TABLESCAPE OF PRAYER!

Some days can be harder than others and I have to go back to bed right after my morning cuppa! This morning was one of those days. I returned to bed for a 4 hour snooze. (...a bit longer than Gilligan's 3 hour tour)

I might still be a sleep if hubby had not awakened me at 11:15 am to check my pulse. When I went into the kitchen I saw a very welcoming sight......much like spiritual sky-writing.

I sat at the small table by our eastern window and was greeted by a large greeting straight from heaven.

I didn't even need to leave the table to go to my prayer chair. I sat right there with a glass of my iced tea, Bible and  my prayer journal......warmed by sunshine from heaven.....in His very Presence!

A great reminder of National Day of Prayer coming tomorrow, 5/1/2025.  

I can begin early!

A perfect  tablescape for National Day of Prayer prep!

PRAYER PREP!

Prayer prep is always important---not only with preparation but with the incluslon of prepositions! Though there are 150 connector words known as prepositions. Short words. Longer words. Multiple words or a short phrase. These words when grouped with a noun or pronoun can show direction.  

Pray is today's verb. "It" is the pronoun.

On. Over. Through. Propositions connecting pray and it. 

On ---can express location of in contact with

Over---at a higher level or layer

Through---a process from start to finish

"It" can be the Bible. God's Word. On a word from a verse. 

"It" can be the same word or verse. Pray over again and again using different versions each time to add to deeper understanding.

"It" can be through an entirety of a book of the Bible, a chapter, or verses from start to finish to gain context of true meaning

GO for "it!"......using any prepositions necessary to aid your prayer life!

PRAYERFUL WISDOM!

Words of Wisdom. 

A big thanks to friend, Doris, who shared these. 

Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4)

Use prayer to....."Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them." (Proverbs 4:5)
May we be directed to the right path as our "discerning heart acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out." (Proverbs 18:15, paraphrase mine)

5 IMPORTANT WORDS!❗️

Important words come from scripture! Truth from above 5 words!

Truth from the first five words in 1 Peter 2:21…….

             “ to this you were called,”

A big thanks to Nancy E. For this reminder.

Prayer is not useless.

Prayer is THE work!

God gives His people His work to do. 

Christ is your example. 

Be alone with Him!

Seek Him through His Word! (Jeremiah 29:13)

Seek His leading for you. 

THEN, follow in His steps!

1 Peter 2:21 “in 5 words or less” in 5 sentences. 

It’s “Meditation Monday”…..

Think on these things!

PRAYERS AVAILETH MUCH!

Actually, James says,  .......it's the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man that availeth much." (James 5:16)

Asking according to the Father's will is key as well.

Pray warriors I know are all proponents of intercessory prayer;

Family and friends,

Salvation for non-believers,

Revival for believers,

Pastors and missionaries, 

Church leaders and teachers,

City, state, and country.

Prayer from the heart for God's glory and His purpose is key and availeth much!

JOURNEYS!

Big Day! 2024 Big Year!

Graduations! Moving Forward in different ways! College. High School. Kindergarten. Pre-School. Graduates dear to a grandmother's heart from 4 different states. To hear the recent one have his entire name read for his diploma, I puddled! His middle name was my Mother's maiden name.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then, you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Then....an adverb to hang your hat on for all "going forward" in their maturity, regardless of age, stage or way.

PRAYER POSITIONS!

"Prayer Positions" vary.

How? Where? Why?

Position?

• Eyes open with Bible open.
• Eyes closed with heart open.
• Hands clasped. Hands raised.
• Kneeling. Prostrate.Standing.

Where?

• Anywhere!
• At a ping-pong table or on a marathon route.
• inside or outside.
• Alone or with a friend or friends.

Position matters not.

Location matters not. 

What matters is a heart connected with God. (Psalm 46:10)

Be still and know that He is God----how ever you say it or however your pray it.

SHOW ME THE WAY, A LENTEN JOURNEY!

A Lenten journey for me began this year with what was necessary to keep my focus on things above, not on things of earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow,. (Psalm 25:4)

A plain path.(ASV). Good path.(CEB) Even path.(DARBY) 

Level path.(ESV) Right path.(GNV) Straight path.(NIV) Upright path (NEV)

The necessary. The basics. The bottom line.The longings of the soul.

Henri Nouwen's book, Show Me the Way, was filled with reflections on the road of faith, which is God's way., along with prayers of openness.

Why O Lord, is it so hard for me 

to keep my heart directed toward you?

Why does my mind wander off

in so many directions,

and why does my heart desire

the things that lead me astray?

Let me sense your presence

in the midst of my turmoil.

Take my tired body

my confused mind,

and my restless soul into your arms

and give me rest ---simple, quiet rest. (p.35)

PRAY! PRAY!! PRAY!!!

Definitely a "pray day."

Need joy? Need confidence? Need love? Need discernment? Need sincerity?

Add these attributes to your prayer life!

Pray! Pray! Pray!....to the Glory and Praise of God!

PRAYING SCRIPTURE!

Need focus in your prayer life?!!

This distractable, ditsy gal does.

Different days of the week, my focus is on friends w/ similar attributes or their names begin with certain letters. Years ago a Bible Study group began praying for each other on different days of the week so all of us were "covered" daily. I know it sounds weird but it works for me. Other times names pop up as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind regardless of day or time. Often, I don't even know why until "after the fact." 

God knows I need help and He has provided it through His very Word.

Praying scripture helps keep me focused.

HEART OF PRAYER!

3 Ps of Prayer

Praise. Pardon. Petition.

Isn't prayer at the heart of of a Christian's life?

The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: 'I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. (Isaiah 57:15, NLT, emphasis mine) 

Intimate, personal communication with God through prayer deepens and strengthens one's relationship with Him. You can pray out loud or in your thoughts, where ever you are alone or in fellowship with a trusted group of fellow believers.

God hears the prayers of those who put their trust in Him.

In essence, the heart of prayer is to communicate with God! 

A PICTURE OF 14 WORTHY WORDS!

WORDS COUNT!

Every word of scripture counts!

For I will satisfy the weary soul, 

and every languishing soul I will replenish.

(Jeremiah 31:25)

These 14 words of scripture "count" for every languishing soul for whom I have prayed in the last 4 weeks.

Those words of Jeremiah say it all!

PRAYER POSITION OF THE HEART!

Prayer is more than words.

Prayer is a position of the heart!

A position with depth.

Well said, John Bunyan.

Enough said!

PRAYER SUPPORT!

Prayer support! Where does one find that?

"At the foot of the cross," many would say!

Others sing:

"What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear, What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!"

The BMH lobby sign says, "Bring your prayers to the Cross."

That's the prayer support one needs---to have a prayer friend/intercessor for our discouragement, sorrows, trials and temptations.

No specific direction given----anytime night or day......fill free to bring all prayer

requests to the cross and place them anywhere you desire! 

God all meet you there.

WORD PLAY!

The Ripley Tomato Lady at the Agri-Center's shirt says it all. 

7 Days 

without PRAYER

 makes us 

WEAK

She (Blessed Girl) was proud to show it off!

In other words, to find strength in today's crazy world, "pray without ceasing." 

(1 Thessalonians 5:17)

P.R.A.Y.

Many folks use ACTS as a reminder of great steps in our prayer life.

A doration

C onfessiom

T thanksgiving

S upplication

A reminder to worship and search your heart for sin and thanking the Lord for forgiveness before we start asking,

P raise

R epent

A sk 

Y ield

This P.R.A.Y. but I appreciate the reminder to yield to God's will for His answers as we ask/ petitions. 

A great way to align our will with His---so that His will be done!

This past Month my sweet friend from Ukraine shared Lectio 365, an on-line devotional, with me. Today's devotional offered this acronym, for pray.

P ause to be still

R ejoice with a psalm

A sk for God's help for self and others

Y ield to His will, come what may

Regardless of your style of praying, with or without an acronym reminder---how about a rhyming one--PRAY TODAY!

TUESDAY TRUTHS

Trio of Tuesday truths taken from Paul David Tripp's New Morning Mercies........my own paraphrasing.

1. True prayer is more than a "Wish list" from God the Deliverer.
2. Prayer is abandoning a life of demand and complaint....giving myself to a life of thankfulness.
3. True prayer happens at the intersection of surrender and celebration.

May the Lord use our submission (our proper place) to His purpose/His will (His proper place) Those "proper" positions will release us from our own bondage to SELF!

DO YOU PRAY?

Do you pray?

The answer to the question is yes. A resounding YES!

But.......this morning on the familiar corner turn toward home, I almost rear-ended this car 

because I was so-o-o angry at self with my response to someone dear over an amount of hamburger meat, I was distracted, not praying. 

Pitiful, right! Yes & anger certainly had a grip on my less than cheerful heart. Conviction was so real it gripped me.... until God allowed this car in front of me! What a message on a license plate! 

DOUPRAY

I wrapped up the prayer with true confession and asking forgiveness.

In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Then the traffic light changed and the light in my heart began to slowly change as well.

SCATTERED, SMOTHERED, COVERED & _______________!

Sometimes it seems so difficult to live a spirit-filled life in a "Waffle House World."

Waffle House defines its hashbrowns as scattered, smothered and covered.
Lately that describes my life. Scattered. Smothered. Covered.
Scattered thinking is putting it lightly for  my ADD--"Always Distracted Dotsy"!
Smothered with an unrelenting schedule. My calendar is a jumble with crossed out appointments, rescheduled doc visits and interrupted plans, think "shingles". "Tyranny of the urgent" seems to reign while I try so hard to get a handle on it.
Covered in doubts and fears and a lethargy that has a way of zapping my zeal. Yet, I believe. (Mark 9:24)
Sadly, I could add "out of focus or overwhelmed" to my blank. Yet, that's not the desire of my heart.

So....I pray---whether I feel like it or not.

A.W. Tozer quoted Dr. Moody Stuart, who said, "Pray until you pray."

That's my plan for the day---barring no interruptions.

CONSIDER PRAYER

Dad is in Israel. Mom is juggling his four brothers' schedules with him (Nathan) assisting when possible.

A bad fall at practice. A break occurs. Pain ensues. Doctor visit factored into all the schedules. 

Break in collar bone is evident. VERY evident. Surgery is needed soon.

Prayer should be the first consideration. But....anxiety reigns until Philippians 4:6-7 kicks in....in everything let your request be made known unto God.

Consider prayer. Intercessory prayer that is.

When one is 1,267 miles away it's the only consideration that makes sense. (1 Timothy 2:1)

An intercessor is a mediator.  One who pleads another's case. One who cries out to the Lord on their behalf---for healing, peace, protection 

Our example is Jesus Christ who lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25) In the same way, my Christian friends/prayer warriors continue steadfastly in prayer for Nathan. (Colossians 4:2)

It's the way intercessory prayer works. Others are there for you regardless of the distance and consider such prayers a privilege!