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Pray for Me

I struggle with praying for myself.  I have no problem setting aside time to read the Bible.  No problem setting aside quiet time to pray for the needs of others.  I pray for our prayer list at church, for my family, friends, family of friends, those I have the opportunity to serve, and those who simply ask for me to pray for rhem. Let me share a little secret, for many years I have had a career working in athletics.  This means I hear the national anthem more often than the normal person. I don't sing the national anthem.  Not because I am not patriotic, but because it gives me a chance for a brief moment of quiet in the storm.  I spend that time with my Father in heaven.  I pray for the health and safety of the participants.  I pray for the coaches that they may lead in a way that Jesus would be proud. I pray for the officials and their discernment. I pray often and for many others. 

When it comes to me, I just seem to glance over myself. Please understand I'm not sharing this to seem like I am some sort of prayer martyr. It is meant to be a personal observation that I made after a friend shared part of his daily prayer routine. He shared that he specifically prays for God to be present in his different roles in life (father, husband, boss, etc).  Then shortly after another  friend preached an amazing sermon about comparison.  He used a vivid illustration to show how we dethroned God when we pivot our focus on ourselves and others. 

Both of their messages crossed in my brain and got me thinking about my prayer life. Specifically, my prayers for myself and the implications bubbled to the top. By my absence of prayer about myself, am I dethroning God?  Am I essentially saying, "I can do it and I don't need God" when I fail to pray for myself? Am I closing the door to what He has in store for me when I don't surrender in prayer? 

Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." We are supposed to come to God with our petitions, wants, and needs.  By not bringing my prayers for myself to God, it seems I'm not trusting His promise shared in the Book of Matthew.  

Also, if I declare to be a follower of Jesus, a disciple of Jesus, I must strive to do and live like Jesus did. Jesus shows us a clear example of His prayer life. Before He is surrendered to pay the ultimate price for crimes which He is innocent, He falls to His knees and says, 

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”

(Matthew 26:39 NIV). Jesus literally lays his prayers at the feet of our Heavenly Father. He asks to be relieved of the agony that lies ahead of him.

Psalms 145:18 promises, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." By not bringing prayers for myself to the Lord, I am creating a space between myself and God. He knows the desires of my heart. He knows what I want, what worries me, and what breaks my heart. He wants me to verbalize it and share it with Him. The relationship is no different than any other friendship in that way.  We grow closer to our friends when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and open up.  The same is true with our relationship with our Jesus.

I ask that you join me in bringing our worries, troubles, goals, and joyous moments to the feet of Jesus.  He cares. He wants to hear what He already knows is on our hearts. He works in the exchange.  He is near when we call. 

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Matt






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