Becoming A Woman Of Prayer
Living a lifestyle of prayer is important. It makes your spiritual walk and personal relationship with God grow closer. Prayer to me is just like talking to an individual. I say anything that's on my mind and heart to Poppa God (my personal name I call God). He knows our thoughts even before we speak them. He enjoys spending time with us.
To fast is to give up something that is valuable to you for a time in order to devote yourself to prayer and the Lord's service. Many forgo food. Some may give up using the Internet or other media. Really, you can choose anything that would be distracting or take up a lot of your time -time that you could be using instead to be fellowshipping with the Lord. PLEASE NOTE: If you have medical conditions such as diabetes that would require you to have a certain diet- I HIGHLY recommend talking to your physician first before giving up food. You can always just fast sweets and chocolate or anything pleasurable. I believe God honors the heart more than the sacrifice. Just do what you can to spend more time with God.
As mothers, wives, workers, ministers, etc., we know how busy life is. You may not have enough hours in a day to just be on your knees praying, but you DO HAVE minutes; and praying in intervals throughout the day can easily add up to horus. Five minutes of prayer is better than none. JUST BE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND BE PRAYER MINDED. Here are a few examples and ideas that I have found that work for incorporating more prayer and Bible reading time:
■In the shower or while taking a bath.
■while putting your makeup on or doing your hair (I talk to God a lot while doing this)
■Restroom breaks
■In the car while driving somewhere. even if you have small children in the car you can do this -praying out loud in front of your kids is good for them. They listen and they learn from you.
■In lieu of a TV program: Turn the TV off. How many hours do you normally watch programs? Use some of this time for prayer instead.
■In the waiting rooms of doctors offices or school appointments
■When stopped at a red light or waiting for traffic to clear
■While working out at the gym or on a walk (I talk to God a lot during those times).
■While cooking dinner (the best tacos are made while worshipping God or praying).
■In lieu of a nap (trust me, you will be more refreshed and energized by spending time with GOD than you would with sleeping)
■While cleaning or vacuuming (I spent lots of times talking to God while doing this).
■Lunch breaks at work or school
These are just a few ideas, but see? There are more than enough opportunities for us to spend time in prayer with GOD.
A few tips I have found helpful when fasting:
■Don't try to give up your normal cup of coffee in the morning. You don't want to start your fast with a headache. If you decide that you want to give up caffeine, do it gradually -such as one cup the first day, a half cup the next day, etc., until you have slowly eliminated your intake.
■Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated.
■If you're giving up meat, you can eat mushrooms, beans, eggplant, etc. These are good alternatives, and you still will get some protein in your body.
■Nutritional shakes that contain vitamins are helpful if you are skipping meals.
■Keep away from the media.TV, Internet, Radio, etc. Whatever keeps your focus away form meditating on the Word.
■Keep your house an atmosphere of worship. Play worship music, light candles, etc. This makes it inviting for peace and quiet.
■Include your children in prayer and Bible reading. This brings everyone together.
■Be searching, reflective, and repentant. Ask God what areas of your heart and life need to be dealt with. This leaves room in your heart for MORE OF GOD.
■Meditate on the WORD. Place scriptures on your wall, mirrors, or places where you will see them often.
■Keep your Bible handy as well as paper and pen. Then when something speaks to you, you can write it down.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember to forgive yourself if you blow it one day. This isn't supposed to be legalistic or used as a tool to heap condemnation on yourself. IT'S THE HEART THAT MATTERS MORE THAN THE SACRIFICE.
~Jenny Williams
