Pray to Do More Than Pray – Day 16 of Handmade
Pray
I’m currently reading A Prayer for Owen Meany.
I love my library copy. It’s soft and raggedy and well-used. Meaning, it’s been read again and again and again.
I’m on page 151.
I’m not sure yet what the title means. (No spoiler alerts, please.)
But this I know: we often pray FOR people.
- For their health to improve.
- For their challenges to be eased.
- For their spiritual life to flourish.
Sometimes our prayers are substitutes for our guilt. Guilt about not taking action to help improve their health or ease their challenges or grow their faith.
But other times our prayers are all we have to give.
And they are enough.
Because God has all to give.
But if God decides that he wants to give us?
We pray for ourselves to do more than pray.
And pray so much that we are soft and raggedy and well-used. Meaning, we’ve been prayed into love again and again and again.
Three Questions
Our three questions of the day:
(1) As a child, did someone in your family pray before meals?
(2) What do you usually thank God for?
(3) Who are you praying for this week?
* * *
What are your answers? Please share in the comments.
My answers
(1) As a child, it was always my dad that prayed aloud before meals. As an adult, Jeff does most of the meal-praying, but I do some, too.
(2) Family!
(3) For Morgan and Riley to stay healthy to come visit us this weekend. Very excited!
More here
- 4 Ways to Keep a Fresh Prayer Life
We don’t have the exact conversations with each other every day. Why should we with God? - Why Every Prayer Matters
She said someone prayed over her 4 years ago. And now this? There is no throw-away prayer. - Is Prayer Enough?
They need help. We say, “I’ll be praying for you.” Is that enough?
Get the whole Handmade series here
Growing up, everyone had to pray before we ate. I believe the goal was to ingrain the practice in us, something like training us in the way we should go (Proverbs 22:6). I’m grateful for that practice. This week, I’m praying for God’s children to rise above fear, take their positions, and be faithful in their duty to their Father. May God’s will continually be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Thanks for sharing, Lisa. Blessings to you.
Good word, Lisa. I’ve never thought about it before, but we do sometimes pray as a substitute for our guilt since we aren’t helping in a tangible way. Because there are times Jesus calls us to be Him with skin. To minister in His name and not use “I’m praying for you” as a crutch to not put feet to our faith. So I’m praying that in those times and situations when prayer is not the only thing I can do…that I do the “things” God calls me to do.
I think I read A Prayer for Owen Meany ages ago (meaning before kids), but I need to re-read it because I keep hearing about it from others.
1. No.
2. My thankfulness always finds its way back to family.
3. A woman in our church has been fighting cancer for as long as I can remember, and I just learned that today she is going by ambulance to the emergency room. I’m praying for her and her faithful husband.
I never read that book, but sounds like another good one.
1) Yes…we each took turns saying grace before meals.
2) The list can be fairly long, but includes: grace, mercy, good health, freedom, family who knows the Lord, church body, eyes to see beauty, ears to hear, relationships, and more….
3) Our grandsons in college with midterms and a couple who just delivered a baby that died at 24 weeks.
That’s a great analogy, Lisa. And a grand calling.
Yep. We prayed before meals always, my dad mostly, but he’d call on my siblings and or me once in awhile.
I thank Him for many things. Mostly for the health of my family and me along with His protection and provision.
I’m praying for His guidance in this life.