Is it strange, Lord, that the prospect of prayer seems daunting? In much the same way as a to-do list can be so intimidating that I cannot even do one thing, sometimes considering prayer has the same effect. "I'm not doing the most important thing" or "I have so much to pray about; how am I to choose what is most effective?"
So, most times, even if I do pray, I feel that it is, and I am, inadequate. Teach me to pray, Jesus! "Our Father"...ah, great place to start. Father! Not by first birth, but by being born again, by second birth. Some would say by adoption. In my Facebook feed today, a woman who has adopted a girl from China wrote about "Gotcha Day." What a great title for a special occasion. You "got" me. For better or for worse, maybe more truly for better AND for worse. I can be a difficult "child."
Well, one thing I definitely want to pray about is the killing of my Christian brothers (not too many sisters are making the news) by ISIS. It chills my heart and makes me cry out in distress. Lord, is there nothing that can stop them? (I almost wrote "these maniacs?") They truly believe that they are bringing about faithfulness to ... Allah? God? A better way of life? How deluded! Or are we Westerners more deluded by our comfortable and tolerant lives, and philosophies, and social culture? There are times, I admit, that I respect the moral code that Muslims embrace--that is, until I read about their taking heathen women as sex slaves. Where does that fit in? Or how does killing "people of the Cross" further Islam? Somehow, they believe that purging the world of "infidels" is honoring to the god of their religion. To me, honestly and in the privacy of this journal, it sounds like the god of their religion is a god who celebrates death and violence and power, not life and love and welcome.
So, dear Father, have mercy on Your other children who are in the way of harm and who are still attempting to remain faithful in the face of this threatening persecution. When I think ....
(Hubby came home suddenly and I didn't finish this post!)
Notice the mid-sentence stop? Hubby came in the door so suddenly (thanks in large part to my poor hearing) that I just hit "Publish"! The thought/prayer, though, was for Christians who are being beheaded and shot by ISIS extremists. I suppose I should pray for the enemies, too, though that is harder. Bless them, Lord, I sincerely pray as sincerely as I am capable and trusting You to supplement my poor attempt.
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