Noon prayer to Jesus to focus on your heart and heart
Laura Bailey
Bible Reading:
“And pray in the spirit at every opportunity with all kinds of prayers and demands. Keep this in mind, be vigilant and always pray for all the people of the Lord.” -Ephesians 6:18 NIV
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With complete transparency, I have never lived an overly active prayer life. Even in the busiest seasons, I have found a way to prioritize Bible reading. Late at night and early in the morning, I went to church and prioritized the Christian community. I have created a lot of spaces in my life where I talk about God, but I have never spoken to him many times.
One day, I was waiting for him to sit on nature to pick up my daughter from school, and naturally felt a kind tug in my heart. I was convinced that it would not have been the right time to pray if I hadn’t bowed my head, on my lap, completely silent.
You cannot go far from the truth.
There is a time for us to enter the room, close the door, and cry out to the Lord in loneliness (Matthew 6:6-7), but it is not always necessary for us to speak to our Father in heaven. The Lord wants to communicate with Him not only through the mornings and evenings, but throughout our day. So I discovered that the best way to incorporate a habitual and consistent prayer practice is to pray in many moments when I was sitting in my car. Ultimately, what began as a forced reminder to speak to God was able to get it with the Lord for a few minutes as I was looking for an opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat right away.
In Ephesians 6:18, Paul exhors, “We encourage you to pray in the spirit at every opportunity with all kinds of prayers and demands. Keep this in mind, and always pray for all the people of the Lord.” This poem comes at the end of Paul’s advice for the believers to place in the whole armor of God, so that we can fight spiritual battles. Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer in fighting enemy attacks and fighting spiritual forces that oppose us.
When we pray, we acknowledge that it is not us who hold the strength to fight our base, break down or heal our hearts, wipe out sin, or give hope to the weary. That’s the Lord. We communicate our desires to the creator of the universe, but ultimately we pray that our desires are His desires. Paul reminds us that whenever we are happy, sad, discouraged, raised, anxious, and uplifted, we should pray. We are encouraged to be vigilant and seek opportunities to petition God on behalf of the saint.
My abundant car time can be prayed continuously without stopping for others or me (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Maybe for you, it’s while you walk, sit by your loved one’s bed, or wait for your child during practice. It doesn’t matter where we pray. As long as we do so, we will not have an opportunity to have a personal conversation with the Savior, not out of duty.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, you are the creator of the universe, the Lord of all, the Lord of Alpha and Omega, but you please your personal relationship with your children. Take every opportunity to come before you in prayer. There are many needs around us. Warn the countless requests of others and pray on their behalf. Remember that it is not in our power, but in the power of Christ in the workplace. We pray that you will heal illness, meet the needs of the saints, and bring hope to the public. Lord, we love you. Please guide us, oversee us, help us protect you. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Olivia Snow
Laura Bailey is an author and biblical teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, embracing eternity here and now, explores how the timeless truths of the Church can help us today live a more peaceful, purposeful and abundant life.
She lives in northern South Carolina with her husband and three young girls. She is the director of the Ministry of Women at her church. Her passion is to teach the Bible to women and equip them to live in an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at the next event or learn more: www.laurarabailey.com Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
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