You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary I

When you're just too tired and weary to pray, tell the Spirit of God.

Do you sometimes feel tired of praying, tired of believing, tired of asking?  Do you feel so weary that you no longer know what to say in your prayers, or how to pray? All of this comes because you are such a faithful believer, such a faithful praying person.

To be burdened with this weariness is to give up. To give up means that in due season you will not reap. If you don't give up, when will the due season come?  Most of the time we don't know. Sometimes we are given information on that, most of the time not. Do some die never ever realizing the fulfillment of a long-standing prayer? Yes, and it no longer matters then. While you are here, if you give up, you'll never know if you would have enjoyed the fulfillment of your earth-based prayers.

Have you sacrificed for others? What about going the extra mile for others? Have you given your all for others? In what other ways have you performed good deeds for others? How often have you pushed on, not being weary in well-doing for others? Not being weary in well-doing also means sacrificing, giving your all, and going the extra mile in well-doing towards yourself. Praying one more time is well-doing, but what about feeling just too tired to pray today. And what about being weary and confused about what to say, if you could pray?

Words are necessary to bring things to past, and if we can't form the words, the Spirit of God will.

Well, there is a Helper who speaks the words on our behalf, if we will rely on Him, especially at those times when we're just too tired to form another prayer. Words are necessary to bring things to past, and if we can't form the words, the Spirit of God will. There is another advocate who intercedes on our behalf, always, whether we're too tired to pray, or not. Jesus Christ stands at the right hand of God, speaking for us.

So when you're just too tired and weary to pray, tell the Spirit of God, who is always with you, I'm just too tired to pray, I can't form the words and I just don't know what to say. Help me please. And just be quiet. Don't try to pray a lengthy, eloquent prayer today. Your spirit is willing, and your flesh is weak. That is why you are reading this, because your spirit is willing. The Spirit of God knows your heart, that you believe in the power of prayer, and that you believe God. You can rest in that, and rely upon His Spirit, until you feel more able to form your prayers again.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

 (Galatians 6:9  King James Version-KJV)

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered.

 (Romans 8:26  World English Bible-WEB)

For he that seeketh the hearts, knoweth what the Spirit desireth, for by God [for after God, that is, at God's will,] he asketh for holy men. 

 (Romans 8:27  Wycliffe)

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary II

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary III

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VI

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Image Credit: Rowdy Rider

Don't Hate, Just Pray

While walking to the store this morning I was solicited by a guy loitering out front.  As I walked through the convenience store parking lot, he stood up from where he was leaning against the wall behind the trash can.  Hey baby, he called.  You wanna jump on me?  I looked to the left at him with a scowl.  I was on my way to the grocery store next door, and didn't break stride as I said I don't know what that means, and kept stepping.

As I crossed over into the supermarket parking lot, I thought with annoyance how people do this sort of thing.  They are always bothering people and getting on the nerves of others.  As I walked and thought, my frown began to smooth out, and I thought that God can help him.  I silently rebuked myself for my train of thought.  Don't hate, just pray I told myself.  God knows why he's doing what he's doing. God knows what he needs that is beyond what he's doing.  I began to pray for him as I approached the glass doors of the store.

Don't hate, just pray is not about being jealous of the possessions, blessings or traits of someone else.  It's about re-directing our train of thought from being angry at the activities of others, to feeling compassion for them, and then praying a heartfelt prayer on their behalf.  We can hate what they do, but it's more beneficial, for us and them, to arrest our train of thought from hating the person.

We don't like it when we are approached by certain types of characters.  We don't want to rub shoulders with certain types of people.  When we encounter this, our thoughts can rapidly degrade, and become useless, if we are not aware of it.

When I left the store the 'fella was still loafing outside the convenience store.  He yelled out a similar invitation to another man, as he left the store.  That person said I don't know man, and kept walking, never turning around to look at the loafer.  Using my wisdom as a woman walking alone, I gave a wide berth to the front of the store where the man loitered.  As I made my way on towards home, I smiled and thought, Give grace to the graceless, and don't hate, just pray.  I did not doubt that God loves that man.

I desire therefore that the men in every place pray,

lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

(I Timothy 2:8 World English Bible)

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Image Credit: lovette<3 

Prayers & Celebrations For Christmas & New Year's

Praying Snowman, watercolor on paper, collage, (c)Sandi Holland Mixed Media

To Christians, Jesus is the reason for the season.  To non-Christians, gift-giving, vacations, tradition and celebrations are reasons for the season.  To me, it's healthy to enjoy a combination of both.

Jesus participated in worldly traditions when he kindly provided wine at a wedding that he and his mom were attending.  Did Jesus drink any of the wine?  The Bible doesn't say.  Does it matter whether he did or not?  Not in the great big 'ole scheme of things.

I think what is pertinent is that Jesus was present in his community, by joining in with the festivities.  It's possible that he would have preferred to be away praying alone, or reading, or being devout, or whatever their word for that would have been.  The truth is that he was always being a part of his society, while he lived with the fact that he was separate.

So I wish you many inspired and fervent prayers for this holiday season.  Prayers are of God, and the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  I also wish you many celebrations and gifts of many types, because it is an uplifting tradition of our society.

If you're a Christian, join in the worldly holiday gaiety, in your own reverent way.  Be a part, rather than apart.  If you're not a Christian, spend some time with a Christian neighbor or associate.  Go to a Christian event, it doesn't have to be church.  Be a part, rather than apart.

God is everywhere, and everywhere he is there is hope.  If you're a non-Christian, you can enjoy a part of him by spending time this season with a Christian.  Do it, even if you're not ready to be a Christian.  Maybe you feel that you'll probably never take the plunge to be a Christian.  Even so, spend time with a Christian this season.

Season's Greetings.  Happy Holidays.  Merry Christmas.  Happy Hanukkah.  Feliz Navidad.  Have a joyful and thankful Kwanzaa.  As my snowman is doing, pray, and then enjoy your presents, even if it's just one that you've given yourself.

And Happy New Year's too!

Can You Say A Prayer For Your Tormentor?

This is a difficult thing to consider.  It can be an obscene question depending on what terrible thing is being done to a praying person.  Praying for our tormentors is always possible, because prayer is without respect of persons.  All things are possible through prayer.  We can even pray for the strength and humility to be able to pray for our persecutors, harassers,  oppressors, and others who may afflict us.

Some torment is absolutely horrific , and I am not minimizing the suffering of those in those situations.  Often the suffering of children is unspeakable.  If I was facing a child who had lived through an extended, monstrous situation, what could I ever say to him or her?  What could I say to help that child feel that God cares, as he or she lay suffering near death?

My message comes back to me, and it is always the same: if possible find the strength to pray as good a prayer as possible for a tormentor.  It doesn't have to mean that I agree, accept or condone what is happening, or what happened.  It means that there was a price that was paid, both for the tormentor and  the tormented.  Jesus Christ paid the price equally for everyone, and this life is often unfair at various levels, for many of us.  Some suffer in diverse ways their entire lives.  Eventually though when it's all over, we will experience the rectifying of all injustice, including any injustices which each of us may have done.  God is a very fair God, and he has provided for it all to be made right.

So whether the torment is light or heavy, moderate or intense, brief or extended, mental, emotional or physical, God can give us the strength to pray for our tormentors.  When our first thought may be to curse our tormentors, and even to curse God, we can find the strength to pray for the afflictors.

Have you ever considered that you may have tormented someone unawares?  Maybe a word or action that you did, without forethought or plan, hurt someone deeply in some way.  Maybe your attitude towards someone has always been demeaning, degrading, or even offensive.  Did you hurt a child to such a degree that that adult has never recovered?  If you learned of it wouldn't you want that person to pray on your behalf?  If you never became aware of it, wouldn't you hope that one day that person had the strength to pray on your behalf?

You may never see a change, in this world, after your prayer.  It is possible that, before you breathe your last breath, that you may never be delivered from the circumstance of your torment.  The person you pray for may never know that they did or are doing something that is causing you great pain.  He or she may be intent on purposely  oppressing you, and may not ever  care how you feel.  Praying for your tormentor does not bring with it the promise of proof that the tormentor has changed.  You will have peace though that you've done the right thing.

Our prayers for our tormentors will  matter one day, if we continue to believe.

Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don't curse.  (Romans 12:14 World English Bible)

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Image Credit: NCBrian

Ask. That's All That It Takes

I arrived at the end of the Kindle book this morning.  It was a novelette that I'd been reading during spare moments, for the past two days.  Colonel Henry, a writer in residence at a library, befriended one of the clerks.  This was particularly endearing since, because of her high-strung and noble personality, she had antagonized him from the start. 

Always challenging an issue or campaigning some cause or another, Stella rarely gets along with any co-workers at any work place.  She laments that trouble follows her everywhere, and to that the Colonel replies, Trouble's after everybody.  But we're praying people, aren't we?  Stella replies, But I haven't asked him anything for years.  I can't even remember the last time I prayed.

The Colonel tells her that he remembers her asking for help twice during the last catastrophe.  When she insists that it was nothing but sheer desperation, he insists that that's all that it takes.  He quotes a very good scripture to her: ...call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee. (Psalm 50:15, The Webster Bible)

Considering his response, Stella reasons with herself about what could have happened versus the blessed things that did happen, including help from the Colonel.  She marveled that all of it was a result of simply calling out to God in a stressful time of need, even though she couldn't remember when she had last thought of him.

God will hear us at any time.  Sometimes the answer is immediate and discernible.  Sometimes it seems that he does not hear us, that he does not care.  You can rest assured that if you haven't yet experienced an answer, that he is arranging it.  Even for those who experience prolonged suffering, often until death, when they've called out to God, I believe he heard.  I believe he answered them in some way that we cannot fathom.  

You will find this short and satisfying story, Home Before Dark by Lilly Maytree, at Amazon.
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Image Credit: /PeterS

Sandi Holland on Google+

The Desire To Pray Is Prayer

Because God knows our hearts, He knows that we want to pray.  He knows when you think about praying and proclaim that you are going to.

He knows when you say to yourself, I should pray for her, or them, or those people.  The fact that you have a desire to pray for others is not lost on God.

When you think, I really need help with this.  I wish I knew how to pray!, God hears your plea.  An inner plea is a prayer.

Sometimes you may say to yourself, If only I'd prayed.  If I was a praying person maybe this would have turned out better.  God is aware of your faith.  You experience the desire to pray because you have faith.

Desire manifests into the physical, so your desire is valuable to God.  This is my prayer for you:

Dear Father:

This reader, who is precious to you, desires to pray.  We thank you for hearing the plea and answering the prayer of this visitor, who is known to you by name.  You are a Good God and a Wonderful Father.  You make no mistakes and your plans are perfect.  You are the Most High God, the Only Wise God and the One True God.  Amen.

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Image Credit: Angel prayers on Public Domain Images
Sandi Holland on Google+