Random prayers

^“ Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I wonder how often we pass up opportunities to pray. The Bible verse above from 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 is a reminder that prayer is always an option, that God is ever ready to receive our prayers. Prayer can be a formal routine in our days. We should take the time to withdraw and focus solely on God. I like to begin each day with the Lord’s prayer, and prayers for my family and myself, relevant to what I am doing that day, including where I’ll be working.

I also have a small area in a spare room in our house where I have a prayer notebook, in which I jot down specific needs of my immediate and extended families, my friends and others that I know. These include salvation for the unsaved, healing, provision of employment and other needs. I try to spend time alone bringing these needs to God, but must confess that I don’t do this as often as I should .  

If I know someone has a particular need coming up, I try to put this on the calendar to remind me to pray on the day e.g. for a job interview or surgery.

I believe though, that the above verse also indicates that prayer need not be so formal. In the course of my day I try to direct thoughts to God in an attitude of prayer. Prayers need not be long, complicated supplications on our knees. They can be simple whispered or thought requests “God, please be present in this situation.” “God, I need the counsel of Your Holy Spirit to guide me in this decision.” “Lord, please give me the right words that You would have me speak to this person.” “Thank You Father that I was so aware of Your presence when dealing with that conflict.” How often I’ve regretted that I rush into decisions or problem solving without thinking to pray for guidance first.

We can even pray for strangers. When sitting in the traffic, why not pray for the person in the car in front of you, or behind or beside you? “God, I don’t know that person, but You do. If they are someone who doesn’t yet know You as Lord of their lives, I pray that they will have an encounter with the gospel in some form. Bring Christian witness into their lives today.”  

Being able to pray is really a reason to rejoice. It’s a joy to be in communication with our Heavenly Father. We truly can be thankful that in any circumstance, God is ready and waiting to hear our prayers.

Book Review - Angel in the Rubble by Genelle Guzman-McMillan with William Croyle

Genelle Guzman-McMillan was the last person to be recovered alive from the debris of the World Trade Center's twin towers, after they were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001. This book is a riveting account of her experiences on that day prior to the attacks and of the twenty-seven hours she spent trapped in the rubble, awaiting rescue.
This book is fast-paced and gets to the scene of the action straight away, with some background information regarding Genelle's life history included as the story progresses. The chapters are kept quite short and the style is fluid and easily readable. I found it hard to put down and read the entire book in two sittings.
Without being preachy, this book examines how one person placed in an extreme situation had the opportunity to reexamine her beliefs and faith. Genelle had some interesting, some would say miraculous, experiences during the hours when she was trapped and these are simply and coherently documented.
Genelle devotes a chapter to the lessons that she has learned from her experience and one is struck by her positive and hopeful attitude. Finding joy and contentment with what you have in the here and now is good advice for anyone and this is just one of the suggestions in this chapter.
Included is a chapter entitled "9/11 Stories", some brief accounts and transcripts of communications on that day,  which demonstrate the courage of many people as they sought to assist others or to do their jobs under extreme duress.
"Angel in the Rubble" is a surprising and inspiring read for anyone and I thoroughly recommend it.

"Angel in the Rubble" Genelle Guzman-McMillan with William Croyle,  Allen and Unwin,  2011