Yesterday I wrote a story about making decisions and, in that story….
I referenced going to bed at night and praying while I fell asleep. Then as I woke up the next morning, as soon as I was cognizant that I was awake, with my eyes not even yet open, I immediately started praying again. It’s become a habit, but it took practice.
Thing is, I didn’t set out to follow this routine, it was not an intentional path to get there, I just kinda landed here by default, but it still took practice.
Somewhere along the way, years ago, I decided to stop asking God for so many things, the same things over and over like a broken record, and instead I began to thank Him for the things I did have, starting with the absolute basics, the things we citizens of first world countries tend to absolutely take for granted.
I rarely got to the end of my prayer, instead I would just fall asleep, which if you know me, doesn’t take long, at all, and as the last thing on my mind before falling asleep was thankfulness, praise, I began to pick right back up with my prayer as soon as I was awake. Prayer had become a default setting.
Through unintentional practice, I found myself more and more often thanking and praising God from beginning to end, throughout my day….
Kids or wife walk in the living room in the morning, thank you for my family. For your constant protection over them.
Sink full of dirty dishes in the evening, thank you for the food you provide, that no one in our house went hungry today.
Old vehicles that crank up when you turn the key, thank you.
Debit cards that are “approved” when swiped, big thank you.
Evening praise, carried over into morning praise, carried over into something I take with me throughout the day, like a default setting that just runs on repeat but…. it took practice, it took being intentional and, it has paid dividends in my life.
I find myself calmer in events that might otherwise get me cranked up. Even going so far (sometimes) as to lift the irate person that cut me off in traffic up to the Lord, asking God to deal with whatever event, circumstance, or problem in their life has them, and…. if they don’t know you Lord, may they give you access to just a piece of their life to work in.
I can offer them Peace, only because God has given me Peace to offer. Peace is a dividend of praying throughout my day. Last act of the evening, first act of the morning, living prayerfully between those two places.
God stands ready to work in the lives of people that don’t know Him, that don’t know Christ. Just like He stands ready to work more deeply in the lives of the people that do know Him, that do know Christ. The only variable in both of those equations, is access.
When you give God access to your life, it is like pouring water into a potted plant. The water doesn’t just stay there on top of the soil, or go straight down and through, it slowly seeps into every crack and crevice that can be found, sustaining and nourishing whatever is planted in that pot.
In that context…. prayer is the access…. it is the conduit…. that invites God to work in your life. (Read that twice)
If you want your relationship with God to grow, give Him access to your life, get to know Christ, the greatest example of how to live, love and forgive that this world has ever known, and….
Stop asking for everything under the sun, God already knows what you need. Practice instead constantly thanking Him for the things you do have, and you will likely wander and amble along into the path of the things you also need.
Get In The Boat. Do Your Part.
Practice Praise…. From Nose To Toes!
Shane / #16