Pray Your Way Through Life

  Mountains and Gardens.   As we read the gospels, we see Jesus coming apart from the crowds to spend time alone praying…. communing with the Father. He often stated that He only said and did the things that He heard and saw from the Father.   The gospels tell us numerous times that He went “alone into the mountains to pray.” I’ve toured the land of Israel and stood looking upon the Jezreel valley from the precipice from which the angry mob threatened to throw down the Son of Man, stood amazed while gazing out from Mount Carmel, hiked the streams of En Gedi overlooking the Dead Sea. The views from these and other high places throughout the land are spectacular, and from any number of them you get a strange sense that you could see all of Israel laid out before you.   The Promised Land. I’ve walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, imagining myself walking in the footsteps of the greatest Rabbi to ever grace the face of this earth. I’ve reverently stroked the t...

Philippians 4:6-7 says: " Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". Our son, Gabe, grew up playing sports and decided several years ago that he wanted to try and play golf as a college athlete. We have been blessed in such a way that he traveled and participated in junior golf events throughout the Southeast with some success.   Along the way, we talked about power of prayer and how it can help eliminate anxiety and pressure. As he started the recruiting process, we prayed for guidance that God would lead Gabe to an opportunity to pursue college golf as college recruiting can be brutal for those that are not highly ranked on the junior circuit. Of course, there are opportunities if young players are willing to look for them.   Missy and I noticed a change in Gabe regarding his ...

  Several months ago our pastor Patrick Friday shared in a sermon that you should never feel like prayer is the least you can do for someone in trying times, because if you have experienced the power of prayer, you know it is the most you can do.   If you have taken a casual approach to prayer, this may sound like a lot of “church talk,” but if you are living a consistent prayer life, you know it is an affirmation of truth experienced. I was one of those casual prayers for the first 46 years of my life, but beginning on February 25, 2009 (Ash Wednesday), I committed to a Lenten devotional of daily prayer, and have maintained a consistent, focused prayer life since.   I literally began keeping a prayer list with prayer petitions staying on the list for no less than 30 days, and thanksgiving praises for no less than seven.   At first it was mainly prayers for the needs of myself and others, but over time I learned prayer is broader and more powerful than that.  ...

My experience with prayer as a child was very basic, child like prayers and I knew my parents were members of “prayer groups” they met with regularly but that was for adults only.    It really wasn’t until High School that I started  understanding the power of prayer and that prayers didn’t have to be “perfect”.   I was very involved with my church choir as a High School student at Trinity United Methodist, Homewood.   We were a large group led by some amazing God-Filled adults that taught us so much more than music.   We traveled frequently for concerts and choir tours and always by bus.   Well, we all know that back in the 70s, most churches didn’t purchase brand new buses, they were usually old school busses and required lots of “TLC”.   Anyway, I vividly remember one trip, on our way home on a Sunday evening and one of our two buses started sputtering and our Director immediately yelled out to all of us, “Stop what you are doing and PRAY”! ...

Roughly three years ago, while serving on the prayer team at my previous Church, a father came to me about his daughter, only twenty years old, diagnosed with impending blindness.  Blindness ran in their family, as her brother had already been pronounced legally blind.  We had all prayed faithfully for her, but her sight was not getting any better.   My small group had recently done a Bible study, so I went back to study James 5:14 (KJV) – “ Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the LORD”.   We fervently prayed in faith that the Lord would heal her eyesight, and that she would be restored.  We also declared James 5:1 5 (KJV) –“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the LORD shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him”.  That was our time of preparation.  The gathering was planned, the Holy Oil was obtained, ...

  It seems so long ago, yet when I share it seems like yesterday.   Many years ago, I went through a horrible divorce. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would find myself walking in those shoes through that valley. Back then the divorce rate was 1 in 5 and in no way could I see myself as the one. We were young, living the dream. My ex-husband, for a young guy was making a great living, and I was teaching. We had bought our dream home and life was perfect.   We overcame every obstacle; we went through IVF and that brought us the miracle birth of my precious Josie!   I could not imagine my life; my marriage would take a turn and go in a direction I had only heard of others facing. I would be the first one in my family to face a divorce.     Now, when something is off in your marriage, you know it, a nagging feeling you cannot shake.   I can remember being in constant earnest prayer for God to intervene and save my marriage. I would pray for him,...

I was the young age of 51 in 1995 when my world was turned upside down .  I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer !  Hearing that CANCER word was so devastating I could not function .  Kristi and me cried - we prayed and I thought my life was over and I was scared to death - literally !   My family, my church family, my friends and neighbors all prayed for me .  Even Ministers I did not know sent a prayer up to God .  I still felt lost .     After my surgery I was in ICU for a week having a hard time fighting this Cancer and then God gave me peace .  I knew He would never leave me and He would walk hand in hand with me every step of the way .  I knew then I could fight this with His help . Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God . I will uphold you wi...