Be Prayerful: Sept 1

I think about things a lot. I ponder and mull over and ruminate; I have conversations with people and conversations with myself, all in my head. I explore the furthest reaches of how a situation could play out, and consider all angles and perspectives.

Thinking and examining and contemplating are all wonderful things. They exercise the brain and help formulate opinions and stances. They bring confidence to decisions and wisdom to possibilities. I’m good at thinking. In fact, I’m great at it. REALLY great. Honestly, I’m one of the best when it comes to thinking.

And right where I get into trouble is when thinking replaces praying.

I find myself falling into a rhythmic cycle of this: praying and seeking God and reading the Bible and journaling. Then somewhere along the way, journaling replaces reading, and scrolling through devotional apps replaces prayer. And my ability to consider every perspective prevails; I seek wisdom itself more than the One who bestows the wisdom in the first place.

And slowly without an exact moment to pinpoint, prayer has become a last resort instead of a first stop.

Maybe you can relate?

As we enter into this new calendar season, a time when leaves change color and fall away, I want this habit of mine to fall away, too. As school’s back in session, as holidays approach, and as difficulties occur at a rapid clip around our cities, states, countries and world…I want to focus on being prayerful. I don’t want my thoughts to counterfeit as prayer, as they so often can. Because there’s only one thing results in actual hope and peace—and it’s not my own mind.

Let’s commit this month to prayer. To let our well-intentioned thoughts transform into earnest and gut-wrenching prayers before a God who cares, who listens, who answers. And to stop relying on our own wisdom.

“I am passionately in love with God because he listens to me. He hears my prayers and answers them. As long as I live I’ll keep praying to him, for he stoops down to listen to my heart’s cry.” (Psalm 116:1-2)

– Monica