Prayer Time

Hi dear friends, I pray that you are well and that you have been keeping the faith! I hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving with family and friends. Here at my house? Well, there was an unfamiliar quietness, no grand dinner or family gatherings, just slow and easy. Simple yet peculiarly delightful.

As I journey through this life, I'm learning to appreciate more of the simplest and smallest of things. Being fully present and finding delight even in the mundane. I'm old enough to know that what seems to be mundane, insignificant today can be an oh so sweet memory to look back on with much fondness and appreciation later in life.

I've also been taking intentional notice of the blessings bestowed that I tend to gloss over or take for granted. Everything is not yet as I've been hoping for, but I wait with much resolve to set my heart to overflow with thankfulness to our Father in heaven.

Being thankful for the quiet, simple and "smallest" is helping me cultivate more of a heart of gratitude. Which by default, increases my joy meter. Reduces the temptation to complain, and grants me a sobering realization and greater appreciation of how blessed I really am. Because simple and small to me is immense and essential to life for someone else. Things that I daily presume someone is desperately praying for.

Many are right now without homes. Outside in the cold. Many are laying loved ones to rest. Some cannot afford lifesaving medicine or medical attention. Many are doing their best to make ends meet but no matter how hard they try to stretch the ends continue to come up short. Some are battling deep depression. Many are fighting through critical illness and harsh treatments with seemingly no hope or relief in sight. Others, just the cummulative issues of life. Simply put; life gets hard.

Because of the many stressors that life throws our way, the warfare and the waiting for the unseen to be seen, many have lost heart. Beat down by life. Disappointed and discouraged to the point that they have just lost heart and stopped praying.

I came across a staggering statistic the other day from Pew Research. Their data indicates a significant decline in Americans that seldom or never pray. Nearly one-third or 32% by the early 2020's.

Though the specific numbers are hard to trace, research shows a pattern that there has been a consistent decline in people who pray. Milliions of Americans (souls) have stopped praying. When finding this out it really bothered me and continues to gnaw at my heart.

As heartbreaking as this downward plunge of prayer is, if we look into God's Word, there is a clear indicator in the Gospel of Luke 18:8. Jesus asks this question in the parable of the persistent widow, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?

Jesus calls our attention to persistent and believing prayer. Because as we get closer to Christ's return, we are going to need steadfast and anchored faith.

If we take a look back just a few verses in Luke 18:1, Jesus says, to pray and faint not. God in His faithful providence is giving us notice that there will be trials, disappointments, discouragement, deterrents, and delays but He exhorts us to keep praying and don't lose heart.

Dear friend, if you have been believing God for healing, comfort, peace or a person, pray and faint not.

If you are believing God to meet a tangible need, seek God. Hold fast to His Word and to Him and faint not.

If you find your faith teetering and your strength depleting, spend time with Jesus and He will strengthen your heart so that you will faint not.

Weary warrior, if you've been faithful by the power of the Holy Spirit, standing in the gap, watching faithfully on the wall, repairing the breaches, pulling down strongholds, praying God's promises, crying out day and night, praying the prayer of faith, I invite you to set your heart and cling to 2 Chronicles 16:9.

For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him.

What a precious assurance and bedrock to anchor our faith and ignite our hearts to fervent prayer!

I don't know how this resonates with you but I tell you that it makes my heart really glad! God of all mankind is just searching the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are faithful to Him!

The shed blood of Jesus has brought us near to God and has given us a living faith! His finished work on the Cross has torn the veil and we can now go boldly before God's throne of grace not just for help in our time of need but our time of want; wanting, desiring, delighting in Him as a deer pants after the water brooks may our souls thirst for Thee!

May we not grow weary in praying the effectual prayer and taking God at His Word! The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous and the Word of God are potent preludes for answer to prayer, bolstering our faith and strengthening our hearts because they tether and fuse our hearts to the One whom we pray to.

Take heart and know that God's ear is not dull that He cannot hear the cries of His children. Just as a mother is attuned and knows the cry of their child, even moreso God fully knows, absolutely cares and is faithful to answer the prayers of His elect who cry out day and night.

Warrior friend, stay prayerful. Stay faithful. Stay close to the heart of God. Take heart and be exceedingly blessed in the Lord while you wait for Him to show Himself strong on your behalf and those you have been believing Him for!

Precious mother, grandmother, father, friend, watchman, sister warrior...

I implore you to not weary in waiting. Grow eager in intimacy. Then you will find rest for your soul. Strength for your heart. Delight in His perfections. Rest in His faithfulness.

Love and prayers,

Shannon

For more encouragement and prayer, check out the latest Youtube post Don't Lose Heart and share with others who may need a heart lift today.

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