As I am traveling this week, you will have an opportunity to hear from several of my dear friends who are helping me here on the blog. Today's post is by Cherie Werner and what she shares is so dear to my heart:
Have you ever overslept only to wake up then frantically rush about the day feeling overwhelmed, impatient, and frustrated. There is a poem, The Difference that has encouraged me to remember the value of connecting with God before embarking upon my day. The last stanza reads, "I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day. I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.”
Honestly, I don't always manage to begin my day quietly at the feet of Jesus for various reasons. Thankfully God is not about a checklist.
Prayer is the way we speak, listen, and commune with God. Through God, all things are possible, and prayer allows us to partner with Him. When I rush into my day relying on my strength without connecting and praying, my days seem to be more difficult. I notice that whenever I forget to pray or neglect to pray, I tend to have less patience and am more agitated. When I pray and read God's word, I am changed and can cope better with the stresses of life.
"We cannot pour out what has not first been placed inside," - Sally Clarkson
If you feel like you don’t have time to pray, FIND TIME and be intentional. If it means getting up a few minutes earlier, set your clock or maybe try going to bed later. Make time, it will be worth it.
Personally I have felt inadequate when praying. When examining my struggles related to praying, I realized that I sought the perfect method. Eventually, I realized God was not interested in formulas, a checklist, or perfection but rather he desires intimacy. God created each of us with a longing for intimacy -- intimacy with Him. Remember, Intimacy never involves one person. You cannot know someone you don’t spend time with. Intimacy develops as a result of close contact with God. As I relentlessly pursued Him throughout the day, it made prayer no longer cumbersome and daunting.
A little creativity when praying has deepened my intimacy with the Father plus made our times together fun, exciting, and adventurous.
10 creative ways of pursing God throughout my day as I pray
1) I enjoy prayer arrows that are short prayers sent throughout my day. A few of my favorites are:
- "Lord, guide me. Amen"
- "Dear Lord, empty me of myself and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, in Jesus name I pray. Amen"
- "Lord – give me patience in this difficult situation, in Jesus name. AMEN"
2) I enjoy praying in different places and at different times of the day or night.
3) When approaching or passing an accident I pray aloud for those involved (firefighters, police, and paramedics who keep us safe) plus I ask that those coming upon the accident would have patience. A siren reminds me to pray for everyone involved.
4) I am often prompted to pray for others as I look at my facebook and Instagram feeds.
5) When I read or hear about a troubling issue, I pray for the people involved.
6) I Timothy 2:1-2 exhorts us to pray for all men and those in authority.
7) When reading the Bible, I enjoy finding a few meaningful verses to meditate on and use them when I pray. After all, God has given us His Word which contains endless material for praise and petition.
Roman 12:9-10 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
- Sometimes I’ll turn the verse into a prayer. "Lord help me to love others. May I hate evil and grasp firmly to what is good. I want to honor others. Amen
- Sometimes I enjoy taking the verse and creating an image to share with others via social media.
8) I enjoy listening to worship music throughout my day, filling my heart with praise and adoration for Jesus.
9) I enjoy praying in the moment verses telling someone I will pray later for them especially if they have asked for prayer or have vulnerably shared with me.
10) I find it fun to ask Holy Spirit who He wants me to pray for. I enjoy partnering with Him as it’s often adventurous. There have been times I felt prompted to approach someone with words of encouragement or ask them if they had something or someone that may need prayer.
Jesus is the Lover of your soul and desires for you to pour out your heart to Him. The seeds of intimacy will grow abundantly and eventually, you'll begin to know and hear His voice and ways. However, it takes time to learn how to accurately hear Him but becomes easier the more you are in His presence.
Do you know God intimately? Remember, He is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13