Lenten Meditation Day Four: Does God Need our Prayers?

As a fairly new driver I have many restrictions on where I can, cannot go and how I get there. I was a late bloomer when it came to driving due to a number of reasons like car accidents and busy schedules, so when it came time for me to finally drive alone on a regular basis about a year ago, I made a decision to pray each and every time before I left my driveway. I prayed for safety and comfort as I took on the unforeseen dangers of the road.

As I became used to driving, the prayers for safety seemed more like a ritual than a sincere request to God. I started thinking things like,"I've made it this far without getting hurt, I must be doing OK for myself".

I remember one night I was driving home from dinner with my cousin. As we got in the car to go home I thought about praying, but remembered that I had prayed before we left so I blew the thought off. I started leaving the shopping center and drove to the stop light intersection. My cousin calmly but cautiously brought to my attention at the red light, that I was getting into the lane of ongoing traffic and I had to get over. I was shocked.

I couldn't believe that I didn't even see the double yellow lines down the middle of the road. In the middle of me beating my self up the whole way home, I thought about God. I knew that I was becoming too proud in my quest for independence and he was reminding me that i need to surrender ALL things to him in obedience and not just the dire emergencies.

In the book Love to pray Day four tells us: "Things happen when we pray that won't happen if we don't pray." I believe God want's our loyalty and dependence on him when we pray and the act of doing so, humbles us. We need to realize that Prayer is a weapon against the enemy and coming to God in faith is healing power, restoring power and loving power.

Heb. 11:6 says

“He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”

Let us not lose our hunger for God's will and spirit for action in the things around us that we have grown cold to.

Prayer: God show us the areas in our life that you desire more prayer for. Make our hearts realize the needs around us and give us a disciplined heart to pray constantly for those things. Amen

Questions:

1. What are some things in your life that you need to pick up praying about again that you might have let go?

2. What are some things in your life that you desire more fire from?

Mary E. Shaffer,

Age 18

Guest Blogger