"Lost and Found", Art by BY GREG OLSEN" Click on picture to visit Greg's website!
Today is the National Day of Prayer. No need to talk about the idiotic issues that have been happening in reference to this day- we will leave that for another day.
For today- pray. Some may ask, “But how do I pray? Can I pray without my priest, rabbi, or pastor? What do I say? How do I say it?”
These are common questions and thoughts. But be comforted- it is between you and God. If you don’t believe, then try this- earnestly, honestly, but with true desire in your heart, ask God to help you believe- it’s ok, and not a stupid prayer. God loves honesty. Here is an experience someone shared with me of how they imagine their prayer time…
When I pray I kneel, close my eyes, and I imagine that Jesus is sitting across from me. He is calm, yet intent on listening to each and every word I have to say. He may even place His hand on my shoulder to comfort me, to let me know He desires my attention.
He doesn’t want me to use words that have no meaning to me, nor talk in a style that is not representitive of who I am. He wants me to simply speak to Him, ask Him, thank Him, cry out to Him…all in my voice.
As I have this conversation with my God I look across at Him and see that tears are streaming down His face in joy and happiness. All He ever wanted from me was my desire to be close to Him, to seek Him, to rely on Him, to be honest with Him.
Jesus lets me know that I can meet with Him anywhere, anytime. This is what prayer is about.
Here is some scripture that reminds me of who God is…
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
