Series: Renewal
John 1:12 ESV
When I was four years old I learned how to pray and since I liked singing about Jesus loving me and my da prayed a lot, prayer has always been an important part of my life.
Even though I’ve been a praying person since I was a wee lass, prayer is not the same today as it was when I first started.
When I was very young I learned prayers about giving thanks, gratitude for provision, and healing the sick.
By the time I was 7 years old I started noticing my dad’s face when he prayed. He would get quiet in his favorite chair and he would close his eyes. He didn’t fold his hands or anything but I noticed his facial expressions changed. He didn’t use words, but I knew when he was praying.
I also noticed when he took communion the same thing happened to him. He was very quiet and he was concentrating on God.
I believe he prayed for me. I think he prayed that I would choose God.
Looking back, I didn’t think about my dad praying for me but when my children were growing up, I prayed that they would “choose” God. They did.
John 1:12 tells us, “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
After I told Jesus I wanted Him to be part of my life, my prayer life changed. By the time I was 12 years old I was having dreams and visions and I started learning something about what God was telling me. I say I learned something about it because sixty years later I am still learning.
As I grew older I was told to make a list and pray through that list every day.
So, I made a list.
I faithfully asked God for things I had on the list.
At some point in my twenties I stopped using a list when I prayed. It wasn’t that I stopped asking for God’s help, it was more like I discovered I just wanted to sit with God. I discovered the list was “bothering me” because I was focused on the list instead of focusing on God. When I spent time sitting with God I felt very peaceful and I liked it.
I liked how I felt when I just spent time with Jesus/God.
When I had children of my own we would pray, but I don’t remember telling them to make a physical list. I do remember when they had a problem I would point them to God and tell them to give the problem to God.
I knew I was a child of God, and they knew they were children of God. We would talk about giving their problems to God and letting God take care of the issue.
I remember once, one of my sons was having a hard time with another boy who was picking on him in gym class at school. I knew my son was very upset because the other boy was two years older and he was a lot taller. When I first heard about the other boy I told my son I would pray about it.
I was hoping the problem would just go away but it didn’t seem to stop.
Then one day when I was praying about it I remembered another boy we went to church with was in the same gym class. He was very very strong. Even though my son was about four younger I told him to just stand near him. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt like God wanted my son to stand by the older boy who could be trusted.
It turned out that when my son started standing next to the boy who could be trusted, that took care of the problem.
That isn’t the only time I took a problem to God and I waited for an answer. I waited for God to tell me how to proceed.
That’s what prayer is really all about.
When I have a problem I go sit with God. I may just think about the problem or I may tell God what I’m feeling. I’ve learned to wait and listen. I ask God to tell me how to proceed. Then I wait. Sometimes I get a quick answer and sometimes it takes a while, but I always get an answer.
Just like my earthly father, I learned I am a child of God.
I can take my problem to God and wait for God to tell me how to proceed. It’s a conversation. The conversation comes about because we are in a relationship. God cares about my problems because God loves me. I love God because He is my Papa.
He is my Heavenly Father.
I can tell Papa anything.
Papa cares even about silly things that bother me.
I cringe when people tell me they only tell God about the “big” important stuff. I’ve found that God cares about everything I need. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, or even silly.
If it matters to me, it matters to Papa.
Oh, and the really strong trustworthy boy my young son stood next to…my son was part of the wedding party when he married my daughter. It sure is interesting how God works!
Spiritual Practice: Papa
Sit with Papa. Tell Papa what you are feeling. Renew yourself through God.
In God, Deborah
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