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Because You Have to Start Somewhere

Posted Monday, December 3rd, 2012 4 Comments
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Ever get so involved planning an event for someone you didn’t have any time to pay attention to that person?
Christmas can be like that.
You’re bracing yourself right now, I can tell.
Raising your shields against the possibility that my next line will make you feel guilty.
Don’t.
You don’t spend hours of your day alone in a room on your knees reading your Bible and praying?
Join the club.
Even monks prayed as they went about their day
Wake and pray.
Eat and pray.
Study and pray.
Garden and pray.
Pray at noon.
Eat and pray.
Clean and pray.
Build and pray.
Write and pray.
Pray before dinner.
Dine and pray.
Fellowship and pray.
Sing and pray.
Pray with others.
Pray alone.
Sleep.
Wake and pray.
Jesus came because God wants to be with us.
He wants to be with you. Spend time with you. Talk.
Don’t panic.
He’s already seen your life. He’s heard you swear in traffic. He knows you watch too much TV. He’s aware you sometimes eat chocolate for breakfast.
Nothing’s going to shock Him if He rides along with you in prayer –
I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions.
I’m talking about now. Right now. In the middle of the busiest season of the year.
Why now?
Why not?
Because you have to start somewhere.
Or restart, because, I know there’ve been times when you were in the prayer groove and you and Jesus maintained an open line of communication
but somewhere along the line, you dropped the call, you disrupted the signal, you lost spiritual bars and
well, you’ve been waiting for the best time to reconnect, like the beginning of a week or a month or a new year
But God is saying, I am here- now.
I am.
It would be easier, I know, if He was sitting next to you in bodily form. None of us would give Jesus the silent treatment if we could SEE Him riding shotgun or hanging around the cubicle or watching while we scrub the floor
we’d talk. we’d listen. we’d connect.
we can do that now.
But He’s not visible so we need a reminder, something that’s always with us, something we won’t forget.
How about – your hands?
You never leave those behind, right?
Look at your thumb when you wake up and pray. Nothing fancy. Just invite God into your day.
Look at your pointer and ask for direction over breakfast.
Look at your middle finger and pray for your perspective and attitude as you work.
Look at your ring finger and pray for your relationships at lunch.
Look at your pinky and pray for strength through your afternoon.
Look at your opposite pinky and confess your sins before dinner.
Look at your ring finger and pray for people around the world, around your world, over dinner.
Look at your middle finger and pray for your attitude through the evening.
Look at your index finger and pray for direction for your life.
Look at your thumb and praise God for your day and ask for rest through the night.
Then, before you sleep, open your palms and receive Him again, His forgiveness, His love, His acceptance, His protection, His kinship, His presence, His joy. It is all yours in Christ.
“Rejoice always, pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Don’t make it complicated.
It doesn’t have to be some mystical event.
Keep it simple. Invite Him in. Start talking. Listen. Be with Him and let Him be with you.
Emmanuel. God with us.
He loves you so much, loved ones.
My “handy” prayer is just stupid enough to get you started. I bet you think of it tomorrow. I bet you think of Him.
And that’s the whole thing right there.

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    The Conversation

  1. Cathy Richmond says:
    December 3, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    He knows about the chocolate? Uh-oh!
    Thank you for this prayer, Lori!

    Reply
  2. Lori Stanley Roeleveld says:
    December 4, 2012 at 1:37 am

    It seems there are many chocolate for breakfast eaters out there!

    Reply
  3. The BearPair says:
    December 4, 2012 at 3:23 am

    Thanks Lori for the great admonition (OK, a little softer–“urging” ;o)… you’re right on target! Here’s one of my favorite McCheyne sayins on prayer: https://www.facebook.com/#!/BearPair Terry & Patricia

    Reply
  4. Diane Stortz says:
    December 9, 2012 at 3:43 am

    Love this, such an easy and practical reminder not only to pray but to pray broadly as well as specifically. And “palms up” not only relinquishes but puts us in position to receive.

    Reply