I've been thinking a lot lately about prayer, fasting and intercession. There are so many needs. I have a list that is so long of requests from dear frineds. It is a joy for me to be in a place to pray for them. The Holy Spirit has been so merciful in reminding me ever so gently about my friends. I also used the idea of hunger to remind me. It's kind of a not-fasting way of using the idea of fasting to commit more in prayer. It has worked for me all week so I thought I'd pass it along. AGAIN ~ this is not fasting nor is it taken from the Bible.
So, when my stomach growls, I think of who it is I've said I'd pray for and do it. I will usually pray for those people until the hunger pains subside. Then I eat. The next time I'm hungry, I do it again. It just helps me to focus and it could train you for your own readiness to begin fasting as a part of your life, when called to.
But I also struggle with having such long lists. They cause me to forget to spend time in simple Praise to God. He longs to be praised! May I suggest Ruth Meyer's "31 Days of Praise?" It is excellent!
4 comments:
Very good idea! And since I can't fast because of pregnancy, what a nice alternative! Thanks. I always start with praising God, just to keep things in perspective. Plus, it's nice to know He knows what is in the innermost parts of our hearts so if I don't get everything out, I feel it's still all covered :)
your mom gave me that book when i graduated high school 10 years ago and it changed my perspective on prayer and praise! i have since given it to dozens of friends and even written a similar message inside to the one that your mom wrote me. :)
Rachel,
Thanks for sharing this. I have to tell you that this is a recurring conviction that I really struggle to obey. I often try to rationalize why I should not follow through, but it is something that God has brought to me so many, many times...so consistently that I can not ignore it. I know He would not ask me to do something that is worthless, so it is just my hard heart and stubborness that refuses this discipline. Just this week, as at other times, I asked God to please call on sisters in Christ to share in this burden for prayer alongside me, because it is heavy (not that I think for one second that I am carrying it alone, just that I get overwhelmed at times). I appreciate your sharing this because it helps me to see that He is at work, that there are faithful pray-ers and I only need to join in!
I love that book, too. She has another good one called, "The Satisfied Heart: 31 Days of Experiencing God's Love."
Your sensitivity to God's call for you to pray is great. I think if we pay attention we will notice those "tugs" all day and can really begin to pray without ceasing.
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