For many years I worked for lawyers, and in several of those jobs, I needed to keep a record of my time spent on each file throughout the day. That time was billed to the clients at a lesser rate than the attorneys’ time. It was a system that worked very well for the attorneys and the clients. Old habits are hard to break, so even in retirement, I find I continue to have time allotments for different matters.
A much-needed 20-minute nap can give me twice the energy for the rest of the day’s work after a harried morning.
Walking outdoors for 20-25 minutes each day keeps me in pretty good shape, along with my 20 minutes of video exercise in the morning. See what I mean? Ten minutes here, 20 minutes there, and my day is underway.
After I wake, I start my day with prayer time and then some light stretching with weights. My husband and I then join a video workout session for more vigorous morning exercise. After breakfast, I read my daily Bible. Sometimes, I am so fascinated by the Scriptures that I stop to do research, and then that normal 15 minutes might run into an hour. The best thing about retirement is that now I only answer to God on how I spend my time!
I always end my study time with a prayer time that runs through a list of friends and family and their needs. That time, too, can be stretched out because of special needs that God has placed on my heart to bring forth to Him for certain individuals.
The names on my prayer list are grouped – those that preach and teach, close friends that know the Lord, friends that don’t know Jesus yet, of course, I have both of our families, my weekly Bible Study group, and so on. Some days, I pray more for a particular person or group, as a whole, as God leads me.
This is a delight for me to speak to God about each person on this list.
It is a joy being an intercessor in prayer. Those who pray diligently will know exactly what I’m talking about. To sit before the throne of God and ask Him to work in the lives of others, as I lift them up to Him, is a pleasure. I know that God knows my heart and that the Holy Spirit will intercede for me when I don’t know how or what words to pray. Rom. 8-26.
For friends and family who live far away, I don’t know their specific needs for the day, but I know that God does, and when I smile and say their name, I absolutely know that God is smiling, also. The prayers I pray are also always asking that God’s own will be done if my requests are in conflict with His plan. God always knows what is best for those we love, and we can trust His choices even if we don’t understand them.
Where we pray doesn’t matter. We can be walking the beach and praising God just as well as sitting in the pews at church. I pray a lot, while I am driving – occasionally for the other drivers, as well, when I see someone that is agitated, careless, or possibly unsure of where they are headed in our tourist town.
God is always listening, and you can imagine how fond our Father is of us wanting to speak with Him. We can seek God for our own counsel, for others, for our government, our leaders, etc. God wants us to ask His direction in our lives in everything we do and say. He desires to be the center of our lives.
I find the more I pray, the more I trust God’s will. I might not always see what He is doing in the lives around me, but I know He is moving, and, occasionally, He graces me with the opportunity to witness Him in action – halleluiah!
If you are not one who prays regularly, I would encourage you to try it. It is the same as physical exercise in that the more we do a particular exercise, the easier it becomes. I especially enjoy praying with others out loud. Because of my poor hearing, this doesn’t happen as much anymore, but I learned so much about seeking God’s will by listening, while the others in my group prayed. I listened to their hearts seeking God’s heart and I heard them using God’s own words from Scripture to seek His will in the lives of those we prayed for. What a joy to hear how much someone loves the Lord and others by listening in on their prayers.
If your church has a prayer group, maybe now is the time to consider joining. You can always listen in for the first few weeks to get comfortable. The prayers will understand because every person had their first time in a prayer group. That prayer hour becomes a tender time with the Father and in the Scripture, we are told, “And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel.” Rev. 8:4. Our prayers are very much like the smoke of incense that God found to be a pleasing aroma in the tabernacle.
Let’s lift up our praises unto the Lord in prayers and with thanksgiving. It just takes a little time, but it is surely time well spent.
ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City.
