Most of us are familiar with the phrase: “If you don’t feel close to God, guess who moved?”!

Well, that describes how I titled this post. All my life I have been pounded with the reality and power of prayer but save for a few scattered inner revivals, I don’t think I have really embraced prayer the way it is meant to be embraced.

We all say the prayers of desperation when things aren’t going well or we are in crisis. I have been no exception. After such time as I have exhausted my own efforts, I would then and only then “resort” to prayer! Pretty sure I’m not alone.

What I am discovering (again) is that prayer is so much more than asking for what I need or want. The Bible tells us that sometimes prayers are groanings especially when applied to the Holy Spirit praying to the Father on our behalf. (Romans 8:26). In Luke 18 Christ instructs to “pray without ceasing”. We all know that this is the time when we can speak with our God and Savior.

Our Pastor has a great passion for prayer and has been encouraging us to be better and more intentional people of prayer. The Church recently moved a weekly prayer meeting to Tuesday nights so that more of the folks who minister on Wednesdays can make it. Since I am in Choir the day change is perfect for me. Though the group is smaller that it should be, it is an intimate, transparent, and unified time of petition, pleading, and praising directed to our Lord. Prayer is totally contageous! If you spend time with your brothers and sisters in prayer it is so unifying. Many people seeking the same purpose.

My prayer for me and my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is that we can learn to remove the barriers of social strata, embarrassment, awkwardness, etc, and just embrace the gift of prayer as we lift one another up, whether we are grieving, rejoicing, crying out or groaning.