I recently read of an interesting way to be intentional with prayer. A man named George Reindrop wrote in No Common Task about how a nurse taught a grumpy man how to pray. The nurse had each finger on her hands signify a person. Her thumbs reminded her to pray for the people that were closest to her in her life. Her pointer finger reminded her to pray for her teachers. Her middle finger reminded her to pray for the leaders. Her fourth finger reminded her to pray for the weak and suffering people. Her little finger was a reminder for her to pray for herself. This can be a very helpful way to not forget anyone on your prayer list. Personally, I see this as an important reminder of the importance of prayer and to be intentional with your prayer life. We have a great gift in being able to talk with God whenever and wherever we are at all times.
Too often we get caught up with our daily lives, that we do not take much time to pray. There are so many people who are struggling, hurting, sick, going through personal problems, etc. Along with all of the troubles in the world, there are so many praises that we can offer to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon our lives. One of the greatest ways to make sure that we do not forget what we desire to pray about, is to be proactive about praying right away. If you have something that is on your heart right now, take it to God. You don’t have to wait till later when you may be likely to forget, to have another thing on your mind, to forget where you put your prayer list, or to simply be exhausted and fall asleep before you get the words out.
He is listening.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
– Philippians 4:6 [ESV]
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Tania Gutekunst 