Bedtime. Covers tucked round about. Mom listening beside me. Childlike prayers filled with thanks, and simple requests uttered. "God please make my dog, Puddles, get better. Please help me find my lost toy."
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Mealtime. Heads bowed. Words brief and to the point. Hungry stomachs grumbled, chasing away more thoughtful prayers.
"Give us today our daily bread." Mt 6:11
Teen Years. Feeling alone. Wishing for a special someone. Fighting unhappiness. Crying out to God. Finally realizing that He was enough.
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"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:2
Graduation. Salutatorian of my class. Terrified. Hated being in front. Tried to get out of the speech. Failed. Trembling. Shaking. "Lord, I cannot do this. I need help. Please get me through." By God's strength alone, speech delivered.
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7
College. Where to go? What to do? Needing direction. Seeking guidance.
"Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths." Psalm 25:4
Marriage. Faced with choices. Grateful for my parent's prayers. Daily prayers for their children to find Christian spouses.
"Pray continually." I Thess. 5:17
Decisions. Should we adopt? How do we know it's God's will? Laying out a fleece. Well, actually more like three fleeces.
"Look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." Judges 6:37
Failures. Pride. Lack of humility. Selfishness. Anger. Bitterness. Hurting. Needing a Savior. Desiring spiritual healing.
"If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:15b-16
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
Trials. Difficult circumstances. Can we make it through this? By His grace. By His strength. Standing on His Promises. Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray." James 5:13a
Heart Pain. Hurting inside. Not knowing how to pray. Wanting to do the right thing. Feeling torn and weakened by my own human desires. Kneeling beside my bed. Weeping before the Lord. Begging him to put into words what I cannot.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:26,27
Sickness. A friend is told, "You have cancer." Prayers sought. Church fasts and prays. Elders are called. Prayers offered. Anointed with oil.
"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:14
Healing. Prayers answered. No cancer to be found. Great rejoicing.
"Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise." James 5:13b
"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." James 5:15a
Prayer. Something I understand so little about. Taking this journey through life. Learning more each day.
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." I John 5:14,15
May I ask in accordance to His will! Amen.
Amen--thanks great post!!!!!!!!!!!!
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