A renewed prayer life

I am so very grateful to have had this past 4-day weekend. My gracious sister-in-law hosted Thanksgiving dinner so we didn't have much to worry about there. Friday felt like Saturday. Saturday felt like a gift. I spent much of the extra time setting about to renew my prayer life.

Over the past year, I have allowed my prayer life to flounder. I don't know exactly when or how it floundered so agregiously, but eventually it became nonexistent. I have established a shedule/plan again and I am already witnessing the rewards of devoting my time and efforts toward God; toward praising Him, beseeching him; I'm interceeding for myself and others.

Because I am praying again, I know that God's purposes on the earth are being more reliably advanced. I know He rejoices that I have turned back to Him so fervently and with such commitment. Sounds like I have a high opinon of myself? Not at all! Rather, I have a high opinion of God and His power to use me as an instrument.

God revealed to Abraham that he was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. "Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:23-25 NIV)

Abraham continues to beseech God--to bargain with Him really, each time asking Him, "What if there are 45; what if there are 40; 30; 20; 10?" For the sake of only 10 righteous men God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah! Ten. God wanted fifty, but he relented and would have 'settled' for 10. But for 10 righteous men, history would have been changed. Two cities would have been spared. But for 10!

What if I am one of those for whom God is looking? What if His plan to act one way or the other is based on the prayers of just one more person? What if that person is me? What if it's you?

No, I'm not so vain as to think I have the power to change God's mind. I do believe ardently though, that He uses his faithful to release His will.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the one who tells God I've got better things to do!

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16 NIV)


Blessings on your journey,
Mary