Voices in Prayer, Bended Knee, E-Prayer Group, phone calls, and personal requests for prayer. Sickness, cancer, heart problems, hospital, age, surgery…and someone ready to go home to the Lord. Wayward children, broken relationships, financial problems, lost jobs, lost homes, lost hope.
Prayer has been on my mind as well as on my lips lately. (I confess, more on my mind).
When I was younger, before I became a Follower of Christ (FOC) my prayers were of a rocket flair dimension. Bargaining, negotiating, begging, and questioning prayers shot off at the last troubled minute to a God I knew existed, but did not know.
When I became a FOC, my prayers were as a child asking for anything and everything. Not necessarily material items or wishes (although those were included from time to time) but prayers asking for those character qualities that the mature FOC all around seemed to have that I did not have...and really had no clue about. Prayers to heal my Mom, to fix my car, to send a new refrigerator, to give strength to my friend who miscarried. My prayers were no longer like the rocket flair, but more like a firecracker blast to a God I was beginning to know.
Back then, and for many years I had the wonderful privileged of staying home with my children…and I had time to sit and have prolonged quiet and prayer times. Those were especially sweet times of fellowship and heartfelt connection to a living Savior that I was learning more and more about every day. I formed some very good habits of spending quiet, quality time with the Lord in His word and prayer that allowed me to know Him and myself better.
Those were my beloved times of prayer, no longer of an urgent flair type shot to God’s ears…but sitting at the Saviors feet, with hot tea or coffee, my bible and a blanket in the winter months and my back porch during the warm seasons of spring and summer. Prayer was a delight.
Now I work full time…I have grown children and grandchildren…I have friends…I am involved with my church in various ministries. I have a home to care for, meals to plan and prepare, laundry, shopping, bills, a wonderful husband and I have puppies.
It seems I no longer have the time to sit quietly…my prayers have returned to flair prayers in the car, at my desk when I get the E-prayer alerts, while I am throwing a load of laundry in the washer, while I am blowing my hair dry in the morning, while I am auditing a report at work …while I fall asleep, exhausted at the end of the day… and I think of a prayer request that came a week ago
Some days, I start my prayers in the car on the way to work…. “Oh God my Father, I come before you with this request for”… (Look out mister; this is my side of the road!!) “I know Lord that you know what Joey needs”… (Hello, Crystal speaking how can I help you)…oh where was I Lord….oh yes Joey….you know what he needs Lord and I pray that… (Hold on a minute Lord, the washer is off balance)…As I crawl into bed… “Who was I praying for? Oh, am I still on Joey…Well, my gracious God and Father, you know what he needs”…yawn, snort, snuggle….snore.
On some days, that is my day of praying…
Hard to admit, harder to accept and God has reached down and thumped me on the head…….
Mat 26:40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour?
One hour….
To be continued………
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