Prayer and Paralyzed
Since so many of you are prayer warriors, I wanted to ask a prayer request for this week.
I mentioned back in November that Matthew’s tour was canceled due to the economy and that most of the dates were pushed to the spring. This week is the week that most of those dates are supposed to be confirmed or let go. Financially, we REALLY need for at least a good chunk of these dates to happen.
Please pray that Matthew’s booking agent is successful in securing contracts in the days ahead. The tentative schedule looks promising, but we have few actual contracts yet. And, if you are planning an event for your church and are looking for a speaker, Matthew is FABULOUS. Please consider bringing him to your event.
I’m not going to sugar coat it. Like for a lot of Americans, the past few months have been really tough for us financially. We know we could be much worse off, but sometimes that doesn’t make you feel much better, does it?
Through it all, we have been determined to live by faith, knowing that God is in control. However, at times we have let fear get a hold of us. This is why I am really excited about Cross Point’s new series called Paralyzed – which is all about fear.
Paralyzed Promo from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.
How do you keep fear from consuming you?
I am hoping and fingers crossed for Matthew. I know loads of churches here in England who would love Matthew and his book. I finished reading churched just before christmas and now it is doing a rotation amongst some of my Christian friends – I am guessing the UK is a little too far?!
That video was brilliant and captivating. I fear most things a lot of the time but the best way I find is to just confront it. This is because I have always found that what we fear is not as bad as we make out to be half the time. Either that or I cry and cry until I feel better.
xxx.
I know just how you feel. Times have been really hard for us as well. The new baby expenses were already an adjustment…but when you add a recession to the mix it has made things really tough. I will keep ya’ll in my prayers.
@openyoureyes – England isn’t too far – especially if a tour was arranged so that Matthew was doing multiple dates. That would then offset the travel costs! 🙂
I completely understand. Its scary times right now. When I accidentaly got pregnant with our second (due in 2 months) I didn’t know whether to cry or be happy! High risk pregnancies (which I have) don’t really allow for you to work and are extremely expensive. I now remind myself constantly that God is in control and has a plan for us. Even if there are many bumps and huge road blocks, we’ll make it through, God will see us through.
I just posted this to Matthew’s blog: I am SO excited for this. I recently wrote a post about taking fear of the table: http://gitzengirl.blogspot.com/2008/12/off-table.html and I have to say it has absolutely changed my day-to-day life. I know there are a lot of things I can’t move forward and do, fear or not, but not having fear taunt you in the back of your mind is incredibly freeing.
I will absolutely keep this in my prayers for you, Jess…
I’ll say a prayer for you Jessica. This economy is ROUGH. My husband is a financial advisor AND small business owner, and as you may imagine between the market and the economy we’re getting hammered and it’s scary.
I try not to think about the things that scare me too much. Unless there’s something I can actively do about it, my best bet is to keep my faith and focus on what is good and hope that the scary works itself out. I’m a dweller, so more often than not this is easier said than done, but I try. Especially now with kids, I don’t want to let my fears and concerns consume me because I want my children to have a happy and worry free childhood, and I think it’s up to us to create that for them. Whatever happens in our lives though, Sweetie and I feel as though we’ll be fine as long as we get through it together.
The economy has been really hard on us (Hubby is self employed-Tree Removal Business)… Things were so bad we were down to $40 and 3 vehicles needed gas. I was crying all the time and so stressed… My eyes were twitching too from the stress. I was ready to go to a doctor and get depression medicine. I was sitting in church one Sunday and the Pastor preached on giving it to God..and I have totally done that. I am so NOT fearful. HE WILL PROVIDE.. It might not be that we get to keep the Internet or Cable but he will take care of us. And sure enough since then things have been falling into place. I was 3 months behind on our house. We were able to sell our boat. I sat at Christmas knowing all our utilities and house were all caught up. It was one of the best Christmas’s we have ever had. I too have applied for 50 jobs with no offers…But its okay.. He is going to send me the right one one day when he is ready for me to work 🙂 So basically we take it one day at a time and have learned that God WILL provide 🙂
I will be praying for your family!
Happy 3 King Day!
Hi Jessica and Matthew, I know that any fear should be confessed as sin and then you need to put ALL your trust in God. So praying for God’s Will for you is what I will do. If that is what God want’s you to do then he will make a way. God did tell us that “we have not because we ask not”. He loves us enough to give us the desires of our hearts if we are obeying HIM. So in Jesus name I pray, meet the NEEDS of the Turner family and may you open doors for Matthew for his teachings if this is YOUR WILL for him dear JESUS. May this ministry be used for YOUR GLORY, to bring the lost to you. Thankyou almighty God for loving us so much that you provide all things for them that serve you. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN
I will be praying.
For me, when it comes to fear…I have learned (& try to always remember) that God is not the author of fear.
If I find myself being fearful, I remind myself to cling to God's promises. He is a BIG God. He wants us to rely on Him. Many times we forget.
He knows all about us & our situations. If we are following Him & being obedient, He will not fail us.
I know He will provide for you & Matthew & Elias.
Love & Hugs.
Jackie
Fear is a tough one…I have to be honest, it sometimes has a stronghold on me. Like you, we are struggling financially. All of our best laid plans these past few years have been unsuccessful. This economy is taking a toll on us. I just have to remind myself, that God is bigger than us, than our economy, than all of it! That just as he feeds the birds, we will provide for us. Some days I smile in victory, other days I feel defeated. But still, like Paul, I press on. Prayers and blessings to you.
I’m going thru a yucky divorce and am now a single working mom. My job depends heavily on commissions. People aren’t buying right now. I was concerned… I don’t want to say scared… but definitely there was a moment where I realized that I was no longer self-sufficent… that every single month I was going to have to depend on God to carry me through. And then… I thought… hmmm… He’s got a pretty good track record! He’s never let me down! And he has, Jessica, the Lord has provided every step of the way. It’s been an amazing covenant relationship between God and I. I tell him of every need, down to being out of milk… I pray over my expenses and pray that God will make me a good steward of what I have. I’m much more conscious of what I spend because I depend on God. I mean… how embarassing to have to get on my knees and confess that I wasted money shopping when the light bill needed to be paid – “but God, wouldja mind?”
My soon to be ex husband was an executive. He made strong six figures. I worked part time. I never worried about anything financial but I was dying inside. My husband lost his job – fired by a Godly boss who discovered my husband was having an affair with one of their employees. My husband has been out of work for four months… I don’t even know how he’s keeping a roof over his head. God takes care of the righteous. I see it in my own life.
Praying!
*hugs*
heather
Sometimes I just have to decide that I am NOT going to worry. I want to worry, but I know that God is in control. Things may not go the way I want, but it will be OK in the end. I am choosing, this moment, not to worry. I will think of good things instead.
awesome, so true! I love it, you made it simple and it was a lot of fun!
Praying for you guys!
I’ll defintely keep your family in my prayers. It’s hard to trust God and know he has our best interests at heart, especially when we are nervous about something. As Christians we KNOW he is holding us every step, it’s just scary sometimes. I have faith things will work out for you, so I’ll say a prayer for the pressure on your chest to ease.
Shawna
Praying for you guys!
Jessica, one thing that I do that helps me a lot in conquering fear is to pull out scriptures that are relevant to what is happening. I pray those scriptures because those are God’s inspired Words!