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Friday, November 11, 2011

Prayer 3: Words of my Mouth


My friend Vera has a killer prayer list. She keeps it in two three-ring binders and tends it every day, spending literally hours in intercession for people and situations. We have prayed together a number of times, always about something specific that had sprung into her heart or weighed on her mind, but when it comes to her list, I marvel at her zeal and faithfulness in it.

In contrast, my own prayers are clumsy, wandering, searching for direction and relevance. I have a list, too, but am not faithful to it, mostly because, well, my prayers just sound dumb. I just never seem to know what to say.

I should remember this:

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.--Romans 8:26

I'm starting to think that I just need to shut up and present myself to God. My thoughts, my words, will never be good enough.

But He lives in me. What I can't say, He can. Where my words stumble, His do not. When my heart faints, His is strong. I can depend on Him to direct my heart and inspire my stumbling mouth. You can, too.

When my prayers do not come because I am depending on my faltering heart to provide them, all I have to do is to lean toward Him and listen before I speak. Then the words of my mouth will always be acceptable.

6 comments:

  1. Great comment...all we have to do is to lean towards him and the words will come. I wish I had the kind of prayer life like your friend as well. Thanks for linking up.

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  2. I never know what to say either...the verse says it all.

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  3. Your honest weakness, His gracious strength~ The simple recipe for an amazing prayer life. Just tell Him how you feel...I think you already did!

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  4. Shanda, thanks for much for providing this opportunity to link up...look forward to it every week.

    And thanks for the comments, gals. It's good to reach out and touch. Now I have to go and pray....

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  5. I had such an awesome answer to prayer this week. My faith was weak, but I had a friend with faith strong! A three ring notebook kind of praying friend.

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  6. Aren't these friends so good to have? Mine is aging quickly. I must treasure her now, I think.

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