A time of prayer and fasting … this may surprise you, but this is my “happy place”!
Really, no joke. I am being really real with you. You see, I have learned a secret. Spending time in the presence of the Lord is glorious, it is like discovering an oasis in the desert, having enough fresh water to drink until you are fully satisfied. I have developed a real thirst for His living water, now nothing else will satisfy.
It wasn’t always this way, so if you have found this time difficult, I would happily share a few thoughts with you. Although I had grown up in a traditional church; I came into a real living relationship with Jesus as an adult. I felt like I had soooo much to learn, and I had never, ever prayed out loud for anything other than our nightly meal. For me I approached prayer like a discipline to be learned: right words, right time of day, right heart attitude – whew! It felt so complicated.
One thing I was determined about, my wonderful husband, Rich and I had both been born again, baptized in water, and then baptized in the Holy Spirit together, and we wanted a real living powerful relationship with Jesus to be our greatest gift of an inheritance for our children, grandchildren, and for the many generations to follow.
Prov 13:22 NIRV
A good person (a follower of Jesus Christ) leaves what they OWN to their children and grandchildren.
I realized that I needed to “own” this, or as some might say – “possess the land” before I could consider passing it along. My hunger was real, and the Lord provided us with people and resources that encouraged us and modeled what a life of prayer looked like. We saw the fruit in their lives and we were inspired.
In a seemingly short time, what had started as a duty of praying for needs, became a time of delight as I met with my Saviour and King! I was now ready to share this beautiful relationship with our children; once again the Lord through His Word provided my instruction.
Deut 6:7 NIRV
Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up.
Instead of retreating in seclusion, and making prayer something that was hidden, Rich and I chose to speak of the Lord, instruct our children, and pray for and with our children throughout our days, yes, from morning to night. Along with the children’s fridge art, we posted reminders of the Lord’s faithfulness as our family united in prayer for the specific needs of family members and friends, as well as prayers of blessings as our children grew strong and mighty in the Lord. Prayer was not a special event, it was simply part of our everyday life, and we would often just transition from discussing a difficulty into praying for that need.
We let our relationship with the Lord become as natural as breathing in our home. We woke early in the morning, even before our children arose, so that we could read our Bibles and pray. Often.
One of our young children would toddle out, and instead of sending them back to bed, we would welcome them, wrap them in a blanket beside us, and let them drift off to sleep; they snuggled beside us as we read our Bibles and prayed – ahhh bliss!
The Lord’s promises are so rich:
Numbers 6:24-26 TLB
Start children off on the right path.
And even when they are old, they will not turn away from it. Prov 22:6 NIRV
I love that this is the Lord’s promise!
We are responsible to be obedient to the Lord’s instruction found in His Word.
The Lord is responsible for the results, and He alone will receive all the glory!
I would like to close by praying a generational blessing over you:
May the Lord bless and protect you;
May the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you;
May He be gracious to you, show you His favor,
And give you His peace.
Written by:
Carol Mills
