How would you define a relationship? According to the dictionary, a relationship is the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. It is also the way in which two or more people or organizations regard and behave toward each other. We all have a variety of relationships in our life. Spouse, parents, siblings, children, coworkers, friends, etc. All of these relationships play a huge part in all of our lives!
I think we all know exactly what it feels like to be hurt. Nevertheless, I always like to look to the dictionary to really wrap my mind around a word and all it entails. So what is the definition of hurt? It means…to cause emotional pain or anguish, to suffer pain or grief, or to cause damage or distress. I feel like the definition seems to simple when the emotions associated with being hurt can seem so complex. Do you? Is there a specific person or an event that comes to mind when you think of a past hurt? Has someone hurt you so badly that just thinking of it brings tears to your eyes or a burning anger in your heart?
So what is pressure? According to the dictionary, pressure is the burden of physical or mental distress. It can also be the constraint of circumstance: the weight of social or economic imposition.
I feel like we are approaching this prayer strategy at just the right time of year! I know the holiday season can bring a lot of added pressure to our lives if we let it. We say yes to too many things. We try to please everyone. We try to do and be everything to everyone. We want everything to be perfect for family. Can you relate to that? If it’s not the holiday season, where do you find yourself feeling the constant pressure to please? Is it as a parent? An employee? A wife? A friend? Why is creating a prayer strategy for our pressures so important?
So what is purity? Purity is the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes etc.
Anything that containminates or pollutes our hearts and our relationship with God is impure. We’re not just talking about sexual impurity. As Priscilla mentions in the book, impurity can be moral compromise, an unhealthy habit, and also an enticing addition. We can have impure thoughts, speak impure words, and do impure things. So why is creating a prayer strategy for purity so important?
So what is fear? According to the dictionary, fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
Sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, nausea, anxiety. Fear certainly is unpleasant! You know that pit in the stomach feeling that makes you just want to hide, and curl up somewhere safe? Friend, me too! And don’t you just hate that feeling? Fear will cause us to stop dead in our tracks and flee just as fast as we can in the other direction.
Maybe one we wish we could wipe clean and start again. Maybe a past filled with regret, that effects our present. Maybe it was something you did, or a decision you didn’t make. Maybe it was tragedy that you still can’t seem to move on from. Regardless of what it is, we all have a past. And sometimes, our past can make it difficult to live in the present, in the way God intends for us to live. So why is creating a prayer strategy for our past so important?
