Spending Quality Time With God in Prayer

Eight years ago, a university professor I met at my eldest child's graduation, said something that has stayed with me and has become more and more profound with each passing year. He raised his right and left hands a few inches apart, palms facing each other; and as he did so, he said, "These are the best of times and the worst of times, which means it's prayer time." Then he slowly brought his hands together in a posture of prayer.

It's been 'prayer time' for me and my family - for real - ever since.

Being involved in "small groups" and music ministries over the years has taught me the significance of spending time in prayer and supplication with the Lord. There is always something to pray about. And as people of God, we begin to see every situation and prayer request as opportunities to stand in the gap for others, as well as petition to the Lord on our own behalf.

This series, Pray, period, brought by Boaz Ministries, is a call to all of us to, 1. seek/maintain contact with the Lord; 2.recognize the times in which we live, and 3. cover one another in God's protection, love and grace. I was so pleased to see movies like War Room and Risen in the theaters; and that they did pretty well at the box office was confirmation that there are souls thirsty for God's message.

I know people who have now designated a special room or closet in their homes, devoted to spending time with the Lord in prayer. And prayer, for me, has gone beyond the confines of kneeling with bowed head and closed eyes. Just like any relationship with a loved one, prayer becomes a conversation, a time to immerse yourself in the presence of the Almighty. I have conversations with the Lord sitting in my bedroom, or driving in my car - or as I walk outside in nature. And I now have a special place as my own war room in my home.

For those of us who are just getting to know God, and for those of us who'd like to go deeper in our relationship with Him, I found some awesome suggestions on how to spend an hour in prayer, and I will share them over the next few days. I can guarantee that after an hour, or even after the first 15 minutes, these suggestions won't even be needed, because you'll find you have plenty to talk to God about!