Balancing the Bible in hand, catching its words by the single glow from the closet light before a soul was awake Wednesday morning, my heart began to soar with these words.

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;

make known among the nations what he has done,

and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;

let this be known to all the world.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

for GREAT is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Isaiah 12: 4-6

Yes, Lord! Let the nations, let the peoples know of your glory and good deeds!

…a seemingly-almost-dead fire was being blown upon by the Holy Spirit’s wind.

Where had my eyesight gone?  Where had my fire for the peoples to know Jesus been buried?

Oh, thats right…under the mounds of laundry, and pregnancy fatigue, and the ever-messy house, and homeschooling…and as my thoughts are filled with these to-do’s and get-done’s, my eyesight gets

NARROWER,

and NARROWER

and narrower.

until my whole world is just what happens within these four walls, and what I can do to make my life easier, and make my children behave.

Lift my eyes, Lord.

And, yes, this is the season of life God has me in, as Titus 2:5 tells me to be caring for my husband and children and “busy in the home” but I cry out for balance…that while being faithful here in the small things, I might have eyes, and a heart, and a prayer life for the big things as well.

So, here’s my little list of things to help me keep my eyes on the Kingdom and its coming.

1.  I’ve printed out all of Isaiah 12 on my prayer cards to pray over my children’s lives. They are the next generation of Christ followers and vessels of His Spirit on the earth.

2. Operation World is an incredible tool for knowing HOW to specifically pray for many countries I will never set foot in.  We can wage war on our knees. Danny and I prayed through the needs of 16 different countries this past fall (part of his Missions class assignment) and I was so encouraged by a broader sense of the Kingdom coming in the world. We’ve gotten out of the habit, but we can always get back into the habit.

3. A Barnabas Aid subscription sits next to our breakfast table so that the kids and I can read about persecuted Christians in the world, and pray for them at breakfast each morning. If we don’t get these habits tucked into our normal routine then they will never form.

4. “Pray for your neighbors!” is scribbled on a note on my bathroom mirror.  I find that when I’m praying for the souls of others, I find that I am more willing to be moved by the Spirit to seize opportunities to reach out to them.

5. Reading the book of Acts, plus biographies of men like D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, and other great evangelists always keep me challenged to be a Watchman on the Wall. Reading their bio’s to my children, will give them eyes to see a way of life passionate about the Lord.

May small habits, and faith-filled prayers, and the little “arrows” I am sharpening daily

be avenues of God’s glory being known

and my heart being outward bound.

**For those of you who are in the same walk of life as me (aka the mothering/homeschooling whirlwind) a great article on mothering and missions I just found, can be read here.