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One special Mother’s Day, my daughter Katherine gave me the gift of a little blank book. It was purple…and I still have it. Oh, believe me, I oohed! I squealed! I did everything but turn cartwheels to express my thankfulness to my sweet daughter. But then I faced a problem. I don’t know about you, but I never knew what to do with a wordless book. I mean, they are just so…blank!
Four months later was my tenth spiritual birthday in the Lord. I was having my daily quiet time. As I sat there, I looked backward over my first ten years of being a Christian. Soon I was profusely thanking God for His mercy, His grace, His care, His guidance, His wisdom, my salvation through Christ…. On and on my thanksgiving to God gushed. Then after dabbing my eyes and nose with a tissue, I turned my thoughts forward and I earnestly prayed to the Lord, “Lord, as I embark on a new decade of walking with You, is there anything missing from my Christian life that I should seek for the next ten years?”
Immediately, I knew in my heart what the answer was. It was prayer! Just like my little blank book, my prayer life was undeveloped. In fact, my prayer life was much like that of my young daughter, who prayed each night…God, bless mommy. God bless daddy. And, God bless the trees… I also offered up mere “fill in the blank” prayers.
My soul longed for communion with my heavenly Father that only the act of prayer provides. You” (Psalm 42:1; 63:1). And yet I also once squirmed at the thought of prayer. Why? Because even though I know praying to God will most definitely be rewarding and a blessing, I also know it is a serious undertaking. There is the challenge of finding and making the time, of seeking out and arranging for solitude, and of putting forth the effort that focused communion with God through prayer requires.
Do you, share these same mixed sensations? Then today purpose to heed God’s call to be a woman of prayer…no matter what! Embark on a journey of learning to live a life “on bended knee.” As the well-known saying goes, “Every journey begins with a single step.” And that’s true, too, of a journey into prayer. Even today I still remember the first step that I took toward seriously learning to pray. I passionately wrote in my little purple book, “I dedicate and purpose to spend the next ten years of my life in the Lord, Lord willing, developing a meaningful prayer life.”
Will you consider today writing in a blank book or on a clean piece of paper, “I dedicate and purpose to spend the next _______ developing a meaningful prayer life.” Then use these verses, an online Bible word search, or another valuable resource to guide you to the many prayers we can offer up to God and the many blessing He promises to His women who pray!
Psalm 55:16-17, Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 7:7-11, 6:11, 6:33, 21:22, 26:41, Luke 6:28, James 5:13-16, Philippians 4:6, , 1 Corinthians 10:13, 14:15, Ephesians 1:18, Hebrews 13:15
Question: Which of these verses (or others) encourage you most about the importance of prayer?
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
One of my favorite words in the English language is “bittersweet.” It’s sort of like the well-known announcement, “I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” This picturesque term always reminds me that many occurrences in life fall simultaneously into the glad/sad category, bringing forth both emotions at once.
