Gotta be done

Another thought for the week.... catching up gradually... never realised I thought so much! Go to the Midweek Herald for current thought and local news from East Devon....

Pray?

Do you pray? There’s an old quip that ‘there are no Atheists in a foxhole’ and I know that faced with difficult times, with nowhere else to turn, people often to try to ‘open negotiations’ with ‘someone up there’ in the hope they might be heard. But prayer isn’t just about asking God for things, like a kind of religious shopping list, but includes praising God for who He is, thanking God for all He’s done and trying to find God’s will and guidance for our lives. That means we can pray with music, with silence, with others, alone, by reading the Bible, by going to church, by walking in the fields, by laughing, dancing, sitting, kneeling, standing. Prayer isn’t about trying to get God to do stuff for us, but about making time to be with God – find your own way to pray, and ask others how they pray!

Comments

Melli said…
I pray in ALL of the above mentioned ways! Well, okay - rarely kneeling... but it HAS been done! My FAVORITE way to pray... well, no, not favorite... EVERY way is my favorite... but the most enjoyable time I spend praying is in the morning, with my coffee and my prayer journal... sitting in bed, with 3 Bibles and 2 reference books, and 2 devotionals usually fanned out around me so I can grab whichever one I need quickly! THIS is the time of day when I spend MUCH time praising, thanking, confessing, and listening... and sometimes I even find time to make requests! I am SO blessed to be in a position where I can actually devote 2-3 hours to God in the morning... and I often do! HE has arranged my life that way - and it is that very fact that I thank Him for the MOST! But I always have praise music on in the car - and I try NOT to let it just become background music... I really like to prayerfully sing along. But I pray in the shower and I pray in the grocery store and I pray at the swimming pool... anywhere and everywhere... talk talk talk... :)
James said…
I love the moments in life that cause a little prayer. Like something reminds you to, when your realise there is something to be thankful for, to question, to praise etc.

I always have music on in the car. Its either secular or (good - yes it does exist) Christian rock (only very occasionally do I have worship music on) but words from these songs can cause prayer. Obviously the Christian music would but I often find lines from the secular songs are either prayerful in themselves (if you use them with that intention) or bring to mind something to be prayerful about.

Someone once said to me that she has had some of the most emotional times with God whilst driving, being alone and free to think, pray, listen, sing and I can really see why.
Marion said…
I'm constantly talking with God...sometimes I wonder if he gets tired of hearing from me...something like Hey, God, it's me, Marion! heh! Again!

Some prayer is full of angst and fear, but a lot of it is full of thanks as well, so I don't suppose He minds too much!

It was nice to hear from you, Alastair...and I'm so glad you're blogging more now. I've missed you!

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