By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.
Psalm 42:8
"I just pray."
These words resound in my head as I look into his eyes. My words fail me so many times.
After facing mockers at work, I run into one who mocked me and now asked me for prayer. Tears steamed down his eyes for his father who was now ill. I was there to pray for a friend's grandmother facing surgery. This in another city so many miles from where we lived. We got lost and ran into him. What was I going to do? There I stood with the chance to just ignore him or just say some small prayer and be on my way. Instead, my heart broke. All wrong done to me mattered not. Love for him welled up inside me. I prayed from the heart with my feeble words. I embraced him as I left. His sorrow was now tears of reassurance.
I am not skilled to understand what God has willed or what God has planned. I just feel others burdens and pain. This leaves me vulnerable to be hurt while being open. But I still pray. I pray to tell them that there is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary, love for the broken hearts, of God's grace and forgiveness, His mercy and healing that will meet them where ever they are.
I pray for the marriages that try to hang on and have lost their faith and love. I pray for those who try to break the addictions and chains that grip their lives. I pray that they know their not alone in their shame and suffering. I pray for the widow who suffers from being alone as she wipes the tears from her eyes. I pray for the children around the world without a home. I pray for so many things.
I just pray...
I know my weak prayers are not enough.
Give me words to speak.
But my God you are with me, so whom shall I fear.
Though others may mock and laugh at me, your perfect love casts out fear.
Lord let me not turn back.
Help me fear no evil.
For you never let go of me through the calm and through the storm.
Help me to hold on, Lord.
I know there is coming a day when these struggles will end.
In my highs and lows hold me near.
I can see a light that's coming to the heart that holds on.
A glorious light beyond all compare.
Please, let me not dismiss your miracles and signs as coincidence.
Help the naysayers have their eyes opened.
Help me to have love within me.
If I have not love, then it just a resounding noise, an empty sound.
Let me love the unlovable.
Give me eyes to see them as you see them.
All the empty claims of men upon this earth amount to nothing.
It's all about your sacrifice.
Guide my steps as you would one learning to walk.
In this walk never let me be too busy to help a fallen brother or sister.
Let it be so.
Amen.
by
Lance Gargus
Books:Christianity,Bible,Jesus,Angels,Soul,God,
Holy Spirit,Doves,Love,Children,Heaven
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14 comments:
prayer is so powerful. you don't just pray. you are approaching God's throne of grace with the needs of others and yours too on hand.
"I am not skilled to understand what God has willed or what God has planned"- I love that line from the song,
"My Savior Lives, My Savior loves, My Savior's always there for me...."
And so that's why we're not afraid to pray.
Wow. Let me think, no, let me just react:
I lost the ability to pray for years. Even when I began my return back to God, I could not pray. When I began attending my current church, I met with my pastor who asked to pray with me and I couldn't, so he did the talking. I cannot pick or remember the day that God loosened my tongue and softened my heart, but it happened.
I think prayer is many things. It can be oral communication with God, it can be in our thoughts, it can be written in a journal or on scraps of paper.We can put requests online and hope someone prays for us.But actions can also be prayers. I would call what you did for this man a prayer because through this person, you were reaching out to God. Some of my poems are prayers, even if God is not mentioned. Some artists build sculpture as a prayer. My husband does collage art and many of his works are prayer--he even has one based on a portion in Matthew. Sometimes just getting up to go to work is a prayer.
I see myself as a flawed Christian, who God for reasons unknown has tested me, perhaps to make me a better creation. But I think the secret of prayer lies in these verses: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be done to you as well. (Matt:6:33) If our prayers, however they may be manifested, do not seek the kingdom of God that is within us, then to me, prayer is like a list to Santa, full of hopes, but going nowhere.
Thanks for this post.
Do you know who TW Hunt is?
It's ok if you don't...but one time I heard him say, "Prayer is work".
And it is. It's also the place where our hearts are prepared for battle, and softened with grace and mercy for those we encounter- both lost and found- but struggling.
Prayer is communication. And I've found that some of the most illuminating and powerful moments of clarity have come not in a formal setting, or even on my knees next to my bed- but just in times of quick conversation...when I blurted out a question, or needed some guidance in the heat of a moment- and was answered immedately.
However, had I not been in the habit of "conversation" or prayer- then those moments of intimacy and communication can not happen.
Beautiful post Lance, and convicting too- I'm out of the practice of frequent prayer...and I know I should change that.
Happy Thanksgiving~
The best prayer in the world is....'Jesus'.
I am in awe that you feel other's burdens like that. That's the love of Christ shining through you - amazing thing to see! I don't know if others feel that level of burden and heartfelt heaviness for others, but in my opinion this seems to be rare. While I do pray for my 'enemies', I don't get that overwhelming sense of love for others as I should.
Hold fast to what the Lord has given you.
God bless.
There you go, acting just like Jesus. He prayed for those who used Him, persecuted Him, denied Him.
I can hear the Father saying, "Well, done." and more importantly, "I am pleased."
Your best post by far!
Touched us all.
To react like that is a great moment.
Carry on that way.
I just pray too...that's an amazing post. Thanks for your comment on my daily blessings page on Thanksgiving. I think it's amazing that a small prayer can change someone's life...Praise God that your co-worker turned to you in need and in that turned to the possibility that God IS real!!!! As we know He is!
We humans need to have the love of God poured out in us, at times, to be able to pray over those who hurt others. Without that love our prays would be not be enough. Your burden bearing ability is a great gift from God. Beautiful post
Congratulations on your award!!! Come to my site to pick it up.
You got it Lance.........I got you on my blogroll..!
Thanks for checking me out, you're in my reader so I'll be able to keep up with yours.
Amen to that, Lance!
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Blessings,
Bruce
Christian Soldiers' Word of Mouth Ministries
Lance,
That was awesome! Prayer is a privilege. I LOVE prayer. It is my time to be myself with God. Talk with Him about things I wouldn't talk to anyone else about. Listen to what He has to say and wants to say. I love praying for others in secret and watching God answer prayers.
Prayer is a place of intimacy. Sometimes, when I am alone in my room praying. I get a paper plate, plastic fork and spoon, a napkin. And I act as if I am setting the table for God. I sit on the floor and talk with Him. I wait for Him to respond etc. I love dating Him and keeping my relationship with Him fresh.
Thanks for dropping by my spot. Keep in touch and keep coming back. Glad to have met you. Great post.
KimPossible
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