My Journey in Prayer

Sorry to be late with this post. Other commitments and a bout of some kind of stomach upset kept me from posting for a couple of days. I promised to share my experiences during the prayer event.

The pancake supper Tuesday evening was an enjoyable social event that I look forward to every year. My husband went with me and we had the pleasure of our daughter’s company as well. She doesn’t get to participate in many evening events since she works evenings, but this particular week, she happened to be on day shift for training. The food was great and better than anything I would have cooked! The only thing I regret was that our granddaughter couldn’t be there, but she attends dance class on Tuesday evenings.

I had signed up for the prayer room from midnight – 1:00 AM during the prayer vigil. It seemed a bit strange, entering the church that late at night, knowing just God and I would be there. I padded down the hallways, past the empty fellowship hall, the quiet Sunday school classrooms, through the overflow room, and into the prayer room, Once there, words escaped me, so I just knelt and asked God to listen to my heart.

I believe sometimes all God’s people should do that. God doesn’t need to hear our well constructed sentences whispered in prayer to know what we are thankful for, what our concerns are, or that we desire to draw closer to Him. Sometimes we need to be silent and listen. He speaks to us in so many ways. That night, He encouraged me to listen to one of the CDs that were available. I felt His presence surround me as I listened to some of my favorite hymns, such as “Fairest Lord Jesus” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness”.

Next, He led me to Psalm 19. When I was a child, I memorized many different Bible verses. Even though I can’t recite it word for word today, parts of that Psalm have come to mind many times throughout my life. It is a psalm that begins with praise to the Most High God. “The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” It goes on to extol the perfection of God’s laws and the rewards that are reaped from obeying them. The psalmist then asks forgiveness and protection from temptation. The psalm ends with this verse: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Perhaps it is these elements that lead me to this psalm. It speaks to all the things that fill my heart the most. I see reasons to praise God in all of nature, and the opening verses express my feelings of praise. I don’t always follow His perfect laws, and these verses remind me of the ways I will be blessed every time I choose to do so. Forgiveness always cleanses the heart, and it strengthens my resolve to resist temptation when I seek God’s protection from the forces of evil. The last verse bares my soul as I acknowledge God’s sovereign presence in my life and desire to please Him in all that I say and think.

Wednesday, I spent time in the prayer room again, and this time, I used the outline of the “five-finger prayer”. When you fold your hands in prayer, the thumb is the closest, so your first prayers should be for those closest to you, your family and dearest friends. Next is the index finger, or “pointer”. It reminds us to pray for those who point the way in our lives; pastors, teachers, and members of the medical profession. The third finger is the tallest and prompts us to pray for our leaders, from local to national political figures and on to business leaders and administrators. The fourth finger is the weakest and reminds us to pray for the needs of those who are sick, impoverished, downtrodden, and depressed. The fifth finger is the smallest and, after praying for those in the other four categories, helps us to put ourselves and our relationship to God and others in perspective.

Thursday and Friday evening’s services started with the praise team, and the music they sang set the mood for worship. Both pastors who spoke expressed deeply felt emotion as they shared their journeys in prayer and how they were led through a difficult time in their lives to the healing power of the Father. I felt called to enter into a time of prayer with my pastor, Derek, on Thursday evening. The experience proved to be such a blessing and heightened my awareness of God’s presence and guiding hand in my life.

Gary Weaver’s sermon on Sunday addressed patience. He stated that optimism is based on what is seen in the present, whereas hope is the desire of the future. The Christian lives not for the here and now, but for the promise of what is to come. He urged us to go to God in times of weakness even when we can’t find the words to express our need, for t is at those times that the spirit prays for us.

Prayer is such a personal way to communicate with God. God wants us to come to Him with our praise, our fears, and our dreams. When we can’t find the words, we can express our thanksgiving, our despair, and our joy through music, scripture, and, sometimes, silence as we listen with patience for His still, small voice.

I invite you to leave a comment and share the experiences you have had through prayer.

Thanks for reading my blog.

A Journey in Prayer

This past week, which marked the beginning of the Lenten season, has been one of the most meaningful in my Christian walk. Our church, along with other churches in the community, came together to present “A Journey in Prayer”.

The six day event started with our annual Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. It was attended by several and hungry tummies were filled with delectable pancakes and sausage. It was a precursor to the spiritual satisfaction of the soul we were about to receive throughout the next few days.

A prayer vigil took place from 6 PM Tuesday evening until 6 PM Wednesday evening. The small chapel behind our sanctuary had been converted to a prayer room. There, the worshiper could enter into intimacy with the Lord either through prayer, or reading several versions of the Bible, prayer books or prayer literature, listening to praise CD’s, or quiet meditation. A prayer labyrinth was available at one of the other churches.

A traditional Ash Wednesday evening service was followed by two services on Thursday and Friday evenings when each of two pastors shared their personal prayer journey. Our pastor, Derek Hutchison, has battled a cyst on the brain for most of the past decade. He spoke of his struggle with pain, frustration, despair, and anger as his journey in prayer led him to a place of gratitude and thanksgiving for “one more day”.

Friday evening, the Metehodist pastor shared how a deep hurt she experienced as a child affected her most of her adult life. She spoke of God’s gift of healing and wholeness, discovered through prayer, which led her from “fear to freedom”. Before the close of the Thursday and Friday services, a time of anointing and individual prayer was offered. This was not the norm for the denominations represented, and it was amazing to see how many people were moved by the Holy Spirit to leave their comfort zone and come forward to experience this blessed opportunity.

Thursday and Friday mornings, a Lenten coffee study was held, and then a men’s and women’s breakfast on Saturday morning. Each morning, a guest speaker presented different perspectives of prayer. A taize service was offered on Saturday night.

Sunday morning, our church hosted the other churches as our executive presbyter from Pueblo, Reverend Gary Weaver, spoke on the subject of “the patient prayer”. After the service, he sold and autographed copies of his book, Gentle Words in a Raging Storm: Prayers for All Occasions.

Throughout the week, a praise team regaled parishioners with an inspirational selection of contemporary music that delighted the ear and brought joy to the soul.

The event concluded with a pot luck where a wide variety of delicious foods were enjoyed by all. Members of the community churches feasted together as they shared ways in which the past few days of praise, prayer, and worship had touched their hearts and lives.

Tomorrow, I will share the most inspirational moments I experienced during the prayer event and what I learned about prayer.

Thanks for reading my blog.

His Name Was Frank

I’ve heard it said that certain people cross the path of our lives for only a short time, yet they can leave an impression on us that will last forever. So it is with me and Frank.

The first time I noticed Frank, he was ahead of me at the window at our local credit union. He was talking to the teller and expounding on Wal-mart’s policy of returning your checks on the spot after you have written them. He voiced his dislike of the practice, and when he turned to leave, I told him I agreed with him. We chatted for a few minutes, and I could tell right away that he was one of those people who bubbles with exuberance. It wasn’t until I asked the teller who he was that I even learned his name.

A couple of weeks later, I learned Frank was dad to a lady in our church who had become a good friend of mine over the past months. I ran into Frank a couple more times in town, and he loved to visit. One day we joked about the “goodies” we had purchased at the dollar store. Another day, we spent over an hour chatting in the parking lot at the grocery store, where Frank filled me in about his life as a farmer and rancher and how his illness had slowed him down these past many months.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Frank’s house armed with a notebook, a listening ear, and a lot of excitement in anticipation of the stories he wanted to tell. He showed me artifacts he had discovered on the ranch he used to own and manage near Colorado Springs. His eyes sparkled as he shared memories of his childhood, growing up on a Colorado ranch in the “dirty thirties”. He took me back to a time in history when life was difficult, yet structured by a morality and a sense of right and wrong that seems to be lost in today’s world.

The following week, I returned with a tape recorder in hand so as not to miss a word. He had also given me copies of poetry and short stories he had written. Some of what I had read tied in with the stories he told me. His descriptions helped me pull it all together, but I still had so much more I wanted to hear about, and Frank had much more to tell.

Sadly, I never got to see Frank again. He passed away after a very long and brave battle with cancer. I so regret that I didn’t get to know him sooner, but I also feel blessed to have had the time I did with him. He impacted my life more in the short time I spent with him than others I have known for many years. I only hope he knows what a privilege it was for me to view glimpses of his life.

He adored his family. Some of his poetry and stories are about them. Frank’s great granddaughter was born prematurely a couple of weeks prior to his death. Due to her arrival in this world a few weeks early, she had to spend some extra time in the hospital. Frank never got to meet his great granddaughter here on earth. Yet, this attests to the fact that when life brings sadness, God somehow replaces it with joy.

I trust Frank is now at peace, free from pain, and sitting tall in the saddle as he gallops across the plains of heaven.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Review of Love Finds You In Bridal Veil Oregon by Miralee Farrell

Lots of yucky mud around today. We brought our granddaughter and her little friend home from dance class last evening in a hard rain. By the time my daughter arrived after work to pick Madi up, the rain had changed to snow. There was just a light dusting on the ground this morning and a lot of ice. I about fell when I went to exercise. The parking lot was a skating rink.

I belong to a group that promotes historical novels entitled Crown Fiction Marketing. We keep in touch with each other, and when someone has a new release, the members do their best to get the word out about it.

Today, I am going to review a book I picked up the other day because I recognized the author. Her name is Miralee Farrell and her book is entitled Love Finds You in Bridal Veil Oregon. It is one of a series of “Love Finds You” books published by Summerside Press.

Bridal Veil is the story of a young woman whose marriage plans are interrupted by her father’s well-intended meddling. She learns of her father’s deception after his death. The story tells of Margaret’s emotional and spiritual journey when her former sweetheart returns to Bridal Veil.

The hazards of the logging trade are skillfully threaded throughout the book, adding excitement and authenticity to the story.

Mixed in to the plot is the presence of another important man in her life and her sense of responsibility to a pair of orphans who arrive in town on the run from their abusive caretaker. Margaret searches her heart and discovers God’s will for her life as she struggles to protect the children from harm. They are under scrutiny as possible suspects in a mysterious murder.

The author does well with character development. The unique trait she gives to the orphan Joel and his sister Sammie’s protectiveness toward her brother adds flavor and depth to the story. I enjoyed the twist that Miralee uses to finish her entertaining tale.

I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

The "Love Finds You" books all depict real towns throughout the United States whee fictional stories are set. To learn more about the "Love Finds You" series, go to the Summerside Press website.

Thanks for reading my blog!