Recently I went to the beach for a 10-day prayer retreat by myself.
A 10-day prayer retreat? By yourself?
Yes.
But why? And how can you pray for 10 days? Well, I love time by myself. And there are so many people and things to pray for/about. (And I do some other things besides prayer–Bible study and reading and writing.)
The harder question is “Why pray?” Here are a few of the reasons:
1. God Himself desires fellowship with me!!!!!!!!! How can I turn that down!?!
2. I am so grateful for what God has done for me, so I respond to His love and desire to be with me.
3. I am desperate–in my own sinfulness, inadequacy, unworthiness. He is the only way to forgiveness and hope and purpose.
4. When I listen to Him–through His Word, in stillness and quietness–He lavishes love and grace and affirmation on me. And gives me wisdom and guidance and courage.
5. The work of God is done on our knees. Then we go find out what happened.
6. The task of living the Christ-life is way beyond me–I must go to Him.
7. I have so many people I want Him to touch–I must keep bringing them to Him.
8. The world is so dark and lost. He is the light and the way.
9. Satan is a roaring lion, seeking to devour, deceive, and destroy. He loves to go after God’s servants, and especially their children. I feel compelled to stand against him, and the best way to do that is kneeling.
10. I recognize my own total dependence on God for everything in my life and ministry. Prayer is the way I express that dependence and access His provision.
So really, 10 days is hardly enough. I must, as Paul instructs, pray without ceasing!
c Judy Douglass
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Hi Judy:
What a blessing this will be…I hope you’ll let us know what God teaches you and does in you through this time.
Judy,
Thanks for sharing the 10 reasons “Why I Pray?”.
It is very convicting and indeed demands an action. Wow! Who would not want to spend the 10 days with our Father? Really appreciate this!
Hello, Judy! Today I wrote in my sowing blog about this prayer: Jesus let me see you at work today. The reason I pray is that I want to see what God sees and get beneath the surface of my circumstances to see the invisible truth. I posted this is our local paper today, so I’m praying people think about this prayer. I get so nervous about what the community thinks about my blog when I mention Jesus! I’m just praying that people desire Jesus from it. Thanks for blogging! Here’s the post: http://livewithflair.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-good-prayer.html
Judy,
Thank you so much for this post. It is such an encouragement. Sometimes I get distracted from focusing on prayer. Thanks for bringing me back to the perspecive that I need. The work is done through prayer.
Blessings, Friend.
Trina
Thanks, Trina. Yep. I need it as a reminder myself.