Pastors Pen Reflection

 Dear <<Name>>
      Prayer - a change of Habit
When I try to sit down and get quiet, my brain is often just buzzing. It takes my intention and attention to stop and unplug.  From personal experience I know the importance of making prayer an intentional habit, but I sometimes miss the mark when setting aside time for prayer. When I read scripture, I note that even Jesus didn’t always succeed. Exhausted from ministry, he sought a quiet place to pray; still he found people clamoring for his attention and help! Mark 6:30.
 
In our moments of reflections and prayers we may get sidetracked by a thousand worries demanding attention and action. It might be quiet outside, but still noisy inside. How can we ever win this battle?
 
Perhaps the first step is simply this: Stop fighting the internal worries! If we learn to focus on God, even when worries or chaos arise we can learn to pray through the worry! Remember you need not be on your knees for God to hear you.
 
Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. In the Message Bible, Philippians 4, I like the idea of shaping our worries into prayers. It is something that sends a spark through me and that helps me to fight the anxiety of prayer. The spark launches my mind towards having a deeper conversation with God instead of thinking about the worry of the day. So, the first part of prayer may just be shaping our worry into prayers!
 
I’ve found that writing my prayers is also a very effective way of praying. I know that when I write things out it is as if I am offering them to God. Having our prayer wall during this time of Lent has been healing for me. It is a time when I can be still, write my prayers and place them in the wall. It has been a time of connection as I bring my whole self to place those prayers in the cracks of the wall. You know it has been said it is in the cracks where Gods light shines through. It is my hope that you have found a closer connection with God as you write your prayers and place them in the prayer wall.  
 
Let me invite you to listen and notice God as you go through this week and join us on Sunday for prayers around the world.
Blessings
Rev Terri