Pouring out prayer
As the water leaves my cup, I have a brainstorm. This simple task of watering my plants – a daily process in the hotter
months – could be a stimulus for prayer.
After all, David called for believers to pour out their hearts before
God (Ps. 62:8). What better visual cue
could I have?
In my quest to learn
how to “pray at all times” (Eph. 6:18), I’ve been looking for points of overlap
– where objects and actions in the regular course of my day prompt me to talk
to God. For example, ever since I
switched to the Tom’s toothpaste brand, my good friend of the same name gets
frequent intercession. (I’ve been
meaning to give him a can of Bruce’s yams to return the favor.)
So, as I move from
window boxes to pots to planters, I am letting each category of plant inspire
the pouring out of my heart.
Lord, let the beauty of your gospel blossom and
spread throughout the world. Even in the most challenging and confining
spaces – the Rohingya refugee camps and oppression of regimes like North Korea –
may your love and grace take root and flourish.
I’m always amazed, Father, at how these flowers fill up these window
boxes. May your kingdom be as abundant,
as bountiful. May it come on earth even
as it is in heaven.
Sometimes, Father, the culmination of growth is
not simply a blossom, but a fruit. I pray for my friend, Liz, as she
cares for foster children. She is pouring your love into those young
souls. Let that love so heal them that
they would produce lives full of joy and purpose in you. And may that fruit – bearing seeds as all
fruit does – reproduce in the lives of others: in those who are watching Liz’s
assembled family now and in the families these kids will start when they are
grown.
It is wonderful to have fresh herbs literally
at my back door. Jesus, as my friend Rich teaches pastors in
India, let his speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt that he may be
able to answer every person. Make your
word savory to them. May they delight in
studying Scripture as in an aromatic meal.
Draw them in and satisfy them so that they may be able to serve the same
dish to their own congregations.
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It’s a small act, this
plant-based praying. But it’s a nice
melding of my day and my devotion.
What similar reminders
have you found?
Gracious God, fill our days with
prompts for prayer. You know how
distracted we can become – season our days with reminders that you are present
with us. Nudge us to notice you and
respond. How we would love to be
consistently aware of your presence!
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