A Place For Prayer

We rang in the New Year watching War Room with Mark's brother and his wife. They brought the movie along and our traditional fun food and game night became a thought provoking movie night.

In short, the film is about the incredible power of prayer. Viewers watch a family move through life's obstacles as they learn to be prayer warriors. As part of the story, the wife creates a prayer room in her closet. This is based on Matthew 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (NIV)

Prayer, for most of my life, has been one of the easier aspects of faith for me. I am not always patient as I wait for the Lord's answer and I do not always like His response but I have always been confident that He hears me. I have always enjoyed prayer and am working daily to find ways to help my children learn to pray as well.

I pray short, quick prayers.
"Lord, thank you for the sunshine."
"Wow! Those are beautiful flowers. Thank you God."
"Whew! Thank you for making that truck stop before it hit us!"
"Forgive me for losing my temper Lord."

I pray long, emotional prayers. (Usually when Mark is working the hospital and the kids are asleep)

I pray prayers for my life as a Mama.
"Give me patience."
"Help me remember she is little."
"Please help them behave."

I pray prayers for my life as a wife.
"Help me build him up."
"Help me be supportive."
"Help me speak kind words and to respect him."

I pray in public.
I pray over meals at restaurants.
I pray as I drive.
I pray when we hear sirens.

I do not have a prayer room, nor have I ever even really had a specific time of day that I pray.

What I do have is my refrigerator.

To those who visit our home, it may look like many people's fridges. Magnets hold up pictures Annabeth has drawn, photos, and quotes. They are there because they are beautiful and they are there because they remind me to pray.

I currently have pictures of family and friends who are making moves in their lives and who are pondering work changes. I am praying that they will move as the Lord asks them to. I pray that they are seeking His will above all in the changes they plan to make.

I have pictures of people in our lives who are not believers. I am praying that they will come to know the Lord and that they will in turn raise their children in Truth. I pray that while they are lost their children will hear the Word of the Lord from other sources.

I have my children's birth announcements. I keep them up to remind me of the miracles that they are. It reminds me to pray for them because they are growing so quickly.

I have a picture of me that Annabeth drew. It reminds me to pray for her as she learns to draw and write in our school lessons. It also reminds me that she is always watching and that I need to pray for the Lord to help me be someone she can learn from.

I have two magnets with Asian writing on them. They are gifts from a college friend and his family who are serving as missionaries in SE Asia. These magnets remind me to pray for their growing family, their safety, and all those they encounter as they share Bibles on college campuses.

Sometimes I will stick up a word or phrase that I am needing help to remember. Words like "patience" or "dream" or "thankful" and as the day goes on each time I walk by the fridge or open the fridge I remember to pray for those little things.

I think prayer should be intentional and it should be done as often as possible.
I work to weave prayer into our daily lives and am so thankful when I hear Annabeth praying as well.
"Dear God, please let Owen sleep so I can do school alone with Mama."
"Dear God, please let me get Shopkins."
"Dear God, I hear sirens. Please keep them safe."
"Dear God, keep Daddy safe. Let him tuck me in bed tonight."

I have had this prayer system for all of the time that we have been married. I have found it to be very helpful in being intentional in my prayer life and I pray that it is pleasing to the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says "Pray without ceasing." I pray that this is the way I may approach 2016.