Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Time to Pray to the One

The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful. James 5:16 Holman CSB

I think prayer is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us.  It is the chance to talk to him directly and bring our needs before him.  I like that directly part. 

I don't know a whole lot about other religions, but several years ago, I was working with a student who was writing about her Sunday School teacher.  She told me that she had taught her to pray and I had her explain that to me.  This little girl said that they are Catholic and they pray to the saints. The saints carry your requests on a golden platter to the Lord.  Like I said, I don't know a lot about other religions, so if that is wrong, sorry. That's just what the nine year old told me.

I like the golden platter part. You know, to think that my thoughts and requests are worthy of a golden platter. Oooh!  But I really wasn't crazy about the praying to the saints and having to depend on them to deliver my requests.  What if they got busy or worst yet, what if they dropped the platter and my request rolled under the throne and was never heard and seen again?

I love the fact that in Baptist belief, we pray to the One who will be doing the work. We pray to God.  And you know what? He tells us to.

Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know."

Psalm 50:15 declares, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

Hebrews 4:16 commands, "Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

I am thankful for the fact that God wants me to come to Him. He wants me to lay it all out before his throne, not holding anything back (He knows it all anyway).  I am thankful that nothing is too big or too small for Him.  He wants me to pray about everything, all the time.

That last part is where I have a problem....all the time.

I told God last night, "Father, I am sorry that I haven't been spending as much time with You as I need to. I have no excuses. Please forgive me."

I could tell God that I am busy with a newborn. I am busy with a four year old and a seven year old. I am busy trying to manage a home, 3 kids, a husband, and 2 pets. I'm trying to get to baseball practice, wash and make more bottles, do laundry, load and unload the dishwasher, shower and brush my teeth.  But He knows that. It is not an excuse.  It is a reason for me to get my priorities in line.  Is it easy? NO!  It is difficult. BUT since I have been praying about it, God is helping me.  I am finding more time throughtout the day to spend with him.  He is allowing my 1 month old to be a pretty good sleeper so I can get in some good praying time in the mornings. He is allowing my energy to strengthen so I don't conk out at bedtime.  He is doing His part in helping me get my priorities straight. I just have to recongnize that and go with it.

I find that if I spend less time in prayer, my world seems a little more chaotic.  I am frantic and easily angered. I make poor decisions and am less pleasant.  I don't have a peace about me.  My prayers are rushed and less specific.  However, when I do spend quality time in prayer (using the time God has granted me to pray specifically), I am renewed. Peace reenters my life.  I am able to deal with this chaos around me better. 


"The more complicated life becomes, the more we need to quiet our souls before God." Elisabeth Elliot

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