Prayer
Hello ladies. What a beautiful weekend it was here in Ohio. We had multiple birthday parties this weekend which was a lot of fun. I always love celebrating the lives of those God places in our path.
I have written previously about community and how important it is to surround yourself with other believers and people who challenge you in the faith. But what God has placed on my heart today in particular is that our community starts at home.
Whether your single or married, community begins with you and the Lord, through both opening your Bible and through prayer. That’s right friends, prayer. Are you praying for those closest to you, your husbands or future husbands?
There are so many scripture passages regarding prayer. We see several in the books that Paul wrote and if we look at 1 Thessalonians 5: 14-17 he writes, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.” Here, Paul is encouraging and giving instructions to the people of Thessalonica who have turned from worshipping false idols. How easy it is to get caught up in the things that the world deems vital to our success, but most of which are lies. Which is why sisters, it is crucial to pray for our loved ones constantly.
We see this in Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Also, in 1 John 5:14 and Philippians 4:6…I could keep going, but my point here is we need to ask ourselves how much are we praying for things versus complaining about things? I mean really praying. I’m not talking about a recited prayer, but are you talking to God from your heart? Do you have a relationship with him?
Friends, He craves a relationship with you. Did you know that average person complains 15-30 times a day, averaging about 8 minutes and 46 seconds a day. What if we spent that amount of time praying. I want to suggest that we try this. Every time a negative thought comes to your mind pause and pray. Try to point out one thing that is positive about the situation and lift it up in prayer sisters.
After all, most situations and people do not want to change by simply being warned or told. Change is cultivated from within. Often the best tool we have to start change is prayer and to look at ourselves. I know that when we increase our prayer time, God begins to shift our mindset toward Him. This will in turn change our hearts and improve our attitudes. My prayer is that each of us would be more filled, grounded, and joyful.
Heavenly Father, we love you. Lord, I pray that you restore friendships, marriages, and hearts. Father, change us from the inside out. Help us to recognize the positive rather than the negative. Jesus, I pray that each moment spent with you fills our cup until it is overflowing.