I think when King David showed up at the gates of Heaven, the Lord may have welcomed him with something like, “Well done, good and faithful one. For while you have messed up royally in your life, you kept your heart and mind fixed on me, sought my will, and, above all, loved me.”
David honored God daily through prayer, praise, and worship. He abided in Him (Psalm 141:2).
We’re so used to prayer being something that originates from a place of pain and desperation, and oftentimes it is, but it is also one of the sweet ways we can honor (like an offering) Him.
Who else prays their way through the day? I know that I wouldn’t get very far in my walk without it. I pray over big things, small things, silly things, scary things, good things…everything! Even the fashionista in me, in an effort to keep my closet floor visible, will sometimes superficially cry out on a water-logged premenstrual day, “Lord, please dress me and help me choose the right outfit to wear today. And don’t let this heavy-laden clothes rack cave in during the process!” Our prayers aren’t superfluous (unless they come from a lack of faith) or bothersome to our Father. He wants to hear from us All. Day. Long. Unlike our relationships in the natural, our child-like ramblings don’t get on His nerves. Our spiritual father has an endless supply of patience, mercy, grace, and favor for our needs.
I love witnessing how my prayer life evolves from year to year, from glory to glory.
The other day, my husband and I were reminded to pray together (power in numbers, peeps) for a little boy who attends preschool with my daughter. The boy has been aggressive with the other children, including my daughter. I was actually surprised by my reaction when Lily first told me about the arm-twisting, then the face-scratching. It’s my normal way to go straight into over protective mama bear mode. But I was surprisingly calm on the three separate occasions that we talked about the child. Yes, I was concerned and planned on constructively taking it up the proper chain of command. But I wasn’t consumed by irritation, the desire to “deal” with the boy or his parents, etc. When my husband saw the little boy give Lily a hard glare at drop-off the other morning, he came home angry and insisted that I contact the school immediately (I love how I get asked to do the dirty work).
Before doing that, I suggested that we pray for the boy, the kids, and the staff. Later that day, I received an email response from the director stating that they were aware of the little boy’s proclivity, were in the process of managing it, would keep a close eye out for Lily,…BUT that the little boy had an unusually positive day. After weeks of misbehaving, he played well with others on the day that we prayed. I saw the little boy later on at pick-up and felt the oppression in his little body. The Lord did not show me what was going on (as far as specific details), but I was able to discern the oppressive spirit. I reminded my daughter on the way home that we need to keep the little boy in prayer, and we thanked God for growing my mercy heart a little bigger.
Ideally, the Lord would have had me lay hands on the boy and cast out that demon in Jesus’ name on the spot! But circumstances didn’t allow for it —COVID, parents can’t enter the main room, I’m still a little green in this area of spiritual warfare, and I would worry about offending someone, like the kid’s parents (that darn people-pleasing spirit strikes again), or looking like a weirdo (probably a little too late for that).
The spirits of anger, envy, and conflict really bother one of my family members. I love her dearly, but over the last year I have struggled to be around her because of the havoc these demons create in the lives of those around her. It’s even been hard to pray for her at times, because the hurts are repetitive—they just don’t stop. I’ve also prayed for her a while now and seen little progress (sometimes the enemy goes full throttle against the person you’re praying for, which eventually eases up if the person is receptive to Christ, not so much if they are not). Recently, I asked my husband to help me intercede on her behalf and we noticed the fruit of it over the weekend. She was unusually pleasant to be around at a family event. Not even a jab or derogatory remark came out of her mouth. I was in awe of what the Lord did for her through our prayers.
When I hear the garage door close every morning, I go into prayer for my husband and his day ahead. On the days my daughter attends preschool, she and I pray on the drive. Even if it’s something as simple as, “Lord, thank you for this day. Please protect them and keep them in your safety, give them peace in all circumstances, and fill them with your joy. Amen.”
Most importantly, “Father, help us all to know you better and be blessings to others.”
