Thoughts on Persistence

Thoughts on Persistence
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Saturday, February 8, 2014

Thoughts on Prayer

A person can’t get very far in life these days without coming into contact with the word “prayer”.  Almost all people pray some kind of prayer at odd moments during their day, even if it is of a less than righteous nature, such as, “God strike him down.”

I am an Anne Lamott fan.  In her book Help Thanks Wow she gives us this thought.

“Prayer is us reaching out to be heard, hoping to be found by a light and warmth …”

And we know this “light and warmth” of which she speaks is God himself, the Divine One.

We seek some kind of communication with the Divine one.  We want some of His light to flood our pathway and warm our lives.  Ann says, “We want to be heard.”

Do you want “to be heard”?

“Help.  Help us walk through this.  Help us come through.  It is the first great prayer.”
~Anne Lamott

When we pray to God we are inviting him to enter into the mess of our lives.  We want His peace and a sense of Him to flood our lives.

Perhaps we should just pray.  We don’t have to assume a certain stance.  We can kneel, stand, lie down, exercise, drive, and eat, and still have some prayer time going on. 

God is always listening.  He actually delights in hearing our prayers, for He loves intimate, one-on-one moments with his creations. 

And the amazing thing is … God can handle honesty, and prayer begins an honest conversation.”

Anne Lamott

On some days maybe all we can utter is ‘Help.”  At other times we may feel like lashing out with anger.  That’s okay too.

And sometimes, we hurt so badly that all we can do is gently cry, perhaps moan, groan a bit, or rock back and forth as we examine our pain.

All the while, God is there with us.  He is standing nearby.  He is looking over our left shoulder and listening with interest to our heartbreak. 

God hears and that is enough. 

GOD HEARS!

And what does He say? 

Often, His answers come through the scriptures. 

“Be strong.  Be courageous.  Do not fear.  Do not be discouraged.  I your God will be with you wherever you go”


“Even when I walk through darkness, I will not fear, for I believe you are with me; you comfort me with a rod and a staff.  

“With great confidence we can say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What harm can come from mere mortals?”


I've had encouraging words come through books, magazine articles, and individuals who have crossed my path.

Always remember this - even when, especially when our heart is about to burst, we can call out to God.  He stands ready to listen and offer help.

That is a promise.

Please Watch This



A Prayer for All of Us

God:

I should pray.
I need to pray.

But what to say? 

I need you as my compass, my travel companion.  I can get into so many messes on my own.  I would rather avoid some of those messes and places. 

Help me God.

Amen

P Michael Biggs
Offering Hope
Encouragement Inspiration
One Word at a Time


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