Jared and I went through a ten week Rooted program at our church here in Topeka, Kansas. The purpose was to find your place and discover where you are in your faith and your relationship with God. It truly helped us to make sure our life was Rooted with Christ. After completing the program Jared and my good friend Elise were baptized. I’m so thankful we all went through such a wonderful experience together.
I was born and raised in a Christian home and going to church was kinda forced on my siblings and I. We went because our parents made us, not necessarily by choice. Or at least that’s how it seemed in my younger years. Now as an adult, I’m actually thankful for my parents dragging us to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. The Rooted experience helped me to build my relationship with God and to know Him for myself, not because my parents made me. It educated and enlightened me, and it helped to answer so many questions I had.
Through Rooted experience you begin to see God in a new way and begin to redefine his plan for your life. Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or new to faith in Christ, Rooted has the potential to have a huge impact on your spiritual growth. I recommend it to anyone and our church (Fellowship Bible Church) is launching it again this May.
One of my biggest takeaways was learning how to PRAY. The power of prayer is something I experience daily. Before Rooted, I sometimes found myself praying only when I needed something or was afraid, instead of praying often to just give thanks to God for all the blessings and gifts he’s provided. Also, something I never did was to sit and listen for God after I would pray. Yes, listening is a big part of praying too. I was surprised to learn this from my Rooted prayer experience. Hopefully this break down can help you like it helped me.
P.R.A.Y
P – PRAISE:
Praise him! Thank him! Look at everything you have in your life and be grateful for it! God made this beautiful earth, so be thankful for it. What are you thankful for!?
R – REPENT:
Ask God to forgive you for your sins. Trust me, we all have them. If you have any doubt, fear, hate, addictions, anger, etc. Ask God to forgive you and help you conquer those strongholds!
A – ASK:
(This might be my favorite section.) What worries you? What is going on in your life that you need his help with? ASK HIM! You can’t do anything on your own. You need to let him know your struggles and ask him to guide you.
Y – YIELD:
This is the part I was forgetting, and maybe you are too. Sit back…. And listen. Prayer is about us recognizing God is in control.
Download your own weekly prayer guide here.