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3 Steps to an Incredible Journey with God

June 9, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife, Ministry to Women with 2 Comments

A couple of days after speaking at a Prayer breakfast on the topic of a living relationship with God, I had several people who asked for a refresher. They wanted to know more about taking a deep breath and pausing our busy schedules for a few minutes to focus on God. I will answer their questions by outlining the method I use for taking a breather to join God on an incredible journey.

writing prayer with God
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I’ve read the Bible, studied the Bible, prayed, kept the famous Quiet Time and done all these things since my early teens, but it wasn’t until I asked God to speak to me that I learned what it looked like to have a living relationship with God. This forever changed the way I read the Bible and pray.

Here are the steps I take to join God on life’s journey:

  1. Take Time to Hear God

    As I exhale a physical deep cleansing kind of breath, I ask God to speak to me. I sort of sigh out all my racing thoughts and get ready to hear God speak. Careful to keep my spiritual ears open, I read a short devotion and the Bible. I don’t exegete the biblical passage or parse the biblical language. I’m not looking for in-depth Bible knowledge during this time. Rather, I’m simply reading to hear God speak–to give life to our conversation and depth to our living relationship. Reading the Bible with God conversationally has deepened my journey with God.

    I keep a journal of my journey. The things God shows me during my reading, I put on paper. Sometimes it is a little unknown-to-me fact, or at others, it’s a bigger ah ha moment–like the day I was creeped out. (Recorded in Why Following God in Living Relationship is NOT for the Faint-Hearted).  After writing what God says in my journal, I respond.

  2. Respond in Prayer

    My response to God is a prayer of praise–celebrating God’s continued relationship with me. I use the acrostic: P.R.A.I.S.E. Writing the acrostic down the page and my prayer according to these categories:

    • Praise – Think about God’s majesty, power, mercy, grace and love. Praise him for speaking to you and thank him for who he is and what he does.
    • Repentance – Ask God’s forgiveness for your wrongdoing, sin. Be specific. Ask for a clean heart.
    • Acknowledgement – Recognize God as sovereign master and humbly yield yourself. Submit to him.
    • Intercession – Make requests of God for others: your family, friends, church leaders, etc.
    • Supplication – Make requests of God for yourself: your needs, health, job, etc
    • Equipping – Ask God to help you fulfill your purpose in life: to fill you with his Spirit, to help you be victorious over evil, to empower you, to have eyes and ears to know God and a heart to respond to him.

    After finishing the acrostic P.R.A.I.S.E., I ask God to confirm any specific actions I need to take.

  3. Act on the Priorities

    Wrapping up my breather with God, I think about all I need to do. On more than one occasion, God has prompted me to do something specific during my conversation. I write my refreshed to do list making sure God’s tasks get first priority.

After I finish this exercise, I close my journal but carry on the conversation with God. That’s how I know what to do to be living on purpose–going on an incredible journey with God.

How do you keep up to date with your life with God? Please share what works for you in the comments section.

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Why Following God in Living Relationship is NOT for the Faint-Hearted

June 1, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife, Leadership with 4 Comments

What more could I give? I was a Baptist minister’s wife and had served God and his people for nearly 20 years. Really, what more could God ask for? I met with him daily in prayer and Bible reading. I prayed for God to speak to me and to use me as he wished. I taught the Bible and led others to follow Jesus. I taught my kids to love Jesus. I served and did everything any woman could do as a pastor’s wife and one who is called by God to serve him. Or so I thought.

Wait!!
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Following God

One day during my Bible reading and conversation with God, I felt a near audible. I had just prayed, “Lord, use me. Not my will, but yours be done. I am yours. I will follow you.” Then a deep movement stirred me. The common everyday spot in my home all of a sudden seemed . . . different. Everything faded from focus and all I could hear was, “Do you mean it? Will you follow me?”

Whoa. That just didn’t happen. Did it? Fear ran through my veins. I couldn’t respond.

Agitated and no longer able to sit, I stood. Paced the floor. I must be loosing it.

After a few minutes of all the Bible stories of God speaking repeating in my head, I settled on doing what Samuel did. I went back to try to re-enter the conversation. As I sat back down, I wondered where this was going. I re-read the Bible reading and said, “Okay, Lord. Speak again. I’m here.” Or like Samuel, “Speak, Lord. Your servant listeneth.”

There it was again. I heard, “Will you follow me?”

Being a sort of newbie at this way weird situation, I looked around. Could anyone else hear this? Then looked at the Bible again and said, “Uh . . . yes, Lord, I will follow you.”

“Really? Will you follow me?”

I paused. What does he want? How is this happening? “Yes . . . Why, Lord? Why do you ask?”

My mind raced. What is he going to ask of me? Will I do it . . . no matter what?

His “Did you mean it? Will you follow me?” reverberated through my mind. I thought I meant it when I said I’d follow him. But . . .

Then with much more pointed clarity, “Will YOU,” he paused for emphasis, “follow me?”

Oblivious to 20ft tall woman
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Faint Hearted

Oh no. I thought of all the bad, horrible things that God could call me to do. I might loose my life. My family. My friends. Or my respect.

Bingo. Bells went off. That’s what I really struggled with. Pride.

What if God called me to do something that my ministry friends would think was not proper for a Baptist minister’s wife. With all the issues about women and ministry, all of a sudden I felt like God was going to push me to the limits and the many friends that I respected would no longer like me or see me as a good Christian pastor’s wife. Rather they might think of me as one who is way out of line according to their viewpoint of scripture. I feared this with all that is in me. I’m Baptist. I bleed tried and true Baptist. It’s a blood from generations past that includes circuit-riding ministers and denominational servants. What ridicule I might face.

I can see the gossip channel now. Robin Bryce went off the deep end. Turned fanatic. Nobody in their right mind does what she’s doing. How embarrassing for her kids. And what about her husband? Why won’t the church discipline her? My friends probably won’t return my phone calls or they’ll avoid me in Wal-Mart. It’s going to be horrible.

With all my insecurity, I felt that God was asking me to forget my background and my religion, and to follow him in a living relationship. I had to count the cost right then. I couldn’t postpone the decision a day to think on it. I couldn’t call my friends and ask what they think about it. I had to decide now. Would I obey God no matter what?

I wrestled. Fought the what-ifs. Struggled with the no-matter-whats. And concluded that I would be better off with God than against him. Even if I was alone with God and everyone else was against me, I would be okay. Years ago, I thought I had answered God’s four worded question, “Will you follow me?” But this was a much deeper, more costly question and answer.

Arm
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Living Relationship

“Yes, Lord. I will follow you. Wherever and whatever, I would rather be with you, than doing things my own way without you. But, Lord. You have to promise me that you won’t leave me. I can’t do as you ask alone. I need you. Will you promise to go with me?”

It was then I felt his smile. He reminded me of his promises that were already written. “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

That moment was so surreal. As my home came back into focus, I eagerly awaited directions and wondered where God was going to take me.

Daily, I look for God’s hand of direction. This is how I live. Why I do what I do. God gives me directions through our living relationship and I do my best to follow him. I’m not perfect. I mess up. And often I’m gripped with fear. Sometimes the direction is a step into the dark and unknown–a place where there’s nothing but God’s hand. In those times I can sense another question of his, “Do you trust me?”

The room moved out of and back into focus years ago and my life has been a grand adventure ever since. My senses are fully alive. My emotions, intense. And my faith, strengthened. Following God is not for the faint of heart.

What fears keep you from following God? How do you make a practice of hearing God? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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How to Keep Your Work in Focus: Celebrate with a Party

April 5, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 6 Comments

I don’t celebrate like I should. Maybe I should put partying on my to do list.

Party cake

“For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all” (Dt 16:15).

The Israelis are supposed to celebrate the harvest with a feast for seven days. The celebration recognizes God’s part in providing success in their work. God provided the food: vegetables, vines and herds, but they had to plant, groom and tend. The celebration honored God, because without God their work would not have been fruitful.

My work also produces a harvest, a product. I’m no gardener or rancher. My work produces grown children, stacks of clean laundry and a few scribblings I call writing. I may influence spiritual growth through speaking and ministering. But the real produce from my life is what God makes of my feeble attempts to work with what I’ve got.

Any work of mine that is of real worth comes from God working through me. Not me alone. Therefore, I should celebrate. Celebrate the work of God in helping me to complete my tasks, to bring in the harvest.

But in my busy lifestyle, with all the tasks I have, I don’t stop and celebrate finishing one before I turn to the next. I work on too many tasks at once and the completion of one is given a quick wink as I look to the next. I run to the next job and make no space for celebration.

How would my life be different if I stopped after finishing a task long enough to thank God for helping me get things done? How much less stressed would life be if we had an afterglow party for a few days to celebrate God’s work through us?

In what ways do you celebrate and thank God after your harvests? How do you recognize God’s part of your work?


How to be Part of the Inner Circle: Partners in Prayer

March 25, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife, Leadership with 2 Comments

I tend to be more productive in my work when I include other people. I’m a team player. The engagement and interaction with people sharpens me and my work. But that isn’t the only reason I need people.

Working on my own, under my own strength, leads to devastation.

  • One fault is I begin to think “I did it.” Pride gets me when I can take credit.
  • And second, I don’t offer much value on my own.

Will you join me in the effort to love, serve and change? I’m looking for partners.  My help comes from God and those committed to pray for the ministry.

Praying for you

“For you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now (Phillipians 1:5, NLT).

The Newspiration newsletter is filled with opportunities for prayer. Yet, I’m looking for a few select prayer warriors to share more pressing and intimate prayer requests. I may be under a pressing deadline, dealing with a health issue complicating a speaking engagement or sensing a spiritual struggle related to an audience, event or writing project. This inner circle prayer-partners will be contacted about both ministry related and personal walk with Jesus related requests.

The requirements to participate are as follows:

  1. Faithful to pray
  2. Follow God’s leadership
  3. Willing to partner in prayer to give God glory
  4. Take part in a ministry effort with a big picture vision

Sign up using the form below for the inner-circle partnership and the emailed prayer requests. And if you will, please send a short sentence about yourself and why you joined the Partnerships in Prayer to Robin @ RobinBryce (dot) com.

Sign up now to become a partner in ministry through prayer and get the regular
Newspiration news and inspiration to boot.

Make sure the checkbox remains checked to activate the proper list.

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May God be honored and glorified in our partnership in the gospel!

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Prayer for Safety: How do I respond?

March 23, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 0 Comments

With all the uncertainty and devastation happening in our world, I thought a prayer for safety post would be appropriate. Often we don’t know what our response ought to be. What—if anything—can we do to assist? When everything is stripped away, we are left with one thing that can never be taken away—a relationship with God and the ability to bring our desperate need to him. This opportunity for relationship with God is available to all and God can be our help. We can respond in prayer.

I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me” (Psalm 142:1-7,NLT).

God, we are so small and helpless in light of the massive storms of life: tsunamis and earthquakes, tragedies and wars. Please give us wisdom to know how to escape and deal with our plight and compassion for those caught in their devastation. Help us find an outlet to best help the survivors.

You, Oh God, are our rescuer, our refuge. Grant us safety.

If you want to explore helping in various ways check out the BGR.

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Mismanaging Self Is Wicked

February 15, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 5 Comments

Those of us who manage have a grave responsibility. Whether it’s managing the kids while they clean their room, or the money in the family banking account or associates while at work, it’s a privilege of great responsibility to do the work of a manager.

The manager’s effectiveness is reflected in that which they manage. A problem exists when the managers can’t manage themselves. Mis-managers can be terrible organizers, communicators or just plain lazy. When managers mismanage, they create issues for who or what they manage. As an example, check out this biblical story.

“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:45-51).

Managers must learn to manage themselves. In the Bible story, the good manager is the one who manages himself with sensibility and commitment. The other couldn’t manage his passions and therefore had no ability to manage his tasks. He was given to chasing after his own whims and all sense was lost to him. He’d loose his temper, play instead of do his work and ignore moderation in his eating and drinking (See Titus 1:6-9). He had no control over any aspect of ruling his own life and therefore he couldn’t manage anything else.

Hearing this story causes me to question my abilities. Do I mismanage my own life? Am I managing well my passions, my tasks, my time and the people in my life? What kind of manager, wife, mother and witness am I? Am I doing what I should be: sharing God’s love, making disciples, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the poor, etc.?

Maybe we all need to work on some areas. I know I do. The master will come at any moment and even though we can’t see Jesus, he sees everything we do. We must set our hearts on being sensible and faithful to task. Don’t we want to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)?

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Nothing on Purpose: Learning To Be God’s

January 27, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 14 Comments

I had lunch with Sharen, and heard her story. “I’m not doing anything specific. God asked me to put aside my ministry.”

As a ministry friend I was intrigued and concerned. I wondered how does one go from an active ministry to doing nothing?

Flower in Nothing but Blue Sky

She went on to say that God gave her a peace about turning the ministry loose and that she wasn’t to replace it with other activity. Instead God impressed upon her to just be his. “I’m enjoying focusing on him, just being his and not doing anything.”

My soul longed for that kind of refreshing. The new year brought lots of fresh starts, resolutions and back to school routines that busied my schedule. Why do we feel that we have to be doing something to have value? Sharen’s relaxed and satisfied fashion proved our value isn’t in doing but being. Her face glowed with the peace and contentedness of just being.

No matter how busy our hands or how many irons we have on the fire, we can be content in simply being God’s and following his lead.

“Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God’s family
Can do it as well as you.” Streams in the Desert p.2

For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (Phil 4:11. ESV)

Lord, I want to do my part: to dream, to work and to minister for you in the manner you plan for me. Make me 100% yours and useable to further your kingdom as you see fit. Help me to be content being who you want me to be and fulfilled in knowing you are my reward.
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12 Leadership Checks for Making a Kingdom Difference

January 14, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife, Leadership with 4 Comments

While praying about multiplying our small group and the possibility of planting a church, I began reading and studying every related resource I could find. Many cite leadership as a key element to starting and/or maintaining a ministry.

Leaders teach Bible studies, organize and administrate offices and households, train children, balance budgets and bills then decide what’s for dinner. Leaders are everywhere, and I’m sure you’re one of them.

Leader.DucksinaRow
Leaders can lead large groups, but they must lead one: themselves. Leadership is pioneer work: heading out where no one goes but God. There are many challenges and it is easy to slip into NOT leading. In Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement by Dave and Jon Ferguson, I found a cool check list for leaders to monitor themselves and make sure they lead well.

Twelve indicators that leadership is lacking
1. I wait for someone to tell me what to do rather than taking the initiative myself.
2. I spend too much time talking about how things should be different.
3. I blame the context, surroundings, or other people for my current situation.
4. I am more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing.
5. I seek consensus rather than casting vision for a preferable future.
6. I am not taking any significant risks.
7. I accept the status quo as the way it’s always been and always will be.
8. I start protecting my reputation instead of opening myself up to opposition.
9. I procrastinate to avoid making a tough call.
10. I talk to others about the problem rather than taking it to the person responsible.
11. I don’t feel like my butt is on the line for anything significant.
12. I ask for way too many opinions before taking action.

The list made me uncomfortable. Yet I’m not called to be comfortable. I am to serve even when it hurts. Fear immobilizes me and I’m guilty of allowing it to keep me from leading. This list inspired me to take a risk, to step up and really lead as God directs.

How about you? Where has God been leading that makes you uncomfortable, or like your neck is stuck out? How do you put fear aside and adventure forward with God? Please answer in the comment section.

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This post is part of the Insights into Ministry & Leadership Series. If you enjoyed it you may also like the Living and Working on Mission Blog Series, the Spiritual Journey’s Gentle Nudges Series or the other Blog Series.
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11 Blessings for New Year 2011

January 1, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 1 Comment

To you, my valued friends and readers, I wish you an awesome New Year every day of 2011.

New Year

Here are eleven blessings I pray for you.

  1. May your table be filled with good food all year.
  2. May God give you health and vitality with fulfilled desire for proper exercise and food choices.
  3. May your time be productive and well rounded as your efforts are blessed and balanced.
  4. May you influence others for God’s good, make a difference and impact positive change.
  5. May your days be filled with warmth of love and friendship as you open your heart to love others.
  6. May your resources increase as your charity and philanthropy grows.
  7. May others enjoy your presence and desire your expertise and wisdom.
  8. May you have many pleasant family moments and memories in this year.
  9. May you be blessed in your work, contributing value both to yourself and others.
  10. May your social community broaden and deepen as your relationships increase and become more meaningful.
  11. May you grow more in love with God as you spend time listening to him and reading his word.

And a bonus: May this year be your best!

Thank you for making mine great.

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Why Multitasking Reduces Productivity

December 8, 2010 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 4 Comments

I felt so defeated. Tasks and to-do lists stacked. The harder I worked, the behind-er I got. I wanted to quit. Doing nothing would produce the same results with much less stress. Why not give up?

That’s when I tweeted, (Twitter: @RobinBryce) “ NOT liking my busy, distracted, get-nothing-accomplished lifestyle. Please, can I have only one thing to do & permission to forget all else?”multitasked to death

The oversimplified spiritual response, “Love Jesus and that’s all you need to do” doesn’t help. It doesn’t get the laundry done, the Holiday efforts accomplished, my ministry tasks finalized or the family’s needs met. I need more than love for Jesus to do all the things calling for my attention.

I saved the world’s chocolate by taking my desperation to God. Sitting with my Bible and journal, I had a little talk. I mentioned my troubles and feelings then listened for God’s response. I asked him to show me one task to start with. Just one (hoping I could do one thing right).

Looking up from my Bible and at the tasks, I took my husband’s advice and organized my time to work on one job for 15 minutes. Amazingly, I got something done. It felt good.

I tweeted again. “Multitasking is overrated. Doing one thing well is better than many things half-hearted. ”

Others share my struggle with productivity. The Google search “Multitasking is overrated” found a study by Stanford University that reveals why doing more than one thing reduces productivity. The study shows a disturbing trend in our culture and defines my problem. They “found multitaskers are more easily distracted and less able to ignore irrelevant information than people who do less multitasking.” For more results read Boston.com article Maybe Multitasking is Overrated.  I’m not the only one living from one distraction to another.

I felt better knowing why I was ineffective and how to correct the problem. I began asking for God’s help to focus on the job at hand and to organize my time, allotting segments for each task. It’s working so far.

How do you deal with the pressure of your busy lifestyle? Comment below.

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