The Power of Prayer

I have learned over the last couple of days the power that lies within our prayers. It has become more clear to me than ever that prayer is just as much for us as it is for God. When we bring our requests to God, it's not like we're dropping some bomb on Him that He didn't know about. The scriptures say in Matthew 6:8 that "your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." He knows what's going on and He even knows how it will all turn out in the end.


So why even bother with prayer in the first place? Well, let me tell you a little about the last couple of days in the life of the Crawford family. Without going into too much detail, we noticed something just wasn't right with Cohen as he was running about naked (as he often does) the other day and made an appointment. The Nurse Practitioner sent for the Doctor of the medical practice right away, and then he got on the phone with a Children's Hospital Pediatric Urologist right away. The Urologist cleared out his schedule for the morning so that we could come up. I knew this was more than just a little bump from a bike seat at that point. 


I used to consider myself the Queen of What If's ... Mrs. Worst Case Scenario. My mind started to race. On my LCC video segment for Easter, I stated that I was overcome by worry, but He overcame...well, I wasn't so sure that was the case. As I felt the all-to familiar waves of worry rising, I knew that this moment called for something different. I began to pray. I really just started to sink into the comforting arms of our Father and yes, I was a little nervous, but no tears were shed, no breakdowns were had. Every time a nagging thought would start to enter I would pray it out. The scriptures say that we should be "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:5) Silas started throwing up last night at midnight and I thought for a second that I would crumble- one kid scheduled to meet with a surgeon for an unknown issue that could potentially require surgery, one kid screaming, crying in pain, and throwing up. Recipe for Carrie Catastrophe.  But I closed myself in the bathroom, lifted my hands and said, simply, "God...we need You. Now." And He let us know that He was with us. 


See, I think we sometimes love the idea that "God is with us", but we disregard or are ignorant of the fact that we have to be with Him also. Prayer and a relationship with God require communication and a give and take partnership. So often in the past when a problem would rise, I would just withdraw and worry myself sick. I would believe in my heart that God was in control and knew what was going on, but I did not consult Him to deal with my feelings and reactions. It's when we not only believe that God is sovereign and powerful, but that we also draw from His sovereignty and power through prayer or His word, that we can begin to face and deal with a problem head on. That is when worry can be overcome. The difference for me in this situation was that God was with me, but I was also with Him continually. 


So, Cohen ended up having a hydrocele, sort of like a hernia. It will require surgery next week on Wednesday at Children's Hospital. He will be under general anesthesia. I am not going to lie...I am a little nervous about all that. But the fact that I'm not paralyzed with fear and playing out the worst case scenarios in my head right now is truly a miracle. I don't have that pit of fear in my stomach. Every time an anxious thought pops into my head, I send it packing with prayer. And it is a great feeling to know that others are praying as well. Prayer changes situations, but more importantly, prayer changes people. It has certainly changed me. 


Be blessed friends and thank you for your prayers. They have certainly been a great comfort to me. 


Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6


Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16


Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16

The Deeps: A Puritan Prayer

How sad am I that I had a little leather bound book full of Puritan Prayers and lost it? Very. But how happy am I that I found a website with some of my favorites from the book on it? VERY!

We plowed our new vegetable garden last night and then I stumbled across this very awesome prayer from long, long ago. It really resonated with me as I had just watched sunbaked, weed-riddled dirt be ripped apart by tiller tines to reveal fertile, rich soil underneath. May we all have the courage to ask God to do the same work in our lives. Enjoy the following Puritan Prayer entitled, "The Deeps".


The Deeps

Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as saviour, master, lord, and king. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until Thou alone art seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

Compelled to Pray

Friends,


I am so excited right now about what God is doing in my church, in my life, and in the lives of people all around me. I feel like more than anything else today, God is calling us to pray- to truly seek Him and let Him know that we're open and ready to answer His call. He wants to reveal things to us, but first He wants to make sure that we're ready to respond. He wants surrender and willingness to move in step with His Spirit in our lives.


 I am inviting you to spend whatever time you can today in focused prayer. Here are some prayer points to consider:

• Pray for an awakening in our churches- that people would authentically respond to God with their entire lives, but also by displaying outward expressions of worship when we meet corporately. That they would be able to release what is holding them back and embrace the freedom that only Jesus can give.  "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Cor. 3:17
• Pray for our church leaders- that God would really stir their hearts this week for the people He has entrusted to them and also that they would be driven to their knees in prayer for the lost people of their communities. Ask God to empower them to fulfill His kingdom work in our communities- that they would truly understand and use their gifts, talents, and abilities to lead us toward Him confidently ."As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:10-11
• Pray about your own heart. What kind of shape is it in today? Are you feeling whole? Are you feeling broken? What sins or offenses are interfering with your relationship with God? Repent and ask God to fill you with His love. He wants you to be free from your past and open to what He is doing in the present and in the future. Distractions abound, but so does His grace and His ability to free you.  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,"  Luke 4:18
• Pray for an outpouring of God's power on our entire world. It's a huge request, but we have a huge God! Pray that our generation would truly rise up and be concerned about justice and mercy in our world. So much of who we are and what we do is about our own needs, our own concerns, our own families. There is an entire world that is hurting and in need of God's love and mercy. We are the ones who carry His name, love, and mercy to the waiting world. Ask Him to equip you and to begin to show you ways that you can participate in the global calling of the church. I know for me, God has really been speaking to my heart about the millions of orphans around the world. Whether He wants me to support this cause financially, with prayer, or by actually adopting, I do not know, but I'm open and asking Him to show me what He wants. I invite you to do the same. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” Zechariah 7:9-10

The neediness of our own hearts and in the world around us is almost overwhelming to consider, but we have to remember that the God we serve is so great, so mighty, and so in charge, that nothing is too big or too impossible for Him. What He wants is willing people to do His work and though He does not need our prayers to do what He needs to do, I think He wants them- He wants to know that we're in step with His ways and work before He entrusts such important work to us. We've got to feel what He feels, love what He loves, and do what He does if we are going to make a difference. Let's seek Him today and see what He will reveal.

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Psalm 25:4-10

The 4 Minute Post

Ok, so I am making a new rule starting tonight that I have to be in bed at 10:45 or earlier. Jarrod and I have been staying up until midnight and beyond the last several nights and the fun just has to stop. I'm exhausted! These kids of mine will stop for no one, least of all their sleepy mother. So, I have to be brief. But what I have to say is gigantic. 


It's directly from the Word. Isaiah says it so well. In fact, he says it so well that I feel like I don't need to say much at all about it- just read it, drink it in, breathe in this inspired word and follow through with a repentant heart if, after reading this Word, you search your heart and find any idols on the throne that is rightfully God's. God will not share the throne of Your heart- He will not be second best or take second place. He wants your heart- all of it- broken and filthy as it is, and wants to make it new and beautiful in His own time and in His own way. 


What else can you do but rejoice with a song after hearing such good news? That's what is commanded in the second part of the passage below- sing to Him a new song. Even if you think you can't sing, craft some words from deep in your heart- pour out your own words of praise to God. 



“I am the LORD; that is My name!
   I will not yield My glory to another
   or My praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
   and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
   I announce them to you.”

Song of Praise to the LORD

Sing to the LORD a new song,
   His praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
   you islands, and all who live in them.
Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices;
   let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
   let them shout from the mountaintops.
Let them give glory to the LORD
   and proclaim His praise in the islands.
The LORD will march out like a champion,
   like a warrior He will stir up his zeal;
with a shout He will raise the battle cry
   and will triumph over His enemies.


Isaiah 42:8-13

My Worship Journey

I thought it might be fun to share with all of you my own testimony and journey as a worshiper and worship leader thus far. 

I accepted Jesus as my Savior at a very early age- I remember sitting in my bedroom in the window probably at about age 8, looking outside and just saying to God that I loved Him and wanted Him to be my life. I was baptized as a teenager. I had always been very involved in the church, particularly musically. You might say the first time I led worship was at about age 3 at TICO, a detention facility in Columbus for young male offenders. I sang "Jesus Loves Me" without any hesitation. I can still remember hearing one of the inmates shout "Sing it, Mama!" I've always had a love for music and a drive to share it with others. 

As I grew up in the church hearing about worship, and as I traveled around with my parents who always had Christian rock bands of their own, I assumed  worship meant "when we sing to God". The idea of worship as a lifestyle was introduced to me in my early college years, when as  freshman, my brother bought a Passion CD for our family for Christmas. I started listening to these songs and they were talking about this unhindered devotion to God- these were deep lyrics that broke into my heart. As I explored the Passion movement more and got into the teachings of the movement, I realized that music was certainly a powerful tool that I could use to express to God what I might not otherwise say, but I also knew that God wanted more than my music- He wanted my life.  That was when I knew I wanted to lead people to God through music. 

Over the next couple years, my then-boyfriend Jarrod ( now husband of 10 years) and I explored music in the church more and more and worked in all kinds of ways to sing a new song to God- introducing new sounds and new songs. We learned to play guitar and keyboard starting in 2002. We had been to a Worship Together conference one day and there was this guy there named David Crowder. Very few people had heard of him at that point. He had just released his CD "Can You Hear Us" and we were giant fans. We talked to him after he played an acoustic set for about 25 people at this conference (and to think that the guy packs out enormous venues every single night now!)  and I remember it so well- Jarrod told him he was thinking about learning guitar and David told him to go buy one and go for it. So that's what he did. David also talked to me about women worship leaders and how women are scarcely represented in worship by strong woman singer/songwriters and encouraged me to step out and let God use me. That conversation was the catalyst that we needed to get started.  We felt strongly called and said to God- if you want us to do this, help us learn and grow.

In the evenings during the first few years we were married, Jarrod and I would learn worship songs together. We would sing and play together for hours. And in those hours and in those early years, God really shaped us into a strong team. Something powerful happens when a married couple worships together. We were full of dreams. We invented worship services within our church, we created our own ministry for young adults that was focused on worship. We saw a lot of lives change and saw our faith grow. Over time we began to see that the music, though important, was just a vehicle to take us before God's throne. We certainly had our ups and downs in our ministry and learned from many mistakes! But God has always guided us and has never let us down. 

In 2005, we had an awesome ministry going on in Logan, but had to stop when we lost our downtown location due to the owners of the building transforming our meeting space into a bar. We were so uncertain of what to do next. We were without a solid church home, we felt a little lost. My brother and his wife began going to a service at LCC called Everyday and invited us to come. We brought along with us our little disbanded leadership team from our ministry that had ceased to exist. I can remember the first night we were there- it felt like home. This was a group of people who were successfully doing what we had been trying to do. And they were so kind and so welcoming. I felt a choking sob welling up in my throat during the worship that night. Most impressive to me was the next time we attended, we met beforehand with the leaders of Everyday, including Matt Johnson and Joe Barber, who had heard of our situation and asked us, "what can we do to resource you guys?"The answer soon presented itself when in a turn of events, Everyday found itself in need of a worship band. Without a moment's hesitation, we asked Matt if he wanted us to play and he gave us the go ahead. We joke now- he had no idea what we played like- we could have been terrible! Thankfully, our skill level and calling matched where Everyday was headed and we fit right in. We've been investing our time and talents at LCC ever since and have grown more in the past 5 years than ever before- I can honestly say we've grown more in the past few months than ever before! God is stirring us as leaders and showing us His powerful plans and we are delighted to be walking in them. 

It was after we started attending at LCC that God really started showing us that music was a way to worship, but not the only way. We now know that we can express worship to God through song, but more importantly than that, He wants our hearts aligned with His and our lives to be lived for His glory. There is truly a battle for our worship. We all worship something and that "something" might change half a dozen times in the course of our lives, but hopefully, we can all see that God is the only one worthy of our worship and our lives. Everything else competing for our affection is just a distraction. As worship leaders, Jarrod and I delight in singing songs to God and leading others in doing the same, but we're really purposed lately to teach people at LCC that what happens on Sunday is just an extension of a life that's been lived for God the rest of the week- it's like the culminating, weekly celebration of the worship we've been lavishing on our Savior all week long. And we take great joy in that celebration and seeing people more and more free to worship, but we count it our greatest joy to watch people living out the words of the songs throughout the week and not just putting on a show on Sunday. Worship as a whole-life response to the revelation of what God has done is what we're after. God doesn't want our songs- He wants our lives. We've made that our life's work to point people in that direction. The future is bright and the glory of the One we're living for shines even brighter!

I'd love to hear from you- how have you grown in worship? What has your journey been like so far? 

Every Good and Perfect Gift

Have you ever had one of those moments where all of a sudden you realize just how blessed you really are? I just had one. I was sitting here working on some LCC worship stuff on the computer while Jarrod and Cohen were lying on our bed watching a documentary on youtube about worms (I know...strange). 


It must have been really boring for both of them because I soon heard the familiar strains of Jarrod's snores and noticed Cohen fighting to keep his eyes open. I sat here and watched them sleep and thought they looked pretty cozy. I crept over to the bed and snuggled in between them and just laid there watching them sleep. I marveled over Cohen's sweet little face with the perfect nose and mouth...ridiculously long, dark eyelashes, and that bleachy-blonde, floppy surfer hair hanging down over his eyes. I listened to them breathing- one of them MUCH more loudly than the other :) - and God began to remind me of how blessed I am. 

• I've got two healthy, active children who are growing in the knowledge of the Lord

• I am married to my best friend- a man of God whose calm and peaceful demeanor balances me out perfectly. I totally love this guy. He is the absolute perfect person for me. And we belong to each other! What a gift! 

• My family is fantastic. They are fun, giving, lovely people to share life with. 

• I've got the most beautiful place to live here in the forest. Sure, there is a lot of work to be done still on the house we've been building for years and years, but it's all coming together. We're very dry and warm and comfortable and my propensity for patience and contentment as we've gone through the house-building process has increased dramatically. 

• God has opened so many doors to allow me to live out my dreams and goals as Worship Director at LCC. I can't tell you how much joy this has brought to me over the past few months. Seeking Him, knowing Him more- leading His people to His throne in praise...it's what I live for! 

Is my life perfect? Not by a long shot. Do I have the typical frustrations- from my house being messy, to my children challenging my authority, to distress over the economy, to health concerns? Absolutely.


My life is far from perfect, but I am thankful I serve a God who is. And I know in my heart today that He is working all things together for my good and for the good of my family. How rich would our lives be if we could all embrace these truths, myself included! How easy it is to get distracted and discouraged by all the things that aren't going the way we'd like them to. I believe this is the enemy's favorite tool- to get us focused on the few negative aspects of our lives just to the point that we forget to be thankful for all the positives. 


I encourage you today to just pause and find a moment to consider all the blessings around you. Mine are almost too many to count! True worship flows from a heart that recognizes it's blessings, and most importantly, the divine Source of those blessings- our almighty God, giver of every perfect gift!




Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth,that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.


James 1:16-18

ABC Prayers

Sometimes our prayer life gets into a rut. I remember about a year ago, we talked in our small group about how prayer should be more of an ongoing dialogue with God rather than these little hit and miss desperate cries for help finding the car keys. So I remember one day on a walk with my kids, I was thinking about this and trying to formulate a plan of action. My mind instantly slipped into teacher mode- I taught Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies for 6 years prior to staying at home to raise my kids, so cut me a little slack on the "nerd factor" here. I came up with a plan and I'd like to pass it along to you. It has "teacher" written all over it, but it has been useful to me and could be useful for you and your family too. 


It may seem a little dorky. But you have to try it before you judge. If you have kids, this would be an awesome family activity. On my walk that day, I started with the very basic premise of the alphabet and praying through each letter. For example, I would make my topic for a day "The attributes of God" and I would start with the letter A. A-awesome. B- bigger than my fears. C- creator of all things. You get the idea. Another day, I might wind my way through the alphabet with prayer requests- A- advance my ability to lead. B- bring relief to someone I know who is sick. C- comfort a person who is mourning a loss. D- deepen my devotion to study and prayer. This works really well with kids. An extension of this could be to have a prayer basket on the dinner table filled with letters of the alphabet on cards- you could draw one out each night and discuss words that begin with that letter that describe how we feel about God, who He is to us, or things we are thankful for. I am planning on doing this with my sons this week. 


Another practical use of this for adults would be to get a prayer journal and on the first page, write the letter A- think of a word that praises God that begins with that letter- for example "adore". Then write out a prayer, a poem, or a song expressing your adoration to Him. Then take some time to look verses up in your Bible and write them down to meditate on that have to do with adoring God.


It sounds really elementary, and it is. But sometimes getting back to basics can allow for a lot of growth. You can't get much more basic than your ABC's! God loves to hear from His children- I think any method we can use to start and carry on a conversation with Him is a good thing. Once the basics are mastered, and the routine of a daily dialogue is established, the topics will get deeper and the relationship will flourish. There is power in prayer and I pray that all of you will make the effort in some way to embrace the power today. 



Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.


1 Thessalonians 5:16-18