Afterword: About to Begin. Continue in Prayer.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – February 1, 2015

Afterword: About to Begin. Continue in Prayer.

I’ve finished 31 lessons in prayer. The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray, by Rev. James Howell. There were 31 days in January, and I figured this would be a solid start to my Year of Everyday Prayers. I forgot about the Afterword.

Rev. Howell hopes this past month was a jumpstart to people’s prayer lives. (my words, not his—but the sentiment certainly is his!) I hope so, too. I am big on encouraging people to pray. Even though I stumble and fall often in this area of regular prayer, I know that when we all get together and encourage each other, prayer somehow works. Regularly.

I sent out the intercessory prayer email about an hour ago. Yes, I send out an email once a week to some friends. We have promised God and promised each other that we would pray regularly for these requests each week. So, this is what I facilitate each week.

As I understand from Rev. Howell—and as I’ve heard somewhere before, years ago—we never master prayer. We are always practicing. I’m okay with that. I know very well that I am no master! I admit I have had difficulty with regularity in prayer, for long periods of time in my several decades of life. God willing, God will bless my efforts in blogging about prayer.

Everyday prayer? Or praying every day? Either? Or, both!

Thank You, God, for helping me to pray.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blog, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.

(also published at www.matterofprayer.net

Solstice Observation–Midwinter Celebration?

Centuries ago, in the time before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, this time of the waning year was a time of darkness. And a time of light. The darkness comes from the lessening of sunlight each day (here in the Northern hemisphere). The light comes from the varying celebrations that many cultures, tribes and language groups feature, throughout the world. Different religions have different expressions of the death and rebirth of light and life. Different understandings recognize the death of the old year and rebirth of the new.

On this Midwinter day, I know several people here in my town who are observing the Winter Solstice. This weekend is their celebration, instead of Christmas. The origins of the Midwinter festival reach back to pre-Christian times, and are seeing a resurgence in some places today.

God, You’ve implanted this deep desire for Light, for Hope, for blessing and celebration. I think it is counter-intuitive for God to send Light and Hope into the world as a little Baby. (It just doesn’t make sense!) Yet, that is just how God decided to work. The Old Testament book Isaiah also mentioned Light. Isaiah 9:2 reads: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.” As Advent draws to a close, the time of celebration of the Light and Hope of the world draws near, too.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for this deep desire implanted in so many. Not only is there a desire for Light and Hope at this time of darkness and little hope, but You provide an answer for those searching. Not only have You placed a God-shaped void in the human heart (as Augustine said), but You have followed through with the promise of Someone to fill that empty place. Thank You for the coming of the Light of the world, the Hope of all nations. Amen.

@chaplaineliza

(also posted at http://www.matterofprayer.net)

The business—or busy-ness—of life?

Business stuff. My work life has been chock full of stuff lately. As a result, that means my husband, children and apartment all get less time allotted to them. Oh, yeah. And my prayer life usually gets short shrift, too.

I miss praying. I really do. When I feel myself losing my temper, or becoming anxious, or feeling the stress of many pressures weighing me down, I sometimes wish I had taken more time to pray.

I am not particularly a morning person. (The clock on my computer says the time is 11:50 pm right now. Case in point.) However, I now am finding some benefit to getting up early in the morning—earlier than I would prefer, most times—to pray.

From time to time, I remember Martin Luther put a high priority on prayer. So high, in fact, that I cannot ever measure up. Take a look at one of his quotes: “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Luther’s kind of example makes me feel pretty insignificant, for sure. But I need to persevere. Continue to pray. And I can remember that people today are quite similar to the people of the 1500’s.

Luther had many faults, but he also had a great amount of courage. It takes a sizable amount of courage to stand up to a large religious institution and point out some glaring flaws. I can relate to Luther, as far as both of us having a great many flaws. Please, God, help me to have just a little of his tremendous courage and persistence in the face of opposition and animosity. (Except I don’t particularly want to face the tremendous kind of enemies and resistance that he did.)

Thank God that I don’t need to deal with problems the size of Martin Luther’s problems. My problems are sizable enough! When work (and all its attendant necessary stuff) gets to be cumbersome, or frantic, or even deathly dull, what choice do I have? I can pray. And God has promised to be right by my side. Thanks for God’s promise from the Hebrew Scriptures, Isaiah 41:10. It’s stated in a verse of one of my all-time favorite hymns. “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed/For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.”

What else can I say, except—thanks, God.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thanks for the example shown to us by those who have gone before—like Martin Luther. I remember his faults, and I see mine as well. Forgive me, God. I praise You for Your forgiveness of his faults, and mine, too. Help me to follow his good example of prayer. Thanks for the intimacy You offer us, any time. Amen.