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JULY- Need a Vacation?  Tips for spending time with God through prayer

Haven’t found time for a vacation yet?  Or,  perhaps you have returned from vacation exhausted and depleted. There’s still hope. Prayer is one way to “get away from it all” and experience rest and restoration in the “midst of it all”! 

David was especially skilled at redirecting his focus from life’s situations to his Saviour. David was pursued by enemies and hunted like an animal, but faith filled praise dominated his speech and prayers.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; . . . ” (Psalm 23:1-3 NKJV)

 Acknowledging who God is and what He can do is praise and is a simple, but powerful way to “get a change of scenery”. Our summer trip to the beach is one of the highlights of my summer. I love to wake up early enough to sit on the balcony and watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean.  Watching the sun rise over the ocean is a beautiful, tranquil event that reminds me anew of the awesome, creative power of God. I rarely, however, spend time at the front door of the condo that overlooks the parking lot in order to watch the traffic come and go. Nothing about that experience would energize me.  In fact, it would probably be tiring, annoying, and somewhat stressful.

Why then, I have to ask myself, do I spend so much time pondering the circumstances and problems of life -  when the presence and peace of Almighty God is so rejuvenating? It just doesn’t make sense, does it!  A change of scenery can often be as simple as a change of focus.

 When experiencing the instability that life can bring - I can mull over the unsettling details or I can reflect on the Lord, my Rock.

^“For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God” (1Samuel 2:2 NKJV)

When I am feeling weak and incapable of handling what the day holds - I can consider my insufficiency or deliberately contemplate the possibilities available through the Lord, my Strength.

“To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy” (Psalm 59:17 NKJV)

Does your soul need a lift?  Praise the Lord!  Make Him your focus. As a believer, you can rejoice that He is Almighty, your Counselor, your Defense, and your Deliverer.  He is Excellent, Faithful, Good, Great, your Helper, your Hiding Place, Holy, your Light, Mighty, the Most High, your Refuge, Righteous, your Rock, your Salvation, your Shield, and your Strength. He is all this - and so much more. And, yes, He is your Shepherd who restores your soul as well. 

Practical tip:  Go to www.biblegateway.com  and do a keyword search using the different names, characteristics, and attributes of God listed above.  Find some verses for each  of these.  Copy and paste these onto a word document. Print the document and keep it in your Bible or prayer journal.  These verses are provide a powerful means for redirecting your thoughts and serving as a catalyst for prayers of praise.

I hope you enjoy a “change of scenery” this week!

© 2007 Lauren Fletcher all rights reserved

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Week 2  Using Your GPS  

The journey of life always takes its travelers into unknown territory. There are no dress rehearsals for these years spent on earth. We need a “Guide.”

“In the beginning God . . . ” (Gen 1:1).  What a powerful, comforting message to know that One has preceded us!

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8 NKJV).

“For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even  to death” (Psalm 48:14 NKJV).

The GPS (Global Positioning System) upon which so many now depend,  utilizes a constellation of 24 Earth orbit satellites that transmit microwave signals which enable the GPS receiver to determine its location, direction, and speed.

The availability of such a valuable piece of technology comes with a price and is therefore, not available to all.  “God’s Positioning System” is even more valuable.  Obtaining access to Him did not come without a price. The good news is we were offered access to God through the costly death of His only Son on the cross.  It was offered as a gift  (Ephesians 2:8-9).  What a gift!

 “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know”  (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV).

“He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2:2 NKJV).

Psalm 139:1-18 describes the possession and collection of data used by “God’s Positioning System”.  He designed you before you were born and then created you in your mother’s womb according to that design. As far as your location, direction, and the speed at which you are moving, that is always on His radar.

Suggestion:  Start a prayer journal.  Write out the areas in which you currently need direction, the areas in which you need something revealed, and then “listen” for His answer.  It may come immediately or it may take a while, but keep listening.  He promises to guide, to answer, and to show us things we do not know if we will ask Him. Even a GPS does not help if not accessed.

Pray:  “Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You”
(Psalm 143:8 NKJ).

“Make Your way straight before my face (Psalm 5:8 NKJV).

“Lead me in Your truth . . . On You I wait . . . (Psalm 25:5 NKJV).

© 2007 Lauren Fletcher all rights reserved

My childhood vacation memories include a few visits to souvenir shops. While our dad diligently kept up with how many hours we needed to drive in a day and the direction in which we needed to be going, my three sisters and I were often distracted by the many “Stuckeys" souvenir shop signs we saw posted along the highway. The souvenir shop story that is retold the most in our family involves me getting a ring with the name “Irene” stuck on  my finger. My name became “Irene” for the remainder of the trip. Needless to say, the souvenir shop memories have lasted longer than the souvenirs themselves.

My sisters and I felt totally comfortable asking our dad for what we wanted.  Sometimes our requests didn’t fit into the day’s itinerary and sometimes they did. Likewise, It’s only natural that the deeper our intimacy with the Father becomes, the more comfortable we will become in expressing our desires to Him. According to the Bible, our heavenly Father actually encourages us to ask Him for things and to bring our desires to Him. In His loving care, He will determine if they fit into His perfect itinerary for our lives. He knows where we need to be and He wants to lovingly and wisely guide us there. My dad painted a picture of God’s love for me in the young years of my life that I treasure to this day.

My dad typically worked 6 days a week - 6 long days.  He often left for work before I left for school, returned for dinner with the family, and then returned to work.  My sisters and I always relished our time with him during the evening meal and on Sundays. We never really felt neglected, though, and always knew we were loved.  One particular evening, I wasn’t feeling well. Before returning to his office after our evening meal, and in an effort to cheer me up, my dad asked if there were any special treat I would like.  I immediately thought of the gumball machine at a “Seven-Eleven” type store near his office.  The globe of the gumball machine contained many small gumballs and a few loose rings with plastic stones interspersed throughout the gumballs.  The odds of getting a ring were very small, but I felt confident my dad could pull it off.  Filled with that confidence, I asked for a ring from the gumball machine.  I went to bed that evening before he returned from work, excited about the ring I knew would be mine.  The next morning upon waking, my eyes immediately rested on the small brown paper bag on top of my dresser.  Walking over to the dresser with excitement and anticipation, I soon noticed the bag was totally filled with dozens of small gumballs of different colors.  Sitting on the very top was a ring with a beautiful pink plastic stone. This cherished memory became my “Seven-Eleven” story.  The years passed, and one day while reading the Bible, I spotted a verse that transported me back to the  “7-11” memory from my childhood .  It said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Imagine my excitement when I realized that the reference of the verse was Matthew 7:11! 

Every child of God can have not just one, but many “7-11” stories!  Even if your earthly father was unwilling or incapable of creating those memories for you, they are available to you now.  We can have an intimate relationship with a heavenly Father who not only loves us but loves to give good things to those who ask Him!

Lay the desires of your heart before Him with the childlike faith and confidence that He loves to give “good things” to those who ask. He may not grant a request to stop at every “souvenir” shop along the way, but He will lovingly and graciously grant those things that fit with the travel plans for your life and you will cherish the memories for many years to come. 

© 2007 Lauren Fletcher all rights reserved

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Week 4  Knowing What Not to Pack

 During our stay at the beach this year, my husband met a man at the elevator who had just arrived for a week of vacation.  While this man was getting on the elevator with a luggage cart holding 10-12 storage boxes of files, he commented to my husband that he was on a working vacation.  In addition to loading and unloading those boxes, each one contained work needing to be processed.  What a tiring thought!  What an expensive place to work!  What a disappointing way to spend time in such a beautiful place!  I wonder if his family complained about not getting his undivided attention.

Time spent with God through prayer is to be valued.  His cost for providing us the opportunity to have access to His presence was extremely high.  His breath-taking, awe-inspiring presence is not to be taken for granted. 

^" I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;" (1 Timothy 2:8 NKJV).

Wrath comes from the Greek word  which means anger, temper, or agitation of the soul.  Doubt is the opposite of faith.

Wrath grieves the Holy Spirit and hinders our prayers.

^"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (

Ephesians 4:30 NKJV).

^"All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness" (Ephesians 4:31 CSB).

^"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you" ( Ephesians 4:32 NKJV).

Doubting is also a major obstacle to effective prayer because:

 ^" . . .   without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).

If you had a storage box for every person toward whom you feel bitterness, and a box for every situation in your life about which you feel hopeless and unbelieving, how many luggage carts would you need?  Do you arrive for your time of prayer struggling to get your cumbersome luggage carts on the elevator?  With God’s help, determine to eliminate the contents of each storage box through forgiveness and faith because He earnestly desires our undivided attention.

© 2007 Lauren Fletcher all rights reserved

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