Laced With Grace

Do you get distracted when you pray?

I have to admit that at times …I do.

I begin by praising God for who He is.  I thank Him for what He has done.  I acknowledge my trust in Him.  But as I begin to get into my time of intercession, suddenly my mind wanders to my to-do list or something flashes through my mind that I forgot to do.  Before I realize it, more time has gone by and I have to get ready for work.

At night as I lie in bed, I pray.  I realize the next morning that I fell asleep while I was praying.

Before Jesus was arrested, He went to Gethsemane to pray.  He took Peter, James and John with Him.

Mark 14:32-34 says: “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  ”My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them.  ”Stay here and keep watch.”

While Jesus was praying, He asked a simple request of His disciples.  Stay here and keep watch.

Mark 14: 37-38 says: “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.  ”Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep?  Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

I have to admit that I probably would have been like Peter and fallen asleep.  I feel saddened as I think of that.

I thank God for His grace and mercy.

I started including a few helps for me to use during my prayer time to keep me focused.

• I use 3×5 cards with Scripture verses that I pray back to the Lord.
• I have a book called “31 Days of Praise” by Ruth Myers and I often use it as I praise Him.
• I keep a list of prayer requests in front of me.
• I sometimes sing to the Lord (even though I may be off key).
• I have learned that it’s OK to continue my prayers throughout the day.

My list certainly isn’t complete but I know that you have some thoughts and points you might add to help me and others who get distracted.

Will you offer some suggestions for those who get distracted when they pray?

Blessings and love,

 

Where do you turn for help?  When life gets hard, do you run to tell others?  Or do you keep to yourself as you try to figure out a solution?  Maybe you try to pretend that nothing has changed to keep up appearances.  Or do you get so depressed that you don’t want to leave your home?

I recently watched a movie called The Company Men.  The story followed three men who lost their corporate jobs due to downsizing in the company.  The recession impacted the bottom line and so employees were let go.  It was interesting to see how each man dealt with this loss.

One man continued to leave his house at the usual time carrying his briefcase and returning home as usual so the neighbors wouldn’t realize he had no job.  Another man continued to go to the country club and golf despite the fact that he was unable to pay the monthly fees.  Keeping up appearances seemed to be so important to him.  Another man was so devastated and depressed, he spent time drinking alone in a bar.  Suicide seemed to be the direction he was heading.  Another man took a job that payed much less money and moved into his parent’s home with his wife and children to help make ends meet.

Although this movie was fiction, it resonated with me.  After all, this seems to be happening every day across the U.S.  People lose jobs, homes, loved ones to illness.

I was saddened to read the local news this past week.  A well known radio personality in my city was found dead along with his wife in a hotel.  It turned out that they were dealing with devastating financial and health issues.  They didn’t want to live and so they ended their lives leaving notes for their loved ones.  People were shocked by this news.  But people often take things into their own hands.

Where do you turn for help when you feel desperate?

Psalm 46:1-3 says:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, thought the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

These Scripture verses have so comforted and strengthened me during the past few years.

I experienced several major life changes and issues. I wish I could say I handled everything properly but that wasn’t always the case.  But one thing I always came back to and that was the ONLY ONE who had all the answers; the Lord.

I made the daily choice to pour out my heart to Him.  I prayed and asked for His help.  As I read my Bible, I realized that there was a purpose and plan for my life even in the midst of uncertainty and pain.  I learned many valuable life lessons through the painful trials.  And I’ve come to a point in life where I can truly empathize with others who are going through difficulties.

I encourage you to turn to the Lord when you need help.  He will lead, guide and direct you.  And in the process, He will provide His comfort and strength to get your through no matter how impossible it feels.

And when people ask you how you do it, you can give God all the glory.

Blessings and love,

 

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. I love to hear the familiar carols playing on the radio.  The decorations are so festive and the excitement in the air is contagious.

Working in a school with little children takes me back to my childhood.  The kids are so excited about Santa.  There’s a little elf on the shelf who is keeping an eye out for those good little girls and boys.  So you better watch out!

But I also want to celebrate the reason for the season; the birth of Jesus the long awaited Messiah.

When the Magi found Jesus and his mother Mary in Bethlehem, the Bible says in Matthew 2:11

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

The response of the wise men when they saw Jesus was to bow down and worship Him and to give Him gifts.

As a Christian, I’ve received the gift of Jesus.  I am at peace with God because of Jesus.  He died to pay the price for our sins.  But each one of us has to receive that gift personally.

I’ve been thinking about what gift I can give Jesus at Christmas time.  I’m so thankful for His grace and mercy and forgiveness.  I choose to live a life of love because of what He has given to me.

And so I come to realize that the gift I can give back to Him is …my whole heart.

That means that I choose to submit my will to His will.  I stop trying to control everything and allow Him to show me the way He has chosen for me.  I learn to trust Him.  After all, He created me and knows what is best for me.

He knows the innermost desires of my heart better than I do.  After all, He led me to a place where I’m working with little children.  I have to admit I came to this place through circumstances that were not of my choosing.  But in the midst of many trials, I made the choice to listen, learn and to obey God.  Life isn’t perfect for me by any means and there’s a journey ahead of me.  But I’d rather walk with Jesus through it all.

He is the reason for the season.

Will you consider giving your whole heart to Him this Christmas?

Blessings and love,