Pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV)
One thing I have a lot of now is time. I often wonder how to fill up my days. I am not much of a TV person, and there I times I don’t really feel good enough to do anything. I may want to – but my body is not always cooperative. I used to let those times weigh me down - feeling useless – purposeless – empty.
One day I learned about prayer walking. (Although for me, sometimes it is an imaginary walk.) Prayer walking is about praying as you walk – for whoever is in the space you are walking.
Some churches have planned prayer walks where folks go out walking, praying for their neighbors in a purposeful way. If any of you have seen the “Facing the Giants” movie, there is an older gentleman who prayer walks through the school – praying for the students in the building as he walks, touching their lockers.
My prayer “walking” is different. I pray for my children and grandchildren if I go into their room. I pray for our family. At the doctors, I pray for each person who comes in to the office. I pray for the staff, the doctors. As we drive to the doctor’s, I pray for the folks who live in the homes we pass. I pray for someone on a bicycle in the cold.
Most of these prayers are prayers I will never know the answers to. The important thing is that God does.
I think God has been calling me to prayer for a while now, but I was too busy to listen. I know it is hard to view our illnesses as “gifts”. (I imagine some of you rolling your eyes right now!) My gift was finding the time to pray. Dear reader, have you stopped to consider what your “gift” might be? Prayer? Encouragement? Friendship? What can you do now that you were too busy to do before?
Prayer, Father God, it is difficult to be thankful when we are often hurting, when our lives have changed so much. Thank you that you provide for us and find ways to encourage us, even use us in mighty ways, when we listen to your call. Amen