Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done...

I'm sorry, but I have to share this. I have to let it all out.

God has been doing some incredible things in my life. I am completely and utterly overjoyed by His Spirit and His goodness.

Let me start with Lent. I have never done Lent before, until this year. As much as I hate cliches, I ended up giving up Facebook... like everyone else. I realized I really needed to deactivate my account when I sat there with my finger over the mouse for five minutes, not wanting to do it. Talk about "You know you're addicted when..."

So I did it. I gave up coffee and soda as well. Not entirely sure why as I wouldn't classify myself as a coffee or soda addict; however, I felt led to do it.

I've heard it said one-too-many times that when you give something up (therefore creating a lacking in your life) you need to take up something else to take its place. So, I have been doing my best to spend more time in the Word and prayer. In all honesty, it's gone all right. It gets difficult to have that quiet time every day with everything that's going on. If you're not a college student you should try it some time. It's crazy.

As I've been seeking God in this lenten season, He has been incredibly faithful. My prayers as of late have been one of two things: "Lord, help me to discern Your voice, however You may be speaking to me. Whether through circumstances, other people, Your Word, or whatever--let me discern your voice..." or "God, open up my eyes to Your Kingdom. Show me where You're at work in my life and in the lives of those around me. Give me the strength to go where You're working and join in alongside of You in Your work."

He has been incredibly faithful to answer both of these prayers. Not only has he led me to a youth ministry that has been challenging and shaping my theology and ecclesiology (i.e. the church and its practices), but my faith has grown immensely. I'm beginning to see the Kingdom all around me again, which is something I've missed. I definitely let go of that last semester. Fortunately, God is bigger than our circumstances and can redeem anything.

My mom's been in the hospital for the last few days due to tonsillitis and some bad side effects from various medications she has been taking. She is supposed to fly down to SoCal this Friday with my little brother to visit my school for the first time. A few people have said to me, "Sorry your mom's not coming," or "It's official, Mom's not gonna be able to come," and that hasn't settled very well within me.

After all, who is our God? I believe that our God is a God of miracles. I believe that our God is a God of the impossible. And I believe, by faith... that my mom will be here on Friday. I've notified many people about the situation and there are a billion and a half people praying for her. The power of prayer... it's incomprehensible. If only we understood its true power, or more so the power of our God. Seriously, think about it. As Francis Chan once said, "Do you know who you're praying to?" Let that sit for a few days.

I'm beyond excited for what's to come: to see my mom healed, to see lives changed, to see God make His will known--words could never express my excitement.

As a challenge to you, in your prayer times, begin to ask God to open up your eyes to the Kingdom. Ask Him to make His will known in your life. Ask for the ability to discern His voice. As you seek Him, He is utterly and completely faithful. And even when you're not, He still is.

Go ahead, give it a shot. I guarantee you--you won't be disappointed.