april challenge: prayer

I couldn't think of any other way to start. Without crying out to God, I don't know how to start this year of practicing spiritual disciplines. (See previous post if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

I chose the discipline of prayer because it's the only way I know to improve communication with God. It's the best way I know of to fully offer myself to God, to open my heart to what He has for me.

If the first month of this plan goes well, I hope to have developed a regular daily prayer time as well as become more instant (spontaneous) in prayer. I hope to become more familiar with what the Bible says about prayer and more earnest when I pray. And I hope God will teach me much more about prayer than I could have ever imagined.

(Again, I invite you to join me as I develop this spiritual discipline. I"d love to know if you're journeying with me, and if you're adopting my spiritual discipline choices or coming up with your own.)

reality check

This morning I sat in my chair and prayed. Enough of stale words, I thought. I need to get out of this funk.

"Lord, increase my faith," I said. I hadn't prayed that well-worn line in awhile. I thought of all the bad things that happen to people -- faith-increasers. And from somewhere in the depths of me, I heard the words "but don't take the life of my son."

I shut my mouth and didn't let them come out. My son? Less than three weeks from his womb-to-world journey, do I think he's my son?

The Lord gives... takes.... Blessed....

"I'm sorry, Lord. He's Yours. Before You even give him to me, he's Yours. And after You do -- if You do -- he's still Yours. Every breath he takes of this earth-air is a breath enabled by You and not by me."

Increase my faith.

And now, I sing to myself Keith Green's song:
"I pledge my son to Heaven for the gospel,
though he's kicked and beaten, ridiculed and scorned..."