Looking Forward to Praying

Yesterday, I wrote about prayer and our desires and how we often pray prayers that don't reflect God's desires.  Check it out here.

That really challenged me, as well.  Prayer has really been on my heart lately.  Maybe, it's because that is where the battle is fought…the real battle…the battle for our souls, for our hearts, for our minds, for our families, for our marriages…in prayer.

It's taken me a lifetime to get to this point. Crazy!  I know…right?  That's probably because I'm task oriented and I'm a guy.  Not a great combination for seeking someone else's thoughts or help.

It's not that I didn't believe in prayer.  It's not that I haven't spent intentional time in prayer in the past.  I have.  It was during a time of intense prayer for my wife, Karen, that God told me she would be diagnosed with colon cancer.  It was two year later, during a time of prayer that God told me she would never recover and eventually die of cancer - you can read that story here.  It was during a time of prayer that God encouraged me to pursue Cindy's heart.  It was during a morning of seeking God's heart in prayer that He spoke to me and said He would provide Cindy and me a child when we couldn't do it on our own.  So don't get me wrong, prayer has been a big part of my life.

But something is different about the way I pray now. I look for opportunities to spend time with God, not just at dark-thirty in the morning, but throughout the day.  It's not just about the big stuff, but with the little things like vacation, reorganizing our house - my office is now in the "pantry", and finances.  I've prayed for these things before, but now I find myself talking to God about them more. I find myself asking God to give me wisdom and to put His desires about them in my heart.

The last two Fridays, Cindy has had to go to Memphis to take some tests to renew her teaching license.  You teachers know what I'm talking about.

I hate standardized tests.  They drive me crazy, unless it's math or science or geography, then I'm a ninja!  Ok, never mind about my mad skills, stinkin' A.D.D.  

Anyway…I have been praying for Cindy as she prepared to take these tests.  As I did, praying for her in other ways started to find their way into my prayers.  Now I find myself praying for her throughout the day.  It's actually become one of my favorite things to do…pray for my wife.

You can do it, as well.  If you don't pray much or at all, start small.  Start by praying for your family by name.  You can also start with praying about specific issues you need help with…guys, we all need help, so start with you.  There may be something you're not sure you should do…a new job, a decision that will have a huge impact on you and others…whatever it is stop and ask God to give you His desire for that decision.  Just start somewhere.  If you need help, set up a reminder on your phone to pray throughout the day.

You can pray for God's desires to become your desires.  I am living proof that the more you do it, the more you will look forward to doing it.