As a mother of two young children, I don't have much uninterrupted time -- if you are a parent, I know you can relate. I used to think that prayers could only be done behind closed doors, on our knees, in complete silence. As I've grown in my faith, I have learned differently. I have learned to use the ordinary moments of each day to pray and praise. I keep a journal handy where I write down the things I'm praying about for myself, my family, or others and how these prayers have been answered. It's a long list, but writing it down helps me not to forget. Sometimes I even just "read" my prayers. While doing my daily activities I multi-task by also praying silently about entries from the list. For example, I will pray while washing the dishes, cooking, showering, driving, or watching the girls play. My husband compares it to exercising. If you don't have 20 or 30 minutes of uninterrupted time, then do a minute here and there and when you can. I do not usually like to exercise, but since I have been trying to lose weight I have been trying to get my exercise in during moments of play with my daughters (e.g., doing squats holding them or running around the house and dancing). They think I'm just playing but I know that I'm also trying to kill two birds with one stone. Praying throughout the day works the same way. All the moments of praying will add up. Any prayer time is better than no prayer time. It doesn't matter if your eyes are open or you are standing instead of on your knees. The Lord hears all of our prayers. Of course the best and most intimate times of prayer are when you can find that quiet time to do it without interruption. Whether it is in the evening when the kids go to bed or early in the morning when the house is still asleep, I encourage you to find that time. But if you can't, it's good to use all the little moments. Prayers are always powerful, regardless of when they occur in the day and they are still answered, as long as they are said with faith and belief: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. (Matthew 21:22)."
I have noticed that if I spend my day praying and praising the Lord, my day just goes alot better! In previous posts I told you that I am a Type A control freak. What that means is that I have a tendency to get anxious, frustrated, and irritable when things do not go the way I want them to. When I catch myself start to feel that way, I simply pray: "Lord! Please help me! Help me to be patient, to not let this bother me." Times when I'm exacerbated with my children, I also pray silently, "Please help her eat quickly! But most of all, give me patience with her!" "Lord, guide me to discipline appropriately!" "How should I answer this question? How do I use this as a teaching moment?" "Lord, please still my hand, keep me from saying awful things I will regret." Everyday moments like these when I turn to prayer, I immediately feel a peace and an end to my frustration and I praise Him for answering my prayer, however petty. A little anecdote from today: There were contractors re-staining our deck so I could not let the dog out in the backyard as I usually do. Our dog is sweet and we love her, but she definitely needs a refresher course in obedience. I started to feel myself getting tense and annoyed. I had to put on her leash and also put shoes on the girls and take them outside with me for an impromptu walk. I was holding onto the dog who was pulling hard, while also trying to help my youngest daughter down the front steps. My neighbor said "hi" but I couldn't even respond at first because I was feeling exacerbated and struggling with each step down the stairs. So I silently said a little prayer, "Help me to calm down, please Lord." And after a minute or so, I was able to. We accomplished the task at hand without me snapping as I am inclined to do. There are times when I forget and don't turn to prayer, and those are the times when I feel my frustration grow and turn into an anger that does not go away until I turn the feelings over to the Lord. He hears us always and wants us to come to him for anything and everything.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 4:6)"
"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints (other people). . . (Ephesians 6:18)."
The last part of this scripture also reminds me of one last thing. . . that we need to use prayers to also intercede for others. I'm sure we all know people who are going through hard times, whether they are Christian or not doesn't matter, we should pray for them. And if we tell people we will pray for them, we should continue to pray for them -- at least until we know that the prayer has been answered or the situation has changed. We can even ask others to pray for them also. For the Lord says, "If two of you on earth agree about anything that you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:19)."
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