Welllll, for today's Mona Girl Blog, Abba Father is stopping by to find out if We've GOT PRAYER?!?
Meaning, do We Pray for Ourselves on a regular basis, do We Pray for Others regularly......do We have an Active Prayer Life?
I know, I know, that's a tricky one, Right! We may go to Abba Father once and awhile with our Laundry List of Needs/Requests.......but that's NOT An Active Prayer Life. Or we may join in Prayer in church or at a Bible Study when our Pastor asks us to stand and Pray.......but that's NOT an Active Prayer Life. Or we may even get a group together on the phone once a month and Pray for each other........but that's NOT an Active Prayer Life. And in most cases, what we're doing, if we're doing what I described above, is kinda sorta going to Our Heavenly Father like He's a Prayer ATM. Going to Him Only with NEEDS, WANTS and REQUESTS on a sporadic, crisis driven basis.
But what I've learned, as my Faith Walk continues to grow and become more mature, Our Heavenly Father would LOVE if we would come to Him more frequently, on a regular basis in Prayer. Not just when We Need Something but come to Him and REST in His Presence when We don't need anything. Coming to God just to Thank Him, Chat with Him, Chill-lax with Him is also a form of Prayer. To be honest, I actually think this is the Kind of Prayer Time HE likes BEST and this is the Kind of Prayer Time with Our Lord and Savior that Blesses US more than we realize.
One of my fave Pastor's, who I read his Daily Devotion every morning, is Dr. Charles Stanley. And I like his take on Prayer: "God wants His children to ask for what's on their hearts, because He delights to give. Even more, He wants to fellowship with us. It's ongoing communication with the heavenly Father and should involve listening, speaking, and acting on what we hear from Him. What joy can be ours every time we meet our heavenly Father through prayer!" What I like about this quote is the word FELLOWSHIP. When we go to Our Lord, on a regular basis, we are actually FELLOWSHIPPING with Him. And that regular time of Fellowship brings about RELATIONSHIP! There's a bond, a friendship, a communing in love and respect that develops......we develop TRUST not just in HIM but He develops TRUST us. When we Fellowship with Our Lord, when we have a Relationship with Our Lord......we have come to a place on our Faith Walk where We Have an Active Prayer Life....where we've GOT PRAYER!! Oh Yeah Family!!!! There Nothing like that feeling of safety, love, genuine communication and authentic sharing that comes from an Active Prayer Life. We will feel more comfortable going to Him with our Prayers for ourselves and others.....we will feel more confident that He hears our Prayers.......we will have more assurance that Our Heavenly Father will Answer our Prayers....we will have a better idea of His wisdom/guidance on the correct actions/steps we need to take in our lives.
Hmmm, I can hear you - LOL! I hear you saying, "That sounds all good Mona, but I don't know HOW to even begin to Pray." Well, if you really think about it.....Our Lord ALREADY KNOWS what our needs, wants, concerns are and when we come to Him in Prayer, He Knows what we're going to say. Sooooo, since He ALREADY KNOWS, this takes the pressure off of Us as to "what to say", "how to Pray", "how long to Pray", "where to Pray", etc. We can just come as WE ARE, tired, broken, worried, nervous, whateva, wheneva and howeva we are feeling and just TALK to Our Abba Father. JUST TALK.....JUST CHAT.....and most Importantly,.....JUST LISTEN. Yeah, that LISTENING part of our Prayer Life is Very critical. When we get to the LISTENING part of our Prayers, that's when HE speaks to Us.......that's when HE answers Us....that's when we learn how to really HEAR His Voice.....that's when we realize (Yesss, I am repeating myself), that We are in FELLOWSHIP.......in RELATIONSHIP with Him. That's when we KNOW we are Moving and Breathing and Enjoying an Active Prayer Life! We are no longer desperately or hurriedly stopping by to rub the holy genie......and how disrespectful to Our Heavenly Father is that (insert sad face emoji here). And Loves, when We are Believers with an Active Prayer Life, this is what He Promises Us:
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:14, NIV)
"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen." (Jeremiah 29:12, MSG)
"Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3, GW)
Oh Yeah! Thank you Jesus! And Family, what will happen if we step out beyond OURSELVES and develop an Active Prayer Life with other folks?!? Oh YES! There's Nothing like Praying to Our Daddy God with a few friends.......and this is what He Promises Us:
"Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you." (Matthew 18:20, CEV)
Loves, I know this Prayer stuff can be a tad confusing but I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW that PRAYER WORKS! And it Works in a way that is Personal and Authentic and Intimate between You and Your Heavenly Father. Please don't Ever, EVER feel as though you need to Pray like the folks in church, like the folks you see/hear on T.V., like the folks in your Small Group, like ANYBODY ELSE but YOU! Your Abba Father wants to connect with YOUR Heart, YOUR Soul and YOUR Mind during Your Prayer Time with Him......because You are in FELLOWSHIP.........You are in RELATIONSHIP with HIM.
*Real Talk*: Family, there are times when I'm walking down the street, at the gym, on the subway, sitting in the airport, etc. that a friend may pop into my mind or I may pass or see someone who looks down and depressed, and I just immediately (without stopping what I'm doing and getting down on my knees, just continue walking, riding, sitting, etc.) say: "Jesus please Bless (insert Friend's Name or Stranger I just saw). You know their needs Right Now at this Moment. Thank You Lord. Amen". And Loves, THAT IS A PRAYER! No formality, no getting down on your knees, just a quick "Hey Jesus, Please....." and it's Done! Again, Our Heavenly Father ALREADY KNOWS what our friend/the stranger needs........We are just doing our Prayer Part by standing in the gap....standing in Prayer for them! Whewee! And as most of you know, I LOVE, LOVE Praying For and With folks!
Now I know I sound like a broken record ova here.......but when You arrive at this point in your Faith Walk....in Your Active Prayer Life.......it is Wonderfully Personal and Amazingly Awesome what you will Say during your Prayer Time and what you will Hear during your Prayer Time. Oh Yeah, let's ALL Agree Together Right Now...to make it a Priority to continue, establish, cultivate an Active Prayer Life! #GOTPRAYER??
"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." (Romans 8:26-28,MSG, emphasis added)
Family, Please send me Your Prayer Requests and Questions, Wincty@aol.com.
I would LOVE to Stand in Prayer for/with YOU!
Continued Success and Blessings!
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