Psalm 97, 99, [100]; Psalm 94, [95]; Jeremiah 17.19-27; Romans 7:13-25; John 6:16-27
A man who prayerfully goes about his life is constantly ready to receive the breath of God, and to let his life be renewed and expanded. The man who never prays, on the contrary, is like the child with asthma; because he is short of breath, the whole world shrivels up before him. --Henri Nouwen
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? --Romans 7.24
The shift for me into going about my life prayerfully was when I realized that I needed rescue every minute of the day, and that God cares about my well-being.
So, for instance, I don't just pray for self-control once a day; if I'm tempted to eat something I shouldn't-- a piece of candy, say, or a jar of Nutella-- I pray for self-control right then (most of the time).
I don't just pray for patience as I'm gazing upon the sweet sleeping faces of my children; when I'm late for swimming lessons and then the little boys who normally move like greased lightning go into molasses mode, I need to pray for patience right then, too.
So once I really internalized that God isn't setting me up to fail, that he offers "present help in trouble," I began praying for everything. Wisdom. Courage. Healing for the suffering people around me. Suddenly, a prayerful life didn't look like what I had thought-- the solemn, stately movements of an Extremely Holy Person; it was life. Just life, full and really unbelievably joyous.
And it really was like breathing deeply for the first time-- or like a long dormant plant bursting into bloom.
Where has God breathed into your life?
Where do you
1 comment:
Where has God breathed in my life... most recently with the wonderful warming of the weather and the joy of flowers.
Where would I like him to... in places where I know he moved to get me there but I'm looking for something fresh to confirm what he's already done.
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