Once Upon a Prayer - Warrior Mom Wisdom - Week of August 30

ONCE UPON A PRAYER

We read children bedtime stories that begin with “Once upon a time…” Today, God reminded me that it was “Once upon a prayer” that many things have occurred in my life. I have received many answered prayers – some answered prayers occurred how I imagined they would be answered, many more than not have been answered in ways that I still do not understand. Faith assures me, however, that God knows best. The rest of the month, let us consider the many prayers that have been made in the Bible. There have been prayers that have led to miracles! Prayer is powerful.

Without prayer, we are well wishers, wondering and hoping things will work out. Prayer enables us to seek God, laying it all before Him, and trusting Him to work things out for the good of those who love Him.  Prayer chases happenstance theology away and reminds us that we can entrust it all to Him. I am reminded of Daniel:

^{Da 9:20}While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill— 

^{Da 9:21}while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 

^{Da 9:22}He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 

^{Da 9:23}As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:

Did you catch what Gabriel said, “As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given….”  Wow! As soon as you begin to pray an answer is given. Pray in order that you may ask and receive what God has for you. Pray.

Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her recently founded Share & Company Publishing House  http://seymourkristina.wix.com/shareandcopublishingto. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.