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.