I’m on Day 7 of my 60-day journey to start every morning with “Pop! Drop! and Pray!” If you don’t know what I’m talking about, refer to my last blog entry on May 11, 2018. So excited to say I’m on track to making this a life-long habit!
My place of prayer, my altar, has changed from my bedside in Huntertown, IN….To a basement couch in my brother and sister-in-law’s home in Greenwood, IN….To the side of a bathtub at a Hampton Inn in Fort Myers, FL….To this chair at a condo on Sanibel Island! All in the space of 7 days!
On Day 2, as I’m crying out to God into the couch cushions, Lane comes out of the bathroom asking if I’m okay. He is not used to hearing me cry or pray at 6:15am!
Day 3-When you are sleeping in a hotel room with 3 other people, it is a challenge to find a place to be alone for prayer. Hence the bathtub:-). I can’t say I have ever made an altar out of a bathtub before! Handy for catching the tears, though. As I’m praying beside the bathtub, God reminds me of a young woman who is currently detoxing from a lethal drug habit. Every day is a new opportunity to give up and say it’s too hard. But it is also a new day to practice God’s presence and strength to stick it out! Establishing a morning habit of prayer does not begin to compare to kicking a drug habit! But God is pointing out, if she can do another day without drugs, surely I can be just as determined to start each day with prayer! And she is one of the dear people I am interceding for!!
Day 4, 5, 6 and 7-Sanibel Island is a great place to pray, I must say:-). This morning, day 7, starts with a glorious sunrise at the Sanibel lighthouse and fishing pier. Thank you, God, for such an awesome display to start the day. The dolphins even show up!
During this 60-day challenge, it doesn’t matter where my place of prayer and solitude is, just that I find a place to be alone with God first thing in the morning before I connect with media or get busy with my day. Have you taken the challenge to Pop! (out of bed) Drop! (to your knees) and Pray! (to the Creator and Lover of your soul)?
Maybe you find it challenging to know what to say to the God of the Universe, your Creator. Maybe you don’t yet have a relationship with God. This is a great place to start! Just start a dialog with Him. Tell Him what’s going on in your life. (He already knows, but still…..He wants to hear about it from you!) Start seeking Him and asking Him to reveal Himself to you. Start reading the Bible. The book of John is a great place to start. And find someone to guide you on your journey to a relationship with God.
If you are a follower of Christ, but just don’t have the habit of praying intentionally, then I suggest you start with The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus modeled the way we should pray, and each part of His prayer is an example of how we should approach God and what we should pray about. The full version of The Lord’s Prayer can be found in Matthew 6:9-13. I’ve also included it at the end of this blog entry.
One of my dear pastors from Georgia, Rev. Dan Casey, taught me years ago this little acronym as a guide for praying intentionally, A.C.T.S.:
A-Adoration (praise God for who He is, how He has revealed Himself to you)
C-Confession (admit areas of weakness and sin and ask forgiveness)
T-Thanksgiving (thank Him for specific things He has provided, blessed you with and/or answered prayer)
S-Supplication (intercede for specific needs for acquaintances, friends and family AND for the salvation of specific people in your circle of influence)
And one other thing…..listen! Allow God to speak to you by including some quietness before Him. In other words, don’t do all the talking! “Be still and know that I am God….” Psalm 46:10.
If you are joining me for Pop! Drop! and Pray!, and have not messaged me yet, please let me know. I would love to know you are on this journey with me! And if you haven’t started yet, it’s not too late. You can start your 60-day journey today!
Soul Care 