All Prayed Up

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

I've heard the expression "Are you all prayed up?" more than once since living here in the South. There's even a country song with the same title. What does it mean to be "all prayed up?"

Being all prayed up is sort of like having a well-stocked pantry. It reminds me of my mother who never let her pantry shelves go bare. She took advantage of supermarket sales and stocked up on groceries whenever she had the chance. Nothing went to waste. And in the summer she would can or freeze fruits and vegetables.  Growing up in post-war Europe she knew what hunger was like firsthand.

What does prayer have to do with a kitchen pantry, you might wonder? It's all about being stocked up. Stocking up on prayers, that is. Is your prayer life like those empty cupboards? Do you completely run out of supplies before replenishing your pantry? In other words, do you wait until you are starving before you make your shopping list? Sometimes our prayer lives can be like those empty shelves. We wait until there's a desperate need before we turn to God with our pleas. I'm guilty. "I'm in trouble, Lord. Please help me." We wait until we go to triage before we start praying.

Being prayed up satisfies the spiritual hunger in us. It fills us with hope and joy and peace and draws us closer to Jesus. But it means we have to pray continually, every chance we can. It may be a simple "Thank You, Lord," or a long conversation. (He's listening). It's keeping those lines of communication open and knowing that the Lord has our back, even if no one else does. And that spiritual hunger and thirst will be satisfied through the power of prayer.

Ordinary Faith; Extraordinary God

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet."

I've been thinking a lot about God lately. Have you ever noticed how you can find God in the most ordinary way, and how he will make an appearance, out of the blue, and surprise you with a dose of grace when you least expected it? And then I remember how my faith can be as small as a mustard seed and it is enough for God. That gives me great comfort, because there have been times that my faith has dangled from a thin thread and yet God gave me the strength to hold on, and guess what, the longer I held on, the stronger that thread became.

I talked to a friend yesterday. She is going through a difficult time, and is scheduled for back surgery for the third time this upcoming week. Her husband is also having health problems and his position at work is at stake. He's worried that he'll lose his job and his health insurance, and possibly, their house. But after church yesterday, he felt renewed hope and felt his faith restored. "I can live without a job and without insurance, but I can't live without God," he said.

Children, too, think about God and surprise us with their innocent reflections. My granddaughter, Teka, saw a picture of 'The Last Supper" at her other grandparent's house and asked her mother, "Mommy, is that God and his friends?"

A few days later, Little Sister was playing with the miniature manger that she found in the bedroom. Teka scolded her, "No, you can't play with that. That belongs to Jesus."

My oldest daughter has been having severe neck and shoulder problems. On her way to the doctor she stopped at Burger King to grab a bite to eat. When she arrived for her doctor's appointment and checked her purse she realized that the cashier had given her too much money back, so on the way home she stopped and returned the cash. The manager stated that the cashier was short in her drawer and she'd already left work. She was genuinely surprised that someone would return the money.  My daughter thought that the employee might be in trouble, or she might be new and need her job, but now the employee can return to work tomorrow knowing that there are still honest people in this world. Little things do matter to God.

And one more...At work we gather in a huddle each morning to start our day on a positive note. This week we are discussing positive experiences we have had in the workplace. There are too many to list here. but I think of all the little things we do for one another to lift each other up. It may be a hug or a prayer when a co-worker is going through a rough time, or it may be simply sticking around to help a fellow employee during a busy time without looking at the clock. Ordinary faith; extraordinary God.

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Blessings,

"I Had a Choice Today"

I had a choice today

to feel sorry for myself

or wake up with a smile

I had a choice today

to speak with anger

or stop a careless word

I had a choice today

to break a promise I had made

or keep my word and follow through

I had a choice today

to lie, cheat, or to deceive

or be honest and tell the truth

I had a choice today

to hold myself in high esteem

or humble myself before the Lord

I had a choice today

to turn my back on someone who needed me

or bend over and help them back up

I had a choice today

to speak words of hatred

or speak encouraging words

I had a choice today

to nurse a grudge and carry a chip on my shoulder

or forgive as the Lord as forgiven me

I had a choice today

to wish that I was someone else

or accept the person God wants me to be

I had a choice today

to cry bitter tears for things I cannot change

or hope for a brighter future

I had a choice today

to reject my faith and turn my back on God

or accept him fully in my heart

I had a choice today

Did I make the wrong choice?
 Or did I choose the right way?

I had a choice today

because it's never too late

to get down on your knees and pray

Blessings,

c Anita M. Ashworth 2010