Day 1 Blank Page Challenge - Seek & Find

I wrote in my last post that instead of creating my own plans and being disappointed when the outcomes are not how I expected, I’m going to turn to the One whose plans are better. I’m going to start with a blank page and look to Him to fill it in the days to come.

Keeping my mind stuck on God according to Isa. 26 - (You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you) is not easy. It’s not as simple as memorizing the scripture and it doesn’t come naturally. It takes practice and the assurance that He can do this for me.

Jer. 31:31-33 says that God has put His Word inside of us and that it is written on our hearts. This means when we trust in Him, He can remind us of the truth on the inside. I’ve experienced this and His peace when I listen to Him and surrender to His leading. I just need to do that more often!

Day 1 Blank Page Challenge - Summary

Monday I will start my day by praying that I will be able to set my mind on the Lord, seeking Him throughout the day, replacing my perspective with His perspective, replacing my to-dos with the things He’d like me to do.

Then I will watch for Him to answer this prayer. In other words, instead of ME being the one trying to muster up my own strength and will-power to stay focused on Him (and berating myself when I fail - because I will!), I will make note of all the times that He shows how He is present with me and working on my behalf to guide my mind toward Him.

If you are seeking to keep your mind steadily on Him too, I hope you’ll share when you find Him throughout your day and how He may have changed your perspective or helped you to deal with something unexpected.

I'll post my experience and Tuesday's challenge tomorrow evening.

Day 1 - Seek & Find

I’m going to start by praying for 15 minutes and I'll write down my prayer. Since I forget what I say to most people, I also often forget what I’ve said to God. It is helpful for me to look back and be reminded of what I prayed and how He answered.

For those of you doing this with me, if you have longer to spend with Him great, if you can’t find 15 minutes, that’s ok too. You can use whatever time you have but make it intentional.

Don’t try to talk to God while you’re doing something else. Steal away some time - even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom away from needy children (this is what I did last Tuesday for prayer time and I highly recommend it). You can also just sit in your car in a parking lot for a longer while before getting out (I know from experience you’ll get weird stares from the people who park next to you but that’s cool – it’s worth it).

The point is authentically seeking Him with your whole heart. I know that if I say a hurried distracted prayer, even if He answers it, I won’t remember what I asked or be able to anticipate His response.

I will pray that I will be able to set my mind on God throughout my entire day no matter what I’m doing. This probably looks different for everyone. For me, I will plan to think about Isaiah 26:3 and then acknowledge that God is with me, present in everything I’m doing and I will lean in to His leading.

I’ll pray a version of the prayer below and you can pray something similar if you'd like. It’s most important that the words you use to speak to God are from your own heart about how you hope He will show Himself and be found by you throughout your day.

Heavenly Father, I want to know you better. I want to seek you more. I want my heart to long for you, but Lord, you know it doesn’t most of the time. It is wayward and drifts with the stresses of the day. You’ve said that you have written your Word on my heart and within my mind. Your teachings tell me to keep my heart and mind focused on you at all times. I want to do this but I fail constantly. I can’t do it in my own strength or by my own tenacity. I get frustrated and give up. Life’s needs and distractions bombard me as soon as I wake up and even when I try to rest - my thoughts seem like they work against me. When I try to focus on you, I am distracted by all the things I need to do, things I’m worried about and should pray about or even just distracted by the good things that happen. I want to keep my focus on you because you’ve told me to live this way and because I need your peace, the kind only you can give. I need Your Spirit to do this work in me. I need You to renew my mind and show me how I can take my thoughts captive to make them obedient to your Word. Do this within me today, Lord. Work in me and show me how. Let me keep you in the forefront of my mind and let Your plan for the day take control over my own. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

After I pray, I’ll write out Isa. 26:3 on a slip of paper and carry it with me. This isn’t because I’ll likely look at it again but I’ve found that by doing something as a physical symbol, I am more able to steadily focus on a commitment I’ve made. You could do something similar or write down your favorite verse or here are some others you can choose from:

• Deut. 6: 6 - And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

• Col. 3:2 - Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

• Psalm 1:1-2 - Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.

• Rom. 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

• 1 Thess. 5:16 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

After I slip Isa. 26.3 into my pocket, I'm going to take a deep breath and make the decision to tune my mind to God and look for HIM to do the work changing my thoughts and directing them toward Him. I’m going to make the decision to trust Him even when I doubt and when challenges come. If I forget to seek Him, I will choose to trust that He will remind me.

I’ll post my experience tomorrow and Tuesday’s Day 2 Blank Page challenge. If you are doing Day 1 with me, let me know!