Summer is upon us! It may not be technically summer until June 21st, but the unofficial beginning of summer (at least for me) begins when the kids get out of school at the beginning of June.
What is your plan for the summer? Are you going anywhere? Does your routine change? Or. . . is summer the same for you as the rest of the year except you do everything in short sleeves?
Regardless of what your plans (or non-plans) are for the summer months, I want to encourage you to continue to pray (or start praying) on a regular basis. Prayer is important to every well-grounded Christian. Talking with God frequently reminds us that we are under “His jurisdiction and power.” Taking the time to connect with God allows us to bring our concerns, joys and troubles to the One who can actually do something about them!
There is a great story in John Maxwell’s book; Partners in Prayer:
“In the summer of 1876, grasshoppers nearly destroyed the crops in Minnesota. So in the spring of 1877, farmers were worried. They believed that the dreadful plague would once again visit them and again destroy the rich wheat crop, bringing ruin to thousands of people.
The situation was so serious that Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting He urged every man, woman and child to ask God to prevent the terrible scourge. On that April day all schools, shops, stores and offices were closed. There was a reverent, quite hush over all the state.
The next day dawned bright and clear. Temperature soared to what they ordinary were in midsummer, which was very unusual for April. Minnesotans were devastated as they discovered billions of grasshopper larvae wiggling to life. For 3 days the unusual heat persisted, and the larvae hatched. It appeared that it wouldn’t be long before they started feeding and destroying the crops.
On the fourth day, however the temperature suddenly dropped, and that night frost, covered the entire state. Result – it killed every one of those creeping, crawling pests as surely as if poison or fire had been used, It went down in the history of Minnesota as the day God answered the prayers of the people.”
That is an awesome story! But understand, it was NOT the first and certainly was NOT the last time that Almighty God answered the prayers of his people.
Whatever you are going to do this summer, include prayer. The simple act of prayer can change you first and foremost and the world around you.
Everything happens for a reason. Prayer should be an everyday effort. If you forget to pray in the am try the pm. I know a young man that prays over his coffee and bible in the am. (I never thought this would happen) His friend educated him on the importance of reading the bible and prayer. Prayer – no response is a response from God. You may receive the answer to your prayer. Be patient.
Agreed!