Pray without ceasing part II

Okay, so back to praying without ceasing.  A year or so ago, I felt compelled to ask a friend to be my prayer partner.  That was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  Honestly, I can say that.  It has transformed my prayer life.  Oh, it is far from perfect as can be seen from my previous post but it is so much better than it has been my entire Christian life.  To have someone who relies on you for prayer, who opens up their deepest needs, hurts, fears and is entrusting you to take them seriously.  To not just say an obligatory prayer and move on, but to think of them, to pray for them, to be their support is precious.  But at the same time, knowing they are doing the same for you.  Is truly an amazing feeling.  Knowing someone "has your back" so to speak.  Knowing that when I am having a lousy week, that there is another person who is thinking about my needs and giving them up to God is so reassuring.  And something I am so grateful for. 
I have learned many lessons from this:
     -God listens - I really feel there have been many answered prayers between the 2 of us
     -Satan listens - this is the harder one to deal with.  I know that when we are praying diligently for each other, when we are seeing amazing things happen, he attacks us.  He attacks each of us where it hurts the most, our insecurities, our weaknesses, our hormones....you name it.  He knows how to get to us even with our friendship.  He plants seeds of doubt that we truly care for each other.  I mean how best for him to take our power of prayer away but by breaking apart our bond?  Man he is good at that.
     -Our strength comes from God - one thing I continue to learn is to lean not on my own understanding but on Him.  Usually when I am struggling with something, I am trying to control it myself.  When I give it to Him, to let Him be my strength, it goes so much better.
     - Prayer makes us less selfish.  If we dive deeper into a prayerful life, praying for others, not just whining to God about what our life is lacking, it puts things into perspective.
     -We, as moms, need to stick together.  It is hard to be a mom.  Having the prayer support of someone else, going through the same struggles of not only a mom, but wife, friend, employee, maid, chauffer, tutor, cook, personal shopper...boy we wear many hats.  Knowing someone else is praying for you that is dealing with all the same things, is really helpful.  (Okay, I am using that as an example, I am not trying to offend my friends who aren't wives or mothers.  Really, any woman you have a history with, who understands you, is someone who you need to stick by.  I truly value all my friends and their prayers are always welcome and I find it an honor to pray for them as well).
     -Along with having a prayer partner, praying for my own family is key.  And that is where I will stop, because that is something that requires more digging....

Pray without ceasing...

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray without ceasing".  Do any of us do that?  Honestly?  Hold your hand up if you do...anyone?  Okay, I do know some people who live this verse.  My mom's best friend is an amazing woman of prayer.  She has prayed for my dad for almost 30 years.  Yes, 30 years she has probably been more consistent with that prayer than I have.  Shameful.  She prayed for her own husband to become a Christian for many many years.  She was faithful.  He is now an amazing Christian, father, leader in their church. It truly has been a miracle to see this man go from nonbeliever to believer.  And that is because of prayer. 
I am going to be honest here.  Praying bores me.  It did anyway.  Oh not the we have a friend in need... someone injured in an accident...Haiti had an earthquake kind of praying.  That praying, I have always been able to do.  Why?  Because it was short lived.  I would say my prayer and then move on.  Those emergency type prayers are not necessarily the pray without ceasing kind of prayer.  Usually, there is an answer that is relatively quick.  I don't get bored with it.  But to pray for someone for 30 years?  And see no answer?  No fruit of your labor?  Is really really hard.  I am ashamed to admit defeat in this area.  That not only have I stopped basically praying for my own father's salvation, but that I have given up on it.
Okay, so this is not where this post was supposed to go.  But here it is.  When you write from the heart, it leads you.  And this is obviously a part of my journey that I have not come to terms with.
If we can embrace and live this verse each day, I think it will transform our lives. 

Prayer Journey

My prayer journey began when I was 8 years old.  The night a man named Richard came into my life and told me about Jesus Christ.  My mom had become a Christian several months before this night but I refused to go to church with her.  Refused to have anything to do with Jesus.  Would not listen.  But this night...funny, I don't remember the specifics, but I know I was broken.  My father had walked out, my world was upside down.  I became the only kid in my class with divorced parents.  My father was my rock.  He was who I leaned on when I was sad, the man I would go to to carry me when I was tired or hurt.  And then he left.  And there was a huge hole.
Finally, on that night I was willing to listen and to pray. To accept Jesus as my Savior.  My Father.  Someone who would never leave or forsake me. 
That was my first prayer.  And I believe back then, I prayed a lot.  I prayed my dad would come home, I prayed my dad would become a believer.  It didn't happen. 
I am not sure if that has affected my prayer life.  Somehow, it seems like it would have.  But I still believed and continue to believe in the power of prayer.  And yet, I have not been consistent with it.  But I am working on it and am going to blog about my prayer journey.  That's the beginning...stay tuned.

Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Matthew 6:9-13