TURN
THOUGHTS INTO PRAYER
By
Karen Meade
“Be joyful always;
pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thessalonians
5:16-18, NIV).
“And pray in the
Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for
all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV).
Pray continually.
Pray on all occasions.
Always keep on praying.
Have we really considered
what these commands mean? God is inviting us, His beloved daughters, to be in constant, intimate communication with Him. His
ear is bent to hear our whispers, our cries, and our every thought.
As women, we spend a lot
of time thinking things through. In fact, we often think things to death! We spend our time thinking
out every aspect of every situation; every possible meaning of every word we hear in a conversation, and every possible scenario
that could happen in our lives …until we think, “Ahhhh!”
Dear sisters… instead
of thinking alone, why not consciously include the Lord? Why not stop and turn our thoughts into prayer?
For example:
As I pull into a parking lot and see a car that looks like
Sally’s, I think of her. “Poor Sally with her health problems. I am sure the family is affected.” My thoughts
continue on and on without producing anything worthwhile.
Then I stop and realize
I cannot just think about Sally, I need to pray for her. “Dear Lord bless Sally today. Touch her with Your healing hands.
Equip her family to cope and assist her. Amen.”
In this way I turn my
thoughts into prayer, which is time well spent. My Father delights to hear my concerns and will answer.
Here is another instance
where thoughts are more productive when turned into prayer:
I am in a dentist office
where the receptionist is quite crabby. My thoughts imagine what her problem must be and what I would like to say to her.
But I stop myself and pray for the receptionist. “God
show me a way to bless her. I do not know what is going on in her life. I confess my heart to You. Thank You for this opportunity
to lift her up to Your capable hands. Amen.”
A final example redirects
my needy thoughts:
I am talking on the
phone with a friend, while laundry and dishes are piling up. My toddler is whining and pulling on my leg. My other children
are fighting. “I need to
talk to my friend!” I grumble in my heart. Soon my thoughts take me to a needed vacation in Hawaii.
I stop and pray for strength. “Lord, forgive my grumbling. Help me to recognize my priorities and my blessings.
Give me a contented heart and the strength to live in Your peace. Amen.”
In every situation, beloved
sisters, in every moment of every day, God provides us the opportunity to include Him in our lives. It is up to us to take
every thought to Him—by the continual habit of prayer.
Continual prayer can result
in wonderful, personal blessings. When someone comes to mind, pray for them; and your love for others will grow. When something
goes wrong, pray; and your faith will increase. When something goes right, pray; and you will gain a heart of gratitude. When
you are unsure of what to do, pray; and you will find the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Instead of thinking everything
to death, stop and turn your thoughts into prayer. "Take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ" (2Corinthians 10:5, NIV).
Lord, remind us to take every thought to You. By this, we
will pray continually. Conform us by the Holy Spirit into the image our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the glory of God our
Father. In Jesus Name, amen.
________
Karen Meade has taught women's Bible studies and spoken at retreats
& conferences. She can be contacted via email: alohameades@hawaii.rr.com
