Prayer: The Gate

Sometimes I think we don’t want to pray, especially conversational prayer because we are afraid.  We think God may ask us to change careers, do some missionary work…something we don’t want to or are afraid to do.

We get comfortable with the way things have worked.  Maybe they weren’t great, but they worked.  So let’s not rock the boat.  But in times like these, the boat is being tossed and thrown all over the place. 

If we are willing to get out of the boat, we might even walk on water.

God, help us to hear your voice.  Let us be willing to go forward with the changes.  Help us to find the meaningful work, the gifts and the purpose that allows us to be more than we ever thought possible.

Thank you for the blessings, the opportunities and the lives we touch day to day.  Amen

As you can see, I’m still working through the Mark 11:24 thing.  “Believe you have received it and it shall be yours.”

 We can easily let our obsessions, worries and wants to take over our prayer life.  It is easy to fall in the rut of asking the same thing every day.  I have heard it said that once you plant the row of seeds, you don’t want to keep digging the row up every day, or the crop won’t grow.  And so it is with our prayers (sow it is with our prayers?…)

How do we turn it over to God? How do we “believe we have received it”?

I am finding this requires a conversational style of prayer.  Not a “drive by”, as I do on many busy mornings. “Hey God, thanks for the day…got to run…bye”.

Conversational prayer takes some time, and as with any conversation it goes both ways.  So get quiet, invite God to be with you in this moment, feel the presence of God, listen for his voice.  Then at this point I am letting my request be made known to God, and letting him know that I place it lovingly in his hands.

Now is the time to begin thinking of it as done.  I think this is the place in time that I have to transition my thinking and feelings where I believe my prayer has been answered.  And this is where we need to find that unwaivering faith.  If we can get that faith right down into our very souls, we can “believe we have received it”, even if we can’t see it right this second, we walk by faith and not by sight.

Blessings to you all this weekend, and may you have the faith that moves mountains.

Newsong

The news is depressing.  Housing prices are down 14%.  Jobs have been tough to come by.  Food may be in short supply in many places and the cost has shot up. I have been praying for several friends to find great jobs and that they will prosper and find that thing they were born to do. 

For those who pray today, remember those who need work so they find meaningful, fulfilling, great paying jobs.

I like to read Psalm 27 out loud when I’m anxious about anything.  King David was a songwriter and praying man and his words inspire me.  He had his problems and anguish comes through many of his songs, like the songs of today.  But strength in his spiritual beliefs and unadulterated joy shine through his writings as well.

The Psalm starts out with “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? (NAS Version)

I love that!  So when things look bad and I get sick of hearing how bad it is, I say those 2 verses out loud and I’m convinced that I am not defenseless. God is the defense of my life.  He can be the defense of all our lives.

Erin