Pray continually.   (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.    (Luke 5:16)

 I do a lot of multi-task praying: ironing and praying, driving and praying (eyes open).  How else can you obey the command to pray continually?  At some point, the Holy Spirit began to convict me that I only prayed while doing something else; I rarely engaged in focused, single-minded prayer.  I thought about a good friend who always multi-tasked while talking to me.  When we were on the phone together, I could hear her busy with dishwashing or meal preparation as we talked.  When we talked in person, her eyes and hands were often busy with a sewing project.  I sometimes found myself thinking, Does she care enough about me to give me her undivided attention, at least sometimes?   I wondered if God felt that way about my conversations with Him.  I began to carve out time to give Him my undivided attention, as Jesus did when he withdrew to a lonely place to pray.  How about you?  Have you found the right balance between continual prayer and focused prayer?  Ask the Lord to show you and help you.

Here are some ideas to get you started in prayer this week:

 1.  Paul's letter to the Galatians is all about the freedom we have in Christ (2:4).  We have just concluded a weekend of celebrating the political freedoms we enjoy in the USA.  Spend some time meditating on the spiritual freedoms we have in Christ.  Here are a few I have been thinking about: freedom from God's wrath, freedom from the fear of death, freedom from desperate and hopeless perfectionism in this life. 

2.  Thank the Lord for a very successful Vacation Bible School, and ask Him to continue His work in the lives of the children who attended.

3.  Our GO Team is halfway through their time in Poland. Please continue to uphold them in prayer. 

In Christ,