Pray- We were on our way to church for a kid’s crusade. The two middle grandchildren were in the back seat. We were all excited. Well, except Wayne, he was driving and concentrating! But of course, he had to be excited, with his sweet wife chirping loudly on the front seat beside him and two adorable grandchildren […]
Several months ago, Jason let me borrow “Isaac’s Storm” by Erik Larson. Yes, it’s at my house, Jason. I love to read, but I almost never read for fun. I use every spare minute to read for work and ministry. Totally exhausted, I picked it up and decided to start reading it last week. It’s […]
In my whole life I have never seen a child that looked or acted more like their dad than my grandson, Brayden. He is 7 years old now and I’m still awestruck at the amazing similarities. But there’s one way he’s like his Nana, that me. He shares my love for nature. I hope to make this quick and painless. I know some people cringe when proud grandmas drag out their pictures or start their stories. But this is a pretty amazing story. I have to share his amazing first week, back to school story.
Brayden was on his way to the bus stop when he spotted something white beside a brick on the ground. Always on the lookout for something to collect, he bent closer. It was only about the size of the end of his thumb. He touched it and it felt squishy. He knew he had found a lizard egg. Smart boy! (I think I have a scientist in the making. Or is this a proud grandma talking? Maybe both.) He handed it to his mom. Way to go Kimberly. She didn’t scream or complain, she took it back to the car to keep for him until he got home from school.
On the way to take Ashlyn to school, she noticed a distinct change in the egg case and then she realized the lizard had hatched. Now this was super cool. I wish I had been there. To watch a lizard hatch would have to be the coolest thing ever!
You can only imagine the excitement Brayden shared with me that afternoon when he got home. No, they didn’t keep the lizard for him to see. 
And no, a picture isn’t even close to the same thing. But enough of my nature loving rantings, I want to do more than brag about Brayden, I want to bring it home to you using this illustration.
As believers we know it’s important to pray.
“… yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask , and ye shall receive , that your joy may be full .” John 16:24
“For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 1 Timothy 2:2
As believers we know it’s important to live a life of purpose and significance.
But, there’s that game changing word. You know what but means, don’t you? It means forget everything I just said, because I’m about to tell you what I really mean. But, there it is again, now pay attention… as a human being life requires a myriad of responsibilities that overwhelm us. With that in mind how can I fulfill my role as a father (or mother), my job, my home and still live a life of significance and find time to pray. That is a question that leaves most honest people scratching their heads. How can I do it all? The reality is, we really can’t. We have to edit the none essentials out of our lives so we accomplish the important things. But that is another blog for another day. My point today is prayer.
Praying for others
Enlarges our circle of influence.
Is one way to live purposefully and significantly.
Start Seeing
Brayden would have missed, and for that matter his Nana would have missed an amazing experience, if he had not looked.
And when you see it …Pray
When Brayden saw the lizard egg, he picked it up! When you see something, pray. Maybe it is a person riding their bike or someone sitting in the car beside you at the traffic light. You don’t have to know them, just pray for them. It doesn’t have to be aloud. It doesn’t have to be long, just pray. Ask God to help you pray if you’re not sure how to pray about it. Don’t over think it, just pray. Ask God to open your eyes to people around you that need prayer. Pray while you drive. Whisper a prayer for someone while you shop or pick up the dry cleaning.
Then there are prayer reminders that I have established in my life. Kinda like tying a string around my finger. When I see them, I pray.
Let me give you my two favorites.
Political Advertisements
Every time a political advertisement comes on the TV or radio, instead of pushing the button on the remote. I push my prayer button. I pray….
1. that God will open people’s eyes to the truth instead of political rhetoric.
2. that God will help people to receive the truth and act on truth instead of lies.
School Bus
1. I pray for the children on the bus and the bus driver. I pray for their safety and that they will come to know Christ as their savior.
2. I pray for the school where they are going, the teachers and the principal. That they will know Christ as their Savior and teach truth.
Needs are all around you. And you can do something about them. Start by noticing…but don’t stop there…PRAY!
OK! I know you’re out there with lots of prayer ideas to share. What are some prayer reminders that you have in put in place to help you remember to pray for specific things? Share them with us.
More Links on Prayer:
Think Missional! Pass this on to someone you think may enjoy it or need it.
I had been warned that it was cooler in the mountains, so I wore long pants and a quarter length sleeve. A light drizzle started as we approached the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we ate our picnic lunch in the car. I knew the mountains held the last of the mountain laurels and this would […]
I wanted to see the Mountain Laurels in bloom so we decided to go to church in Spruce Pine. As I entered the restroom a nice lady greeted me. We began to chat. She was originally from Florida too. Actually, everyone I met that day had lived in Florida at some point in their life. Here’s the story the nice lady shared with me in the restroom. She said I could share it with you, so here goes.
She explained they had lived in Melbourne, Florida for many years. Her husband had been an engineer at NASA. Their daughter understood the power of prayer and finding the right man was high on her agenda, so she prayed. But her prayer was incredibly specific. So specific it worried her mother. The girl prayed, “God this is what I want in a husband. I want him to be a committed Christian. (Amen) I want him to be musically inclined and love music. And…I want him to hate mayonnaise and pickles. In spite of her mother’s concern and mild protests, this is how the high school senior prayed.
During her senior year, God began to deal with her dad to quit his job and move to North Carolina. At the end of the school year, the family moved to North Carolina, 400 hundred miles away. They moved to Spruce Pine. A small town with only a few hundred people. There that young woman met and married a young man that loves God, and music and hates…mayonnaise and pickles. Now he is the worship leader in that church.
Don’t you just love it when God’s plan comes together in such a way you just know it has to be God. There have been times in my life I prayed so specific that I knew only God could have made it come to pass. Those times are memorials that keep me believing and standing in faith when I want to give up. Remembering those significant times stimulates my might to fight!
So pray, and yes pray specific. Don’t be hesitant to tell God what you need and want. Sometimes in the process God will fine tune the prayer and narrow it’s focus with clarity and understanding. That’s how a conversation works. As God fine tunes your heart and prayers, your relationship with Him will grow. Your faith will grow. Your answers to prayer will increase. I really like that part of the process. But I also find that the richness of my relationship with Him is as precious as receiving my answer to prayer.
More Links on Prayer:
Think Missional! Pass this on to someone you think may enjoy it or need it.
Think Missional! Pass this on to someone you think may enjoy it or need it.
I needed to make a decision. Every time I thought about the situation I prayed. For weeks I prayed. Fear and dread began to grip me and still I prayed. One day I listened to what I was saying. I heard myself praying, “Oh, Lord. I don’t know what to do. Please help me, Lord, […]
The highest privilege ever afforded to man is the power of prayer. …then why don’t we pray? The right to talk to the highest potentate in all the universe… …then why don’t we pray? The most powerful force accessible to man is the potential of prayer… …then why don’t we pray? The greatest longing in […]
