PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• So many times, I have no idea what to say.
I can plan and plan and then – what comes out is a jumbled mess.
Sometimes talking to God is the same way.
We want to, but find it difficult to know what to say, or where to begin.
We’re organized and armed with a prayer list (mine’s even categorized by prayer type), but when it comes to actually praying, we get overwhelmed by it.
We should pray for our family and friends.
Pray for those who are sick.
Pray for those who are traveling.
Pray for those who are having marriage issues or parenting challenges.
Pray for the big test or the acceptance letter to the perfect school.
Pray for jobs.
Pray about financial decisions.
Pray for those who have entrusted personal requests to us.
Pray for our government and leaders.
Pray for missionaries.
Pray for those who are suffering in other countries.
Pray for those who don’t believe.
We should also pray for our own requests.
Pray for forgiveness for our sins.
Pray our gratitude.
Overwhelmed is the word, all right.
I confess—on more than one occasion, I’ve just looked at my list and said, “Lord, you know it all. These are the things I need to pray about.”
In truth, that’s a prayer.
It counts.
And yes—He knows it all.
But it’s not the ongoing conversation God wants to have with us.
Ephesians 6:18 NLT says, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
While this verse is focused on praying for other Christians, the words that jump out at me are “be persistent in your prayers.”
Or as it says more succinctly in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Never stop praying.”
According to my Google search, the average brain has 50,000 thoughts per day.
I can’t begin to wrap my head around 50,000 thoughts per day (I think there’s a pun in there somewhere).
I knew it would be a lot, but that surprised me.
Without digging to learn what constitutes a thought or how on earth scientists came up with that number, the bigger question on my mind—How many of those thoughts are prayers?
We all talk to ourselves.
What if, instead of muttering to ourselves all day, we made a conscious choice to direct those thoughts into ongoing dialogue between us and God?
God won’t mind if you turn your random thought of “Why do my dog’s feet smell like Fritos?” into a prayer of thanksgiving for your canine best friend.
You see where I’m going here.
We all have random thoughts and ideas we can consciously turn into prayers and conversations with God.
Today, as you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to help you be diligent in praying all the time.
Ask Him to help you leave the door of communication wide open.
And give praise to God that even though He already knows, He still wants to hear your voice and your ideas.
One Response
I’ve read several posts about prayer today… I think God is nudging me. I’ve not spent as much time in prayer lately… I’ve allowed busy-ness to take over. 🙁 Thanks for this encouraging post, dear Denise! <3 and hugs!