Thoughts from a Conference Call

From January 2012

On Wednesday mornings, the prayer team at my church meets online for a weekly prayer meeting. It’s a blessing to be able to come together with others to lift up the things on our hearts to the Almighty! The people I meet with truly have a heart for God.

Our prayer focus this morning was “Stretching Our Prayer Muscles Outward”.

Just like any physical muscle, our spiritual muscles must be stretched, trained and used so we don’t get atrophy. I broke my arm in a boating accident August 11th 2008. It took 2 surgeries and 9 months of physical therapy to put it to rights. I understand atrophy.

at·ro·phy /ˈætrə [a-truh-fee]

1. wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.

2. degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse

If we want to be friends with someone and know them intimately, we have to talk, share and hear the stories that made them who they are. Relationships are about communication. How can we have any relationship without communication?

Prayer is the way we talk to God. It doesn’t have to be formal, or even articulate if we can’t formulate words because He knows our thoughts (grunts and groans are totally acceptable communication); there is no required amount of time, and no correct words to say; there’s no special posture we need to take; there’s no special place we need to be; we don’t have to use proper English. …..we just need to open our hearts and minds to Him.

We can share any thought, idea or sin without worrying about being judged. Don’t get me wrong, God is the Judge of all, but He is not judgmental because He already knows everything and has covered our sins in the blood of His Son. He can search our hearts and there is nothing we can hide from His gaze. We need only to admit to Him the wrongs we have done. If we wrong a friend, don’t we go and ask forgiveness and try to change our ways?

It’s just a conversation. Like a phone call to a friend, but better (God doesn’t ever put us on hold or get distracted by call-waiting or children/husbands).

We should remember, though, that prayer isn’t just about what we want and need. There is BIG power in prayer. We MUST bring our friends and family to Him as well. Let’s not be the one that says, “I’ll be praying for you”. It’s great to plan to pray for them but we should also be the one that stops right there and prays with them.

Prayer can be about ANYTHING. NOTHING is too big or too small to lay at His feet.

How refreshing!

Thank You Lord for never being too busy for me. Thank You for always listening. Thank You for knowing when to answer “Yes”, “No” or “Wait”. Thank You for allowing me to intercede on behalf of others as well Lord and stretch my prayer muscles outward. Help me never to let my prayer muscles atrophy.