What I’m scared of the most is the thing I most try to avoid.
Read the rest of my “Anything” post here.
Jennie Allen writes a book called Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked My God and My Soul and I came across it this spring. She writes about how her and her husband were prompted to pray the “Anything” prayer with God and how it drastically and beautifully changed everything.
But it’s a scary prayer.
About the book: Safe. Comfortable. Happy. Words we all love. Feelings we want. Even crave. We may love God, but being that he’s invisible, world like comfortable seem to feel better faster.
We are all chasing something. Our hearts were made to run hard and fast after things that move us. But as a generation we are all beginning to stir and wake up, identifying that these words don’t satisfy for long, especially when compared to God. If God is real, and we are going to live with Him forever, shouldn’t He be everything? Caught in this familiar haze of worldly happiness and empty pursuits, Jennie Allen and her husband Zac prayed a courageous prayer of abandonment that took them on an adventure God had written for them.
“God, we will do anything. Anything,”
Anything is a prayer of surrender that will spark something. A prayer that will move us to stop chasing things that just make us feel happy and start living a life that matters. A life that is…
Surrendered. Reckless. Courageous.
If we truly know a God worth giving anything for, everything changes.
Anything is available on Amazon, B&N, CBD and anywhere books are sold.
Jennie has graciously given me five copies to share with you! (Which means you have an awesome chance to win!) To be entered to win one at random, leave a comment about what your “anything” is: The one thing that you are scared to release to God into His safekeeping.
I’ll choose a random winner at 9pm PDT Friday night from the comments. But I would encourage you to add yours to the collective website by clicking here. It’s easy, peasy. Here’s mine. Jennie has created a space where the community can share their Anythings with the rest of the world in an anonymous (or non-anonymous) way.
Jennie is also the author of Stuck: The Places We Get Stuck and the God who Sets Us Free (a DVD based Bible Study which I hear is pretty awesome). You can visit her website here.
What is your Anything?
{To read my Anything, click here.}
My “anything” tends to be “everything” and all the time. Most pressing right now is the adoption that we’re almost finished with… It’s amazing how far away “almost” can be.
i can tend to be a control freak. so, sometimes, letting go and trusting can be hard, but i know that i can trust Him, fully…it’s something i work on…A LOT
definitely something to think about 
Hmm. I really would love to think I HAVE given everything to God’s control, but when I really stop to consider, I know that I have my time, my (bad)eating habits, and my joy that I hold back all too frequently.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
That if I surrender control of how my life will turn out I can actually trust God to work it out for my good and his glory. I may say it but it’s so much harder to really believe and live it.
My “anything” is letting my wall down and allowing the vulnerability of love to enter my heart and mind with God, with “love” relationships and friend relationships.
My “anything” is my desire to be a wife and mom and not because it isn’t good but because I can become stressed and frustrated with the fact that I am not where I thought I would be and in reality I am right where God wants me to be. It’s the control I try to keep over my life because I think I’ll do a better job at planning my life than God.
My everything is that I’m scared of being alone – friendless, or unmarried/childless, or in a completely unfamiliar place – or all of the above! I’ve been in all these situations before though so I’m not sure why I still fear it so.
I have thought about this all day. I know I don’t have one answer because I know that I have many areas that I’ve held back in or let fear override. I know He’s been trying to get my attention about these things and I know that He is calling me to be surrendered, reckless and courageous in trusting Him – with anything. Now I have to move from the knowing to the doing.
My “anything” at this point in life is whether or not I will make it into medical school. All I can do is my best and leave the rest up to Him.
My anything is control over God’ s timing…
I am willing to do anything God’s way-even if that means having no more kids (i want more) or five more, even if I have to work more or less, even if means staying in the same place forever or move far away. I’m willing to follow his plan for me. He has the big picture, so I suppose inshould be willing to do anything for him.
my “anything” is the ordination I have been waiting 12 years for, it is my struggle and my confidence and my fear all rolled into one big CALL. God I will do anything, anything.
My anything is starting an English Cooking school with my sister. She has the passion for teaching English to foreign nationals, and I love to cook. I have the English degree, she has the experience. I know that this is a dream that God wouldn’t have given us just to admire, or to think about, but timing is everything and this is my “anything”. It would definitely be stepping out of our comfort zone and continuing to learn that He is in control and has a perfect plan.
My anything is unbelief . I teach & sing about God’s love & his plan, but I struggle with believing it for myself.
having another child of my own to birth…He led me to this.
Am I willing to give “everything” up for God? Am I willing to give this business up? Am I willing to give up our beautiful home? Am I willing to be radical in my faith? God has done so much in me and through me but I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. There is SO MUCH MORE. I am radically “married” to the American Dream life. But it is hollow and fades away. My “anything” is my lifestyle. Am I willing to give it up for He who gave it ALL for me?
(I appreciate your blog, vulnerability and realness. Life is messy and painful. thanks for being authentic)
My anything is primarily my desire for marriage and family. I greatly fear being alone. Not having a purpose.
Hi Sarah,
I saw your tweet about this yesterday and spent some time on Jennie’s Anything site. Although I didn’t leave my anything there yet, I would love to read her book. My anything is my fear of releasing a particular dream to God, not knowing if it’s of Him, and the fear that I’ll never be able to experience it. Thank you for the chance to win Jennie’s book!
In Christ,
Laura
Jennie’s video on her website was very compelling, my “anything” tends to be wanting control in the areas I have no control over; and recognizing that God however does. I cannot affect the decisions the ones I love the most make; and I seem to consistently forget God’s sovereignty in all areas – especially those that appear to be “out of sight”.
Hi Sarah,
My “anything” would be marriage. I’ve desired and prayed a long time for a husband and am still waiting. I fear sometimes that if I give this to the Lord, whatever he gives me in place of that will not be enough. Not true, I know; but I fear it all the same. I want God to be my greatest treasure….and still have a husband
anything…is just anything…that prayer right now has lead me to leave my ministry position and go to nursing school…
My anything is worrying about what others think of me. I try to please others way before I even think about what would please God. Ouch! It’s embarrassing to admit.
We have been living in a ‘temporary’ townhouse rental, going on 6 yrs now; yet I dream of raising my kids on a country property, where we can feel relaxed, and at home. And although I love people, I don’t necessarily ‘like’ them, nor the city life. I fear that God is requiring me to raise my kids here, when all I’ve wanted was for them to enjoy the freedoms of adventuring out in the backyard, building tree forts and gardens…. And with that, requiring me to stretch beyond language barriers, and fences, as I try to build a community for my kids…. =]
My anything is a number of things…my children, my marriage, my finances (though those aren’t that great), not being able to do foster care or adopt, acceptance of who I am.
My anything is control. I like to be in control of everything. Specifically, “my” plan for my life and the people around me. This is a complete lack of trust that God’s plan is perfect for me and those around me.
My husband and I are in a time of extreme transition. Our plans and ideas for the future have totally changed. Much of the craziness is because my husband tried to keep a secret about a failure that he was sure would stop everyone from loving and accepting him. Now that the secret is out we are all picking up the pieces. My anything is here!
Being a Financial Coach, Author, and Retired Stock Broker my biggest “Anything” has always been my finances. I set big goals, have big dreams and then stress about what if that’s not what God would have for us? I’m a regular indian giver with that one. If I could just convince him that my new goal is a really good one? Sigh…..
Also it would be our schedule with kids and step-kids. Courtrooms and attorneys should have no place in parenting.
I would have to say my anything would have to be everything. I don’t give God every part of my life. My family, my dreams, my time, my house, the list goes on and on. I desire to be one of those who truly live the life Christ called them but yet I tend to not give Him my life at all.
My “anything” is my health.
My anything… I guess it is my faith. I struggle with putting my complete trust in God to see me through, His way.
(I have read this book, and loved it. I want to share but I don’t won’t to give it up, so I want to win one to give a way!! Does that make my copy an anything)
My “anything” I think is just true acceptance that God loves me as I am. Sometimes my anything is everything. It would be so nice to win this book! Thanks for sharing.
I guess my “anything” is control of my life – yeah, like I really have control over it! I keep thinking I’m in charge somehow – funny, huh?
My pending divorce has hit me really hard this week. I go back and forth between the guilt (because I technically don’t believe in it for myself) but also knowing the bigger picture behind it. Sounds weird but if the Lord can receive glory out of it in some twisted way, then it will be worth it. I’ve heard of this book and would love to read it soon:)
I’ve been praying an ‘anything’ prayer recently. It’s not always easy to pray the whole prayer – sometimes, honestly I can only pray parts of the prayer. This is a good reminder that I’m really ready for God to do the next big thing in my life. I’m ready for anything.
My prayer goes something like this:”God I’ll do anything you ask me to do and I’ll go anywhere you want me to go, with anyone you want me to be with, at anytime and God I’ll do it at any cost”.
I’m ready for God to show me anything.
Thanks for the nudge.
My anything is the place we lived and don’t want to return to… Moved to China in 2009 as missionaries. Marriage fell apart, resulting in moving back to the US for counseling. After six months of separation, our marriage was restored and we just had our third baby on our ten year wedding anniversary. Truly miraculous. But God, are you sending us back to China again? Anything but China… Please being my heart to the place where I say ‘anything’ to You, oh God…
My anything is my daughter + hubby.
My “anything” has happened. What I never believed would happen. My blood younger sister turned the entire family against me with her aggressive lies to them about me. (My Mom had 14 kids and 7 are stil living.) All of us have birthdays in August, so I will be sending homemade awesome cards and I have been in total contact with them. I have a fear they will send their card back to me and not even open them. I will announce to them, how she abused me. I won’t give up to the anythings she has done about me. Thank you for your blog so much, Sarah and to Jennie.
My anything is whatever I fixate on to stress about- silly little things I can control, so I can keep the larger things I can’t control out of the picture.
My Anything is undoubtedly my pride.
…working on that, but it’s tough.
Thanks for the giveaway. I’ll have to check out the book either way; sounds great.
The one thing for me would be stressing about situations I have no control over.
My anything is my desire to be loved by a man of God. After a marriage ended in turmoil as a result of verbal abuse and manipulation, I fear that I may not feel the depths of that kind of love.
my anything…to release the desire to be a wife and a mom.