The word Amen, 'so be it,' is the adopted word by Christians for the conclusion of prayers or songs in worship. It's use goes back through the earliest Biblical and Judaism texts. The word in Hebrew means truth. In the Bible when it says "the God of truth" (Isaiah 65:16) in Hebrew it would be "the God of Amen." Jesus used Amen to put emphasis to His own words. There is something about the power of Amen.
Sometimes I lose focus while I'm praying. My mind wanders from lifting up a friend in prayer to the undone laundry or to tomorrow's agenda. I can be praying thanksgiving for my many gifts and suddenly start imagining how nice it would be to have more. Other times, I drift off to sleep mid-prayer and wake to a new day wondering "Did I say Amen?" "Did that prayer count if I started it but never finished it?" The battlefield of the mind is that we can be easily distracted. Perhaps moreso now that we are bombarded with technology and the culture of multi-tasking is promoted. Throughout the day I talk to God. But, is their more power in a prayer that is started and finished in one sitting? Is their communion, oneness with God, when the only time you talk to Him is while trying to get your baby to sleep, while tilling the soil, while cleaning the windows, even while driving?
Friends. Does it make a difference if we pray or not? Is a prayer unfinished if you did not say Amen. Does prayer bring healing? Can God use our prayers to bring change?
I asked God these questions when I felt that my prayers were more about quantity than quality. I pray, and I pray often. But, sometimes, I find that I am uttering the same old prayers. I was relying on Him knowing the condition of my heart without offering an uninterrupted time of prayer. And He revealed to me "Your prayers are powerful." He wants a relationship, and you need to retreat from your to-do list for a relationship to work. That revelation, He showed me through a few verses of scripture as well as through some answered prayers.
I have been struggling lately with sleep. Not hard to imagine when you have little one who wakes up once, twice, or seven times a night. I've never been a great sleeper and I have never been a napper. I can be tired, overtired even, and it will take at least an hour for sleep to come. So, when the wee one wakes up, I don't just fall back to sleep. It takes some time. To top it off, I have a farmer husband who is up every day at 5:30. So, I'm woken once again. Just as I fall back to sleep around 6:30 or 7:00, the wee one will wake up for the day. So, I prayed over this situation. Rather than asking God for His blessing over my rest and rejuvenation while I go about my day. I prayed by setting aside time to pray. I set up a peace retreat, a corner of my home where I will commune with God and meditate on His Living Word. I also had friends to pray over this for me. One friend prayed over the phone with me. Another, friend, who I know journals her prayers, said she was praying for healing for me. I thought to myself, I didn't know that I needed healing. I know now that I needed healing in the sense that a wandering mind was my burden and I needed to lay my burdens down. The sleep deprivation has been getting much better. Isaac, for the most part sleeps better now. And, my mind slows down enough that it doesn't take me as long to fall back to sleep. On top of praying, I have been steering clear of known stimulaters past a certain time - any kind of screen time, caffeine, exercise. Now, I still love me a 'cuppa joe' in the mornings. And, it is not every night that I get a good night's sleep. But, I do feel more energized during the day. On the days where I know I am lacking in sleep, I pray first thing a prayer for energy.
Another answered prayer has been for healing for my back pain/strain. Having a baby does a number on your spine. And, carrying a baby around everywhere does it too. It did not matter whether I was sitting, standing, or laying down - it felt as though my lower back was shot. It was affecting the way I cared for my child. I sometimes did not want to pick him up and I hated denying him what I knew he needed - to be held. I tried numerous methods to relieve the pain, massage therapy, a back brace, topical creams, physiotherapy. We even bought a new bed. I was avoiding seeing a Chiropractor, but still might try that. Then, I decided to pray about it. And, I realized that before, I was trying to take the matter into my own hands. God revealed to me that there is no matter too trivial for God. I was not praying about it because I thought I could fix it by myself. Once I prayed about it, it was obvious that the back pain was a matter for God. It was something He cared about. I then realized that I could pray for healing, but I also needed to be open to receiving it. Only once I was open to receiving it, could I feel the pain start to fade. I still have pain, but it is slowly getting better. I need to be open to complete and total healing from Him. We often say: "Nothing is too big for God to handle." But, the opposite is true too, "Nothing is too small." He cares for even the piddliest of our troubles. And, friends, as the gardening season is approaching, the back pain is going to be in my prayers often. I must have my back back.
Of course, we don't always get the answer we hope for in prayer and there are some prayers that I have been saying for years only to hear Him say "wait." I have prayed for courage to speak openly about my faith to others, and I have prayed for family members who do not know the Lord. Sometimes it seems our prayers go unanswered but they are not unheard. God's will and plan for us might not look like our own. He will release His strength over situations that we pray for in His time. It may seem He makes us pray for some things over and over. When we pray over and over, are open to the Spirit, and are open to being amazed at what power is released, we can bring change by prayer.
So, friends, take it to the Lord in prayer. Take your burdens, thanksgivings, grievances, praises, struggles, and strifes. Lay them at His feet and be open to what He can do through you! And remember the Power of the word "Amen."
God's love is meteoric,
His loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
His verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
Nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
Slips through the cracks.
Psalms 36:5-6 Message Bible
1000 Gifts Dare - Thanksgivings -
35. Birdhouses - I have three birdhouses outside and there are finally signs of Spring inside. One of these birdhouses is a beautiful one made from recycled barnboard and made by my husband's own hands. For the creativity behind that birdhouse I will always be thankful too.
36.The song of the Red Winged Black Bird. I've so enjoyed waking up to the sound of birds in the mornings again. Another sign that Springeth hath Sprungeth.
37. Sometimes I unravel, get frazzled, come undone. I lay all my grievances down on my poor husband. I clean like a mad woman when I feel like I need more order. My husband, in turn, says: "Why don't I take Isaac for you so you can have a break?" Or, simply listens to my unwinding while taking on a housework task, like unloading the dishwasher or making lunch.
38. The stillness of the night when Isaac goes down (I hope for the night). This is the time when I can talk to God and say a prayer that ends with 'Amen.' I lay him down in his crib and sometimes just sit in the rocker in his room so I can be with God. I pray for rest and rejuvenation for the new day, for security over the night, for the Spirit to hover over our home and for the foundation of our home to be built on God. Jesus be the Center. I say my thanksgivings. I pray for my loved ones and the condition of their hearts. My prayer is not complete without an 'Amen.' And then I can do some picking up from the day.
39. Our pastor. This past Sunday was his last in our church. He has been an incredible blessing to our church family for about 13 years. And, I can't help but think, we will come to the realization of all that he and his family did when he is gone.
40. The laundry on the line. I love the fresh scent of laundry hung on the line. So long as the farmers are not spreading manure at the same time. I am also loving how cute the laundry on the line looks now that there are so many little clothes and cloth diapers hanging on it.
41. Being a mom has opened doors to new relationships. It is very interesting how at first your conversations revolve around your littles and your get-togethers consist of play-dates at parks, pools, or community centers. But, genuine relationships form and the reasons for getting together are not just for your littles to interact but for you to socialize too. I am glad to call some of the new mothers I have met, friends.
42. Stuffies - Isaac was the recipient of a lot and I mean a lot of stuffed animals. Then my dad came over with a garbage bag full of stuffies that were ours when we were kids. I decided to freshen them up by giving them a wash and spreading them out on the floor to air dry them. While they were airing out, I couldn't resist putting Isaac in the middle of them all and taking a sweet picture.
43. The very busy mama and papa finches feeding their newly hatched babies in my potted boxwood tree. They love their babies so much. The male has some red colouring and is quite the singer. I feel a little like Snow White when I'm cleaning my kitchen. The female is brown.
44. Beautiful lilac blooms and their exquisite fragrance.
45. Freshly mown grass.
46. My hubby's frugal ways. Because he is a mender and fixer of broken things. We can save a buck by not buying new things. Hence my shabby chic decor.
47. Forsythia - I love the vibrant yellow blooms I see popping up all over the country side. Their beauty is fleeting. Every year, for many years, I say I need to dig up some from someone for my yard. Perhaps I should finally do this this year.
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
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| Loads of diapers! And the smell of freshly mown grass. |
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| Homemade goodness |
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| May the 4th be with you! |
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| The waking up from a nap sequence - He loves to pull down his mobile. |
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