The Words Of Your Heart

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." NIV

I thought today about the Lord and me. How patient He is with His scatterbrained daughter. How He always manages to make me smile when things seem so bad. My time with Him each day is what makes my life bearable. On the days when I rush through or skip the devotion time completely, my day just seems out of kilter all day long. It's very easy to let my day get away from me. If your days are anything like mine, it is all I can do to get my teeth brushed and make it out of the bathroom before the chaos begins.

I try very hard to calm my brain before I come before the Lord. He promises me peace but sometimes I let my thoughts block that peace. My mind is so cluttered with to do lists, appointments, problems, and just everyday life that my Abba would need a loudspeaker to get through to me. Of course, those are the times when I need Him the most. I am, and always have been, the impatient one in this partnership. The answers can't come fast enough to suit me. He says wait and I spend about half a second pondering the process. There are days when I don't even give Him time to answer. I tell Him what I think He should say and off I go. It's those days that I find myself flat on my face by the end of the day, wondering why He has let me fall again. I know the answer but who wants to admit that she has tripped over a dust bunny that escaped from the insanity that is her life?

At those times, I know that my Abba is sitting patiently waiting for my attention to come back to Him. I see Him there, smiling gently down on me as I struggle to keep my attention on prayer time. It's not that I don't know how to pray. It's just about my wandering mind. After asking God for the umpteenth time about giving me the ability to pray correctly, it came to me that God didn't care how I prayed. As long as I was praying, the form my prayers took didn't matter to Him. I speak prayers to Him out loud, I write my prayers to Him, and I put prayers on sticky notes all over the house. I have learned however, that if I try to say prayers in my head it becomes a losing battle. Right after I ask Him to bless the food, I find myself thinking about the status of the milk and bread in our house. (in case you were wondering, it's always gone!)

When you go before your Abba in prayer, remember that He is our loving, patient Father. It doesn't matter to him if your prayers are four words long (Father please help me) or six pages long (my prayers lately as our children have each had their life issues). A prayer is a prayer is a prayer when your words are said to your God, whether asking, thanking, or just making conversation. God loves the words that come from your heart. He doesn't expect flowery language or perfect English. He will gladly read your prayers, hear your prayers, or take the prayers of someone else on your behalf. Start today dear friend. He is just a prayer away.

Dearest Father God, I am in awe of Your infinite patience and mercy with me. I am so glad that You are there waiting, watching, loving, and showering grace upon my impatient heart. Thank You for hearing the words, the thoughts, the groans of desperation that come from my soul. You knew my story before it began and You have already seen the end. Let me tune my ears to the whispers of Your Spirit. Let my life be a constant prayer to You. Let my first thoughts be of You each morning and my last thoughts be of Your infinite love each night. Thank You for peace this holiday season. I pray these things in the Name of the One whose birth we celebrate, Christ Jesus, Amen

©Michelle Welch, Team member of Breath Of Life Women's Ministries

photography by Michelle Welch, all rights reserved

parts previously published as Moments Of Distraction 12/31/2010

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.