ALWAYS BE JOYFUL IN THE LORD! I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: BE JOYFUL! Let everyone know how considerate you are. Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 - God’s Word translation)
There is a place in Hebron on the West Bank of Israel where the tomb of Abraham and Sarah and Jacob and Leah is guarded day and night by the Muslims and Jews. Men from the two religions take turns, at one time in prayer and the other in protection. 12 hours for one, 12 for the other.
Twelve hours is a long time for prayer in any language and it was fascinating to watch the Jewish men (the pray-ers when we visited) rocking back and forth as they prayed. I am not sure where this prayer habit started or when, but it makes perfect sense to me since I have fallen asleep so many times in the midst of a sentence while trying to seek God! No matter what I purpose to do, the sleep comes if I am sitting quietly. It is different if there is something scary or worrisome at hand, or if I am doing something physical during the time of prayer. It is also different when praying with someone else. No wonder Jesus said that wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them. It is easier to stay awake for the conversation!
For me, after giving thanks to God and asking for forgiveness (always in order), then comes the torrent of requests and worries of the day. The time of trying to listen to whatever God might be saying in return is usually the time of fighting to stay awake! This latter time might be the most important part of the conversation - listening. Why is it so hard to focus then? Many others have said this is the hardest time for them as well. Are we all burdened with attention deficit disorder here? Do we really want to know what God might have to say to us? Or are we afraid to hear, and have we already put up our defenses and decided to keep our opinions and prejudices, our judgments or self-pity? If so, no amount of tricking ourselves to stay awake will make a difference.
May God give us all grace to pray constantly in everything we do, to remember to be thankful because of that grace, and to be ready to be fully part of the conversation always - not in fear of what we might hear in the soft places of our heart, but in trust and rejoicing. Amen.
Fran Peele
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