Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

Pray Daily

5 Daily Habits to Integrate Faith and Work
Day 1 – Pray
Jesus is active right now in the life of every person you know, meet, see, and interact with. Throughout this reading plan and every day thereafter, we want to challenge one another to make ourselves available to God daily. We’re available for him to use us to do whatever he suggests in the life of every person we meet.
Our first step is to pray. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, there is an outline for how to pray. We are to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything.
In our journey as workplace ministers or missionaries, there are three prayers that seem to be particularly relevant in our daily interactions with others.
Here I Am
The first is to tell God you’re ready for him to put you to work. There is biblical precedence for divine availability. Six people in Scripture responded to God with “Here I am” or “Here am I”:
Abraham in Genesis 22:1 and 11
Jacob in Genesis 31:11 and 46:2
Moses in Exodus 3:4
Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:4–11
Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8
Ananias in Acts 9:10
Jesus wants you to make yourself available, too. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus extends the call to everyone. At the end of the letter to the church at Laodicea, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
“Here I am,” tells God we’re ready and on duty. It also reminds us that we’re on duty for whatever he wants us to do.
Thank You
Gratitude to God in everything influences how we respond to surprise, disappointment, or inconvenience. Gratefulness gives God the chance to insert himself into our response before we allow our flesh to have a say. How we react to difficulties will change if we begin each day thankful for whatever happens. We can choose to be grateful in our circumstances, no matter how challenging. Ask God to show you how to be grateful for everything that happens.
God's Favor
When you or I speak a blessing to someone, things may or may not happen. But when God speaks, universes appear. Ask God to bless (grant his favor to) everyone you meet. Whether a family member, customer, vendor, boss, subordinate, server, anyone who comes to mind, or anyone on your calendar, ask God to use you to bless them.
 

The Waiting Game

The Waiting Game
One of the most adorable challenges that went viral on TikTok was the Fruit Snack Challenge, also known as the Patience Challenge or Candy Challenge. Basically, this game encourages parents to test their child’s self-restraint.
It’s simple; parents put a bowl of snacks or delicious treats in front of their kids and tell them they can eat it once they get back to the room. The parent leaves and the game begins. What makes this most amusing is the undetected camera recording the kid’s every move. I must say this made for fantastic TV. Some children epically failed and forfeited the rest of their snack while others passed their patience test with ease enjoying their savory reward in exchange.
My absolute favorite of this challenge was a baby girl named Niko. While undergoing the delayed gratification challenge, there was a moment when her countenance fell as if her time to indulge in her favorite snack would never come. The best part came at the end of the video when she randomly looked over her shoulder and a spark of enthusiasm prompted her to start jumping in her seat. We, the viewers, didn’t know why her patient stance turned into pure joy, but we later learned that Niko heard her father before she saw him and knew it was time to feast on the promise.
It is clear from this story that patience is indeed a virtue, but what was most satisfying was Niko’s reaction when she realized her father didn’t forget about her. Yes, the wait seemed long, especially for a young child—five minutes feels like five months to them. Nevertheless, when it was all said and done and she heard her father approaching, her expectations grew. It was worth the wait!
Winning the waiting game of life takes patience as well. But while you are waiting, know, without a shadow of a doubt, that your heavenly Father has not abandoned you. You are not forgotten. Just listen for the sound of your Father and soon you will look over your shoulder and shout with glee in anticipation. Not to mention, you might even get to relish some yummy fruit snacks for passing the test.
In your wait . . . release the weight of impatience. God has not forgotten you. Trust His timing and wait with expectation.
Prayer
Abba Father, forgive me for the times I have been impatient, for You are not slow in keeping your promises. Help me not to jump ahead of Your plans out of frustration. Increase my ability to tolerate the wait with the understanding that You are orchestrating the perfect plan for my life. I am not forgotten. I am not forsaken. I will patiently wait (in expectation) for Your goodness. Amen.

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek
From The Game Of Life by Dacia James Lewis
“. . . Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred. Ready or not, here I come.”
That was the indicator for every player to expedite their plan and be securely tucked away in the best hiding place so that they are not found by “it” (the seeker). You know the game. Hide and Seek! The human scavenger hunt that every adolescent loved to play.
Does it ever appear to you that God is playing a game of Hide and Seek? When you are faced with insurmountable disappointments and begging God for clarity, does it feel like He has found the best hiding place ever? I don’t know about you, but there have been times during my waiting season when God’s presence appeared to be nowhere in sight. It felt like He was playing a Divine game of Hide and Seek if you will, and the more angst I was about a situation, the harder it was to find Him.
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. – Proverbs 25:2 ESV
With minimum words of confirmation, we can easily misconstrue God’s silence for absence. The truth is, God longs to be sought out and it is in our wholehearted pursuit that God reveals Himself. Sometimes it’s as easy to find God as seeing a hider’s feet sticking out from behind the curtain. Other times it takes a while to find God, not because He doesn’t want to be found, but He wants us to dig deeper.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. – Jeremiah 29:13 ESV
Essentially, every hider in the game wants to be found. It is the very essence of the game. God wants to be found; and just like a snicker or giggle in the game of Hide and Seek that exposes a hider’s whereabouts to the seeker, God always makes Himself known. When you don’t hear Him, when you don’t see Him, when you can’t feel Him, perhaps it is time to jump in a game of Hide and Seek with the Master, watching and waiting for Him to reveal Himself to you.
But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. – Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV
In your wait . . . release the weight of uncertainty. Seek God with all your heart. He will make Himself known.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7 ESV
Prayer
Father God, when I can’t find You, remind me of Your steadfast and immovable spirit. When I am faced with the uncertainty of Your presence, show me that You are near. Your Word says that when I draw near to You, You will draw near to me. Therefore, I commit to seeking You with my whole heart. I will consistently ask You for Your guidance. I will diligently seek Your ways. I will persistently knock on Your door until You answer with Your plans or Your presence. God, I make You my quest and I will pursue You today, and every day of my life. Amen.

Tug of War

Tug of War
From The Game Of Life by Dacia James Lewis
Most people assume that Tug of War is a sport that only requires power and endurance, but in actuality, it is a technical sport requiring mechanics and strategy to be effective. This is executed with the help of what is known as a driver. Though not actually in the game, the driver directs their team on the exact moments to “pull” and exact moments to “hang” to prevail in victory.
When the driver notices that the opposition is attempting to pull, they call it a “hang.” The command “hang,” also synonymous with the command “rest,” may insinuate an order to chill out, disengage, or release the stance, but it is quite the contrary. The driver calling for a “hang” instructs the team members to stand in place, drop their center of gravity, and hang tight using their weight as an anchor. Feet are planted into the ground and there is limited movement. This tactic is used to wear down the opposing team in their pull efforts by providing resistance. It is the idea of a relentless refusal to be moved by the fight in front of you. The combined weight and resilient effort in a “hang” state provide stabilization that makes it hard for the opponent to get the upper hand. The hang is the equivalent of being rooted, unshaken, or immovable despite the onset of attacks coming at you.
Contrarily, the driver can call for a “pull” in the game of Tug of War which prompts the team members to dig in their heels and collectively power walk backward without surrender. This is executed by a coordinated, all-out effort to dominate the opposing forces.
When life hits hard, God calls for us to tighten our grip and pull with all of our might, resisting the urge to let go of our rope—hope. The good news is that we are not pulling alone. The Lord has sent us a host of angels to help tow the load and fight with us.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. – Psalm 32:8 ESV
While waiting, there will be times when we must remain steadfast in our situation (hang) and times when we must pursue our destiny with full force while hauling the weight our adversary loads on us (pull). In either case, we can’t do it alone, so our best option is to cling tightly to the directions of our Driver—God. He has the big picture in His view and will give us the command to secure the victory.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. – Isaiah 30:21 ESV
In your wait . . . release the weight of control. Allow God to direct you on when to strengthen your spirit in pursuit and when to rest in His promises.
Prayer
Father God, You are my Helper. Order my steps and make clear the direction in which I should go. Teach me to know when to fortify myself for the battle and when to rest in Your sovereignty. Amen.

The Trust Fall

Trust Fall
From The Game Of Life by Dacia James Lewis
Trust Fall is a game that many businesses, sports teams, and church organizations use to build trust amongst their members and teammates. One person crosses their arms over their chest, closes their eyes, and blindly falls back with the hope that the person behind them catches them before they hit the ground. Whew! Just thinking about that gives me anxiety. Why? Because one bad experience with Peggy (at dance camp) and a bruised bum spurred my fear of playing this game. When yours truly finally stopped trembling and worked up the nerve to faithfully fall, good ‘ole Peggy got distracted and my behind was introduced to the gym floor. Since then, my trust falls have been limited.
Can you relate? How about this; have you ever eaten at a particular fast-food restaurant and suffered food poisoning? What are the chances that you return to that restaurant? Slim to none if you are anything like me, for fear that it will happen again.
I believe this holds in our daily lives. For many of us, the areas where we have been hurt or let down by others tend to be the areas where fear has settled in and planted its roots. We become demoralized at the thought of reliving a situation. From that moment on, hesitancy is incubated, and every step becomes a calculated move based upon the reasoning of our past experiences.
I know in the valley of my waiting season, the spirit of fear heavily kicked in after my miscarriage. The fear of having another miscarriage troubled my spirit. Not to mention, if the intense stomach pains of that incident were anything like labor pains, then I was petrified. That fear eventually paralyzed me and created apprehension in my pursuit of a family.
Another aspect of fear that can stifle our wait is the worry that what we are believing God for, will never happen. Again, this stems from our experience or lack thereof. If we have yet to see our promise manifest, it becomes difficult to envision it coming to fruition. The longer our desires tarry, the deeper the fears embed into our minds, giving way to hesitancy, resistance, and even hopelessness.
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. – 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
Fear comes boxed in all types of bows of deception that can stem from one unfortunate or unfavorable situation. God wants to untangle the fears that are choking your destiny. He wants you to lean back and to trust Him with your whole heart, and with each trust fall, you will gain more and more confidence in His security and faithfulness. Are you ready? Cross your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and fall back into the arms of the Father. I guarantee He is a safe place to land. Trust Him.
 
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. – Psalm 56:3 ESV
In your wait . . . release the weight of fear. Trust God with your whole heart.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, reveal any hidden fears that are lying dormant in my life so that I can surrender them to You. Lead me into a deeper place of trusting You with my whole heart. Amen.