Praying friends, it's time to be on our knees for oh so much! In desperate times, we gather to call on each other, go to our churches, seek God in all these uncertainties. It seems we are upon one of these crazy times now. Never has there been such a time...
Yes there has---just.in my lifetime:
President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas
Vietnam War and protests
Nuclear proliferation
Civil Rights movements and racism in the 60's.
Wars and rumors of wars.
Aides
Cults
School shootings
Serial Killers
The War on drugs
Raising teenagers
Driving California freeways
Mudslides
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Wildfires
Recessions
9/11
More mass shootings
Work place violence
Murder
Greed
Divorce
Sexual abuse
Sex Trafficing
Disease
Suicide
Opioid addiction and others
Politics and division
Pandemics
More racial tension
Police brutality
Injustice...
Are you thoroughly depressed now? My apologies, but we live in a broken world. This breaks God's heart even more.
Our prayers--sometimes we just don't have the words. But Jesus gave us an example in Matthew 6, The Lord's Prayer. Pray like this, Jesus said, especially when overwhelmed by a world bent on not following God.
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name
(You are God, I am not)
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.
(Thank You God that I am Your child, a part of Your great and awesome plan. I want to be in Your Will for I know You are Good)
Give us this day our daily bread,
(Provide for me God)
And forgive us our debts
(Forgive my sins)
As we forgive our debtors
(Help me to forgive and love others).
And do not lead us into temptation
(Let me abide in Your Spirit and listen and obey You)
But deliver us from evil
(Give me discernment and wisdom)
For Thine is the Power and the Glory, forever,
(For You are God, Holy and Righteous, and I want to Love You more and more each day)
Amen.
(I agree with my prayer, I surrender and trust You, Thank You Lord).
I pray. I pray continuously. To live and breathe is to pray, an imperative. The enemy creeps about and he wants to destroy all of God's good work in us and mock us as he tries to whisper the doubt, the fear, the unbelief into our ear, trip us up, turn our head from truth with the noise of this world.
I pray.
I pray with friends over the phone, and with friends at church or where ever the occasion arises. Lately, I've prayed attending Zoom meetings.
I've prayed a lot in hospital rooms.
Driving to work is a great time to pray.
If you catch me in my garden, I am working with my hands, but I am conversating with The Father and enjoying His creation in all the picking up of leaves, planting, chasing butterflies. It's my daily, anointed time with the Lord.
Tonight, a dear young man in my life (well, he's in his 40's but young to me) came over. James, like a son to me, established a routine, a ritual really, since he started training and working in his current career. He comes over to pray before a big test. He said to me that he does not feel fully prepared until we have this special time together.What a blessing and privilege!
Tonight, we sat in my patio and after chit-chatting over the week and events, I took his hands and prayed for his upcoming test tomorrow morning.
We've done this a lot over the last 10 years. He's passed every one! I am very proud of him.
Friends, I've learned a lot over the years about prayer. It's not so much what we say, but our heart attitude, our quiet surrender, our true desire to connect with a God who adores and lavishes our petitions and requests, our sincere hope to walk more closely with Him. I've learned what a surrendered prayer is, the hardest ever to pray, and I've treasured intimate prayers with my closest friends. I've seen prayers answered in the way I prayed but most often, I've seen prayers answered in unexpected, more amazing than I could ever imagine ways. Then, there are the prayers where you know you've prayed a thousand times...
The waiting is hard, but God's timing is always perfect. He is faithful!
Lord, thank You for my "son", James and our beautiful relationship over the years. What a redemptive story that is! Thank You for his success and that You direct him to seek You in his work and throughout his life. Thank You that I get to participate in seeing Your will accomplished in him. Thank You Lord for the sweet times I prayed with my own son this year in his tough moments. Those tender, sorrowful times, though hard, bonded us closer in trust and I see the result. I continue to pray for his complete surrender. Lord, thank You for teaching us how to pray. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who directs our prayers to Heaven and prompts us with sweet whispers of grace in our ears to remember Your goodness. May we pray not just for ourselves, but call on You for Your mercy for Your saints and for Your will to be done in all those we lift to You in concern. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
Tauren Wells "When We Pray"
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