04/03/2007

Mom Jones and I have been talking about prayer lately (emailing really, but that IS talking in 2007). I don't devote as much time to prayer as I probably ought to. That is to say, I don't have a certain time every day where I sit down to pray. Throughout the day I find my thoughts are directed Godward, but I know it would be a good habit to focus on prayer. After all, prayer is a conversation, and throughout the course of my day I hear so much noise that God's voice could be drowned out. I need to find moments of solitude to tune into God's station and listen only for His voice.

When I think of prayer, certain people come to my mind...people that I know spend (or spent) a significant amount of time talking to God on my behalf. My Grandma McNeil, who passed away years ago now, was a real woman of faithful prayer. When we were looking through Grandma's things post-funeral we came across her prayer journal. What a testimony! It was humbling to look through pages and pages of notes...things she had prayed for....many of them with my name imprinted alongside. I can picture those pages with my name on them in her handwriting. Many times the image has come to my mind.

The prayers we pray burn before a God who is not limited by time, circumstance, distance, or death. My Grandma's prayers landed on an alter before God's throne and He personally takes note of those prayers in a continual fashion. When my Grandmother prayed that I would learn patience, she may have pictured a 7-yr-old girl with freckles and blonde hair. Today, when God listens to that same prayer again, He directs His answer toward a 22-yr old woman with a husband and son and with auburn hair. The prayer didn't die that day. God will continue to listen to the prayers prayed on my behalf until I have been perfected and don't need them anymore. I like to picture the mountain of prayers that are building up with my name attached to them. I know it is terrible to simplify it this way, but I sort of think it's the 'desk' philosophy.

My desk gets very little of my time and energy until it is full and no longer serves the purpose of a desk any longer. Eventually the mail, items we've printed, books we intended to read, etc. pile up and scream for my attention. Some days when I'm feeling overwhelmed emotionally, physically, or spiritually I envision all the prayers that everyone has ever prayed for me and I am humbled at the thought that I know multitudes of people who have prayed for me. I imagine that the pile of prayers pertaining to me might be growing distracting and God might think it's time to do a little desk clearing on Rachel's behalf. Maybe He's thinking, "If all these people see potential in this child of mine, then I should invest in Her refining." When it comes to the process of purification I have mixed thoughts. It's a necessary process though rarely enjoyable. But that is a whole different topic. Thank goodness for those people who have been interceding!

By the way, I was reminded this week that when it comes to prayer we have one incredible prayer warrior on our side. Jesus sits at the right hand of His Father and intercedes on our behalf. Jesus is praying for me! Sometimes life feels lonely and overwhelming and people feel they've been abandoned by God and man. Man, maybe, but God, no! What a great God we have! Jesus writes your name in His prayer journal every single day.