I was reading Grace Driscoll's first post on "finding your identity in Christ" this morning, and was inspired by some of the points she made. Immediately, I knew that's where God wanted me in our quiet time together this morning. The statement she made that struck me as gold was "Let's not deceive ourselves that we can go about our day without God." She was stressing the importance of daily prayer, but not only that, prayer throughout the day as well. One person came to my mind that has modelled that to me. My Aunt Joelle! She has been known to pray in the car while driving, in the grocery store, in the middle of a breaking news story, or whenever and wherever else! I love her heart for prayer, and it has really given me the desire to have a healthy prayer life.
Most people that spend quiet time with God probably do it first thing in the morning or at night just before bed. That's great and so essential, but we need to remember what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. He says, "Keep on praying." I love this! The NIV translation says, "Pray continually", and the King James Version says, "Pray without ceasing." This means we should be in a constant state of prayer throughout our day. Does this mean we need to ask God which brand of bread to buy at the grocery store? No, probably not. However, it does mean we need to ask God for patience when tending to our children throughout the day. It means we should ask for hands of protection around our vehicle as we run our errands. We should seek the will of God when making significant decisions concerning ourselves and our family each day. Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."
There are a lot of hours in between prayer in the morning and prayer at night before bed. So many opportunities for us to mess up. Satan is just waiting to pounce on us at every turn, and if we're not constantly seeking God's wisdom it becomes all too easy for him to penetrate into our life! That can be a scary thought for many. The world is a hurting and dangerous place.
One thing this Southern girl has learned from living in what many have started calling "the frozen tundra" is that eventually it gets cold and ugly outside. Temperatures plummet to unimaginable numbers. The roads get icy and dangerous. For me, there comes a time during winter here in Canada where I just hibernate. I might not go outside for a week straight. I retreat from the nasty weather. Many people do the same thing when a tough time comes along in their life. Things get nasty and difficult out there, and they want to hide, shut down, and retreat. There have been many times in my life where I was facing something terrible and wanted to just curl up in a ball and stop the world. That can't happen. Life goes on. If you're facing something like this right now let me offer some words of encouragement. Isaiah 65:24 says, "I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers." How amazing is that? We have a God who knows us to our very core so much so that he already knows what we need before we even begin to pray to him! That's comforting to me. Right this minute I'm listening to Jason Upton singing the words, "we're not alone, you'll never leave us". God has promised to never leave or forsake us. God isn't man that he should lie. Take heart in that!
I love what the psalmist wrote in chapter 116. "I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath." How do you pray? Is it a couple of scripted words at the dinner table before eating? Is it a few lines in the morning just so you can check it off the list and then go about your day without ever bringing your needs before God? And not just bringing your needs before him, but your praise and thanksgiving too. This morning when I made a mistake as a Mommy and asked Olivia to forgive me I felt God nudging me to ask for His forgiveness in front of her. I sat with her on her bed and went to God for forgiveness. I don't always seek God in prayer when I should, but spending this time in the Word has really encouraged me to do so more often. Not just in the morning or at night, but continually throughout my day. Without ceasing.
When I thought about how I would write on this subject of prayer, I thought I would automatically go to Luke 11 where Jesus teaches his disciple HOW to pray. I would encourage you to go there as additional reference. A "blueprint for prayer" post is for another day I suppose. I would also encourage you to read Grace Driscoll's post here. http://pastormark.tv/2011/09/12/godly-wife-woman-mother-friend
Most people that spend quiet time with God probably do it first thing in the morning or at night just before bed. That's great and so essential, but we need to remember what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. He says, "Keep on praying." I love this! The NIV translation says, "Pray continually", and the King James Version says, "Pray without ceasing." This means we should be in a constant state of prayer throughout our day. Does this mean we need to ask God which brand of bread to buy at the grocery store? No, probably not. However, it does mean we need to ask God for patience when tending to our children throughout the day. It means we should ask for hands of protection around our vehicle as we run our errands. We should seek the will of God when making significant decisions concerning ourselves and our family each day. Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."
There are a lot of hours in between prayer in the morning and prayer at night before bed. So many opportunities for us to mess up. Satan is just waiting to pounce on us at every turn, and if we're not constantly seeking God's wisdom it becomes all too easy for him to penetrate into our life! That can be a scary thought for many. The world is a hurting and dangerous place.
One thing this Southern girl has learned from living in what many have started calling "the frozen tundra" is that eventually it gets cold and ugly outside. Temperatures plummet to unimaginable numbers. The roads get icy and dangerous. For me, there comes a time during winter here in Canada where I just hibernate. I might not go outside for a week straight. I retreat from the nasty weather. Many people do the same thing when a tough time comes along in their life. Things get nasty and difficult out there, and they want to hide, shut down, and retreat. There have been many times in my life where I was facing something terrible and wanted to just curl up in a ball and stop the world. That can't happen. Life goes on. If you're facing something like this right now let me offer some words of encouragement. Isaiah 65:24 says, "I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers." How amazing is that? We have a God who knows us to our very core so much so that he already knows what we need before we even begin to pray to him! That's comforting to me. Right this minute I'm listening to Jason Upton singing the words, "we're not alone, you'll never leave us". God has promised to never leave or forsake us. God isn't man that he should lie. Take heart in that!
I love what the psalmist wrote in chapter 116. "I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath." How do you pray? Is it a couple of scripted words at the dinner table before eating? Is it a few lines in the morning just so you can check it off the list and then go about your day without ever bringing your needs before God? And not just bringing your needs before him, but your praise and thanksgiving too. This morning when I made a mistake as a Mommy and asked Olivia to forgive me I felt God nudging me to ask for His forgiveness in front of her. I sat with her on her bed and went to God for forgiveness. I don't always seek God in prayer when I should, but spending this time in the Word has really encouraged me to do so more often. Not just in the morning or at night, but continually throughout my day. Without ceasing.
When I thought about how I would write on this subject of prayer, I thought I would automatically go to Luke 11 where Jesus teaches his disciple HOW to pray. I would encourage you to go there as additional reference. A "blueprint for prayer" post is for another day I suppose. I would also encourage you to read Grace Driscoll's post here. http://pastormark.tv/2011/09/12/godly-wife-woman-mother-friend
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