Prayer -- My Thoughts

When you go before the Lord, do you consider what you are praying for or about?

Some years ago, I was introduced to praying by my Mother. Mother did not use fancy words even though she was a very educated woman. She told me to clear my mind, ask God's permission to come to His throne of grace, repent of my sins, and then just talk to Him. She also said that I should put God first in everything

Over the years, after leaving Screven, Georgia, I have attended various denominational services, and I have learned that prayers can be categorized, AND it came to my attention that over the years, I have prayed every single one of them.

Some categories of prayer.

•Communion (All day all the time) -- just talking with God in your own special way

•Supplication (Lifting your needs) -- talking with God about your needs and the need for Him to supply all of your needs

•Intercession (On behalf of others) -- talking to God about your children, your family, your friends, your neighbors, the leaders of our Country, and yes your enemies

•Spiritual Warfare — There are two types: Dealing with yourself (Your mind is the battlefield) & (Repentance and Forgiveness); Dealing with Satan and demons (Putting on the Full Armor) & (Binding & Loosing) -- fighting those battles in your mind when you doubt your own faith and when you come up against what appears to be unbeatable odds.

• Prayers of Agreement (Corporate Prayer) -- those prayers that you pray with others in Church, at meetings, and other places

•Watching and Praying -- obedience to God's word that we should watch as well as pray; praying for understanding and wisdom; praying for and about those things we do not understand

•Prayers of Thanksgiving -- being thankful for all blessings, experiences, conditions, and those things that we most often take for granted; showing through prayer our thanks for every blessing big and small

Prayer of repentance -- praying for forgiveness for sins of omission and commission -- those things that we do unknowingly as well as those that we do knowingly

There are days when we may pray every one of these without placing a label on them; just as there are days when we may only pray the one that we feel most in need of as we struggle through our day.

My thoughts on prayers and praying today is that prayer does change things; prayers also provide a way to connect or reconnect in your relationship with God.

No matter where you find yourself, there is always time for prayer. That's right -- always time for prayer. No, I am not talking about those prayers we pray for show when someone is watching. I am talking about that prayer you pray when you know all hell is getting ready to break loose and you do not have time to fake it. Oh, God, Help me! Or please God do not let me hit that car when you know you were driving to fast and your brakes fail. You know what I am talking about.

Remember what you were taught, take everything to God in prayer.

Much love, and know that as you read this, I am praying for you today.

Peace and blessings always.