Recently someone very special gave me a “Prayer Warrior” wristband. This year of 2024 has been a difficult season of suffering for this very special someone. This year has felt very much like what was described in yesterday’s blog post: crawling through the darkness of a cave-tunnel … with no light in sight … bogged down in muddy muck (of tears) at times … and at other times, crawling over rough, painful rocky surfaces (with hands and knees bleeding, so to speak).
Have you ever been there?
Are you perhaps there right now as well?
As a result, this year of 2024 has been a year of much prayer for this very special someone!
Hence the “Prayer Warrior” wristband, for all who have come alongside in prayer support. I love my “Prayer Warrior” wristband! I wear it every day! As I pray every day!
I pray when I’m at church!
I pray when I’m running errands around town, and going to the grocery store!
I pray as I’m busy doing my daily tasks around my home!
I pray when I get up in the morning.
I pray as I sip my hot coco for breakfast.
I pray as I fix dinner in the evening.
I pray as I clean up the dirty dishes.
I pray as I fall into bed exhausted at night.
It has been a great example of what it looks like, practically, to “Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
It has also brought to mind the instructions which God gave his people for how they were to follow his ways, and how they were to teach their children his ways:
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:5-7
This is just like “praying continually”!
Life is a lot like a crawl through a long, dark, cave-tunnel.
God knows it’s going to be hard.
So God invites us to pray!
* God invites us to pray!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6
* Prayer provides access to God’s supernatural peace!
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
* Some things God will only respond to through prayer.
“You do not have, because you do not ask.” – James 4:2
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7
* Prayer guards our heart and keeps us from becoming bitter.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances. … Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; … avoid very kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, 22-23
* Persevering in prayer produces spiritual maturity
“We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” – Romans 5:3-5
If your life feels as if you are crawling through the darkness of a cave-tunnel … with no light in sight … bogged down in muddy muck (of tears) at times … and at other times, crawling over rough, painful rocky surfaces (with hands and knees bleeding, so to speak) … Pray!
Pray continually!
* Pray when you get up in the morning!
* Pray as you sip your coffee for breakfast!
* Pray as you navigate rush-hour traffic!
* Pray as you slog through your day!
* Pray as you fall into bed exhausted at night!
And if you need a prompt – have a personalized wristband made, which you can wear continually as a constant reminder to “Pray!”
Prayer is a “light” which helps guide our way in the darkness of our cave-tunnel!
Because prayer brings a fresh awareness of God’s peace and God’s presence in the darkness of our cave-tunnel!
