Tara’s Story from the Prayer Challenge
Oftentimes we equate holiness with perfection. And holiness is not perfection. Holiness is being set apart. Holiness is looking more and more like Jesus in our everyday lives.
So when we started the Prayer Challenge at church, I was super excited because I saw the first one was praying for God’s presence. That was just where I was in my life… I was desperate for it.
I know, as parents, sometimes we kind of get our kids level and we kind of hold their faces just so we know that we have their attention.
And I felt like the Lord did that with me. And He was like, “Tara, I hear your prayer. I hear your cry for more of my presence, and I want to answer that. But there’s this thing over here. You think you’ve got it, but I’m not Lord of that area of your life. So before I can answer the prayer that you are so desperately praying for my presence, I need to answer the prayer for my purity.”
There’s a verse in Leviticus that says, “Be holy because I am holy.” And I think oftentimes we equate holiness with perfection. And holiness is not perfection. Holiness is being set apart. Holiness is looking more and more like Jesus in our everyday lives. And he’s like, “Tara, I’m going to answer that first When I answer this prayer for my purity, then I can answer this in a way, and you’re going to feel my presence in a way that you never, ever have before.”
And I’m so grateful because He’s such a gracious and loving God… that just by re-ordering those two prayers in a way, I was tacking one on. But He’s like, “Let’s get this first because we get this first. I’m going to be able to answer this prayer in a bigger way than you could have ever imagined.”
Let’s get this first because we get this first. I’m going to be able to answer this prayer in a bigger way than you could have ever imagined.”