There is a poem about prayer by Helen Lowrie Marshall. In it, she refers to the strength, peace and joy that comes through prayer. Prayer gives you power. When you take things to the Lord regularly, you are renewed and empowered. You have the confidence and faith to tackle any problem knowing you have the power of the Lord behind you. Prayer dresses you in the armor of the Lord to do His battle.
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Prayer also brings you peace. With the Lord steering the ship, there is not as much to worry about. The seas of life are calm and your life is put in a better order. It is easier to see the horizon and to face the future when you are calm about the present. Having the peace of Christ allows you to know the future will be good and right, even though there may be problems you are addressing today.
Finally, giving your thoughts to God gives you a great sense of joy. You are lifted above and beyond the roubles of the world. God doesn't answer every prayer, but He listens to all of them. Knowing that He is listening brings one profound joy. You are never alone. No matter what the situation, there is someone to talk to and share your problems with. This peace and joy helps to provide the strength that is gained from prayer.
In our busy world we don't always have time to take moment to pray. We get in bed at night too tired to thank God for our day. We eat dinner in shifts because of our busy schedules and don't take time to say grace. It only takes a moment, but we seem even too busy for that. We can gain so much by prayer. It's so simple, so why can't we find time to do it? Try and make this Lent a time for more prayer in your life and in your family. Take the time. You'll see with prayer that you have strength, peace and joy and a refreshed, renewed, body made whole. God bless you.
Dear God,
We pray to You today. We pray because we know You listen. You listen and give us strength, peace and joy. Help us to slow down and talk with You at every turn of our day. Amen.
Luke 23: 1-25
Reprinted from St. Mark Presbyterian's 1998 Lenten Devotional with permission of the author, Kathy Klos
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