Hi Everyone!
Before I get into this I just wanted to say how much I've missed each and every one of you this week! Many of my classmates have asked me how my weekend went and I couldn't stop talking about how powerful it was. I could definitely feel Gods presence among us and I cant wait until I see you all again!
It seems as if prayer has been a constant theme in my life these past few weeks. About two weeks ago me and one of my friends here at college decided we were going to pray with each other every single night and see how our experience goes. There is something about praying with another person aloud that makes prayer all the more powerful. When I do this I truly feel like God is listening and our relationship is growing stronger.
I loved the comparison in the reading between prayer and breath. With every word you speak and the repetition of breaths, the presence of God is becoming greater within you. To me, its a great and joyful thought to imagine the spirit within me. and that through him we are given life and being.
The first thing that stood out to me was the verse Acts 17:28 "For in him, we live and move and have our being." Without christ we are nothing. He gives us our strength and the drive behind everything we do. I always take time out of my day to remind myself of this. I think to myself "you are here living because of God, he gives you life and purpose" It is so encouraging to think about this, especially when I am having a down day and think "what am I working for? whats my purpose?" This verse reminds me of a quote from my pastor here at our university ministry: "By GRACE you are able" As a reminder I have this written on a sticker that I have placed on my laptop right by the keyboard. So anytime I'm doing work I am reminded of why and how I am working. Through him and in him.
Another great verse that stroke me was Matthew 5:10-12 when it talks about how "blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness" and "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven."
These remind me of the struggles that I faced in high school and that actually led me to prayer many times. A lot of my fellow students have thought of me negatively because of my faith and love in christ. instead of pushing me away, their hostile-ness just made me hold on to my faith even tighter. Just thinking about heaven brings me joy. I cant help but have a smile on my face when I think about that reward. During the tough times at school I would pray that they would eventually realize Gods love for them and that they would be excited about heaven just as much as I am.
Sorry if my thoughts were very discombobulating. Its very hard to put my thoughts into words sometimes :)
You guys are awesome and I cant wait for memorial weekend!
Blessings,
Whit
Whit! Thank you for you post! I was encouraged when I read "you are here living because of God, he gives you life and purpose". I do think we need this reminder often. It is through his grace that we live and by his grace that we have purpose! I also loved " by his GRACE we are able". That truth is very much encouraging for me in this current place of my life. It is only through Him that we can make it through each day! Thanks
ReplyDeletei really like the quote "by grace you are able" as well! i pretty much totally agree with stef's comment above, since i liked the quote "you are here living because of God, he gives you life and purpose" too
ReplyDeletethat's a great prayer at the end, where you're praying that your fellow classmates would eventually realize God's love for them and that they would be as excited for heaven as you are; i'm also super excited for heaven!!
i definitely agree that praying with someone else helps out tremendously - that's crazy you're doing that every night (crazy good); group prayers, whether it be a bunch of people or just two people are super powerful; praying out loud is powerful in general; someone suggested to me that we pray out loud even when we're alone, just so we can get all of our thoughts out clearly; anyway, great post!