Just Pray

"Just Pray" has been the theme of the past two weeks. It seems that situations come up that I don't know what to do or say for the person, so I just pray. I want to encourage someone, strengthen them...just pray. I am not at all trying to sound callous or take it lightly that we can pray. It has really just been an exercise of my faith with the Lord.

You see as a woman who was raised to be self-sufficient and independent (to a huge degree), praying has usually been a last resort. A place I come to at designated times (meals, night time, quiet time, small group, church) and a place I come to when everything else I tried on my own didn't work (bad idea).

I started with just praying the scriptures, for me...for my closest friends...for my small group..for school...and eventually it just got bigger. It came with a complete understanding that nothing I can say truly will encourage (give courage) like God's word and the Holy Spirit. It came as a challenge from my small group member, to shut up when someone is freaking out and pray.

We can eliminate a lot of ourselves out of a solution, fear from our hearts on what to say or what we will say will be the wrong thing, and we can strengthen the person we are with or ourselves.

I challenge you this week, pray for someone over email...text message...voicemail...cell phone...in person..facebook...whatever or wherever...but start with the one who gave us life and holds all this life in His hands.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.