When do you pray?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18)

God makes it abundantly clear that prayer is not just something saved for your time of devotion. He wants us to bring things to Him whenever and however we can. When making a commitment to a friend, family member or even a stranger that you will keep them in your prayers, it is awesome that you can have the ability to log that commitment right there in PrayerSteward, showing that person that you truly do intend to keep your Promise2Pray. But think of how powerful a message if you also take just a minute or two to intercede right then and there and say a prayer to God for that person. It can be a quiet moment with just you and the Lord, or you can sit down and pray with that person.

A few years back, I was on the receiving end of one of these situations. My wife and I had received some potential life changing news about her health (which in the end turned out to be a false positive). I went in to his office to let him know what was going on and that it might have an impact on my work in the coming weeks. What happened next was truly an amazing moment. He closed the door, sat me down and prayed with me. I was so touched by the fact that he took time out of his busy schedule to intercede for me to the Lord.

I will never forget how powerful that moment was in my life. But there are other times as well when lifting a prayer to God is appropriate. You see, the bad things that happen in life are some times easier to remember, especially if it someone very close. But when is the last time you saw a rainbow, or fresh snow, or an incredible view of a majestic mountain top? Did you stop to think about the incredible job God did in providing this beauty? Did you ever think about how God continually paints a beautiful picture around us? Think about the seasons and how with each Fall God sends us beautiful colors (yes as we are raking those up, we should be thanking God for sending the beauty that was before those leaves hit the ground). And as we experienced here in the Mid-Atlantic this winter, how beautiful is a couple of feet of snow on the ground, especially during and right after the storm? Perfect, pure, white and beautiful.

The next time you cut the grass, shovel the snow or rake the leaves, do not belabor the point of the work, but instead glorify God for the ever changing beauty he sends our way each and every day.

Remember to prayer continually. Prayer does not have to be, and should not be, a once a day activity. Make note of things to be thankful for, to petition for and those prayers of intercession and prayer continually.

God Bless your weekend!