G O D ’ S C AL L T O P R AY E R
To me these go hand in hand . I maintain an active prayer life because I have answered God ’ s call , and I have answered God ’ s call because I maintain an active prayer life .
Prayer has become something I do on both a regular and irregular basis . My wife and I teach our kids to pray at every meal in hope of teaching thanks-giving and acknowledgment of the good works of God in our lives . I have learned in life that there is no “ right or wrong time ” to pray other than “ any time ”.
If you are talking to someone , or walking by someone or thinking about someone and you get that nervous slightly uncomfortable , not sure what I should do feeling then pray , that ’ s what I try to do . Because I believe that uncomfortableness , heart beating a little faster , nervousness , is God . I believe The Holy Spirit feels that way to me because left to our own devices we are sinners . God created us with free will . Our Father created us with the ability to love Him or reject Him .
I have spent a great deal of my life not praying when these opportunities present themselves , only to walk away or look back and see the missed opportunity . I feel like those missed opportunities were times I rejected God , or didn ’ t answer his call .
So I have tried to learn from those rejections and as new occasions rise up I try to respond differently , I try to answer His call , I try to pray , or open the door for someone else to pray . The beauty of all of it in the words of a great mentor “ no matter how hard I try God doesn ’ t let me mess it up !” And that ’ s grace . Grace is what allows me to keep coming back . God ’ s grace is what keeps giving me opportunities to answer His call .
Sure it is a little awkward , sure I am outside my comfort zone , or I am nervous , so what ! I have learned to ask myself , “ How did Jesus feel , what was he thinking when he uttered , ‘ Father forgive them for they do not know what they do ’ was he comfortable on the cross ?” Embrace that uncomfortable feeling , and go with it . This is how I maintain an active prayer life , by being aware of the possibilities of answering God ’ s call , and answering God ’ s call by actively praying !
In His love Tim Scott