Christ Glorified- Prayer
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
When I was in college, I made it a habit to pray as soon as I woke up in the morning. I think that stopped when I got married, and my routine suddenly meshed with my husband’s and a new one was made. Nowadays, my routine definitely looks a lot different. I have no need for an alarm clock as I have a sweet baby that has taken over that duty. My mornings aren’t nearly as slow as they used to be, and once I’ve rolled myself out of bed with the baby in tow, I rush around the house feeding and eating and getting the day in order until I get a chance to sit down again. With breakfast in front of me wherever I’ve gotten the chance to land, that is when I pray. I admit it’s a little rushed too as I’m usually extra hungry having just nursed, so my prayer is simple and honest- “Lord, thank you for letting us get some sleep, and please let us have a productive day that glorifies you....” I hold whatever appendage my son will let me grab onto while he’s sitting in his highchair to include him in on my morning prayer. Only recently have I stopped to think how crucial these little prayers are that start out my day, and how without them, my patience wears thin, my attitude becomes more me-focused, and I feel like crying by the time my husband comes home.
“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”-Psalm 5:3
Once I started to think about it more, I realized how throughout my day, I subconsciously keep up mini conversations with God through my prayers. For certain periods of time, I have alarms set on my phone to remind me to pray for a certain people, organizations or movements. I pray when I sense myself getting frustrated with my baby when he resists nap time and wakes up ten minutes into my time I set aside to work. I pray for energy when I’m feeling run-down, I pray to be lifted up when the monotonous routine of motherhood starts to bring me down. I pray for my husband at work when I know he’s having a hard day, or for my family when I’m feeling homesick. I pray so much that I had to include it in this series because I realized how God has made it an irremovable part of my life as a stay at home mom. Without it, I’d likely be so anxious and depressed that it would inhibit me from being totally present with my child and others around me. The more I ask of God to help develop my character into one that reflects my love for Jesus, the more the Holy Spirit leads me to a prayer and time devoted to reading scripture.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” -1 John 5:14
This is not all to say that just because I talk to God daily and give Him thanks for my life, salvation and more, that He just makes all my stars align and my life blemish-free. In fact, God usually works in the opposite way. When I pray for patience, He brings me into situations that test my patience, so I have to rely on Him to react peacefully and wait for Him to make the first move. When I pray to be lifted up out of my anxiety or depression, He sometimes leads me into days where I feel like I’m drowning, so the only way I can come up for air is if I grab onto His hand. When I pray for ways to honor and glorify Him with my day, He brings me opportunities to study His Word deeply or sometimes conversations or events where I may be singled out and be left feeling awkward because I don’t follow the world’s standards of right and wrong.
“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”- Psalm 34:15
Regardless of the outcomes, I continue to pray, as with each word I ask God, I know and trust that He hears them all. I can believe that He will reveal His answers to them in His own timing and way. It brings me peace and comfort because I know that when I make myself vulnerable and talk to Him, He’s not going to strike me down or make me feel ashamed for what I’m sharing to Him. I know that unlike my husband or my friends around me, He can sympathize with every experience and emotion I might be feeling, and that He’ll always have the perfect advice to give me. Lastly, I hold onto the hope that one day, these hardships will be just a minor blip compared to the day when I’m in heaven and will be able to talk to Him face to face. Oh, what a day that will be.