Category Archives: praying

Some things seem like they should be easy to pray for.  They come to mind often throughout the day.  So, I pray for them a lot, right?  Well, not always.  Lots of times my brain stews on the topics, trying to sort it out or make sense of it.  But I never actually form a prayer.

I think of my children many times a day, but I often find myself making plans instead of praying.  I think of my hubby over and over, but often find myself thinking about things he has done, projects we are working on, instead of praying.  I love the church we attend and often think of the blessing it is to our family, but forget to form the words of a prayer.

There are a couple things during the day I want to make sure I pray for.  There is a ministry that means a great deal to me.  I have committed to praying for them daily; I set an alarm on my phone to remind me.  There are also a number of dear people in my life, family and frends that I want to make sure I lift up before the throne.  They get an alarm on my phone as well.

I may pray for them when they come to mind at other times, but there is at least one time each day these precious people are covered in a prayer.  Other things, friends have asked me to pray for.  Some get a specific time, others get a moment or two when the Lord brings them to mind.  I find both ways to be a blessing to me, as I pray they are for the people I am lifting up.

Praying is a gift we can freely give to others and it gives back to us as well.  It is not possible for me to pray for a person or situation without also being blessed.

How do you remember to pray for someone or something?  Do you have a list you look at each day?  Do you wait for them to come to mind?  Do you have set times you pray throughout the day?

Does God care about me finding matching socks? Does He care if I can find my keys? Does God care if I get a certain job?

Do you find yourself praying about both the big and little things of the day? Do you pray at set times or do you do more of the shotgun prayers?

My prayer life is a running monologue dialogue.  At least I hope the communication is two way.  And sometimes my prayers are very much about the trivial, yes, I have prayed for matching socks.  Other times I am praying for direction (Lord, do you desire to make a way for one of us to stay home with the girls full-time and homeschool them?) or for those I know and love who are hurting. 

Many times my prayers are a persons name and then just “Heavenly Father.”  I am learning more and more I rarely have the words to adequately express what is on my heart.  I am so glad He hears the prayers in the sighs of our hearts.

I don’t honestly know if God cares about my socks (I doubt He does) or my keys, though I do know He hears the prayers when I ask for a calm attitude and clear thinking as I look for them.  I know He hears those because those prayers are not really about what is going on externally, but are rather prayers about heart responses; prayers to have more of His response in every situation.

Why do I pray as a running conversation rather than all in one lump?  Because I don’t want to miss an opportunity to commune with Him.  I would rather be mentioning something not high on the priority list than risk not speaking up about the heart matters.  It is my response to “pray without ceasing”, I Thessalonians 5:17  And I think it is highly likely He does want to hear about everything. He cares about the lilies that are here today and gone tomorrow, Matthew 6:28. This truth leads me to believe He is interested in the every day details of our lives.
What do you think?  What do you find yourself praying about the most?  Do you believe the Lord is always listening or does He just tune in from time to time?  What does your heart say?

What are others thinking about?  Head over to Thought Provoking Thursday and see.

I learned something new today.  As I knew before, nothing is sacred to toddlers and preschoolers.  They don’t understand we would sometimes like to be alone.  But I didn’t realize those moments can bring up important conversations we need to have with our little ones.

Caitlyn walked in on my today while I was, *ahem*, indisposed.  Often I will fuss at her for that.  But today she had spilled something and needed helped wiping it off her arm.  Then, out of left field, comes a theology question. 

“Mommy, every time when I go stinkies, some little ones stay on my bottom.”
“Yes, that can happen.”
“I wish God didn’t let that happen.”
Silence.
“Why, when we pray and God always hears us, why doesn’t He always do it?” asks Caitlyn.
“Well honey, you’re right, God always, always, always hears us.  And He always answers our prayers.  Sometimes He says Yes, and He does what we ask.  Sometimes He says No, because He knows something better for us.  And sometimes He says, Wait and later we see Him do what we asked.”

And off she went.  I know part of what she is thinking about.  She really wants another baby brother or sister.  She is baby crazy.  I have been telling her she has to ask Jesus. Personally, I don’t know how God is going to answer that one, but I do know she has been asking.  She declared the other day, “I asked Jesus for a baby brother, but I haven’t gotten it yet.”  I hope our conversation today helps her sort it out in her mind.  I love that she already knows He always hears her.  I pray nothing ever shakes that.  I hope she continues to ask.  Jesus tells us to ask.  “Therefore I say to you, all things for which  you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you.”  Mark 11:24 New American Standard Bible.

But beyond her questions about prayer, another thought came to mind.  Just as she asked her question at a messy moment, answers to prayer aren’t always neat and clean.  Jesus healed a man using mud made by mixing in his spit and putting it on the man’s eyes. “And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth….When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes….And so he went away and washed , and came back seeing.”  Mark 9:1, 6, 7b  Back in 2nd Kings, God used the dirty river Jordan to heal Naaman of leprosy.  (2nd Kings 5:10-14)  The river Jordan was disgusting, Naaman asked why he could not use one of the other rivers that were nicer, but the direction was to go into the river Jordan.  When he went into the mire, he came out clean.

Does God sometimes ask us to be in the mire, to be in the trenches?  Yes.  Do we always like it?  No.  Do we always understand it when we are asked? No.  Do we always understand the answer?  No.  But He tells us to ask and obey.  I would prefer it never be messy.  I like neat and tidy.  I selfishly pray for clean, but also pray the Lord will walk with me in the mess of life and guide me when I don’t understand the path.  I pray He will also guide and direct you, even when the way is messy.  May we trust Him in the mud and the sunshine.