Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17–18
“Prayer does not equip us for greater work—
prayer is the greater work.”
Oswald Chambers
I remember being the mom of four children under the age of six and feeling guilty because I just couldn’t seem to find a regular alone time with the Lord. Sure, I knew he was always with me throughout the day, but I longed to be alone in silence, away from the voices of my children so that I could calm all those voices in my own head. I tried getting up early, but our alarm was already going off in the wee hours because my husband is a high school teacher. I creatively attempted to get all four of my children to nap simultaneously, but you can guess how often I succeeded. My last resort was to pray, read my Bible, and silently meditate on his goodness right before I went to bed. Ahem. I am a morning person through and through, so attempting a nightly quiet time was an epic fail. I was frustrated and just plain at a loss as to how to make my precious (and oh so needed) time with the Lord a daily occurrence.
Finally, God in his mercy allowed me to hear someone else’s voice besides my own perpetually sleep-deprived one. Enter in an older, wiser, been-through-it-all, grandmotherly lady who assured me that the Lord was already intimately aware of everything I needed to be a good wife, mother, friend, and whatever other role I had to fill. The problem wasn’t that I had to wait until my kids had grown up before I could carve out some time with Jesus. Rather, I needed to begin looking at it differently. This wise woman recalled her own angst as a much younger woman who felt just like me: out of sorts and longing for more of him.
She challenged me to stop viewing time alone with Jesus as the primary way with him most effectively. She reminded me of the verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 in which we are commanded to “pray continually” and “give thanks for everything.” This brief conversation ended with a key piece of advice: that I begin viewing prayer like breathing. Like breathing in, I needed to take in the truths found in Scripture by either memorizing them or writing them on cards and placing them in prominent positions around my home. Like breathing out, I needed to speak out my thoughts to God, aloud or silently, talking with him about everything: hopes, dreams, disappointments, fears, worries, and more. I needed to breathe in and out, all day long.
I did as my friend suggested. I started breathing in God’s word whenever I was able to snatch a few minutes here and there, and then I started breathing out my prayers—all day long. This echoes the words above by Oswald Chambers: “Prayer doesn’t prepare us for the greater work—prayer is the greater work.”
Michele Howe is the author of twenty-seven books for women, children and families. She has published over 3000 articles, reviews, and curricula and has been interviewed on Focus on the Family several times. Her newest releases include Deliver Us: Finding Hope in the Psalms for Moments of Desperation; Big Feelings, Bigger God – Discovering God’s Care in Good Times and Bad; and Finding Freedom and Joy in Self-Forgetfulness. Michele welcomes you follow her blog.
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Yes, if you work and pray with true motives, your Father will open the way.
your Friend- His servant,
Isaac Otieno