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| From: Google Image |
My Reflections:
Perhaps it might be helpful to share with you a little of my
own prayer journey, not so that you can compare your story with mine, but
simply to offer one example. As I have tried to underline, for each of us our
story is unique. Instead, you might find elements that are common in your story
that you would like to share, or that you have questions about. Feel free to
respond in the comment section of this blog and add your comments and
questions. I would love to talk about them with you.
Prayer Scriptures:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to
the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2: 42)
My Reflections:
Like many
others, I grew up in a Christian home, where prayer was very much a part of our
family life. As a little child, I was taught to kneel by my bed at the end of
the day repeat, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” It took a few
years for me to understand what that was all about. I have noticed now that the
usual format for this particular prayer goes something like this. “Now I lay me
down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May God guard me through the night. And wake me with the morning light.” I think that is much less frightening for a
child.
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| From: Google Image |
Prayer Scriptures:
“On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we
expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to
the women who had gathered there.” (Acts 16: 13)
My Reflections:
The next
part of this initial rote prayer that I learned, I liked from quite young. It was
the recitation of all the family and friends. “God bless Mommy and Daddy,
Grandma and Grandpa Pitcher, Grandma and Grandpa Evans, Great-Grandma Evans,
all of my aunts and uncles and cousins and friends.” Then, as I grew older and
learned the names of all of my aunts and uncles and cousins and new cousins
were added to the family, I would add each name and the ever growing list would
delay bedtime just a little bit longer.
Prayer Scriptures:
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
(Romans 12: 12)
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| From: Google Images |
My Reflections:
Then I
would finish with, “Make me a good girl. For Jesus sake. Amen.”
It is interesting that still today in my intercession, I
include the names of all of those in my extended family and I have also added
the names of those in my husband, Glen’s family. Those dearest to me are
remembered in prayer daily.
Prayer
Scriptures:
“May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of
which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer
your servant prays toward this place.” (I Kings 8: 29)
“…then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold
their cause.” (I Kings 8: 45)
Your Reflections:
What was your early experience with prayer?
Did your parents teach you a rote prayer like this? Do you still use it? What
elements from your early prayer experiences have you brought into your adult
life?
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| I Knew You Would Come |
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| Word Guild Award 2009 |
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| Word Guild Award 2011 |
