Stress: Day 1 - Exhale

I always had this ideal image of what a true, hardcore, Christian prayer warrior looked like. - a black suit and tie (wearing his best for God, ya know), a massive ten-pound Bible nearby for reference, and either pacing back and forth shouting loudly to the sky, or kneeling by the bed with hands clasped tightly together in complete silence.

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit; but the point is that I've never looked in the mirror and seen a mighty intercessor looking back at me. Prayer has always been my weak spot. I love reading the Bible and Christian commentaries on the Bible. I love reading about the history of Bible times and the meanings and symbols of Scripture. I enjoy reflecting on holy words and their applications. I feel like I'm good at that sort of stuff. I enjoy praying too, but... I often forget to do it. Or when I do, it doesn't feel like it's good enough, long enough, strong enough, etc. etc. etc. 

This is the final week for Seven. Due to pre-planned vacations, bike rides, and other assorted life events, Dawn and I kind of flubbed through chapters 6 and 7 together ("Waste" and "Spending" - good topics!). However, we agreed that chapter seven on "Stress" was of the utmost importance to us both, especially the week before school goes back into full swing.
It would take a really long time to explain the whole chapter in detail (seriously, just go read the amazing book yourself!), but I will try to sum it up for you.
Hatmaker points out all the important facets of rest that are illustrated in the Bible. Suffice to say that if God, who never sleeps, rested on the seventh day of creation, then we need to rest too. But it isn't just about the Sabbath. Hatmaker references the importance of prayer throughout each day to focus us, ground us, and redirect us to the Prince of Peace. In so doing, we keep stress at bay, refusing it a foothold in our day. She based her seventh month on a work called Seven Sacred Pauses by Marine Wiederkehr. I haven't read that one, so I'm just going to take Hatmaker's word for it and follow her example. The title basically explains itself. The day is to be broken into seven prayerful pauses, each with its own specific purpose:

The Night Watch (midnight)
The Awakening Hour (dawn)
The Blessing Hour (midmorning)
The Hour of Illumination (noon)
The Wisdom Hour (midafternoon)
The Twilight Hour (early evening)
The Great Silence (bedtime)

I began the week today with The Great Silence, around 9:00 pm. It was just me, God, the great outdoors, and Psalm 23. And it was beautiful. Peaceful. Restorative. And so quiet. I didn't pray long - maybe ten minutes - but as I finished by reading the 23rd Psalm out loud, I saw things in a new light. THIS was the image of a prayer warrior - flip-flops,  jeans, and a tshirt surrounded by lightning bugs and mosquitos, humbly approaching His throne via the front porch steps, a crumpled Bible,  and a hunger for more.

I'm looking forward to this week of prayer and a heavenly focus because I so desperately need to get my focus off myself.

Now I just have to see if I can make it to midnight...

-Heather