I was driving my daughter home from youth group last night when an oldie but goodie by Stephen Curtis Chapman came on the stereo. Before I knew it I found myself singing along with the chorus:
“Let us pray, let us pray
Everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day
It is the right time
Let us pray without end
And when we finish, start again
Like breathing out
And breathing in, oh, let us pray”
I remembered how much I liked the song. It was a catchy tune. Beyond that there was the central theme and lyrics that had always drawn me to it.
Let us pray.
Where? Everywhere.
How? In every way.
When? Every moment of the day, it is the right time.
That sounds really daunting. Every moment of the day? Do I really have to be on my knees constantly? Everywhere? Even in the checkout line in Target?
Where it takes us back to is the concept of prayer as more than just something we do at the altar or at the side of the bed. When we pray we are talking to God. God’s desire was to interact with man on a regular basis, and He did so in His original plan with Adam. We see this in Genesis, as God talked with and walked with Adam. God’s intentions toward us haven’t changed. He wants to interact with us, and part of that interaction is conversation.
I’ll be honest, every moment of every day is beyond my ability at this time. Yet everywhere and in every way isn’t. When I stand in line at the supermarket I’ve learned to bypass the National Enquirer headlines and instead talk to God. I thank him for my day, and that I’m healthy enough to be in that line. When I’m working in the garage I’ll often spend some time thanking the Lord for His goodness to me, lifting up my needs or other’s needs to Him. Where I am doesn’t preclude me from acknowledging Him. I don’t have to be in the church sanctuary. He is with me wherever I go.
While I still hold a place of reverence for the church altar, I know that God will meet me everywhere when I acknowledge His presence. He’s willing to do that every moment of every day. He’s waiting for me to catch up with Him, it’s not the other way around. He’s always ready with an attentive ear to listen to me, and also willing to respond.
Let this moment be one of those moments in your day when you acknowledge God’s presence in your life, and His great desire to interact with you. It can be a simple “Thanks for loving me, Lord”. When you’re in a part of your day where you have the time to get more in-depth, do so. God has been very clear about His desire to draw close to us, as we see in James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”
We don’t have to win Him over, we only need to move closer to Him. Make your move today and watch Him do the same.
