WE Must Slow Down And Pray

Faith Filled Thoughts
November 10th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
Please share our website with your friends and family

http://www.faithitout.com/blog.html
www.faithitout.com

Faith Filled thoughts released Monday –Friday excluding Holidays

WE Must Slow Down And Pray

Scripture: James 4:14 "For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, then vanishes away."
As a minister my illustration by taking a can of air freshener and spraying just a very small wisp of the compressed air into a large auditorium. When the air was released from the can, it appeared for a moment and then vanished quickly. The Apostle James measures our life in the same manner to help us understand how short our life is and how precious our moments really are. In light of this revelation, we need to be more attentive to our life and learn to take advantage of each and every special moment that comes our way.

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon said that to everything there is a season and a purpose. He said there is a time to laugh, dance, be healed, build, love, and embrace the ones we love. Yet, these crucial moments that God presents to us must be recognized and seized in the spirit. Very often, however, we allow ourselves to become so stressed that we can't take a moment to laugh, much less take a little time out to dance. We can't find a few spare moments to refresh ourselves in the spirit so that God can build us up in our faith.

And if we are not careful, we will even get too busy to embrace those that we love, pay attention to their needs, and enjoy their presence. We will fail to recognize the precious moments that are being offered to us until it is too late. In this fast paced life, it is crucial for us to just waste some time enjoying the fellowship of our family, our friends, and even life itself. We must slow down long enough to smell the roses, watch a sunrise or sunset, hold a baby in our arms, and quietly rest in God's presence. When we take these moments, they will create a memory that will last a lifetime. Following is a prayer that I encourage you to pray if you need help in this area.

Pray This Prayer Today
Lord, help me to take a moment in the midst of the storms of my life to acknowledge that You are God and that You are sovereign and in control.
Help me to recognize that You can speak peace into my life and calm all of the adverse circumstances that are challenging me right now.
Help me to take a moment from the busyness and stress of my life to rest in Your presence so that You can renew my strength.
When I fall into sin, help me take a moment to confess my sins so that You can forgive me, cleanse me from all unrighteousness, and restore the joy of my salvation.
When my body is infiltrated by disease and racked with pain, help me take a moment to remember Your word that says,
"By the stripes of Jesus, I am healed."
Help me take a moment away from my financial pressures to acknowledge Your promise that You will meet my needs according to Your riches in Christ Jesus.
When I am grieved in the spirit, help me take a moment to know that You are surrounding me with songs of deliverance and that You will give me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
When things seem hopeless, help me take a moment and remember that all things are working together for good and to praise You for Your love and mercy that endures forever
. Lord, remind me to take a moment to appreciate my sight, my hearing, my mental faculties, and my physical mobility.
Last but not least, help me to remember that my life is as a vapor, and that I should cherish every moment that You create for me, seize it with anticipation, and not allow that moment to pass.
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie