Prayer Tip: When Words Fail Us...

As we continue in our series on the five practices to help us grow better, I encourage you to practice making intentional steps towards praying. We’ve been given a wonderful example of practicing to pause and pray five times a day. Pausing to give God thanks throughout the day can be an excellent start.

When I was developing my prayer and gratitude habits, I would set a reminder on my calendar so that I received a notification.  No matter where I was this notification reminded me to close my eyes, pause, and give God thanks for another beautiful day.

When my adult daughters visit home and we are laughing and carrying on in conversation I will stop and say “Oh, God, thank you for this time. I am so grateful to see their smiles and hear their laughs.” When my pre-teen son is challenging me in a particular way I stop and thank God for his bold assertive personality! The challenge is to thank God for all the opportunities.

We may perceive some moments in our reality as negative. But even they are an opportunity to realign closer to God’s path of pure love in our hearts. Rather than being defensive, soften your heart and remind yourself that it’s an opportunity to grow closer to Christ.

Let us pray…

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer of Life, we give you thanks for all the opportunities life has in store for us. We are challenged to grow even when we resist the change. We invite you into our daily walk that you may guide our steps and provide challenges for us to step boldly into grace for others. Renew us, restore us, and create in us a bold beginning each day to share the light of Jesus with the world. Amen.