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Step into a life of confidence and purpose | Devoutly

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Wed 9/20

I AFFIRM

My prayers will remind me of what matters.
Wed 9/20

I AFFIRM

My prayers will remind me of what matters.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

NIV

Devotion

Day 4 Belief in Actions Bible Verse

The Perfect Daily Prayer

By: Pam Kidd

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Devotion

The Perfect Daily Prayer

By: Pam Kidd

When David and I were first married, we went as Presbyterian missionaries to the Appalachian Mountains. There we made friends with a remarkable man named Father Killian Mooney, a Catholic priest who had come to Harlan County to serve a mission parish. Every morning he rose at four o’clock and trekked to a quiet place behind the church. He stayed there and prayed till 8:00 A.M.—four hours of prayer at a stretch, every day.  

As I struggle to maintain a positive prayer practice, I’m in awe of Father Mooney’s power of concentration. I can see myself out behind that church, saying, “Okay, God, three hours and fifty-five minutes to go. What now?”  

Recognizing my limitations as I set aside a time each morning to walk and talk with God, I take along some helpful guidelines I’ve read about. First, I center myself on God. I tell Him I appreciate the way He grows trees and fluffs clouds and paints the sky. Next, I tell God how very much I want to surrender to Him, to give all my problems to Him. I sigh, let go of the previous day’s failures and give them to my Father. I reaffirm the person I wish to become and thank God that despite my lapses, I am getting better. And then I listen.  

“Is there anything You want to tell me, God?” I ask.  

A breeze ruffles my hair. There is a long silence. A leaf sails on the soft wind and lands at my feet. I pick it up. My mind clears. I have a sense of well-being.  

“Is there anything I can do for You today, Father?” I ask out loud.  

A list forms in my mind. Check on Dot. Write a note to Ginny; she needs encouragement. Call and invite George to dinner.  

I turn around and head for home. It’s going to be a great day!   

Father, let me be as good a listener as I am a talker, as I commit myself to the practice of prayer.   

Story

Day 4 Belief in Actions Story

7 Reasons I Pray Daily

By Bob Hostetler
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The great Christian author and Anglican lay theologian C. S. Lewis famously said, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”  

I can say “Amen!” to that. I pray for those reasons. And more:  

1.  I need God. 

Like many people, I am most often driven to prayer because I need something. A job. Healing. Money for car repairs. Those sorts of things. But the more I pray, the more apparent my real need becomes: I need God. He is my source, my strength, my healer, my helper.  

2.  It clears my head. 

I can’t possibly count the number of times I have gone to prayer in confusion—my mind and heart all stressed and twisted and panicked—only to experience a wonderful release and peace by the time I finished praying. I know the truth of the verse, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee” (Isaiah 26:3, KJV) because I’ve experienced it.  

3.  It starts my day right. 

For many years I was too busy to pray in the morning. My days began with hurry and progressed in the same way. But at some point, morning prayer became not only a habit but also a blessing. It orders my day. It sets the tone. It gets me going in the right frame of mind and the right orientation of heart.  

4.  It ends my day right. 

Compline (evening prayers) has been a blessing to me. The prayers help my mind review the day, download and offload all the day’s stress and struggles, downshift my brain’s mechanisms, and prepare for rest. At this point, I think I could more easily go to sleep without locking the doors or brushing my teeth than I could without having prayed.  

5.  It reminds me of a few important things. 

Like who God is. Who I am. What matters most. Where I come from and where I am going.  

6. Things go better when I pray. 

I know God answers prayer because I see those answers on a daily basis. If for some reason I neglect prayer, I feel like I’m not firing on all cylinders. Things go wrong. I go wrong. Perhaps most importantly, disappointments and detours that might shake or shatter me if I haven’t prayed more often turn into blips—or even blessings—when I have prayed.  

7. I get better as I pray. 

Seriously, I shudder to think of the man I would be if I subtracted all the praying I’ve done over the years. Prayer makes me a better man, because prayer brings God and all He is and means into motion in me and through me. I am nowhere near good enough or smart enough to go without prayer. Little by little, day by day, I become a more blessed, more joyful, more capable, more focused and more sensitive person than I was just a few days before.  

I could go on. Seven reasons barely scratch the surface. I could easily list seven more. Someday I will. 

Reflect

What will help you stick with your prayer practice today?

Remembering that daily acts of faith, such as a prayer practice, don’t need to be big to be effective.

Reminding myself that prayer is a gift from God. It helps to clear my mind and center me.

Asking myself, what would happen if I asked God what I can do for Him today?

May God’s love encourage and guide your steps today. We’ll see you again soon!

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