Words that Inspire

We’ve all had that those kinds of days when we can’t pray. You know, the ones where nothing seems to work out. The start of the day is rough and everything that could seemingly go wrong does. When you eventually start your day, it is hectic, and that is the day you have an encounter with that co worker whom you are almost sure has a biological connection with the pits of hell. At the end of the day, all you want,  is to lay your head down and sleep in peace.

However, at the end of the day, the troubles still come pouring in. The car breaks down, and a bill you once overlooked surfaces and it is overdue, so there is a need to chase down your checkbook or the number for the company to make a payment. If you have kids, that might be the day that the children decide to run away from everything associated with sleep.

On days like this, we are often too tired and very tempted to not pray. In fact, the word prayer does not cross our list. We have 99 things to worry about and prayer is not one of them. Sometimes, the problems come so fast and so intensely that it is not so much that we can’t pray – the words do not come. It is more of a question of “What do I pray?”. However, days like this are the moments when we need to pray the most.

Praying Through the Situation

• We forget that without God, we will not have the strength to have survived the hectic day and be alive to tell the tale.

• Prayer is not a formal event – We sometimes believe that we can only pray on our knees, with our hands together, in a specific location, for a specific amount of time. We can pray at anytime, anywhere, regardless of what we are doing. There is no time formula on how long you must spend with God. We should always be in constant communication with God, even if it is just a minute or 5 minutes. Sometimes, I pray when I am doing chores, driving, working, standing in queue, etc. The most important thing is that I am speaking and talking to God.

• Sing, Groan, Cry: Do what you have to do, to get to a place where you are communicating with God. Sometimes, I play worship music, or turn on a clip of someone else praying. There are times, I just let it go and cry and sob aloud. Sometimes, I pray in my spirit. The most important thing is to talk to God, let it come out.

• Talking to God invites peace. When we pray to God, and commit all that we are going through, including our hectic day, we find that we are more at peace. The issues and situations are not resolved, but we know that God will handle and take care of it.

• Prayer is an invitation for God to communicate with us. In the midst of the whirlwind of life, inviting him in, by praying, no matter how short a prayer, invited him to come in and talk to us, direct, lead and guide us.

• Thank him: I do not care how heart wrenching and exhausting my circumstances are, I am learning to follow David’s example. After praying, venting, and so on, I always thank God. If for nothing else, that I am privileged to know him, a God who will make all things work out for my good. Imagine going through trying times and not even having the knowledge of God.

Pray Always

We should not only pray when we have a need that is holding us on our throat. Talking to God should be something we always do. No matter what is going on around us, always remember:

Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (NASB)