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One day during my morning devotional, I inadvertently scared my son. Though I warned him that I was about to pray, he mistakenly came walking down the hall and stumbled upon me in the living room, walking back and forth. Afterwards, he made the comment that he knew why I walked. He felt as if I was pacing because I had anxiety, to which I quickly told him I was not, and this was how I prayed. After I said that, I realized that the way I prayed had changed over the years.
As early as I can remember, I have always prayed on my knees. I'm so known for praying that way that my BMF calls me the 'knee negro". But I must admit, over the years, I had grown tired of knee negroed-ness and asked God if He could spice up my prayer life, or at least show me creative ways to spend time with Him. He then led me to walk and pray. And though I asked Him to spice up my prayer life, I now see that God also desired to give me some variety.
Over the years, I gone from just praying in English and in tongues on my knees, to journaling, on top of recording my prayers on a device that I later transcribe.
Sometimes I’ll watch online teachings, listen to praise and worship, sing praise and worship in English, or praise and worship God in other languages (tongues).
Then there are times when it's lit and I'm led to prophesy, engage in spiritual warfare, or really, really intercede.
But there are also times when I’m led to study a particular issue I’m dealing with which will require extensive time researching the scriptures. But there's hardly ever a day that I don't read my Bible on top of reading some unusually interesting book written by a Christian author. And while I do all that, I'll usually be inspired to write a post for my Real Issues blog or add a chapter to one of the many books, plays, sitcoms, and/or films I'm writing my faith.
But there are also times when I’ll just sit silently and just listen for God, while other times I'll simply enjoy the outside view while meditating scripture or just think about God.
And if I’m feeling really good, I’ll take the show on the road and go on an outside prayer walk. To top it all off, I get to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee while spending my time with God.
The funny thing is that when I explained it to my son, he immediately understood and said that I needed a bigger house 😊. I concurred and told him one day I’d have acres of prayer trails.
The reason I share this with you is not to brag about spiritual I am but because so many of God’s children make prayer a shouting and spitting session. And though there are times when spiritual warfare is needed, for the most part, your prayer time shouldn't only consist of shouting at Satan everyday.
Your prayer time with your Heavenly Father should be as pleasant as time spent with your earthly parents, spouse, or children.
There are several reasons why Jesus came to earth and one of them was to introduce God to us as our Heavenly Father.
God desires not only for you to serve Him but to spend time getting to know as a loving, kind, and giving Father. Not the one who requires you to be hoppin’ and hollerin’ to get something done.
God desires to make your prayer life enjoyable too. Though there have been times when I didn’t look forward to it, I must say, I really enjoy my morning devotional now. Because remember: God is a God of variety. If it weren’t true, then why are there so many species of animals, trees, and ethnicities.
Child of God, you aren’t the only one who needs a little spontaneity in your life. God desires for you to live a diverse life as well, so tomorrow morning, plan on spending some time with God and over time, let him spice that thang up. Until then…
Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, though I pray every day, I must admit that I haven’t really enjoyed it. It seems as if I'm just going through the motions and checking it off my to-do list but Lord I do desire to enjoy my time with You. So please give me enjoyable and creative ways to spend time with You. Not just during prayer but throughout my day. I thank You for it. In Jesus’ name.
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