I was driving to our church offices last week and following behind me was a young woman driving alone, and it was obvious she had tears in her eyes. For the next two miles through stop lights and all, she kept wiping her tears, putting her hands over her eyes (while waiting at the stop lights) and obviously emotionally hurting. I'm watching this all from my rear-view mirrors of course, but I could see enough to see her pain, her wrenched heart, her emotional agony. It really hit me. As I witnessed this girl, my spirit stirred, the Lord spoke and told me to pray. I turned off my Smashing Pumpkins song, took a deep breath and prayed. What do you pray for? What is going on that I could ask for God's grace in her life? I had no idea. But you know what, I still prayed. I knew that she need grace from the Lord, she needed a spiritual comfort that nothing could bring her except Jesus. So I asked God to simply 'touch' her. "Just touch her Lord, with your love and your grace."
That hasn't happened very often, I'll tell you that. But it was a huge realization. Paul had something going on when he said, "Pray without ceasing." I remember studying this with Dan back in college. We found that Paul's intention was to pray from the state of not ceasing. If that makes sense. It's a state of being, of being in touch or communication with our Father. Do we consider this daily? Do we ask the Lord, "Give me ability to tune my thoughts/senses/brain/attitude to You"? Being in a constant state of prayer with Jesus... that's it.
The incident in the car was a sudden thing for me. (God give me grace,) I was listening when He asked me to pray for the young woman. But the conviction crept in, telling me that is how I should be always. To be in the state of prayer, always.
Hmmm.
I need to pray more...
2 comments:
So are you praying more? With your lunatic-I-work-at-starbucks-schedule, it is no doubt hard to wake up earlier, so you need to constantly battle to carve out time during your day in solitude and prayer. But movement must go from thought to deed in order to birth in the realm of action, so please, by all means, pray more. You are a godsend to me and a picture of integrity I hold both in my mind and viewing with my eyes. So please, by all means necessary to you and with all the strength your running body can muster, pray.
I love you my CB...now pray!
Nice post bro! I spend most my days on the road. I am a delivery driver and yet I don't always utilize the time given to me that I can be in prayer. I'm glad you moved when urged by God, continue to seek those opportunities and you will be blessed.
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