Lately God has had this idea on my heart to pray about things before they occur. If you regularly read my blog, you might have noticed this reoccurring theme. I strongly believe that praying about things before they happen has a strong impact on the situation. In times of weakness it is so easy to overlook prayer, especially if exhaustion is paired with your weakness. It's easy to go to bed early or sleep in late without taking the time to ask God for strength. It is so easy to focus so much on a problem that we forget about the God in control of our problem, or that our problem is often inconsequential to the Kingdom of God.
When we pray about things ahead of time, we are praying that God will prepare and strengthen our heart for different situations. We are continually reminding ourselves that God is in control over all situations, even ones we aren't in yet. We remember that God has a bigger picture; that there is a plan beyond the problem. And I still haven't found a single negative to praying about things before they occur.
One thing that I regularly pray for is my marriage. Yes, my marriage has already occurred, but I pray for times of trouble when we're in a time of peace. There is a blog that I found on Pinterest that changed my marriage. It's about 10 Scriptures to Pray Over Your Marriage (link at the bottom of the page). I have these Scriptures written in my prayer journal and every day I pray for just one. For instance, today I prayed that we would run to God in times of need (Psalm 91:1-2). Even though Michael and I are blessed beyond our wildest dreams right now, that doesn't mean we'll never be without need. Praying that we will run to God in times of need reminds me that we depend on God and that we eventually will be in need but He is our provider. I am preparing my heart ahead of time so that I know how to react when the situation occurs.
Guys, I'm a psych major, so I'm going to throw a little psychology in here for ya. Ever had a really bad dream? Where someone really close to you dies or a man with a gun breaks into your house or something really, really bad? Wake up sweating and unable to shake that dream off? The mind creates these scenarios to prepare itself in case that even would actually occur. Your brain is "practicing" so it won't panic. How'd you do? Cry, scream, pee all over the floor?
Our brain naturally wants to prepare itself in advance for difficult times. Why, then, do we not do the same thing for our heart? Ephesians 6:10-17 speaks of putting on the armor of God before going into battle. If you're already in battle without armor, you're at a huge disadvantage because you are more vulnerable than you should be.
My question for you is: Are you ready for battle?Are you ready for difficult times? Does life feel more difficult than it should? Are you struggling to keep your head above water? Would your life look drastically different if you prayed every day?
If you want to check out the marriage blog, click on the link below. Just remember - reading the blog doesn't do much for your marriage if you never visit the topic again. Praying for your marriage should be a daily goal.
http://timewarpwife.com/?p=1751
You share incredible insight to human weakness. Thank you.
ReplyDelete