Living on a prayer

School is full swing. I'm so thankful to be back. School is where I thrive! Also, my whole family seems to function better when we have a somewhat consistent schedule. 😊 My boys have worked so hard these past 2 weeks. They have had minimal meltdowns before and after school. I've watched my oldest son take care of his brother, helping him learn the school procedures and playing with him during recess. I'm a proud Mommy! 

I'm also  r e a l l y   t i r e d. . . 

At school, we start each morning with chapel. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. Worshiping Jesus with my co-workers, my boys, and my students- it's such a special time! During these first weeks of school, the principal has been talking about prayer. She shared the story of Samuel, who God called in the middle of the night when he was just a boy. (Kids love hearing stories about children in the Bible!) She explained that prayer is a conversation. We can speak to God, but we should also take time to listen so we can hear what He is saying to us. (Did I mention how much I love our principal? And our school? I'm so thankful that my boys start their school day off like this!)

This year, I'll be exploring hymns with my students. I didn't grow up in a religious home, and when I became a Christian, I attended very contemporary churches. I have minimal exposure to hymns, but I came across this great blog by Ashley Danyew that inspired me! So with prayer in mind, I started the year off  with this hymn:

You can listen to this beautiful melody here. But can we just break down a couple of these verses for a moment?

 Lord, speak to me that I may speak in living echoes of Your tone.

I want to be speaking in the same loving tone that God speaks in- ALL THE TIME. So when I correct my boys, they would hear direction and encouragement, not disappointment. My husband would hear my love for him as we work through conflict. I want my actions to be living echos of God's tone, because as they say, "actions speak louder than words". So my students would feel loved and cared for regardless of how they behave in class. My friends would always feel safe, knowing they can be real with me no matter what they are going through. 

O teach me Lord, that I may teach the precious truths with You impart. 

And wing my words that they may reach the hidden depths of many a heart.

The more time I spend with God, the more I understand His character, His love, and His Word. I can never know everything about God, this side of heaven. I'm so thankful for the people who have helped deepen my understanding of God over the years by sharing an encouraging word or testimony, by praying with me, by living their lives for Jesus...I could go on and on. The point is, I don't know what is going on in the lives of everyone I encounter each day. But I pray that God would give me the words to speak, and that those words bring hope and healing where there is pain and sorrow.   

O fill me with Your fullness, Lord, until my very heart overflow.

When I'm caught up in the busyness of life, my time with God gets shorter and shorter. Before long I'm running on fumes. It's hard to give anything when you are feeling empty. If I want God to fill me, I need to make sure that I'm making time for Him. This looks different for me on different days. Some days it's praying while I make breakfast, but not reading my Bible until after the boys are in bed. Some mornings I put on worship music and read while I enjoy a cup of coffee. I realize there is value in having a set time of day to spend with Jesus. But if you're like me, that can seem overwhelming. My Mondays look very different from my Tuesdays, which are both different than my Saturdays and Sundays. Thankfully, God's schedule is wide open when it comes to spending time with us. He will spend as much time with us as we will give Him- anytime, anywhere. Spending time with God is the key to having a heart that overflows, and when your heart is overflowing, the fullness of God spills out on those around you! I want to be known as someone who "rubs off the goodness of God" on those around me.

Use me, Lord. Use even me.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was believing the lie that I have nothing to offer anyone. 1 Corinthians 12:6-7 says, "God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other." (emphasis added) He created me to be used for His glory, His purposes, and to help others. Even me!

Let this song be our prayer today, "Lord speak to me that I may speak in living echoes of Your tone."

♫ ♥ Ashley