“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess 5:16-18
I had three vivid dreams over the course of the last seven days…which rarely happens for me. I remember my dreams once and awhile. So for this to happen gave me reason to pause.
None of the dreams were related, and the themes were very different. All three dreams occurred early in the morning right before I woke up for the day. So as I replayed each dream over in my mind for its meaning, I realized that, while I might not understand what each dream meant, I could pray for the people I knew in the dream and for those affected by the theme.
Which is a roundabout way of getting to the theme of this blog….to pray unceasingly. It sounds overwhelming but there are lots of little ways to pray throughout the day.
When we hear a siren, perhaps we can say a quick Hail Mary for the medical personnel, police officers and fire fighters heading to the emergency as well as for the people in trouble.
When we pass a cemetery, perhaps we say a prayer for the souls of those who’ve died. “May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.”
When we eat a meal, whether alone or with others, perhaps we pray the Meal Prayer either aloud or in our hearts.
Or maybe when we just need a minute to breathe we pray, “God, I am here. God, you are here.” Or perhaps breathing the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Our prayers don’t have to be long or verbose. They can be quick. But what’s important is that we’re constantly talking to God as a friend...from the heart. Because that’s what prayer is…simply talking to God.
And as we approach the Lenten season (there’s only 20 days left until Ash Wednesday), maybe this isn’t a bad place to start.
by Deborah Gretzinger
I had three vivid dreams over the course of the last seven days…which rarely happens for me. I remember my dreams once and awhile. So for this to happen gave me reason to pause.
None of the dreams were related, and the themes were very different. All three dreams occurred early in the morning right before I woke up for the day. So as I replayed each dream over in my mind for its meaning, I realized that, while I might not understand what each dream meant, I could pray for the people I knew in the dream and for those affected by the theme.
Which is a roundabout way of getting to the theme of this blog….to pray unceasingly. It sounds overwhelming but there are lots of little ways to pray throughout the day.
When we hear a siren, perhaps we can say a quick Hail Mary for the medical personnel, police officers and fire fighters heading to the emergency as well as for the people in trouble.
When we pass a cemetery, perhaps we say a prayer for the souls of those who’ve died. “May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.”
When we eat a meal, whether alone or with others, perhaps we pray the Meal Prayer either aloud or in our hearts.
Or maybe when we just need a minute to breathe we pray, “God, I am here. God, you are here.” Or perhaps breathing the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Our prayers don’t have to be long or verbose. They can be quick. But what’s important is that we’re constantly talking to God as a friend...from the heart. Because that’s what prayer is…simply talking to God.
And as we approach the Lenten season (there’s only 20 days left until Ash Wednesday), maybe this isn’t a bad place to start.
by Deborah Gretzinger
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