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.}
Interesting! my anything: wow. so many, I’m still thinking about this. Would love to read the book.
That is a dangerous question! I’m thinking it would having something to do with our finances.
Ive heard some about this book lately, I’m eager to read it. My one thing I’m afraid to release (though I am daily trying to let Him fully have it) is my writing dreams. I know He knows what is best, and I want to just let it go….easier said than done.
Yes, it does take courage to say and mean that prayer. It means trusting—taking the risk that God’s plan for me is good, even if it’s a rough road getting there. This is one I want to read.
I’ve recently fantasized selling our house and everything in it, buy an RV and simply go – trusting God for where and what to do… my wife’s not too hip to that idea. Can’t imagine why.
My girls. Acknowledging that they are HIS and HE loves them even more than I do so I HAVE to give them over to HIM and trust. With special needs kids who became the center of my world, it means moving them just a bit to the side and putting Him back in the center. I don’t understand why He continues to let them be sick, but I have to change my thinking of “I will do anything to save/help/fix her” to “I will do anything and go anywhere You lead me, and trust that you will do your will regardless and turn all things to good things in the end.” It’s REALLY HARD!
No surprise that once again you have written something that speaks to my heart.
My anything…I’ll have to think on that.
Just did her bible study, Stuck, and loved it! Would love to read this one
My anything: using my language skills and serving in another country. I’ve felt called and pulled to do this, but haven’t been able to let go of ‘everything’, moving away from my family, friends, selling all my ‘stuff’. It’s a tough choice, I’ve walked past a lot of open doors, but I know if I gave it over to God He would pave the way and it would be Great!
One of my anythings is that people will find out what I really believe about certain issues that are supposed to be so black and white in my Christian community – but as I’ve started to see as many shades of gray. And wondering if I’m wrong.
My kids. My husband. Our finances. I know in my head I can trust Him with anything, but it’s hard. I want to be courageous, to fling my arms wide and say what Jennie said – to feel the wind in my face and have my hair blowing behind me, smiling at this great adventure – but I’m full of fear and confusion. Thanks for giving me a lot to think about!
I’m always scared to release my desires and passions to him…wonder if and when he will give them back…
This looks like a great book. My anything: I have so many. WOW!
My son is the one thing I want to surrender to Him but I keep falling back on my own will, control, priorities, etc for my son instead. I need help letting him go with God as his guide.
My anything: telling my story. The whole, REAL story—gory details and all.
My anything fear is matters of the heart.. Trust… Hard to let go of that
Wow, sounds like a powerful book. I’m afraid of a lot of things and God has been gently working on me about them…
My anything? So many, but right now probably feeling like I’ll never belong in a group of friends. Would love to read the book.
My “anything” would be telling the truth to those I love the most about my emotional absence 2 years ago…tough!
My introversion is one. I am afraid of saying something that will be misunderstood or offensive to someone.
My “anything” … I’m not sure what my anything would be…lots of things swirling in my heart and head lately…trying to figure them out…is it my heart, my thoughts, my plans…or is God trying to speak to my heart…my anything?!?
I stopped chasing my anything a little over a year ago when I left my job to stay home full time. For the longest time I found security in the paycheck I would bring home each week. It was scary. It is sometimes still scary. But the joy and blessings way outweigh those fears.
I’m kinda scared when it comes to asking Him to help my dream of writing a book. I don’t know how I would sell it because I don’t have any publicity. And of course, I don’t even know if writing a book is what He wants me to do anyway.
My “rules based” conservative fundamental Baptist minister daughter religious upbringing. I hold on to that as a reason bad things happen, I’m being punished. I use that as a method of beating myself up, if I lived better, if I didn’t sin God would bless me more. I want to live fully in the love and grace from God, but I want to hold onto rules too.
running. it provides so much for me – health (both mental and physical), sense of accomplishment, stress relief…
Funny how I can think of more than one thing. Really must work on that. But the top 2 are my children and our finances. Made a decision recently though that I put completely in his hands and now I am constantly reminding myself of that and am fighting not to take it back from him. I think that is maybe the biggest challange of all- not taking things back into my hands once placed in his.
My anything are my kids and my husband…gifts from HIM and blessings from HIM, but so hard to hold them with open hands!
Wow…my anything would be letting go of my hubby or girls.
I’ve been hearing great things about this book, and I feel like it’s one I need to read. My anything is my husband’s job and the security it provides.
I cannot wait to get into this book as soon as possibile, i.e. when summer officially starts around here. My middle child is my anything, but then I think my list is rather long and this is at the top.
Sounds like a great book! My anything list is long. At the top is probably financial security. I haven’t been able to give up a successful and lucrative (but stressful) career and step out in faith for fear of financial insecurity. Thanks for putting yourself out there Sarah!
Like so many others my list is long and I’m not sure of one. If I had to pick one this moment I might have to copy yours
I want to be liked, so much so that sometimes it keeps me from interacting with others. I’d rather not let them get to know me than be disappointed. Wow! Just saying that sounds awful, but I’m afraid it’s true. I think I’d love this book.
The book sounds wonderful and inspiring. I would love to read it. I also have many anythings, but probably the biggest one is navigating marriage and family since my husband lost his sight. I think I’ve gotten used to my new normal and another “whatever” shows up. I need to better roll with the punches and not try to fix or figure out everything on my own.
I have two things that hold me back from the life that God has for me.
Procrastination is my biggest battle. At least lately. I feel lazy and apathetic about a lot things. (I have started to come back from some post partum stuff, I think)I try to fill my time with meaningless things when I should be living a full and courageous life.
Discontentment is the other joy stealer. I can never seem to be satisfied with anything. My home, my job, my clothes, my hair, the list goes on and on. I always find some negative thing to counter a positive. I am a pessimist at best!
Love the chance to win this book
I’m scared of messing up, putting myself out there and others not liking it. Financial unknowns also scare me!
My anything would be the direction of my career. I’m afraid to make a choice, and I am afraid to leave it be.
My anything is my whole life purpose. In the midst of divorce, of my husband walking away from our marriage, I have had everything pulled out from underneath me and I am trying to learn how tocompletely trust in God in the midst of the hardest time of my life.
Mine is like yours as well, Sarah, but perhaps broader. My “anything” is failure. Failure in the mask of loneliness, failure as a leader, a big sister, a friend, a writer, a daughter, a Christian… Any and every arena. Failure to protect and love and keep what I should keep. Failure to “not let them change me” and to “never EVER compromise who I am” and to “stand strong even when no one else does.” It is quite exhausting, really.
Any doesn’t make a lot of sense.
My head knows it is really God who lights my path and is my strength and shield. I shouldn’t have to fear falling when I jump to fly. But somehow, like Peter walking on water, I step out in faith and promptly become overwhelmed at my own weakness and inability to keep myself from drowning.
It’s an “Anything” I should let go of. Should know how to let go of. But I don’t. I don’t know if this book would have the answer to that or not, but I am ready to try.
My control freakishness!
My anything? Goodness….so many….failure, acceptance, fear…..thanks for having this giveaway!
My anything, my romantic life and my family’s response.
you know, i used to not really have “anything” – i was already planning to go overseas to do tribal mission work… that was actually what he asked me to give him! i think i found all my identity in doing the stuff for/with God that no one else wanted to & found heroic… so i let those plans go… and faced life here, which has been harder than i thought it could be, but now he has done so much healing in me… right now, my biggest thing is speaking up about what he’s doing in me. i’m afraid (because i have experienced this) of being misunderstood by the christian community, seen as unorthodox or whatever… but i have sort of heard him calling to do just that, so… ANYTHING?!
letting people IRL know that I blog…a lot goes into this…
I get your anything… mine is nestled up next to yours and it makes me so mad! I hate that I often let my fear of people drive my life rather than a healthy fear of God. Thank you for posting this friend. What an honor to be on a blog I have so long admired.
Sounds like a great book…would love to win! Thanks for the chance!
My “anything” would have to be truly releasing my finances unto Him. I have prayed it many, many, times, but I don’t thing I really, truly, ever let it go!
I’m not really sure what my anything is right now. If the book is anything close to the amazingness of the video for the book, I’m going to need a couple of boxes of kleenex when I read it!
My anything….relationships/family.
my fear of failure.
Control/Fear
Writing.
Does it makes sense if I say “fear” is my anything?