My improbable prayers

Let’s chat for a minute, shall we?  I know, it’s been a million years since I’ve blogged for real. Sorry, that’s just the way my life has been.  But I’ve set a new goal, so, while this blog will change a ton in the next while, I should be writing more.

Recently I picked up the book The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  There were parts that I really enjoyed, and parts that I thought were needing some restored gospel knowledge.  The basis of the book comes from a Hebrew legend of Honi the Rainmaker.  He lived 200-300 bc (the time between the old and new testaments.)  There was a very bad drought in Israel, but Honi had an improbable faith.  He went into the desert, drew a circle in the sand with his staff, and knelt down inside.  Basically he prayed that he wasn’t moving until God sent the rain.  A light trickle started.  Honi said “nope, that’s not the rain I’m praying for.”  So a torrential downpour started, lighting, flash floods, the whole shebang.  Honi said “ nope, that’s not the rain I’m praying for.”  And a good steady soaking rain came.

Can you imagine?  Asking God for the impossible, and not moving until He comes through?  For a while now, I’ve been feeling that I don’t have enough faith. I worry too much about the things I’m responsible for, about our finances, or my Hubby’s job.  I don’t test the Lord on the promises He’s made for me.  The book talks about praying improbable prayers – things so big, so hard, so scary to think of that when it happens, you know there is no way your power made it happen.  It had to come from Him. And to pray with  intensity – to circle that problem completely in fervent, passionate prayers.

This struck so true to me.  So I came up with three circles. Two of them I don’t want to share here.  But the first one might be the most impossible anyway.

I’ve struggled with my weight for  a long time.  Way too long. For about three years now, I’ve been saying “when Hubby makes a little more money, I’ll just join weight watchers again.”  But that money has been so long coming, and I can not wait any longer.  Last Sunday, I tipped the scales as bigger than I have been in my entire life.  I weighed 3 pounds more than when I delivered Jelly Bean.  For months now I’ve felt completely out of control in my eating – I just can not stop. 

Like all goals, Batterson states that your prayers need to be measurable too.  I knew I needed to get specific, and a thought popped into my head.  I immediately dismissed it as too hard, it just couldn’t happen.  But that made me pause – if I prayed for this, I would know that the Lord had given it to me.  There is no way I can do this on my own, but He is waiting to bless me, wanting to show me His power.  I do believe that, so why not go for it!

Here’s my first prayer circle: 50 pounds in 6 months.  I know, crazy, right?  There is no way this fat, out of control body can do that.  6 months is 26.5 weeks – that’s losing an average of 1.88 pounds per week.  It’s not an impossible goal, but it sure is an improbable goal to keep that up.  Not to mention that I started this June 23 . . . 6 months after is December 23.  Not exactly the best time to be finishing a weight loss goal!  When I figured that out, I paused – then said, “well, it will show just that much more that I didn’t do this, He did.”  I’ve got different goals along the way: weigh the same as when Jelly bean was born, loose 10 lbs, weight before I got pregnant with Jelly bean, loose 20 lbs, weight when ‘Lil was born.  My end goal is almost exactly where I’ve been three times in my life: before I got pregnant with ‘Lil, before I got pregnant with Girly-Lou, and what I weighted in High School.

I believe with all my heart that one of the main reasons we are  on this earth is to gain control of our bodies.  He wants this to happen, so if I pray a circle around this desire, He will help me to make it work. 

I started on Monday.  My sister gave me all her old weight watchers stuff and I took the plunge.  And He helped.  I was able to eat exactly my points . . . and I wasn’t hungry.  I didn’t feel deprived.  I could feel my body craving chocolate, or wanting to make cookies, or just eat everything in sight, but I could feel my spirit being stronger than those desires.

I know this morning only starts day 3.  And I know that weight loss often is really huge at the first.  But I just got off the scales, and I’m down 4.8 pounds from Sunday.  I can NOT believe that  number.  Which is why this process is strengthening my faith. I can not do this on my own.  But I know He can – and is. That’s my first benchmark goal achieved.

Since I don’t have the money to join the support group of weight watchers, I’m doing one here.  Every Monday I plan on weighing in. I’ll post my +/- each week.  And I know He will make this happen.

Want to join in with me?  What improbable prayers do you need in your life?