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May DevotionalPsalm 55:17Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. — Psalm 55:17 I've read this verse over and over again throughout the years, but only recently have I experienced the joy this simple verse has to offer. As a pastor's wife, mother of eleven children, homeschool mom for 22 years (and still counting), grandmother of three (and still counting), I must admit that I struggled with finding time for Bible reading and prayer each day. My Bible reading efforts would often end up something like this:
A "sweet hour of prayer" also proved to be a futile attempt! I've read about great godly men and women who enthusiastically jumped out of bed at 3:00 every morning, got down on their knees on a cobblestone floor, in twenty-five degree below zero weather (inside), while suffering from leprosy and the bubonic plague, to pray for at least six to eight hours before starting a busy day of caring for their forty-two children, mopping the dirt floors, shoveling a one-and-a-half mile path through 12 feet of snow to reach the barn and milk the cows, goats, and soys (soy milk?), and then scouring the outhouse from top to bottom (yuck) with rags they had made from the cotton they had planted and picked and spun and woven, etc... Even on those few occasions when I did manage to get up earlier and try to have a quiet, uninterrupted prayer time, my mind would often wander:
My prayers took "forever" because my thoughts were so easily sidetracked, and because I had a tendency to ramble on, thinking I needed to "explain" everything in detail to the Lord, and because my prayer list was longer than a listing of the names of King Solomon's wives and concubines! All of this discouraged me to the point of resorting to generic praying:
Instead of trying to do my Bible reading and prayer in one looong session, I now break it up into smaller, shorter sessions throughout the day. Hopefully you can adapt the following ideas to be a help and a blessing in your own busy life. In the morning, before you even eat your breakfast, read a chapter in Psalms or Proverbs — these books are "easy" to read, most of the chapters are short, and they are filled with praise and wisdom, thus providing a good start to your day. If a chapter is rather lengthy, you can read some now and some later. In the afternoon, you might want to read several verses, or a chapter, in an Old Testament book, then read out of a New Testament book sometime in the evening. Next, in order to keep your mind focused, to keep from rambling, and to keep from being discouraged by a prayer list that could reach to the moon and back, divide your prayer requests into different categories and write them down on colored index cards. Example: A green card could be labeled Missionaries, with missionary names listed for whom you want to pray. A pink card could be labeled Family, with the names of family members and needs listed. A yellow card could be labeled Salvation, with the names of unsaved loved ones written down. A blue card could be for Health and Encouragement prayer requests. A purple card could be for Church families and needs. A white card could be labeled Other or Special, for specific prayer requests or things that don't fit under the other categories. (Write in pencil, and then erase when answered!) Pray through the list of one of your prayer cards in the morning, then another one in the afternoon, and another one in the evening. It may take several days to get through all of your cards just once. Then start over. Keep your eyes open, looking at your list as you pray, so your mind will stay focused and you won't waste a lot of time daydreaming. I read an interesting article which stated that it is most proper in prayer to be distinct, not to beat around the bush, to come directly to the point, and put your requests in a few words, in plain words before the Lord; it is not necessary to rehearse every want that you may have, have had, can have, or will have; ask for what you need now; you are before the Lord, let your words be few, but let your heart be fervent. This method of Bible reading and prayer will not take up a lot of time all at once. You'll be surprised, though, at how much more you'll be able to accomplish, and how it no longer will be a drudgery, but a joy! You can also pray using the prayer cards while you're exercising, cooking, driving, etc. They really help to keep your mind focused, and they are small enough to take with you anywhere and to set out and refer to whenever you can. "Mom, Casey got closed up in the sofa bed and he's stuck! We can't get him out! Mom...M O M!" Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17 — Mrs. Richard King, Pastor's Wife |
