Devotional By Rev. Sheila Gillette
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard against your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Thought for the Day: In Pastoral Care, Joys and Concerns for the week are very important to this ministry. Intercessory prayer as Paul tells instructs us in the scripture above is important! Often, I hold up the blue cards and pray– knowing that God knows what is written on them.
Most of us in our busy lives have a hard time carving out a chunk of time to sit down, be still, and focus on praying for ourselves, our families, and others such as those on the concern list. We may take time to read the list, but do we sit and pray for any length of time?
A technique that helps me in my prayer life is called “breath” prayers. You just breathe out the name our circumstance you are praying about in a word or two, a name, a feeling, hurt, anger, happiness, doubt, question, or whatever you have on your heart at the moment. Breath prayers may be used all through your day and only take a moment at a time. These breath prayers are a divine appointment with God all through your day.
Prayer: Gracious God, Help me to improve my prayer life and take time for intercessory prayer for others. Also, when I pray, help me to know when I need to talk, and when I need to listen for your guidance by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Holy Name I pray, AMEN.
See You Sunday
