By Amy Carroll
“Be joyful always; pray continually...” I Thessalonians5:16-17 (NIV)
There's a woman who works at my local grocery store that just makes my day. She is ALWAYS positive and cheerful. I’m sure it isn't easy working with the public and spending long hours on her feet, so today I asked her for her secret. "My secret for bagging?" she asked in surprise.
"No," I explained. "I want to know your secret for staying so positive." She just gave a big smile and explained that God is her secret. She followed by telling me that she had to be at work at 6:00 am today, so she’d gotten up at 3:30 am to spend time with Him.
Tears filled my eyes as I thought of this precious sister in the Lord rising in the dark to spend time with the Lord so that she could minister to all the people that will pass her at the cash register today. She shares her enthusiasm, energy and smile equally with each customer. She is a beautiful woman, but she doesn't have the advantage of youth that many of her co-workers have. This woman had gotten up in the middle of the night, spent time with Jesus, and worked an 8 hour shift. She said that it isn't always easy. "By the 40th hour of my work-week, I'm very tired," she said. "But He is my secret."
R.A. Torrey once said: "The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came...Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory."
Lucia, the checker at the grocery store, is living proof of this quote. She prepares herself with prayer for the battle of each day. She's an ordinary woman just like me, but she has taken the ordinary and made it beautiful beyond measure.
I'm a "doer", and prayer does not come easily for me. I want to start attacking my checklist about the time I open my eyes in the morning. Lucia reminds me, though, of this truth. Prayer isn't preparation for the work. It IS the work. One tool that has helped me tremendously is a prayer journal. Writing out my prayers helps me to focus and not get distracted so easily. It is also a wonderful record when I want to look back and remind myself of what the Lord has done and how He has answered prayer.
Like you, I’ve got several battles that I’m facing. I needed Lucia to remind me today that time with God is invaluable.
Dear Lord, I want to be ready for the challenges of each day. Help me to remember that nothing prepares me like time spent with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Intimacy with God: Your Daily Guide to Prayer, by Tara Furman
His Princess, Prayers to my King, by Sheri Rose Shepherd
A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer, by Cheri Fuller
Do You Know Jesus?
For more encouragement please visit Amy's Blog
Application Steps:
Set a time aside to pray each morning. Make it a “standing appointment” with Jesus before your day starts.
Pray without ceasing. Talk to God all day long. Praise Him, cry out for help or tell Him that you love Him. He is there!
Reflections:
How am I different on the days that I pray?
How does God use prayer to prepare me for the battle?
Power Verses:
I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (NIV)
Luke 18:1, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (NIV)
“Be joyful always; pray continually...” I Thessalonians5:16-17 (NIV)
There's a woman who works at my local grocery store that just makes my day. She is ALWAYS positive and cheerful. I’m sure it isn't easy working with the public and spending long hours on her feet, so today I asked her for her secret. "My secret for bagging?" she asked in surprise.
"No," I explained. "I want to know your secret for staying so positive." She just gave a big smile and explained that God is her secret. She followed by telling me that she had to be at work at 6:00 am today, so she’d gotten up at 3:30 am to spend time with Him.
Tears filled my eyes as I thought of this precious sister in the Lord rising in the dark to spend time with the Lord so that she could minister to all the people that will pass her at the cash register today. She shares her enthusiasm, energy and smile equally with each customer. She is a beautiful woman, but she doesn't have the advantage of youth that many of her co-workers have. This woman had gotten up in the middle of the night, spent time with Jesus, and worked an 8 hour shift. She said that it isn't always easy. "By the 40th hour of my work-week, I'm very tired," she said. "But He is my secret."
R.A. Torrey once said: "The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came...Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory."
Lucia, the checker at the grocery store, is living proof of this quote. She prepares herself with prayer for the battle of each day. She's an ordinary woman just like me, but she has taken the ordinary and made it beautiful beyond measure.
I'm a "doer", and prayer does not come easily for me. I want to start attacking my checklist about the time I open my eyes in the morning. Lucia reminds me, though, of this truth. Prayer isn't preparation for the work. It IS the work. One tool that has helped me tremendously is a prayer journal. Writing out my prayers helps me to focus and not get distracted so easily. It is also a wonderful record when I want to look back and remind myself of what the Lord has done and how He has answered prayer.
Like you, I’ve got several battles that I’m facing. I needed Lucia to remind me today that time with God is invaluable.
Dear Lord, I want to be ready for the challenges of each day. Help me to remember that nothing prepares me like time spent with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Intimacy with God: Your Daily Guide to Prayer, by Tara Furman
His Princess, Prayers to my King, by Sheri Rose Shepherd
A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer, by Cheri Fuller
Do You Know Jesus?
For more encouragement please visit Amy's Blog
Application Steps:
Set a time aside to pray each morning. Make it a “standing appointment” with Jesus before your day starts.
Pray without ceasing. Talk to God all day long. Praise Him, cry out for help or tell Him that you love Him. He is there!
Reflections:
How am I different on the days that I pray?
How does God use prayer to prepare me for the battle?
Power Verses:
I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (NIV)
Luke 18:1, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (NIV)
4 Comments:
I must say this is for me today. I have struggled through an emotionally abusive marriage for years now. God seems to be telling me to be patient, persevere, and trust him. My pastor just preached on God being at work bringing us closer to him in our trials and I have lost trust in some ways. But today's devotion hit me right in the heart when I read about this woman waking up at 3:30 to be with God. Because of how tired I am after taking care of my home and children then dealing with depression due to emotional abuse, I find it hard to even wake up at 5 to get things up and going by 6. But I know that this is the only way I will be prepared for battle. Thank you for this gentle but prodding reminder.
I needed this today! I am a "doer" as well and even when life isn't that busy, I find things to keep me busy! Thanks for this message.
This is what I needed to hear today! I have a brand new baby and am stressing out about going back to work. I don't want to get up in the morning because I have already been up twice during the night and when I do get up I feel like I have to tackle it all today therefore, I don't start it out the way I need to. Thank you for sharing this story.
This is wonderful! I have been reading several messages lately reminding me to pray and go to God habitually through my day. It really helps me to face my lows with hope that soon I'll be back "up" again. Thanks for this verse. ~em
Post a Comment
Home