I've always been impressed, however, by my mother-in-law, who, no matter the weather or her health, rises early in the morning, and prays for each one of her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren. She calls us by name, one by one. And whenever we speak on the phone, she always tells me that her fervent desire is to see all of her children and family in the Kingdom - and she encourages me to continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord. You can imagine, that when anyone in the family has an issue or challenge - we always call her and have her pray with us. Mom seems to be able to "get a prayer through." There is no doubt about it, and all of us can testify of that fact. She has a very close relationship with God. They know each other.
My father was also one who rose early before dawn. He would pray and meditate - and I can say that I came to appreciate his spiritual leadership in the home after I was already grown and gone. He was my go-to guy for special prayer, and an incredible spiritual and emotional support when my first husband died. My mother, while she isn't an early riser, is and always has been available for spiritual guidance and counsel - and just there for me when I need to vent.
Although I've been blessed with very strong spiritual guidance and support from my family members, I knew I needed to develop a one-on-one relationship with the Lord for myself. I knew it would mean that my approach had to be intentional, and I had to be willing to set aside a special time to commune with Him; a time that could not be interrupted by the mundane things of everyday life. I remember just speaking out loud - to no one in particular - "I need to find some quiet time for prayer and meditation on the Word." You know how you say something and have no idea (or even no intention of figuring) how or when you'll even start the process? That was me.
Until one morning, seems like all the sudden, I noticed that I was waking up at 3:30 a.m. I was not sleepy and had no desire to go back to bed. It happened every day for a week - when I realized what was going on. God was saying to me, "How about now?" After all, I felt totally rested, the house was quiet, there were no distractions whatsoever. It became so clear to me that I was nothing but a sham if I did NOT get my Bible, go into my den and have worship - immediately. I had heard of this same thing happening to a few other friends - and they had come to the same conclusion. God was calling.
The best times of my day are those quiet moments I spend alone with God. Learning His will and His way are the keys to "getting a prayer through."
I know I can get a witness.
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