Prayer

This week has seemed very strange. I think it has to do with the fact that I don't have as much to do, but that's not all. Ok, I've got some thoughts in my head that I hope come out right, but let me know if something doesn't make sense.

The Lord has been teaching me a lot about prayer. Since I became a Christian, prayer has been this sort of "duty" or command from the Lord that I didn't quite understand. I thought, "If the Lord is sovereign, what will my prayers do to change anything?" Yet the Lord says in James that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Lately, I've seen that more than ever, but that is not the end of my thoughts on prayer...

Over the summer I did some cleaning and organizing of all my junk that's been in boxes around my mom's garage and basement. I found some old journals, many of them prayer journals, and one from the year before I was saved. This too was a prayer journal and in reading many of my prayers I realized that it is completely possible to sound good in a prayer, but have it fall down dead due to an unregenerate heart. In John 9:31 it says "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him." (I realize that some who read this may have a lot to say about that verse, and I welcome comments). My understanding of that verse is that "sinners" is referring to those who are slaves to sin (I'm referring to Romans 6 that explains where believers in Jesus are no longer slaves to sin). I am not saying that Christians no longer sin, but there should be a process over time in which the Christian sins less as he becomes more and more like Christ. Ok, this is a huge topic that I will try not to rabbit trail into.

Back to prayer, the Lord has been teaching me a lot about it. In small groups last night Becca gave us a post from another blog that really made me think about my own prayer life. Although I've been known to keep prayer journals, I've always had a hard time just praying in my head. I get distracted or fall asleep if I'm tired. The post from Gunner's blog on Thursday, Nov. 10th was the handout from Becca and then she gave us a list of the names of the girls on our wing with instructions to pray for each one, but by yourself. So, I did and it was hard to get my focus at first. But after a few minutes, I was just talking to my Lord. I almost felt like all the prayers I'd ever prayed were not real. I know that is quite the exaggeration, but it inspired me! What a gracious Lord to allow us to just talk to Him like that!

It seems to me that the Lord has been doing a mighty work in me with a focus on the area of prayer in my own life. I really can't be a Christian without His help! Ok, that sounds dumb or weird, but I think in practice I'd been trying to do just that. On the day of prayer last week I went to one of the sessions in which Dr. Horner gave a 10-15 minute devotional. It was profoundly challenging as well, but I won't get in to ALL of that. One specific thing he said that has glued itself to the back of my mind is this: "Prayer is the ultimate recognition of the sovereignty of God." Do I need to explain how that hit me so hard? All this time that I'd been trying to get along without the Lord, I was seeking to be in control myself. When I come to Him in prayer, I'm doing nothing from a human standpoint. Yet from a spiritual standpoint and from God's standpoint, I'm telling Him that I know He is in control and I am not.

Well, I need to get to homework, but I commend you for reading all this. I didn't realize I had so much to share about prayer! The Lord is GOOD! Have a lovely evening, God bless!