more…]

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Video Blog: Pray Scared

Being scared is not on my top 10 list of fun things to do.

Actually, I don’t think it makes the top 1000.

But encountering fearful situations are part of our existence and how we handle them can say a lot about our relationship with God. Plus, it is a great opportunity to grow closer to Him in Christ.

Which is what today’s video blog is all about… Having the courage to pray scared.

Reading via email? Click here —> Pray Scared Video blog to view the clip

Where in your life do you need to pray scared? How do you think God wants to grow you in those situations? You know I always welcome feedback. Leave a comment before you go.

Don’t fear, my friends… God is with you as you grow. Have the courage to pray scared.

Praying Scared with Faith,

Initials Signature Blog

 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” ~2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

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Everyday Jesus: A Comfort Zone Emergency…

I love hanging out/talking to/learning from authentic folks who have eyes (and a heart!) for Christ. My dear friend Meghan is one of those awesome folks– and she sure has a great and powerful story to share with you via today’s edition of Everyday Jesus. Hope you are ready for this, because it sure moved me in more ways than one! 

Moved by His Majestic Love, 
SGK

PS: Be sure to share the love with Meghan by leaving your feedback and comments below.

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Have you noticed that God is never really too concerned with leaving us where we feel comfortable? Nope. He’s just not concerned about that at all.

Throughout the Bible, God is shown stretching His people, calling them out of their places of comfort, calling them to be bold and to walk out into the unknown for His purposes. Our God called Abraham away from his home, asked Moses (a man with a speech impediment) to be a very vocal leader, and had the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years. He called shepherds to be kings, called men to walk on water, and still calls his followers to trust in Him daily. [Read more…]

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You just gotta ask yourself…

Sometimes you just gotta ask yourself: “How can I BEST represent Jesus in this situation?”

Kinda sounds like the old WWJD trend, right? (Who has a bracelet? You know what I’m talking about.)

But seriously– we sometimes find ourselves in super sticky situations that really seems to have no productive solution. I found myself in that very place a couple of weeks ago. I was genuinely stumped and my heart was torn.

Fortunately for me, it was prayer week at church. [Read more…]

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Open for business 24/7

Sometimes you just can’t help but appreciate the businesses that are open 24/7.

I mean seriously– just think about it… The places that are open round-the-clock are usually those businesses that are most important or that we have to use in emergencies. Hospitals, fire stations, police/law enforcement, some gas stations, some pharmacies (like Walgreens) and even Wal-Mart and Waffle House. (Granted, Wal-Mart and Waffle House might not be needed in emergency situations– but it’s still super convenient!)

I can’t help but be thankful not only for these modern-day services and conveniences– but also am so grateful that our God is a 24/7 kind of dude. [Read more…]

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The Power of One Word: 2013

Believe it or not, one word can make quite a difference in a conversation, in a blog post, and yes, even in a life.

I participated in the “One Word” challenge for the first time in 2012. For the entire 12 months, God helped me to learn, grow and be shaped around the word “Dependence.”

Now that 2013 is upon us (Happy New Year, by the way!) it is time for a new challenge.

I’ve been praying for the last month or so for my new word… And today is the big reveal… READY?

Drum roll please… [Read more…]

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