Series

My Savior’s Prayers

There have been certain times during this trial when my prayers were reduced to nothing more than cries for help throughout the day. "Lord, have mercy on us." "Lord, we need your grace." "Lord, please help." On these days I sometimes felt guilty that my prayers lacked substance. Then I remembered the truth of Christ's prayers for me:

"It is a consoling thought that Christ is praying for us, even when we are negligent in our prayer life; that He is presenting to the Father those spiritual needs which were not present to our minds and which we often neglect to include in our prayers; and that He prays for our protection against the dangers of which we are not even conscious, and against the enemies which threaten us, though we do not notice it. He is praying that our faith may not cease, and that we may come out victoriously in the end."
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p.403.

"If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me."

Robert Murray M'Cheyne, Robert Murray M'Cheyne p.179.

(From a post by Justin Taylor)

What enormous comfort and courage poured into my soul when I remembered my Savior's prayers!

Great Trials, Great Saints

In these past few months, I have discovered a helpful exercise for the soul: studying the lives of great saints. These men and women often had great trials, and when I read about their trials it puts my own in proper perspective. Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes this point in the book Faith on Trial:

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man." 1 Co. 10:13

"Where the devil gets us is just here. He persuades us that nobody has ever had this trial before: no one has ever had a problem like mine, no one else has been dealt with like this. But Paul says, 'There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man,' and the moment you remember even that much, you feel better. All God's people know something about this: we are such strange creatures, and sin has had a strange effect upon us. We are always helped in our suffering by hearing that somebody else is suffering too!.... Some of the greatest saints that have ever adorned the life of the Church have experienced trials and troubles and tribulations which cause our little problems to pale into insignificance." Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Faith on Trial, pp. 56-57

So let me encourage you, sometime soon, to read a biography of a godly man or woman. Or, if you don't have time to read, listen to John Piper's biographical sermons online. For me, this spiritual exercise has caused my "little problems to pale into insignificance."

How to Bear Injuries

"They that love God as they ought, will have such a sense of his wonderful long-suffering toward them under the many injuries they have offered to him, that it will seem to them but a small thing to bear with the injuries that have been offered to them by their fellow-men."

~Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits, p.78.

FAM Club Testimony

With school starting and daily schedules getting more regular, fall is a great time to consider joining the FAM club. We got this encouraging email from a club member last week: 

Hello Girltalkers!

I've been a part of the FAM club since the beginning of the year. I've been praying for the salvation of my sister and spiritual growth--in particular an interest in baptism--in my brother. Well though I haven't been as faithful in fasting as I should be, I still prayed for them every week. I just wanted to let y'all know that I've seen spiritual growth in my brother and he will be getting baptized soon!!!

I'm praising the Lord! This has given me a renewed strength to pray for my sister!

God Bless!

For more information and FAM club testimonies, check out our club page.

A Blessed Calm

“By faith we will slip our cable for another day’s cruise, and sail forth with Jesus into a sea of tribulation. Winds and waves will not spare us, but they all obey Him; and, therefore, whatever squalls may occur without, faith shall feel a blessed calm within. He is ever in the centre of the weather-beaten company: let us rejoice in Him. His vessel has reached the haven, and so shall ours.” ~Charles Spurgeon

Solid Ground

After our little earthquake yesterday, a friend from Arizona texted me:

"As if your world needed anymore shaking! Are you OK?"

When I assured her that we were all fine, she replied...

"Good to be secure on the rock of Christ!...He is the only solid ground. Love you!"

Amen.

Friday Favorites: Josh Garrels

These past few months we've all greatly appreciated the profound and poetic music of Josh Garrels. Especially this new album:

For the girls,

Nicole

Thank You

We wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for the countless messages of support, encouragement, and prayers we have received these past few months. You will never know this side of heaven just how much you have blessed us by your kindness. We thank God for you. Today we are also thankful for the biblical perspective Tim Challies shared on his blog. In the days ahead we look forward to telling you about the many ways we are experiencing the steadfast love of the Lord in the midst of this trial. God is doing a gracious work in Sovereign Grace Ministries and we look forward to seeing His good plan unfold.

Your grateful friends,
Carolyn, Nicole, Kristin, and Janelle

How to Stay Awake During Prayer

--from the archives

Dawn’s kids aren’t in The 5 O’Clock Club anymore:

Thanks so much again for answering my mail about the 5 O’Clock Club. Things have been going better. Thanks so much for the phone under the pillow idea.  I have also worked on not stepping on the top step of our stairs and that helps a lot too. I have been able to get up and not wake the children this last week.

We’re so glad to hear God is helping your kids to sleep and you to wake up.
 
But, says Dawn, “I have one remaining problem--how to stay awake during prayer. (I have tried praying aloud—well, in a whisper--but somehow I still fall asleep.) But you have encouraged me to think creatively so I am sure I will find the answer.”
 
We've been there too, and here are a few things we’ve tried—
 
-       Pray while you exercise. Mom used to prop her prayer list up on the treadmill console and pray while she exercised.

-       Pray in the shower. From an idea Mom gave me, I printed my prayer list, put it in a sheet protector and taped it to the wall of my shower. I had some of my best prayer times there—although our water bill probably went up!
 
-       Pray on a walk. When Tori was a baby, I would sometimes walk around the block with her in the stroller. This idea doesn’t work with toddlers though.
 
-       Pray as you pace. This might not work with light sleepers in the house, but Janelle gets up and walks around if she feels sleepy during prayer.
 
-       Pray after you wake up. Sometimes it helps me to pray after an activity that really wakes me up—taking a shower, emptying the dishwasher, etc. My husband goes running before his quiet time.
 
-       Pray after coffee (or caffeinated beverage of choice). The 5 O’Clock club runs on coffee.
 
-       Pray before you pray. Ask God for grace to stay awake and pray!
 
Hope those simple ideas get you started. We’re confident God is eager to help all of us grow in prayer.

A Husband Joins the 5 O’Clock Club

I love this email from Holly:

I wanted to share with you how joining the 5 O'clock Club has benefited both me and my husband. I recently joined in order to provide myself some accountability in getting up earlier to have some quality time with the Lord. Both my husband and I read our Bibles and pray, but the birth of our son this past year and new jobs have led to our schedules being turned upside down. The Lord has not always had the priority or quality time that He has deserved. So, now I have consistently been getting up earlier these past few days to read and pray in the living room. After a day or two of doing this, my husband (unknown to me) got up right after me and started spending this time praying in our bedroom. He later mentioned to me, "You should email that girltalk blog and tell them that your getting up early to have devotions has encouraged me to get up early and pray." He teasingly added that he couldn't have his wife taking the spiritual leadership in the family! My husband most definitely is my spiritual leader, and he shepherds me very well. However, I am thankful that we both now have an organized, planned, deliberate, and personal time with the Lord each day!

As always, you (or your husband!) can join here.

Early Morning Memories

For almost thirty years now, my dear friend Nancy has inspired me by her passionate, faithful, practice of meeting with God each morning. So I wasn't surprised when, last week, her daughter Anna sent us this testimony to encourage moms with young kids.

I keep seeing these posts with emails of moms of young children who are hoping that their children see their example of rising early to seek the Lord in his word--I want to say, keep it up, your example really can be pressed onto the hearts of your children.

I cannot remember a time when I didn't get up every morning and find my mom reading her Bible, praying. Not only did I see the habit, but I also remember that she was always filled with joy when she was done. Some of my earliest memories was getting up before all my siblings (I was an early riser when I was really little...it's a little harder now!) and my mom making an extra cup of tea for me, and playing on the floor while she read her Bible. (I was a talker, so she also had to train me that Bible time was No Talking time)

One of the biggest ways that I was motivated to read my Bible was seeing this example--and my mom always encouraging me that it was a friendship, a delight, and not a task. Because of this, I had an interest to know Jesus through his word at a young age. I have journals of consistent reading and prayer from age 10 on. I cannot tell you, now as an (semi-)adult, how much of a blessing this has been. It has given me a history of love for God's word and a confidence in prayer. It has taught me the habit, and the value for God's word. So, if you are seeking to set this example, don't give up! You might not see fruit now, but Jesus has promised that we will reap (Gal 6:9).

Your example makes a difference--but if you feel like you have failed as an example, take heart. If you have fears for your children's souls, fears that they will not come to be satisfied in Jesus, let your heart take courage. Remember the promises of our Lord:

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25) and "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:3-6)

Moms: May the faithfulness of God strengthen you as you strive to faithfully seek Him. I pray that the little ones who watch you sit at Jesus' feet will one day seek Him too!

For Sleepy Sinners

You keep sending us so many inspiring 5 O'Clock Club testimonies, we just have to keep posting them. This one is from Kat:

As I write, I am wrapping up my morning meeting with the Lord. In ten minutes, the oldest of my 3 small children will come bounding into the office where I have been studying and praying. Like many others that have written to you, I enjoy the warm comforts of my bed and do not enjoy getting out of it! A few weeks ago I clicked onto your blog and as I began to read the stories of women rising early and carving out that time in their day, it made me cry. I struggle with finding time to study and pray--for years my husband has been gently encouraging me to wake up early to do this, but for some reason I couldn't do it until I saw the stories of other mothers that were doing it. Not only is it such a blessing throughout my day to have my eyes and heart fixed on Christ from the start, it is such a blessing for my five year old son to sneak up behind me each morning and see an open Bible on my lap; he usually pulls down his illustrated Bible and cuddles up with me for a few minutes. My prayer is that he would remember these times throughout his life and make it a tradition of his own! I am prone to inconsistency, so even as I write, I am praying that this will become a lifelong habit. Thank you for sharing your club and for encouraging a even a sleepy sinner like me study and pray when I would usually be in bed!

From the Mailbag

For all you new 5 O'Clock Club members, here's some encouragement from Marcia, a veteran early riser:

And of all the wisdom shared in Feminine Appeal, one of the single greatest practical influences it has had on me is this habit of rising early, and seeing the value and joy of doing so. Rhythms of life, with now three young children, keep changing, but this single element of my life holds like an anchor and is precious to me. It is not the habit itself that is inherently precious, but the communion with Christ that it has enabled for me and in me. Rising early is no guarantee that I will have sweet communion with Christ. But, practically speaking, rising early is the greatest guarantee that I will have time in the day for communion with Christ. And by His Grace, rising early has been a tool leading directly to that end, and thus of invaluable worth. Thank you for your continual encouragement. I smile to look over the long list of fellow women in the 5 O'Clock club. Kindred Spirits. All praise to Christ.

Visit our 5 O'Clock Club page to read other testimonies of grace or join the club.

Fighting Laziness + Pursuing Holiness

This morning we received an email from one new club member, Kristin. Here’s a snippet:

Today is the second day for me in the 5 AM Club. By God's grace, I have not hit the snooze yet, and that is a HUGE deal for me...seriously. I was so excited about this club that I sent out the idea to the women at our church. As of now, we have 17 college girls that are joining the club and waking up early to meet with Jesus. Praise God! It's so encouraging to know that there are women all over the place fighting against laziness and pursuing holiness. Thanks SO much for initiating this club!

“Fighting laziness and pursuing holiness” might seem to be getting harder as the week goes on. The snooze button never looked so inviting as it did this morning!
 
We’re not sleep experts, but in our experience, those of you who've just joined The 5 O'Clock Club are at the most difficult point right now. The initial adrenaline has worn off and your body is rebelling against the change. But our experience is that if you push through, it will get easier soon. Your body will adjust to the new routine. In the meantime, we recommend an extra long nap or an early bedtime!
 
But just because rising early (or fasting) is hard, doesn’t mean we can’t do it or that it isn’t worth it. J. Alec Motyer explains in his comments on Philippians. 1:9-11 Read it carefully. Then read it again:

“And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

“Our obedience, discipline and hard graft are not insignificant or optional. On the contrary, they are the God-intended context for growth. But something else energizes the growth till the fruit is ready for harvest: all is done through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (verse 11)….In this setting the daily task of obedience remains hard, but not fruitless. We are often neglectful, frequently failing, ever inadequate; yet the end is secure, for God is at work.”

Getting up early to sit at Jesus’ feet is hard, but not fruitless. We may fail, but the end is secure: God is at work. So let’s persevere in this “context for growth” to the glory and praise of His name!

--from the archives

Early Morning Grace

Here's a 5 O'Clock Club testimony from the archives. Read to the end if you (like me!) have trouble getting out of your warm bed each morning:

As a mom to 2 small children, I have been consistent at one thing for the past few years, and that is struggling to spend time with God.  It has been a constant source of frustration and guilt for me, as I have focused on my lack of a quiet time and not the goodness and grace of a loving God.  I have even attempted the 5 o'clock club before and failed miserably because of my motivations and dependence on myself. 

Well, this time has been very different for me.  I began rising early to spend time with God in January, so when I saw that your blog would be focusing on this for February, it was truly confirmation for me that God was drawing me into deeper communion with Him.  I cannot tell you how thankful I have been for the accountability and encouragement of your blog over the past few weeks.  I have more than enjoyed my times of rising early everyday and I am so thankful that God has given me His grace in this area.

My goal from the start was to get one load of laundry done and spend 45 minutes to an hour, reading, praying, etc.  Getting the laundry done has been HUGE for serving my family.  It is no longer a constant source of irritation...now it is a constant source of excitement.

I could go on and on about how meaningful my time with God has been (much more so than having the laundry done) but that would literally take several days.  I am so grateful for what He has been showing me and the desire He has given me to pray for my friends and family.  I am 31 years old, and can honestly say I have never experienced such a sweet time with my Savior! I am so, so, so, so grateful!

One more thing...I wanted to share something that has actually helped me get up in the mornings...it's rather amusing! One of the hardest things about getting up, to me, is how cold it is! Getting out of a warm bed into cold air is no fun! I found myself wrapping up in a blanket every morning, but that often got in the way of folding the laundry or reading.  Well, as sort of a gag gift, my husband bought me a Snuggie!  I know, I know...A SNUGGIE?! BUT...it has been fantastic...I love getting out of my warm bed into my warm snuggie...what a fabulous invention!!!  The only downside has been folding laundry filled with static while wrapped in a Snuggie...there have been a couple of times where I felt like I was being electrocuted...I guess that's good if you're having trouble waking up! 

I included a picture of me in my Snuggie.  I would have preferred pink, but my husband got blue...I think it is because secretly he wants to wear it, too!

Erin