{"id":3034,"date":"2014-05-01T10:37:41","date_gmt":"2014-05-01T15:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovingonme.com\/?p=3034"},"modified":"2017-05-09T10:54:36","modified_gmt":"2017-05-09T15:54:36","slug":"national-day-of-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/2014\/05\/01\/national-day-of-prayer\/","title":{"rendered":"This Coward Needs Your Prayers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Woman<\/a>Today is the National Day of Prayer. Fact: I am totally intimidated to write on this topic. But the editor of this blog asked me to. I felt like yelling at her: do you know how many books, poems, devotionals, articles and sermons are written on prayer? I don\u2019t know either, but I am guessing the word gazillion applies here. She said, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. Just listen and the right words will come.\u201d Here goes nothing\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just that I have no authority to write about the topic of prayer, but I usually don\u2019t, well, write on this topic. Not this overtly. Sure, I am open about my faith, but having been accused \u2013 and rightly judged \u2013 of being obnoxious about my faith when younger, means I am sensitive about what I say and how I say it. And truly I believe that I have no right to judge anyone. At least I am finally old enough and humble enough to know there are multiple sides to every story, bright spots in every person and a God who knows the real truth inside.<\/p>\n

But, the truth is, I talk about prayer and faith and all the related topics, A LOT. Ask the people around me. \u201cYou are in my prayers.\u201d \u201cI am praying for you and your sweet family.\u201d \u201cI will keep you in my prayers.\u201d \u201cI just pray that\u2026\u201d When you work where I work, surrounded by pain so massive there are hardly words to describe it sometimes and miracles so big that they take your breath away, you use the word \u201cpray\u201d often.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s start with this nugget of truth and confession. I BELIEVE in the power of prayer. There, I said it. Whew. Feels so good to write this. What is my hang up, anyway? That I will be judged? Offend one of you? The most likely scenario is I have bored you to this point. So, let\u2019s get to it. The heart of what I want to share.<\/p>\n

I believe in the power of prayer. I think prayer and good thoughts and meditation and quiet reflection, and connection to the universe and a higher power are good for every one of us. Search for articles on the \u201c27 Habits of Highly Successful People”, or the \u201c17 Tips from Morning People, or \u201c7 Traits of Happy People.\u201d You know the lists. All over Facebook and business magazines. Why do all those lists have such random numbers by the way? Regardless of the list length or title, so many of these articles note the fact that these people take a pause in the day, a quiet moment of meditation or a mindfulness of the good around them or literally are involved in spiritual activities like prayer.<\/p>\n

I believe in the power of prayer because I can testify to the power of prayer. Oh Lord. I just said \u201ctestify.\u201d Now, half of you have quit reading. The other half of you are judging me for my lukewarm faith, which I was taught was a sure fire way to get me sent straight to hell.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s what it boils down to. Story after story after story in my own life where God spoke to me during or after a time of prayer. Situations where my father would gather us to pray as a family when we were not sure if we could keep the family business open another day. The next day: exactly what we needed was provided. (Note: I am not saying our God is in the wish-making business and you should ask him today for a new car). Situations where I literally did not know the answer, and after time in prayer, the clarity was so powerful, I was speechless. Situations where when gathered with dear ones to pray over a death or around a table, I felt the presence of God and the fulfillment of the promise, that \u201cFor where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.\u201d Matthew 18:20.<\/p>\n

So, on this National Day of Prayer, can we just own it? This praying thing? I can\u2019t tell you how to do it or what to say. You know what’s best for you. For some people, it\u2019s totally natural\u2026a running conversation with God in your head. For others, it\u2019s awkward and forced and you feel like you have to use a bunch of Old English. For many, it takes different shapes and different forms just like our conversations with a dear, old friend.\u00a0 A quiet pause. Meditation on a scripture or poem or word. Lighting a candle. Taking a walk in nature.\u00a0 There are a million ways to do it and I don\u2019t believe any one of them are \u201cright\u201d or \u201cbest practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

I am pretty sure \u201cpraying\u201d is like exercise. I\u2019ve never heard anyone regret taking a pause to pray or meditate once finished.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s claim this National Day of Prayer and leverage the power of it. Let\u2019s pray for one another and share in our burdens. Let your heart weep for someone else today. Need something to weep for? Come see me: I have a long, long list.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s pray and put good thoughts out to the world for one another. What a gift to have someone praying for you!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s pray for wisdom and peace and discernment and patience (crap, don\u2019t pray for patience\u2026that\u2019s just ASKING GOD TO TEST YOU) and joy. Positive thoughts out bring positive thoughts back in.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s pray for our families, our friends, our co-workers, our nation and our world. Because the truth is: it is needed. There is so much hurt that needs the power of love and prayer to fix.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s pray. Today. For we have no promise of tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Because I have no authority to write on this\u2026no seminary degree, no doctorate, no title of pastor, or minister, or reverend or rabbi, I\u2019ll leave you with words I find powerful. These were included in a blog today penned by the dear friend of the woman in Arkansas, April, who just lost her two sons this week to devastating tornadoes. Yes, she has tremendously deserved anger and profound sorrow, but she also has a faith that is beyond inspiring.\u00a0 She is taking comfort in this:<\/p>\n

Isaiah 55:8-11<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFor just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Please, produce some fruit today. Pray for one another. Send out a good word and let it prosper. If nothing else, pray for me. I need it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Fact: I am totally intimidated to write on this topic. But the editor of this blog asked me to. I felt like yelling at her: do you know how many books, poems, devotionals, articles and sermons are written on prayer? I don\u2019t know either, but I am guessing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sharing_disabled":false,"switch_like_status":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[204997547,114917237],"tags":[10051,204997680,401,7816,6197,204997558,853],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/iStock-praying-hands-1000.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4eAxC-MW","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3034"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3034"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9145,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3034\/revisions\/9145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}