40 days of Prayer and Focus.

Just some thoughts right now:

-I say 40 days of Prayer, and you say well, praying is easy. But I'm going to be focusing on the prayer, and the meaning of prayer. I want to focus on actually speaking to God.
Prayer:
–noun
1.a devout petition to God.
seriously, with all that I am. I am devoted to God and learning more about Him.

God has been teaching me so very much lately. Its crazy to see how He's so evident in my life. I can see how He's working in so many lives and He's constantly teaching me and my friends different things.
This past month He's really been teaching me to:

• Love people. Not just my friends youthgroup, but love everyone. I really struggle with this sometimes because, let's face it... its hard to love everyone. There are times though, when I just hear God telling me, "Emily, you NEED to show this person love."
  
• spend more time with Him. And really focus on what He wants for my life.
  
• accept what is given to us and be thankful. God gives and gives and gives. And for me to not be happy with what is given to me, its unacceptable!I'm so blessed. I have a job, great friends, loving family, a car. So many different blessings that I often take for granted.
  

- I'm currently fasting from Facebook with my close friend Taylor. We're fasting and focusing on God for one month. October 29th. so far, it is the best thing for my relationship with God. Its only been a few days and I can already tell what God wants me to work on. I'm spending so much more time with my family, (in between balancing school, church, and my job.) I often become so wrapped up in my other activities that I dont spend enough time with my family. So I'm so thankful that when I am home, I'm not wasting time on Facebook or on the compuer. God is so great. I'm also building a better relationship with my parents. We have so many opprotunities to not only spend time together, but to talk about God... something that has always lacked in our relationship. Its so cool being able to share what God is doing in eachother's lives. The other day my dad and I had a conversation about what God is doing in his life. It was so amazing to see what my dad is going through, and how its affecting our family and the business. I was so blessed by that conversation. Alongside building better relationships with my parents, my relationships with friends are also growing stronger. I'm able to really build a Christ centered life because my friends and I can all openly share what God is doing and how He is working in our lives. We can all help eachother by simply asking, "How much time have you spend with God today?" and it keeps us accoutable. (: I love it.



Tonight, my friend texted me, telling me to look up a few verses in Luke.
and so I did...


Luke 5:27-28--After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, ²⁸and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

would you drop everything to follow Jesus? I mean everything...? Would you get up, drop everything, risk everything, FEAR NOTHING, have complete faith in God, trust in Christ to follow Him?

just a thought. Its really crazy to think about how Levi got up, no questions asked and followed Jesus. He had it made, yet he still gave up everything: his job, possessions, etc. to follow Jesus. Its incredible. Would you get up, leave everything, and follow Him?



one last thought:

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.