By: Christine LaPorte
“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 NIV
When my dog Emmy and I returned from a daily walk, I noticed the distinct contrast between the noise level and chaos over the wall that shields our neighborhood from a very busy Route 3 and the serenity and peace of my front porch. There is a shopping center across the heavily traveled two-way road with over 60 different businesses and traffic is usually heavy. Another sad truth is that throughout any 24-hour period, I hear emergency vehicles rushing to answer calls for accidents, crimes, speeders, fires, and people in distress. It is stressful.
Even though the distance from my development to the roadway is not far, I am significantly safer on the residential side of the wall than on the other side. And in parallel, it is the same in life’s journey as we navigate the world with or without God’s protection and guidance. Often, we are just a short distance from a quick decision or reckless action from incurring life altering affects that can impact us and our families for years to come. We have daily choices to make, because the Lord has given us this freedom and to quote Maximus Decimus Meridius from the movie “Gladiator”, “what we do in life echoes in eternity”.
Therefore, it is important, even crucial, to choose wisely and align ourselves with God’s plan for our lives. He created us, he wants us to have an abundant life (John 10:10), and He knows what the most beneficial path is. There are steps we can take, and there are people we can talk to and pray with to get help along the way.
I believe that prayer and talking with the Lord is the most important privilege we have, with only reading the Bible coming before this. I am not formal when I pray. I memorize scripture and pray throughout the day, talking to the Lord even about trivial things, like spilling my newly made cup of coffee all over the floor, kitchen rugs, and cabinets yesterday. I pray God’s word over myself, my family, workers on the side of the road and animals while I am driving, working at my desk, and even watching TV. What this accomplishes is an open dialogue between my Father in Heaven, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I tell him when I’m really stressed out about something and thank Him that His word says that “I am anxious for nothing.” Because I bring my requests to Him; He gives me the peace that surpasses all human understanding AND keeps my heart and mind safe in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:6-7).
When I am afraid about something or for someone, I will get down on my knees and pray and at night I read a devotion, listening to nighttime prayers. This type of prayer aligns with my current busy life and style, but your prayer life may be different. Regardless of how you structure your prayer life, talking to the Lord consistently and expecting Him to answer and guide you is what matters. In a nutshell:
Pray and ask for direction
- Look for the Lord’s answers and guidance
- Follow through with His instructions
- Reap the benefits
I read the following statement from the “Power of a Praying Woman” desk calendar. Stormie Omartian is the author. This aligns very well to the significance of prayer and God’s protection over His children.
“Sometimes we are very close to the edge of a dangerous situation. But God sees all because He is above all. If we were to connect with Him on a regular basis and say, “Lord, guide me so I won’t fall.” He could lead us away from the edge”
hisshadowings.com 