Believe

I believe whole heartily in the power of prayer!  I believe that because of the love and prayers of many people, both known and unknown, I have a little boy.  I believe that prayer has brought more into my life than just a little boy.  Prayer has brought peace, strength, wisdom, guidance, comfort and change into my life.  What I ask for may not immediately manifest, but with time, and it never fails, prayer brings about the change I need.

My favorite prayer to date is found in Ephesians 3:14-21.  The ( ) are mine to illustrate that the prayer can be stated for someone or for yourself.

“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you (me/us)  mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your (my/our) hearts as you trust in him.  May your (my/our) roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.  And may you (I/we) have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you (I/we) experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you (I/we) will never fully understand it.  Then you (I/we) will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us (you/me), he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would every dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.”

I have just recently started to set aside 20 minutes everyday for quiet time to both pray and just sit and breathe.  In just a few weeks I have noticed a difference in how I feel and how my day goes.  The prayer above is wonderful and I do return to if often.  Most days however I offer up what is in my heart and any request that have been asked of me.

For anyone struggling with prayer I will give a simple outline/structure, I use this very same sequencing:

• Give thanks (for the day, for gifts/blessings, for struggles and hurts, for people, for whatever)
• Make your request for yourself and for others
• Ask for forgiveness for your mistakes, we are all flawed and when we recognize it before God he has the power to help us change
• Give thanks, thanks, thanks, and more thanks.  I believe all that we have is a gift from God and he never tires of our thanks and acknowledgment
• I end with I ask this all in Jesus name, Amen

It’s a simple as that.  Do this for a day, a week, a month, a lifetime and I believe your world (our world) will be a better place!

~With love~