Pray All Day

Every evening I go through the same routine: let the dogs out, grab a cup of water, brush my teeth, wash my face, let the dogs in, and make sure all the doors are locked.  Then I prepare for bed: change into my jim-jams, put on a bit of lip balm and rearrange my pillows. Then, the moment I’ve waited for all day. I climb into bed, take a deep breath and pray: “Thank you, Lord, for getting me through this day.”

I’m not a very good pray-er. At the very moment when I sit down to pray I, frankly, just can’t think of anything to say. Oh I go through the usual “please watch over my family and friends” and pray for a special blessing for someone that is in the forefront of my mind, but after the business part of my prayers are done my mind just goes blank. It's really quite frustrating. I should be better at this!

Every Sunday while in church during prayer time I am envious of the beautiful words the pastors put in their prayers. Granted, they usually have them written out beforehand, but to be able to come up with those beautiful words in the first place is a gift. 

However, while I am sitting in bed at the end of the day I am just too tired, both physically and emotionally, to come up with something that King James would be proud of. After beating myself up for years, I finally realized that what I say isn’t nearly as important as what is in my heart. Prayer, I've discovered, should be like breathing, natural to do anywhere you are.

I am always in awe of someone who will say, "I meditate for 45 minutes every day." Seriously? If I sat cross-legged on the floor for 45 minutes I wouldn't be able to stand back up. What I have learned, however, is that you don't need to be sitting cross-legged on the floor in order to meditate.

Do you worry about things? I do. Truth is, if you can worry you can meditate and, in turn, you can pray.

God wants to be the center of your life: the center of your conversations, work, entertainment and relationships. Prayer keeps Him in the center of all you do and at the forefront of all your thoughts.

Instead of forcing myself to try to come up with the words all in one sitting I have learned to pray every time I see or feel a need. I pray while driving, while at work, definitely while working out, and while relaxing. Sometimes I just stop what I am doing and praise God, and that is prayer too. It is an ongoing conversation of love, hope, and faith. It takes place throughout the day whenever I feel the need and whenever the Holy Spirit moves me.

So when I curl up in bed at the end of the day and my thoughts from the day are stilled, in that moment, it happens -- this feeling of love washes over me like the warm blankets that surround me. He is here, with me, just like He has been all day.