Fury, panic and perspiration struck all at once while I fumbled with fans and window blinds, trying to use what we had to keep the inside of our home slightly cooler than the scorching temps outside. As our indoor thermostat soared past 87*, then 88*, and 89*, I fumed, “How could he just assume it was okay to let our coverage lapse?” Before the complete thought could even formulate in my mind, conviction from the Holy Spirit shot like a spear right through my heart:
“How’s your coverage?” and along with the question, a reminder of the short and powerful passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing.”
My logical and carefully formulated response was, “Well, I had a really good prayer time yesterday. And I said prayers with the kids at lunch. I’ve been really busy doing all this stuff for the chapel, and the families who needed me for different things. And…”
“Yesterday?”
I got it. Took a few minutes, but I got it.
In one fell swoop God brought me back to my knees and provided forgiveness, compassion and peace. So our warranty coverage lapsed. Big deal! Do we really depend on warranties, or do we serve a mighty God who cares for our every need? I’ve been telling my hubby for years that we have nothing to worry about; could it be that he was actually beginning to see it?
After a time of heartfelt repentance I was able to imagine how things could have gone differently had I been prayed up. Today. Would the air conditioner still have broken? Probably. Would I have reacted the same way? Probably not.
We are charged with living in prayer. Eating, breathing and sleeping in prayer:
Ephesians 6:18 “Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request…”
At all times. When we rise in the morning and prepare breakfast for our families. As we fold laundry for each of our loved ones. While we are stuck in traffic behind a trash truck and the inner vents aren’t filtering as they should. At night, when sleep eludes us, and our mind runs through the day over and over again.
With every kind of prayer and request. Praising God for the new day and each of its possibilities. Thanking God for his protection when your children are out of your sight, or the parking space no one else has found. Requesting a time change at work so you can be home early for your family, or wisdom in knowing where to shop. Out loud, under your breath, in your heart; talking to God and sharing your life with Him has no limits.
Let’s examine our prayer life and determine in our hearts to be women of prayer, not just women who can pray. Will doing this change the circumstances in our lives? Sometimes. Will it change the way we react to and deal with these circumstances? Most definitely.
How do you exercise your prayer muscles?
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