I received my copy of the book Fervent by Priscilla Shirer from my dear aunt who I am forever grateful for having in my life. She’s truly a blessing and wise beyond her years so I trusted this copy would do me good since it was coming from her. After reading it on and off for a month I finally finished it and wanted to share five things that stood out to me as a follower of Christ and mother of two.
I just want to start out by saying that Pricilla begins each chapter with a quote from an “enemy” and in chapter two it says, “If I were your enemy, I’d disguise and manipulate your perspectives so that you’d focus on the wrong culprit- your husband, your friend, your hurt, your finances, anything or anyone except me. Because when you zero in on the most convenient, obvious places to strike back against your problems, you get the impression you’re fighting for something. Even though all you’re really doing is just…fighting. For nothing.” Oooooh and that just hits what I’ve been feeling for a while before I started to focus my gaze on Christ. There is more to the people that bring you pain and suffering. For my believers it’s the enemy who whispers in their ears and for the rest of my friends its the greed, hate, envy and the need to lash out and get revenge. Having a different perspective on what moves others helps you to pray for them more fervently. As I learn that in my daily life I understand too that God can and will fight for my battles when I cannot see what’s happening behind the veil.
In chapter four she talks about family and states that all marriages and families are a huge deal. “They’re all that big of a deal because each one is a billboard for the eternal, unchangeable love story between God and humankind. Each of their successes or failures is of great importance, both in God’s eyes and, therefore, in our enemy’s eyes. So he targets them. All of them. He targets our role as wives, targets our husbands, and targets our children. He brings dissension, infuses tension, unravels our sense of peace with disunity. Because ultimately he wants to destroy our families- all of our families- so that the billboard message they’re designed to project to the world is a picture that is, at best, laughable.” After being married for 5 years my mother and father divorced and the enemy ( also alcoholism and abuse) had gotten the best of the situation leaving me to find my own picture of a complete family in the wild. My mother was a believer but my father not so much, and to outsiders it seems to tell the story that not even God can help under such circumstances. I came out stronger in the end relying on my Heavenly Father more. Though life is not as simple there’s more hope and peace in me knowing that my future, whether here on earth or in heaven, will be better than my past and present. The enemy won in my last generation but His light starts with me.
Chapter five’s topic is on your pasts and she states, “But prayer- fervent, strategic prayer- can change things. Even unchangeable things. Even things as unchangeable as real-life scenes from your past- what you did, what you didn’t do, why you did it, why you didn’t. No. prayer doesn’t wipe them all away, doesn’t pretend it never happened. And, no, it doesn’t remove every natural, logical consequence from playing itself out. But just as God says to the ocean waves, “Thus far you come, but no farther” (Job 38:11), He has given us prayer to raise us up above the sea level of Satan’s assaults from the past. I have a past as we all do and I’ve done things that I’m not proud of. I cringe trying to understand the “logic” in my head at the time but there’s no use in reminiscing when Jesus had died for my sins and created in me a new spirit. The compassion and forgiveness that I receive on a daily basis is overwhelmingly beautiful and emotional. I have tears in my eyes while I write this as the enemy often times makes me feel unworthy. But it’s all a tactic to stray from the truth and reading this passage gives me hope and determination to keep fighting the good fight.
Chapter eight is on pressure! “First, consider this. Ever notice how many pressures in your life resemble slavery? Like you’re just being bossed around, day in and day out? Do this, go there, now come back over here, do it again. Slaves don’t rest. Slaves just work. They don’t control their agenda for the day; the day controls them. That’s the regular dynamic they’ve come to expect; its what other’s expect themselves. The enemy’s intention is always to enslave you. Primarly, or course, his stock-in-trade is keeping you bound up and bogged down by all the sins Christ has already died to set you free from. But when that doesn’t work when you defeat him on the normal temptation front, he’s not out of other ideas…because he’s actually not biased toward limiting his temptations to bad things. He can enslave you to good things too. Your job, ministry, even your recreational hobbies- nothing is so healthy and life giving that he can’t turn it into a curl taskmaster, one that bosses you around and runs our life.” And it’s true, the list of priorities goes from God, spouse, kids, family, friends and so forth. As a mom all I see when I wake up is the responsibilities I need to complete by the end of that day and when I do that week after week, month after month I run ragged. I burn out, pass out because there was no balance to begin with. My sanity goes out the window, my kids are crying, relationships forgotten because I let the enemy in. This one I related to the most.
Last but not least chapter nine was on pain. “Nobody needs to tell you how bad you’re hurting from the injustices on your life. Even people who have suffered similar abuses or offenses as yours could never completely understand how your rejections feel. Yours are personal and private and seemingly impossible to forgive. But forgive anyway. Not because it’s easy but because your enemy gets exactly what he wants from you otherwise. Forgive anyway. Not lightly and quickly but ferociously and fervently. Not only for the other person but mostly for you – so you can be free and full and whole and complete.” I feel like this one would speak to all, believers and not, that true forgiveness is a way of setting yourself free. It is difficult at times but not impossible and once you do it, you’ll finally be able to breath.
What a book for those who are struggling to pray fervently or just starting out their journey to becoming a follower in Christ and want to know how to reach out to God. Pricilla also talks about her experience when God doesn’t answer prayers right away but I’ll just let you read that on your own as it is a fantastic lesson!
I linked below where you can find the book. Bless you friend as you are so loved!
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