Kathy King
The Gift of Prayer
“Prayer should be the key of the day and lock of the night.”
George Herbert
Prayer.
A lot of people say, “I’m praying for you.”
You hope that they mean it, and offer those prayers for you.
To pray, to ask, to seek and perhaps even to find.
Prayer provides a solace that in this world we simply cannot find.
Prayer doesn’t have to be verbose, big or grand.
Prayer can be a quiet supplication when no one is around.
Pray, listen, meditate and read.
Bear your soul's needs, give your burdened spirit a reprieve.
Pray for your neighbor, your enemies and your friends.
Pray for those ravaged by war, hunger and pain.
They need your prayers to cope with their insurmountable pain.
Take a few moments and lift your head.
Pray to the heavenlies.
I assure you, you will have no regrets.
This morning I decided to read the news. I don’t particularly like reading the news. I stopped watching a long while back. I just couldn’t stomach the partisanship of the reporting. I would scream at the TV, “Just the facts man! We don’t need your commentary.” As I opened the news app, I was overwhelmed with sadness at yet another war. Children crying, families being killed or taken hostage. It was just too much to bear. I started to cry for these poor people. As I sit in my home in relative quiet, covered by a blanket and comfortable, I can’t help but feel so many emotions. It was overwhelming. What do we do as a people in the situation when we sit across the pond in relative peace and stability? We pray. Some folks say, “You are in my thoughts and prayers.” That is not what I mean. We should take a moment and pray for those ravaged by war, those who are hostages, those families that have lost loved ones suddenly. It doesn’t have to be grand or verbose. Just, “Dear God, please bring peace, help these people. Please end this burden of war.” That is it. I read a few little blurbs about prayer earlier. Some of the take away portions from the act of prayer were as follows: Prayer is the soul of hope. When we pray we light a candle in the darkness. Prayer rouses us from the tepidity of a purely horizontal existence and brings us into awareness of those in need around us. It is a bonding of the souls. Prayer is transformative. It brings you out of your bubble and puts your mind on others who are indeed in need of prayer for their situations. This will be a short musing today because well.... My heart is heavy for those who are burdened with fear, suffering, so much suffering. I will leave you with just a couple of quotes:
“Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication.” Charles Spurgeon
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”
Oswald Chambers
Please friends, pray for Peace.
How very true.
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